13th.. of January Sunday
1805
a Cold Clear Day (great number of Indians move Down the
River to hunt) those people Kill a Number of Buffalow near
their
Villages and Save a great perpotion of the Meat, theer
Custom of makeing
this article of life General (see note) (common)
leaves them more than half of their time
without meat [12]
Their
Corn & Beans &c they keep for the
Summer, and as a reserve
in Case of an attack from the Soues, [of] which
they are always
in dread, and Sildom go far to hunt except in large
parties,
about ½ the Mandans nation passed this to day to hunt on
the river below, they will Stay out
some Days, M
r. Chabonee
(our inturpeter) and one man
that accompanied him to Some
loges of the Menatarrees near the Turtle Hill
[13]
returned,
both
frosed in their faces. Chaboneu informs that the Clerk of the
Hudson Bay Co. with the
Me ne tar res has been
Speaking
Some fiew express
ns unfavourable towards us,
and that it is Said
the NW Co: intends building a fort at the
Mene tar rés. he
Saw the grand Chief of the
Big bellies who Spoke Slightly of
the Americans, Saying
if we would give our great flag to him
he would Come to See us.
