University of Virginia Library

Chapter IV

FROM TETON RIVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
OF THE MANDANS

IV. September 25–October 15, 1804

Tuesday 25th.. Sept.

We delayed to wait for the Indian chiefs and warrie[r]s
to come which we expected. about 10 oClock they
came about 50 in nomber. our officers made three
of them chiefs, and Gave them meddels & Some presents. 5
of them came on board & Stayed a long time. Capt. Clark and
Some men took [them] to Shore in a perogue. the Indians did
not incline to let us Go on any further up the river. they held
the cable of the perogue and Said that they wanted one perogue
at least to Stay as they were poor. Capt. Clark insisted on Going
on board but they resisted for a long time. they Sd. they
had Soldiers on Shore as well as he had on board. Capt. Clark
told them that he had men and medican on board that would
kill 20 Such nations in one day. they then began to be Still
and only wished that we would Stop at their lodges untill their
women & children would see us. 4 of them came on board
again, & we proceeded on 1 mile and ankered out at the lower
point of an Island in the middle of the river. the 4 Indians
stayed with us all night.

Wednesday 26th.. Sept.

we Set off eairly proceeded on 4 miles all the way on the
S. Shore was covered with Savages. at 10 oClock we came to
where the whole band had formed a circle of their lodges &
pitched in the best order possable. we ankered out about 100
yards from Shore. Capt. Lewis the 4 chiefs & 4 or 5 men went
on Shore. the natives appeared peacable & kind. Capt. Lewis

came on board & Capt. Clark went out. when the Indians Saw
the officers comming they Spread a buffaloe Robe on the
Ground and they Set down on it, then it was taken up by 4
warrie[r]s and carried to the Grand chiefs lodge. they killed
Several fat dogs which they call the best meat that ever was.
at night the women assembled and danced untill 11 oClock at
night. then our officers came on board and 2 chiefs with
them.

Thursday 27th.. Sept. 1804.

we Stayed here this day. Capt. Lewis and Some of the party
went over to See the Indians Camps their lodges are about 80
in nomber and contain about 10 Souls Each, the most of them
women and children. the women are employed dressing buffaloe
hides for to make themselves cloathing and to make their
lodges &c. they are or appear as yet to be the most freendly
people I ever Saw but they will Steal and plunder if they can
git an oppertunity. they are verry dirty the vessels they carry
their water in is the pouch of their game which they kill and in
the Same manner that they take them out of the animel. they
gave us different kinds of victules to eat. Some of it I never
Saw the like before. about 15 days ago they had a battle with
the Mahars. they killed 65 men and took 25 women prisoners.
they took the 65 of the Mahars sculps and had them hung on
Small poles, which ther women held in their hands when they
danced. we Saw them have one dance this evening. they
kept it up untill one oclock dancing round a fire about 80 of
them in nomber. they had drums and whistles for musick.
they danced war dances round the fire which was curious to us.
when we came on board an axedant happened by running the
perogue across the bow of the boat and broke our cable and
lost our anker all hands was raised and roed the barge to
Shore. the Savages ran down to know what was the matter.
we told them they Said that they came to our assistance we
thanked them for Showing their good will but kept on
our guard all night for fear they would turn our enimies
themselves.

Friday 28th.. Sept. 1804.

we draged the river in hopes to find our anker but it was in
vain. about 9 oClock we went to Set off Some of the chiefs
was then on board and concluded to go a little ways with us.
when we were about to Shove off a nomber of warrie[r]s on
Shore caught hold of our cable and another whiped of[f] the
children the women went off also only about 60 warries on
the edge of the bank and we jest under the bank Some of
them had fire arms and the rest had Good bows and arrows
ready for war. the consequence had like to have been bad as
Capt. Lewis was near cutting the cable with his Sword and giving
orders for the party to fire on them. then the chiefs went
out and Spoke to them. they Said if we would Give them a
carrit of tobacco they would loose the rope. we gave them
tobacco. the chief after Some hesitation loosed the rope himself.
we then Set of under a fine breese of wind. passed high
land on N. S. & bottom on S. S. Saw an Indian comming up
the Shore. we hoisted a white flag, and a red flag for peace or
war, and was determined to fight our way, if we could not Go
without. Capt. Lewis Got into a perogue and went on Shore to
See what the Indian wished [and] brought him on board. he
Informed us that 300 more of Savages had arived at the village
they wished us to Stop and talk with them, but we did not
Stop. he remained on board. about Sunset we ankered out
near a Small Sand bar in the middle of the river for to Stay all
night.

