15th.. of February Friday
1805
at 10 oClock P M. last night the men that [were] despatched
yesterday for the Meat, returned and informed us that as they
were
on their march down at the distance of about 24 miles
below the Fort (G.
Drewyer Frasure, S Gutterage, & Newmon[23]
with a
broken Gun). about 105 Indians which they took to be
Soues rushed on them and cut their horses from the Slays, two
of which they carried off in great hast, the 3rd. horse was given
up to the party by the intersetion of
an Indian who assumd.
Some authority on the occasion, probably more thro
fear of
himself or Some of the Indians being killed by our men who
were not disposed to be Robed of all they had tamely, they
also
forced 2 of the mens knives & a tamahauk, the man
obliged them to
return the tamahawk [, but] the knives they
ran off with
We
dispatched two men to inform the Mandans, and if any
of them chose to
pursue those robers, to come down in the
morning, and join Capt Lewis who intended to Set out with a
party of men Verry
early, by 12 oClock the Chief of the 2nd.
Village Big
White came down, and Soon after one other Chief
and Several men. The Chief
observed that all the young men
of the 2 Villages were out hunting, and
but verry fiew guns
were left, Capt. Lewis Set out at
Sunrise with 24 men, to
meet those Soues &c.
Several Indians accompanied him Some
with Bows & arrows Some with
Spears & Battle axes, 2 with
fuzees (fusils).[24]
the morning fine The Thermometer Stood
at
16°. below 0, Nought, visited by 2 of the Big Bellies this
evening, one Chief of the Mandans
returned from Capt
Lewises Party nearly blind, this
Complaint is as I am informd.
Common at this Season of
the year and caused by the reflection
of the Sun on the ice & Snow, it
is cured by "jentilley swetting
the part
affected, by throwing Snow on a hot Stone."
a Verry Cold part of the
night one man Killed a verry
large Red Fox to day.
