Meriwether Lewis and William Clark - History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.

M >> Meriwether Lewis and William Clark >> History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.

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Monday 22. In the morning we passed an old Mandan village on the south,
near our camp; at four miles another on the same side. About seven
o'clock we came to at a camp of eleven Sioux of the Teton tribe, who are
almost perfectly naked, having only a piece of skin or cloth round the
middle, though we are suffering from the cold. From their appearance,
which is warlike, and from their giving two different accounts of
themselves, we believe that they are either going to or returning from
the Mandans, to which nations the Sioux frequently make excursions to
steal horses. As their conduct displeased as, we gave them nothing. At
six we reached an island about one mile in length, at the head of which
is a Mandan village on the north in ruins, and two miles beyond a bad
sandbar. At eight miles are remains of another Mandan village on the
south; and at twelve miles encamped on the south. The hunters brought in
a buffaloe bull, and mentioned that of about three hundred which they
had seen, there was not a single female. The beaver is here in plenty,
and the two Frenchmen who are returning with us catch several every
night.

These villages which are nine in number are scattered along each side of
the river within a space of twenty miles; almost all that remains of
them is the wall which surrounded them, the fallen heaps of earth which
covered the houses, and occasionally human skulls and the teeth and
bones of men, and different animals, which are scattered on the surface
of the ground.

Tuesday 23. The weather was cloudy and we had some snow; we soon arrived
at five lodges where the two Frenchmen had been robbed, but the Indians
had left it lately as we found the fires still burning. The country
consists as usual of timbered low grounds, with grapes, rushes, and
great quantities of a small red acid fruit, known among the Indians by
a name signifying rabbitberries, and called by the French graisse de
buffle or buffaloe fat. The river too, is obstructed by many sandbars.
At twelve miles we passed an old village on the north, which was the
former residence of the Ahnahaways who now live between the Mandans and
Minnetarees. After making thirteen miles we encamped on the south.

Wednesday 24. The day was again dark and it snowed a little in the
morning. At three miles we came to a point on the south, where the river
by forcing a channel across a former bend has formed a large island on
the north. On this island we found one of the grand chiefs of the
Mandans, who with five lodges was on a hunting excursion. He met his
enemy the Ricara chief, with great ceremony and apparent cordiality, and
smoked with him. After visiting his lodges, the grand chief and his
brother came on board our boat for a short time; we then proceeded and
encamped on the north, at seven miles from our last night's station and
below the old village of the Mandans and Ricaras. Here four Mandans came
down from a camp above, and our Ricara chief returned with them to their
camp, from which we auger favourably of their pacific views towards each
other. The land is low and beautiful, and covered with oak and
cottonwood, but has been too recently hunted to afford much game.

25th. The morning was cold and the wind gentle from the southeast: at
three miles we passed a handsome high prairie on the south, and on an
eminence about forty feet above the water and extending back for several
miles in a beautiful plain, was situated an old village of the Mandan
nation which has been deserted for many years. A short distance above
it, on the continuation of the same rising ground are two old villages
of Ricaras, one on the top of the hill, the other in the level plain,
which have been deserted only five years ago. Above these villages is an
extensive low ground for several miles, in which are situated, at three
or four miles from the Ricara villages, three old villages of Mandans
near together. Here the Mandans lived when the Ricaras came to them for
protection, and from this they moved to their present situation above.
In the low ground the squaws raised their corn, and the timber, of which
there was little near the villages, was supplied from the opposite side
of the river, where it was and still is abundant.

As we proceeded several parties of Mandans both on foot and horseback
came along the river to view us, and were very desirous that we should
land and talk to them: this we could not do on account of the sandbreaks
on the shore, but we sent our Ricara chief to them in a periogue. The
wind too having shifted to the southwest and being very high it required
all our precautions on board, for the river was full of sandbars which
made it very difficult to find the channel. We got aground several
times, and passed a very bad point of rocks, after which we encamped on
a sandpoint to the north, above a handsome plain covered with timber,
and opposite to a high hill on the south side at the distance of eleven
miles. Here we were joined by our Ricara chief, who brought an Indian to
the camp where he remained all night.

