25th..
of October Thursday 1804.—
a cold morning. Set out early
under a gentle Breeze from
the S. E. by E. proceeded on, passed (1) the
3rd. old Village
of the Mandans which has been Desd. for many years, This
village was situated on an
eminance of about 40 foot above the
water on the L. S. back for Several
miles is a butifull Plain
(2) at a Short distance above this old Village
on a Continuation
of the same eminance was Situated the Ricares Village
(two ola
villages of ricaras one on top of high hill the
2d below in the bottom.)
which has been avacuated only Six (five) years,
(about 3 or 4
miles above Ricaras villages are 3 old villages of
Mandanes near
together here they lived when the R's came for protection
—afterwards
moved where they now
live.) above this Village a large and
extensive bottom for Several
miles in which the Squars raised
ther Corn, but little timber near the
Villages, on the S. S.
below is a point of excellent timber, and in the
point Several
miles above is fine timber, Several parties of Mandins rode
to the river on the S. S. to view us indeed they are continuelly
in Sight Satisfying their
Curiossities as to our apperance
&c. We are told that the Seaux has
latterly fallen in with &
Stole the horses of the Big bellies,[51]
on their way home they
fell in with the
Ossiniboin who killed them and took the
horses. a frenchman has latterly
been killed by the Indians
on the Track to the tradeing establishment on
the Ossinebine
R. in the North of this place (or British fort) This
frenchman
has lived many years with the Mandins. we were frequently
called on to land & talk to parties of the Mandins on the
Shore;
wind Sfifted to the S. W at about 11 oClock and
blew hard untill 3 oClk.
clouded up river full of Sand bars
& we are at a great loss to find
the channel of the river, frequently
run on
the Sand bars which Delais us much passed
a verry bad riffle of rocks in
the evening by takeing the L. S.
of a sand bar[52]
and camped on a
Sand point on the S. S.
opposit a high hill on the L. S. Several Indians
came to see
us this evening, amongst others the Sun of the late Great
Chief
of the Mandins (mourning for his father),
this man has his two
little fingers off; on inquireing the cause, was told
it was
customary for this nation to Show their greaf by some testimony
of pain, and that it was not uncommon
for them to take
off 2 Smaller fingers of the hand (at
the 2d joints) and some
times more with other
marks of Savage effection
The wind
blew verry hard this evening from the S.W. verry
cold R. Fields with the
Rhumitism in his neck, P. Crusat
with the Same complaint in his Legs
—the party other wise
is well, as to my self I feel but slight
Simptoms of that disorder
at this
time,
