Travels in the Interior of America - Pages 113-167



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The country beyond the bluffs continues still very fine, but cut up in 
many places by deep ravines, occasioned by torrents during heavy rains. 
The sides of these ravines uniformly exhibited an under stratum of hard 
yellow clay, of an indeterminate depth.

7th.- Went out early on the S. W. side, with some of the hunters, and on 
reaching the summit of the bluffs, observed, in a westwardly direction, a 
range of high hills, apparently at the distance of thirty or forty miles. 
These, I was informed by the hunters, bounded the Chien or Chayenne River. 
Two buffaloes were killed, and one cabri, or antelope. The hunter who 
killed the last assured me that he had allured it by putting a 
handkerchief at the end of his ramrod, and lying down, continued to wave 
it, whilst he remained concealed. The animal, it seems, after a long 
contest betwixt curiosity and fear, approached near enough to become a 
sacrifice to the former. 

8th.- Since the affair of the 5th, our party have had no intercourse with 
that of Mr. Lisa, as he kept at a distance from us, and mostly on the 
opposite side of the river. This deprived me of the society of my friend 
Brackenridge. I regretted this circumstance, and purposed to join him this 
morning, but was prevented by our stopping

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on an island to breakfast, where our hunters killed two buffaloe and two 
elks. Of the former we had for some days past seen a great number of 
herds, consisting of from fifty to a hundred in each. On expressing my 
surprise at seeing so many, the hunters assured me, that so far from its 
being extraordinary, they had been in the expectation of seeing them in 
much greater numbers. Some of the hunters, who had been six or eight years 
about the head of the Missouri, said they had seen them during their 
annual migrations from north to south in autumn, and to the northward in 
spring; and agreed in stating, that at these times they assemble in vast 
herds, and march in regular order. Some asserted that they had been able 
to distinguish where the herds were even when beyond the bounds of the 
visible horizon, by the vapour which arose from their bodies. Others 
stated that they had seen herds extending many miles in length. It 
appeared also to be a well known fact among them, that in these periodical 
migrations, they are much less fearful of the hunter. I must observe of 
the hunters, that any accounts which I heard from them, and afterwards had 
an opportunity to prove, I found to be correct;(26) and when the great 

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extent of this plain, and its fertility in grass are considered, we cannot 
but admit that the number of animals it is capable of containing must be 
immense.

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In the forenoon we passed the mouth of Chayenne River, where it is four 
hundred yards in width. It is described by the hunters as being a very 
fine river, and navigable for several hundred miles. We encamped this 
night in a beautiful grove, ornamented with a number of rose and currant 
bushes, entwined with grape vines, now in bloom.

9th.- Mr. M'Clellan, with two of our men, and three belonging to Lisa, 
were despatched to the Aricaras, to apprise them of our coming, and to see 
how far it was practicable to procure horses for the journey by land. Soon 
after we set out, we saw a great number of buffaloe on both sides of the 
river, over which several herds were swimming. Notwithstanding all the 
efforts made by these poor animals, the rapidity of the current brought 
numbers of them within a few yards of our boats, and three were killed. We 
might have obtained a

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great many more, but for once we did not kill because it was in our power 
to do so; but several were killed from Lisa's boat. In the evening Mr. 
Lisa encamped a little above us, and we were informed by his party, that 
about sun-set they had seen six Indians.

10th. - A fine breeze sprang up early in the day, and we proceeded 
rapidly. About noon Mr. M'Clellan and his party appeared on the bank of 
the river, having found that they could not reach the Aricara nation 
before the boats. About the middle of the afternoon, we met a canoe with 
three Indians. They had come from the Aricaras, where intelligence of our 
approach had been brought by the war party that met us on the 1st. They 
had made a great parade of the presents, which they received from us, and 
of the exploit which they had achieved in discovering the white men 
coming. They reported that the Mandans, who were of the party, had urged 
an attack on Mr. Hunt's boat, when it was in the situation already 
described, which they (the Aricaras) had prevented. They also stated, that 
the Minetarees, or Gros Ventres Indians, had killed two white men on the 
river above the Missouri Fur Company's fort. We encamped three miles above 
the mouth of the river Cer-wer-cer-na, after travelling thirty-five miles.

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11th.- We hoped this day to arrive at the Aricaras, but did not derive so 
much benefit from the wind as we expected; and after passing the river Ma-
ra-pa, encamped about six miles below the town, near an island on which 
they were formerly settled.