26th. We set out early with a southwest wind, and after putting the
Ricara chief on shore to join the Mandans who were in great numbers
along it, we proceeded to the camp of the grand chiefs four miles
distant. Here we met a Mr. M'Cracken one of the northwest or Hudson Bay
company, who arrived with another person about nine days ago to trade
for horses and buffaloe robes. Two of the chiefs came on board with some
of their household furniture, such as earthern pots and a little corn
and went on with us; the rest of the Indians following on shore. At one
mile beyond the camp we passed a small creek, and at three more a bluff
of coal of an inferior quality on the south. After making eleven miles
we reached an old field where the Mandans had cultivated grain last
summer, and encamped for the night on the south side, about half a mile
below the first village of the Mandans. In the morning we had a willow
low ground on the south and highland on the north, which occasionally
varied in the course of the day. There is but little wood on this part
of the river, which is here subdivided into many channels and obstructed
by sandbars. As soon as we arrived a crowd of men, women, and children
came down to see us. Captain Lewis returned with the principal chiefs to
the village, while the others remained with us during the evening; the
object which seemed to surprise them most, was a cornmill fixed to the
boat which we had occasion to use, and delighted them by the ease with
which it reduced the grain to powder. Among others who visited us was
the son of the grand chief of the Mandans, who had his two little
fingers cut off at the second joints. On inquiring into this accident,
we found that it was customary to express grief for the death of
relations by some corporeal suffering, and that the usual mode was to
lose two joints of the little fingers, or sometimes the other fingers.
The wind blew very cold in the evening from the southwest. Two of the
party are affected with rheumatic complaints.

CHAPTER V.

Council held with the Mandans--A prairie on fire, and a singular
instance of preservation--Peace established between the Mandans and
Ricaras--The party encamp for the winter--Indian mode of catching
goats--Beautiful appearance of northern lights--Friendly character
of the Indians--Some account of the Mandans--The Ahnahaways and the
Minnetarees--The party acquire the confidence of the Mandans by
taking part in their controversy with the Sioux--Religion of the
Mandans, and their singular conception of the term medicine--Their
tradition--The sufferings of the party from the severity of the
season--Indian game of billiards described--Character of the
Missouri, of the surrounding country, and of the rivers, creeks,
islands, &c.

Saturday, October 27. At an early hour we proceeded and anchored off the
village. Captain Clarke went on shore, and after smoking a pipe with the
chiefs, was desired to remain and eat with them. He declined on account
of his being unwell; but his refusal gave great offence to the Indians,
who considered it disrespectful not to eat when invited, till the cause
was explained to their satisfaction. We sent them some tobacco, and then
proceeded to the second village on the north, passing by a bank
containing coal, and a second village, and encamped at four miles on the
north, opposite to a village of Ahnahaways. We here met with a
Frenchman, named Jesseaume, who lives among the Indians with his wife
and children, and who we take as an interpreter. The Indians had flocked
to the bank to see us as we passed, and they visited in great numbers
the camp, where some of them remained all night. We sent in the evening
three young Indians with a present of tobacco for the chiefs of the
three upper villages, inviting them to come down in the morning to a
council with us. Accordingly the next day,

Sunday, October 28, we were joined by many of the Minnetarees and
Ahnahaways from above, but the wind was so violent from the southwest
that the chiefs of the lower villages could not come up, and the
council was deferred till to-morrow. In the mean while we entertained
our visitors by showing them what was new to them in the boat; all
which, as well our black servant, they called Great Medicine, the
meaning of which we afterwards learnt. We also consulted the grand chief
of the Mandans, Black Cat, and Mr. Jesseaume, as to the names,
characters, &c. of the chiefs with whom we are to hold the council. In
the course of the day we received several presents from the women,
consisting of corn, boiled hominy, and garden stuffs: in our turn we
gratified the wife of the great chief with a gift of a glazed earthen
jar. Our hunter brought us two beaver. In the afternoon we sent the
Minnetaree chiefs to smoke for us with the great chief of the Mandans,
and told them we would speak in the morning.

Finding that we shall be obliged to pass the winter at this place, we
went up the river about one and a half miles to-day, with a view of
finding a convenient spot for a fort, but the timber was too scarce and
small for our purposes.