Saturday 29th.. Sept. 1804.

we Set off eairly. proceeded on passed bluffs on S. S. Saw
Several Indians on Shore 1 or 2 of the brave men as they called
themselves, wanted Some tobacco. the Officers gave them
2 carrits of tobacco but told them that we Should not Stop
untill we Got to the RickRee I. Nations. passed an old village
on S. S. where the RickaRees had lived 5 years ago, had
raised corn beans [illegible word] Camped on a Sand beach
on the S. Side.

Sunday 30th.. Sept. 1804.

Set off eairly. a cloudy morning. we proceeded on Saw
a Great nomber of Indians on the S. S. comming down the
river. we halted a fiew minutes and Gave them Some tobacco
& Spoke a fiew words to them, and went on under a fine
breeze of wind. towards night the waves ran & our boat
rocked So that it Skared our old Indian which was on board
He was afraid to go any further with us, and went out on
Shore in order to return to his nation. we Camped on the
N. S. of the river.

Monday 1st.. October 1804.

Set off eairly. a cloudy morning fare wind. we Sailed on
rapidly. at 9 oClock we passed dog River which comes in on
S. S. we Camped on a Sand bar in the middle of the river,
a french trador came to us from the S. Shore.

Tuesday 2 October 1804.

Set off eairly. proceeded on. passed a range of black
bluffs on N. S. and a large bottom on S. S. about 2 oClock
we discovered a nomber of Indians on the hills on N. S. one of
them came down on the bank of the river & fired off his Gun
and cryed out. we hardly new his meaning but we held ourselves
in rediness in case they Should attack us we were determined
to fight or dye. proceeded on passed a creek on the
S. S. Camped on a Sand bar in the middle of the river.

Wednesday 3rd.. Oct. 1804.

a cloudy morning, and Some rain We Set off at ½ past
7 oClock, proceeded on at 12 oClock the wind blew So hard
down the river that we Delayed untill 3 oC. then proceeded
on passed a long range of dark couloured bluffs on S. S. bottom
& Some timber on the N. S. Camped on the South Side.

Thursday 4 Oct 1804.

Set off eairly. at 9 oClock we halted for breakfast an
Indian Swam the river & came to us. proceeded on passed a
creek on S. S. called Teed creek Camped on the upper point
of an Island.

Friday 5th Oct. 1804.

Set off eairly Some whight frost last night. the day clear
and pleasant. about 11 oClock we Saw Some Goats Swimming
the river. one of our hunters Shot 4 of them. passed a creek
on the N. S. called hidden Creek. we killed a prarie wolf
Swimming in the river passed a creek on the S. S. called
whight Goat creek. Camped on the S. Side.

Saturday 6th.. Oct.

Set off eairly. clear & pleasant. about 11 oC we were
passing a bottom covered with timber on the S. S. 2 of our
hunters went out and killed 1 Elk. in this bottom a band of
the Rick a rees lived last winter. they left a nomber of round
huts covered with earth, and Some water-crafts made out of
buffaloe hides. proceeded on passed a creek on the S. S. we
Camped on a Sand beach on N. S.

Sunday 7th.. Oct. 1804.

we Set off eairly. a clear day. passed a creek on the N. S.
Goodrich and a Small River on the S. S. called Sir war [Sirwarkahna]
about 90 yards wide. at the mouth of this River is
a wintering camp of the Rickarees having about 60 lodges. we
Saw 2 of the Souix indians on the N.S. Capt. Clark killed a
Deer and a brarow. we Camped on the N. S. opposite the
head of an Island.

Monday 8th.. Oct. 1804.

we Set off eairly, a pleasant morning. we passed a run on
the S. S. called Slate run. proceeded on about 12 oClock
we passed the mouth of Marroppy [Maropa] River. we
came to the upper end of an Island where one band of the
Rick-a-rees live. we camped above the Isd. on the S. S.

Tuesday 9th.. Oct. 1804.

a Stormy day. we delayed here all day in order to counsel
with this nation their is 2 frenchmen lives with the natives.
they all appear to us verry friendly.

Wednesday 10th.. Oct. 1804.[1]

our officers held a counsel with the natives and gave them
Some presents.

Thursday 11th.. Oct. 1804.

about 12 oClock the natives came to our camp & Gave us
Some corn beans & squashes & wished our officers to Speak a
good word for them at the Mandans, for they Said they wished
to make peace.

Friday 12th.. Oct. 1804.

about 12 oclock we Set off. one of the natives went with
us, to go as far as the Mandans. we camped on the N. S.
of the River.

Saturday 13th.. Oct. 1804.

we Set off eairly clouday, about 12 oclock it rained some.
we halted 2 hours. then proceeded on untill dark and camped
on the N. S.

Sunday 14th.. Oct. 1804.

cloudy. Some rain. we Set off eairly, proceeded on passed
a creek on the S. S. campd on the N. S. nothing else extraordinary
hapened this day.

Monday 15th.. Oct. 1804.

rained all last night. we Set off eairly