12th.- During this night we had a severe thunder storm, accompanied by 
torrents of rain, so that our beds were completely wet. We set out early, 
and about half way to the town, met a canoe with two chiefs, and an 
interpreter, who is a Frenchman, and has lived with this tribe more than 
twenty years. He married a squaw, and has several children. The chiefs 
were good looking men: one of them is called the head chief, or king, and 
is named by the French Le Gauche, being left-handed; the other is the war 
chief, and called the Big Man. The interpreter informed us that the chiefs 
had come to a resolution to oppose our farther progress up the river, 
unless a boat was left to trade with them. Mr. Hunt explained to the 
chiefs the object of his voyage, and that he would willingly trade for 
horses. About ten o'clock we landed on the north side, opposite the town, 
or rather towns, as there are two distinct bands, and their villages are 
about eighty yards apart. Our first care was to spread out the beds and 
baggage to dry. Whilst

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the men were occupied in this business, the chief informed us, from the 
other side of the river, that he would be ready to meet us in council when 
we should chuse to come over. As the river is here at least eight or nine 
hundred yards in breadth, it may appear surprising that he could make 
himself understood at so great a distance; but to those who have heard the 
Indian languages spoken, and who are acquainted with the Indians, it will 
appear very credible. In all the Indian languages which I have heard, 
every syllable of the compound words is accented; as, for instance, the 
primitive name of this nation, Starrahe they pronounce Str-r-h. In 
addition to this construction of their languages, the Indians have 
remarkably loud voices. The leaders of our two parties had not yet spoken 
to each other since the affair of the 5th; nor had any communication, 
except through the medium of Mr. Brackenridge or myself. It was evident 
that Lisa was still suspected; and M'Clellan, in particular, carefully 
watched his motions, determined to shoot him if he attempted to cross the 
river before us, to attend the council of the Indians, contrary to what 
had been previously agreed upon with Mr. Brackenridge on his behalf. Soon 
after noon Mr. Hunt manned the large boat, and with Messrs. M'Kenzie and 
M'Clellan, went over the river; Lisa also attended in his barge. Mr. 
Brackenridge and myself were of the party.

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On landing, amongst a crowd of Indians, we were conducted to the council 
lodge by some chiefs who met us; where we sat down on buff aloe skins 
prepared for us, and spread on the ground. I noticed that this lodge was 
constructed in a manner similar to those already described, belonging to 
the Ottoes. An old Indian lighted the pipe, and handed it to the chief; 
after which he squatted himself on his hams, near the entrance of the 
lodge. Although there were nearly twenty present, I learned from Dorion, 
(near whom I had placed myself) that several of the chiefs were not yet 
assembled. After we had smoked for a short time, Le Gauche, the chief, 
spoke to the old Indian at the door, who went out of the lodge: he soon 
after appeared on the top, and was visible to us through the hole left for 
the smoke. What the chief dictated to him from within, he bawled out 
aloud, with the lungs of a stentor. I understood that his object was to 
summon the chiefs to council, and it was promptly obeyed, as in ten 
minutes all were assembled. I learned that although we had smoked, the 
council pipe had not yet been lighted: this was now done by the same old 
Indian, who it seems was both priest and herald. Le Gauche made the 
customary appeal to the Great Spirit, by puffing the smoke in different 
directions towards heaven and earth; after which the pipe was applied to 
the lips of each assembled, the chief still holding

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it. He then opened the council by a short speech: in the first place he 
spoke of their poverty, but said that they were very glad to see us, and 
would be still more glad to trade with us. Lisa replied, and expressed his 
intention to trade, if they did not rate their buffaloe and beaver too 
highly. He then mentioned Mr. Hunt and his party as his friends, and said 
he should join them in resenting and repelling any injury or insult. Mr. 
Hunt declared that the object of his journey was not to trade, but to see 
our brothers, at the great salt lake in the west; for that undertaking he 
should now want horses, as he purposed to go thence by land, and that he 
had plenty of goods to exchange, if they would spare the horses. Mr. Lisa 
and Mr. Hunt accompanied their speeches by suitable presents of tobacco. 
Le Gauche spoke, and expressed the satisfaction of his people at our 
coming, and their attachment to the white men. In respect to the trade 
with Mr. Lisa, he wished for more time to fix the price of dried buffaloe 
skins, (usually called buffaloe robes) being an article they had most of: 
his present idea of the price was thirty loads-of powder and ball for each 
robe. Respecting Mr. Hunt's proposition, he was certain they could not 
spare the number of horses that he understood he wanted; and that he did 
not think they ought to sell any horses. Les Yeux Gris, another chief, 
replied to the latter part of his