Monday, October 29. The morning was fine and we prepared our presents
and speech for the council. After breakfast we were visited by an old
chief of the Ahnahaways, who finding himself growing old and weak had
transferred his power to his son, who is now at war against the
Shoshonees. At ten o'clock the chiefs were all assembled under an awning
of our sails, stretched so as to exclude the wind which had become high;
that the impression might be the more forcible, the men were all
paraded, and the council opened by a discharge from the swivel of the
boat. We then delivered a speech, which like those we had already made
intermingled advice with assurances of friendship and trade: while we
were speaking the old Ahnahaway chief grew very restless, and observed
that he could not wait long as his camp was exposed to the hostilities
of the Shoshonees; he was instantly rebuked with great dignity by one of
the chiefs for this violation of decorum at such a moment, and remained
quiet during the rest of the council. Towards the end of our speech we
introduced the subject of our Ricara chief, with whom we recommended a
firm peace: to this they seemed well disposed, and all smoked with him
very amicably. We all mentioned the goods which had been taken from the
Frenchmen, and expressed a wish that they should he restored. This being
over, we proceeded to distribute the presents with great ceremony: one
chief of each town was acknowledged by a gift of a flag, a medal with
the likeness of the president of the United States, a uniform coat, hat
and feather: to the second chiefs we gave a medal representing some
domestic animals, and a loom for weaving; to the third chiefs medals
with the impressions of a farmer sowing grain. A variety of other
presents were distributed, but none seemed to give them more
satisfaction than an iron corn mill which we gave to the Mandans.

The chiefs who were made to-day are: Shahaka or Big White, a first
chief, and Kagohami or Little Raven, a second chief of the lower village
of the Mandans, called Matootonha: the other chiefs of an inferior
quality who were recommended were, 1. Ohheenaw, or Big Man, a Chayenne
taken prisoner by the Mandans who adopted him, and he now enjoys great
consideration among the tribe. 2. Shotahawrora, or Coal, of the second
Mandan village which is called Rooptahee. We made Poscopsahe, or Black
Cat, the first chief of the village, and the grand chief of the whole
Mandan nation: his second chief is Kagonomokshe, or Raven man Chief;
inferior chiefs of this village were, Tawnuheo, and Bellahsara, of which
we did not learn the translation.

In the third village which is called Mahawha, and where the Arwacahwas
reside, we made one first chief, Tetuckopinreha, or White Buffaloe robe
unfolded, and recognized two of an inferior order: Minnissurraree, or
Neighing Horse, and Locongotiha, or Old woman at a distance.

Of the fourth village where the Minnetarees live, and which is called
Metaharta, we made a first chief, Ompsehara, or Black Moccasin: a second
chief, Ohhaw, or Little Fox. Other distinguished chiefs of this village
were, Mahnotah, or Big Thief, a man whom we did not see as he is out
fighting, and was killed soon after; and Mahserassa, or Tail of the
Calumet Bird. In the fifth village we made a first chief Eapanopa, or
Red Shield; a second chief Wankerassa, or Two Tailed Calumet Bird, both
young chiefs; other persons of distinction are, Shahakohopinnee, or
Little Wolf's Medicine; Ahrattanamoekshe, or Wolfman chief, who is now
at war, and is the son of the old chief we have mentioned, whose name is
Caltahcota, or Cherry on a Bush.

The presents intended for the grand chief of the Minnetarees, who was
not at the council, were sent to him by the old chief Caltahcota; and we
delivered to a young chief those intended for the chief of the lower
village. The council was concluded by a shot from our swivel, and after
firing the airgun for their amusement, they retired to deliberate on the
answer which they are to give to-morrow.

In the evening the prairie took fire, either by accident or design, and
burned with great fury, the whole plain being enveloped in flames: so
rapid was its progress that a man and a woman were burnt to death before
they could reach a place of safety; another man with his wife and child
were much burnt, and several other persons narrowly escaped destruction.
Among the rest a boy of the half white breed escaped unhurt in the midst
of the flames; his safety was ascribed to the great medicine spirit, who
had preserved him on account of his being white. But a much more natural
cause was the presence of mind of his mother, who seeing no hopes of
carrying off her son, threw him on the ground, and covering him with the
fresh hide of a buffaloe, escaped herself from the flames; as soon as
the fire had passed, she returned and found him untouched, the skin
having prevented, the flame from reaching the grass on which he lay.