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speech, by stating that they might easily spare Mr. Hunt a considerable 
number of horses, as they could readily replace them by stealing or by 
smoking.(27) These arguments governed the opinions of the chiefs, and it 
was determined to open a trade for horses, when they were satisfied with 
the price Mr. Hunt purposed to give. The council now broke up, and Messrs. 
Hunt, M'Kenzie, M'Clellan, Dorion, and myself were conducted to the lodge 
of one of their chiefs, where there was a feast of sweet corn, prepared by 
boiling, and mixing it with buffaloe grease. Accustomed as I now was to 
the privation of bread and salt, I thought it very palatable. Sweet corn 
is corn gathered before it is ripe, and dried in the sun: it is called by 
the Americans green corn, or corn in the milk. I quitted the feast, in 
order to examine the town, which I found to be fortified all round with a 
ditch, and with pickets or pallisadoes, of about nine feet high. The 
lodges are placed

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without any regard to regularity, which renders it difficult to count 
them, but there appears to be from a hundred and fifty to a hundred and 
sixty of them. They are constructed in the same manner as those of the 
Ottoes, with the additional convenience of a railing on the eaves: behind 
this railing they sit at their ease and smoke. There is scarcely any 
declivity in the scite of the town; and as little regard is paid to 
cleanliness, it is very dirty in wet weather. I spent the remainder of the 
day in examining the bluffs, to ascertain what new plants might be 
collected in the neighbourhood; having now, for the first time in the 
course of our voyage, an opportunity to preserve living specimens. During 
this time the rest of the boats crossed over the river, and a camp was 
formed about two hundred yards below the town. Lisa's party was nearer to 
it than our's.

13th.- The morning being rainy, no business was done in the village until 
the afternoon, when Mr. Hunt exhibited the kind and quantity of goods he 
purposed to give for each horse. These were placed in the lodge of Le 
Gauche, for general inspection, and proved to be satisfactory. This day I 
employed myself in forming a place for the reception of living specimens, 
a little distance below our camp, and near the river, for the convenience 
of water.

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14th.- I understood that Lisa and the chiefs had agreed that the price of 
a buffalo robe should be twenty balls, and twenty loads of powder. He 
removed a part of his goods to the lodge of Le Gauche, and, Mr. Hunt began 
to trade at the lodge of the Big Man. The trade for horses soon commenced: 
the species of goods most in demand were carbines, powder, ball, 
tomahawks, knives, &c. as another expedition against the Sioux was 
meditated. During this traffic, I walked with Mr. Brackenridge to the 
upper village, which is separated from the lower one by a small stream. In 
our walk through the town, I was accosted by the Medicine Man, or doctor, 
who was standing at the entrance of a lodge into which we went. It 
appeared that one of his patients, a boy, was within, for whom he was 
preparing some medicine. He made me understand that he had seen me 
collecting plants, and that he knew me to be a Medicine Man. He frequently 
shook hands with us, and took down his medicine bag, made of deer skin, to 
show me its contents. As I supposed this bag contained the whole materia 
medica of the nation, I examined it with some attention. There was a 
considerable quantity of the down of reedmace, (typha palustris) which I 
understood was used in cases of burns or scalds: there was also a quantity 
of a species of artemisia, common on the prairies, and known to the 
hunters by the name of

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hyssop; but the ingredient which was in the greatest abundance, was a 
species of wall-flower: in character it agrees with cheiranthus 
erysimoides: besides these, I found two new species of astragalus, and 
some roots of rudbeckia purpurea. After examining the contents of the bag, 
I assured the doctor it was all very good, and we again shook hands with 
him, and went into several other lodges, where we were very hospitably 
received. Although they sit on the ground round the fire, buffalo robes 
were always spread for us, and the pipe was invariably brought out, whilst 
the squaw prepared something for us to eat: this consisted of dried 
buffalo meat, mixed with pounded corn, warmed on the fire in an earthen 
vessel of their own manufacture. Some offered us sweet corn, mixed with 
beans (phaseolus.) The squaws were particularly attentive to us, and took 
every opportunity to examine such parts of our dress as were manufactured, 
and not of skins. After our return, I went to the trading house, and found 
that the trade for horses went on very briskly. The instant a horse was 
bought, his tail was cropped, to render him more easily distinguished from 
those belonging to the Indians, which are in all respects as nature formed 
them. On my return to our camp, I found the warrior there with whom I had 
become acquainted on the 1st instant. He insisted so much on my going to 
his lodge, that I went with him; where

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he spread a very finely painted buffalo robe for me to sit on, and shewed 
me by signs that it was now mine. In return I gave him a pair of silver 
bracelets, with ornaments for the ears and hair, having brought a 
considerable quantity of those articles from St. Louis. With these he was 
so much pleased, that he requested me to sleep at his lodge during our 
stay, and informed me that his sister should be my bedfellow. This offer I 
declined, alleging as an excuse, that I had voluntarily engaged to assist 
in keeping guard round our camp. I found, on my return, that the 
principals of our party were engaged in a very serious consultation on our 
present situation. All our fresh provisions were exhausted, and of the 
dried buffaloe bought from the Poncars, not more remained than was thought 
necessary to reserve for the journey by land: of Indian corn we had left 
only a few bags, which it was thought expedient to parch, grind, and mix 
with sugar, in order to apply it to the same object. It had been this day 
ascertained that the Aricaras could not spare us any provisions, as the 
excessive rains had penetrated into their caches,(28) and spoiled the 
whole of their reserved stock, so

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that they expected to be in want themselves before the harvest would come 
in. In addition to our difficulties, a rumour had been spread this 
afternoon, and it was believed, that the Sioux had followed us, and were 
now in the neighbourhood, to the amount of four or five hundred. Whether 
this was true or not, the consequences were the same to us, as our hunters 
could not, with any degree of prudence, be suffered to go out; nor indeed 
were they willing. In this dilemma, no means could be thought of for the 
removal of our difficulties, but to purchase from the Indians some of 
their spare dogs, particularly those employed in dragging their sledges, 
and this measure was resolved on. It may here be remarked, that horses and 
dogs are the only animals which the Indians domesticate: of the latter 
they have two varieties: one of these they employ in hunting; the other 
appears to be of a stupid and lazy nature, always remaining about the 
village, and employed as above mentioned.

15th.-In conformity with the measure determined upon last evening, a 
number of dogs were purchased this morning, brought to the camp, and shot 
for breakfast. I went out to collect, accompanied by Mr. Brackenridge, and 
proceeded farther into the interior than I had before done. I was rewarded 
by finding several new species of plants, and by an additional 
confirmation of the geological

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formations, as the hills situated at a distance from the river have 
uniformly flat summits, covered with fragments of rock, mixed with smaller 
stones and gravel. On our return, when about three miles from the camp, we 
saw Indians pouring out from the village, some on horseback, others on 
foot, and all at full speed. They went in a direction to our right, 
towards some hills, five or six miles distant down the river. A young 
Indian, soon after, in passing us at some distance, changed his course, 
and came up to me. He spoke with great earnestness, frequently pointing to 
the hills, on the tops of which I observed some horsemen apparently 
meeting each other, and after passing, turn back, and continue gallopping. 
I at length comprehended that enemies were near, and that seeing me only 
armed with a pistol, he wished me to hasten to the camp. When we came 
nearer the town, I observed that the tops of the lodges were crowded with 
women, children, and old men, all looking earnestly towards the hills, and 
considerable numbers were still running past our camp. I now enquired the 
cause of the tumult, and found that a signal had been given, indicating 
the appearance of a war party of the Sioux. The noise and confusion were 
such as I have not often witnessed: the war whoop was heard in every 
direction, and even the old men in the village were busily employed in 
animating the warriors. Some aged Nestors tottered

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along with the crowd, raising their shrill voices to encourage the young 
and vigorous to exert themselves in repelling the foe. If any enemy really 
appeared, they had immediately fled on being discovered; a thing not at 
all unlikely, as it is conformable to their customs, and in this instance 
the more probable, as the Sioux would naturally expect that our party 
would join their adversaries. At all events, the party soon returned in as 
much disorder as they went out. I observed, that amongst the warriors of 
this and the other nations, several had foxes' tails attached to the heels 
of their mockasons, and I am informed by Captain Winter, who resided some 
time at Michillimakinac, that the same custom prevails among the tribes in 
Upper Canada, and that this honour is only permitted to such warriors as 
have killed an enemy on his own ground.