Tuesday 30. We were this morning visited by two persons from the lower
village, one the Big White the chief of the village, the other the
Chayenne called the Big Man; they had been hunting, and did not return
yesterday early enough to attend the council. At their request we
repeated part of our speech of yesterday, and put the medal round the
neck of the chief. Captain Clarke took a periogue and went up the river
in search of a good wintering place, and returned after going seven
miles to the lower point of an island on the north side, about one mile
in length; he found the banks on the north side high, with coal
occasionally, and the country fine on all sides; but the want of wood
and the scarcity of game up the river, induced us to decide on fixing
ourselves lower down during the winter. In the evening our men danced
among themselves to the great amusement of the Indians.

Wednesday 31. A second chief arrived this morning with an invitation
from the grand chief of the Mandans, to come to his village where he
wished to present some corn to us and to speak with us. Captain Clarke
walked down to his village; he was first seated with great ceremony on a
robe by the side of the chief, who then threw over his shoulders another
robe handsomely ornamented. The pipe was then smoked with several of the
old men who were seated around the chief; after some time he began his
discourse, by observing that he believed what we had told him, and that
they should soon enjoy peace, which would gratify him as well as his
people, because they could then hunt without fear of being attacked, and
the women might work in the fields without looking every moment for the
enemy, and at night put off their moccasins, a phrase by which is
conveyed the idea of security when the women could undress at night
without fear of attack. As to the Ricaras, he continued, in order to
show you that we wish peace with all men, that chief, pointing to his
second chief, will go with some warriors back to the Ricaras with their
chief now here and smoke with that nation. When we heard of your coming
all the nations around returned from their hunting to see you, in hopes
of receiving large presents; all are disappointed and some discontented;
for his part he was not much so, though his village was. He added that
he would go and see his great father the president. Two of the steel
traps stolen from the Frenchmen were then laid before captain Clarke,
and the women brought about twelve bushels of corn. After the chief had
finished, captain Clarke made an answer to the speech and then returned
to the boat, where he found the chief of the third village and Kagohami
(the Little Raven) who smoked and talked about an hour. After they left
the boat the grand chief of the Mandans came dressed in the clothes we
had given him, with his two children, and begged to see the men dance,
in which they willingly gratified him.

Thursday, November 1st. Mr. M'Cracken, the trader whom we found here,
set out to-day on his return to the British fort and factory on the
Assiniboin river, about one hundred and fifty miles from this place. He
took a letter from captain Lewis to the northwest company, inclosing a
copy of the passport granted by the British minister in the United
States. At ten o'clock the chiefs of the lower village arrived; they
requested that we would call at their village for some corn, that they
were willing to make peace with the Ricaras, that they had never
provoked the war between them, but as the Ricaras had killed some of
their chiefs, they had retaliated on them; that they had killed them
like birds, till they were tired of killing them, so that they would
send a chief and some warriors to smoke with them. In the evening we
dropped down to the lower village where captain Lewis went on shore, and
captain Clarke proceeded to a point of wood on the north side.

Friday, November 2. He therefore went up to the village where eleven
bushels of corn were presented to him. In the meantime Captain Clarke
went down with the boats three miles, and having found a good position
where there was plenty of timber, encamped and began to fell trees to
build our huts. Our Ricara chief set out with one Mandan chief and
several Minnetaree and Mandan warriors; the wind was from the southeast,
and the weather being fine a crowd of Indians came down to visit us.

Saturday 3. We now began the building of our cabins, and the Frenchmen
who are to return to St. Louis are building a periogue for the purpose.
We sent six men in a periogue to hunt down the river. We were also
fortunate enough to engage in our service a Canadian Frenchmen, who had
been with the Chayenne Indians on the Black mountains, and last summer
descended thence by the Little Missouri. Mr. Jessaume our interpreter
also came down with his squaw and children to live at our camp. In the
evening we received a visit from Kagohami or Little Raven, whose wife
accompanied him, bringing about sixty weight of dried meat, a robe and a
pot of meal. We gave him in return a piece of tobacco, to his wife an
axe and a few small articles, and both of them spent the night at our
camp. Two beavers were caught in traps this morning.

Sunday 4. We continued our labours: the timber which we employ is large
and heavy, and chiefly consists of cottonwood and elm with some ash of
an inferior size. Great numbers of the Indians pass our camp on their
hunting excursions: the day was clear and pleasant, but last night was
very cold and there was a white frost.

Monday 5. The Indians are all out on their hunting parties: a camp of
Mandans caught within two days one hundred goats a short distance below
us: their mode of hunting them is to form a large strong pen or fold,
from which a fence made of bushes gradually widens on each side: the
animals are surrounded by the hunters and gently driven towards this
pen, in which they imperceptibly find themselves inclosed and are then
at the mercy of the hunters. The weather is cloudy and the wind moderate
from the northwest. Late at night we were awaked by the sergeant on
guard to see the beautiful phenomenon called the northern light: along
the northern sky was a large space occupied by a light of a pale but
brilliant white colour: which rising from the horizon extended itself to
nearly twenty degrees above it. After glittering for some time its
colours would be overcast, and almost obscured, but again it would burst
out with renewed beauty; the uniform colour was pale light, but its
shapes were various and fantastic: at times the sky was lined with light
coloured streaks rising perpendicularly from the horizon, and gradually
expanding into a body of light in which we could trace the floating
columns sometimes advancing, sometimes retreating and shaping into
infinite forms, the space in which they moved. It all faded away before
the morning. At daylight,

Tuesday 6, the clouds to the north were darkening and the wind rose high
from the northwest at eight o'clock, and continued cold during the day.
Mr. Gravelines and four others who came with us returned to the Ricaras
in a small periogue, we gave him directions to accompany some of the
Ricara chiefs to the seat of government in the spring.

Wednesday 7. The day was temperate but cloudy and foggy, and we were
enabled to go on with our work with much expedition.

Thursday 8. The morning again cloudy; our huts advance very well, and we
are visited by numbers of Indians who come to let their horses graze
near us: in the day the horses are let loose in quest of grass, in the
night they are collected and receive an armful of small boughs of the
cottonwood, which being very juicy, soft and brittle, form nutritious
and agreeable food: the frost this morning was very severe, the weather
during the day cloudy and the wind from the northwest. We procured from
an Indian a weasel perfectly white except the extremity of the tail
which was black: great numbers of wild geese are passing to the south,
but their flight is too high for us to procure any of them.

November 10. We had again a raw day, a northwest wind, but rose early
in hopes of finishing our works before the extreme cold begins. A chief
who is a half Pawnee came to us and brought a present of half a
buffaloe, in return for which we gave him some small presents and a few
articles to his wife and son: he then crossed the river in a buffaloe
skin canoe; his wife took the boat on her back and carried it to the
village three miles off. Large flocks of geese and brant, and also a few
ducks are passing towards the south.

Sunday 11. The weather is cold. We received the visit of two squaws,
prisoners from the Rock mountains, and purchased by Chaboneau. The
Mandans at this time are out hunting the buffaloe.

Monday 12. The last night had been cold and this morning we had a very
hard frost: the wind changeable during the day, and some ice appears on
the edges of the rivers; swans too are passing to the south. The Big
White came down to us, having packed on the back of his squaw about one
hundred pounds of very fine meat: for which we gave him as well as the
squaw some presents, particularly an axe to the woman with which she was
very much pleased.

Tuesday 13. We this morning unloaded the boat and stowed away the
contents in a storehouse which we have built. At half past ten ice began
to float down the river for the first time: in the course of the morning
we were visited by the Black Cat, Poscapsahe, who brought an Assiniboin
chief and seven warriors to see us. This man, whose name is Chechawk, is
a chief of one out of three bands of Assiniboins who wander over the
plains between the Missouri and Assiniboin during the summer, and in the
winter carry the spoils of their hunting to the traders on the
Assiniboin river, and occasionally come to this place: the whole three
bands consist of about eight hundred men. We gave him a twist of tobacco
to smoke with his people, and a gold cord for himself: the Sioux also
asked for whiskey which we refused to give them. It snowed all day and
the air was very cold.

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