16th.-I went into the village, and found that the chiefs were assembled to 
hear from the warriors an account of what had passed the preceding day. As 
they were not in the habit of printing newspapers, the news was carried 
through the village by heralds, who attend at the door of the council-
lodge, and from time to time go through the village to give information. 
On my return to the camp, I found that Mr. Hunt and Mr. Lisa were 
negociating respecting the boats belonging to our party,

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which were no longer of any use to us. Mr. Hunt was willing to exchange 
them with Mr. Lisa for horses, who had a considerable number of them at 
the Fort belonging to the Missouri Fur Company, about two hundred miles 
higher up the river. Mr. Hunt, some days previous to this, presented to me 
the smallest boat, which was a barge built at Michillimakinac; and three 
American hunters, whom we found at the Aricara nation, agreed to assist me 
in navigating it down the river, when I should be disposed to return. The 
three other boats, and some Indian goods, were finally exchanged with Mr. 
Lisa. In consequence of this arrangement, I found that a party were to be 
dispatched in a few days to the Fort for the horses, and I resolved to 
accompany them, if permitted. After an excursion to collect plants, I 
walked into the village in the evening, and found that a party had 
arrived, who had been on an expedition to steal horses, in which they were 
successful. This event, and the return of the war party, caused an unusual 
bustle: the tops of the lodges were crowded with men, women, and children. 
Several of the old men harangued them in a loud voice. The subject I 
understood to be an exhortation to behave well towards the white people, 
and stating the advantages they derived by an intercourse with them. 
Notwithstanding all this tumult, some of the women continued their 
employment in dressing

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buffaloe skins, which are stretched on frames, and placed on stages, 
erected both for this purpose, and to dry or jerk the flesh of animals cut 
into thin slices.

17th.-It was arranged that Mr. Crooks should go to the Company's Fort for 
the horses; and as more than thirty had been bought from the Aricaras, the 
men who were to accompany him began to select from amongst them such as 
they thought the best able to perform the journey. Notwithstanding I had 
resolved to accompany them, I neglected taking the same precaution, which 
occasioned me afterwards much vexation. I had already expressed my wish to 
undertake the journey, and although Mr. Hunt had not absolutely refused to 
permit me, yet he tried by arguments to dissuade me from it, in 
representing the danger which the party ran of being cut off by the Sioux, 
the fatigue of riding on an Indian saddle, &c. I therefore did not for the 
present press the subject, and spoke of it only to Mr. Crooks, who, 
knowing my determination, was much pleased with it. After devoting the 
greatest part of the day to the increasing of my collection, I went into 
the village, and found that some Indians had arrived from the Chayenne 
nation, where they had been sent to inform the Aricaras of their intention 
to visit them in fifteen days. One of these Indians was covered with a 
buffalo

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robe, curiously ornamented with figures worked with split quills, stained 
red and yellow, intermixed with much taste, and the border of the robe 
entirely hung round with the hoofs of young fawns, which at every movement 
made a noise much resembling that of the rattlesnake when that animal is 
irritated. I understood that this robe had been purchased from the 
Arapahoes, or Big Bead Indians, a remote tribe, who frequent the Rocky 
Mountains. I wished much to purchase the robe, and offered him such 
articles in exchange as I thought most likely to induce him to part with 
it; but he refused. The day following it was purchased by Mr. M'Clellan, 
who gave it to me for silver ornaments and other articles, which amounted 
to about ten dollars. As these Indians could not speak the Aricara 
language, they had need of an interpreter, whose place was supplied by one 
of the Aricaras that could speak their language. They were tall and well 
proportioned men, but of a darker complexion than the Aricaras. This 
nation has no fixed place of residence, but resort chiefly about the Black 
Hills, near the head of Chayenne River, having been driven by the Sioux 
from their former place of residence, near the Red River of Lake Winnipic. 
Their number is now inconsiderable, as they scarcely muster one hundred 
warriors. On my return to the camp, I found it crowded with Indians and 
squaws, as it had been for the two preceding evenings.

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Travellers who have been acquainted with savages, have remarked that they 
are either very liberal of their women to strangers, or extremely jealous. 
In this species of liberality no nation can exceed the Aricaras, who 
flocked down every evening with their wives, sisters, and daughters, 
anxious to meet with a market for them. The Canadians were very good 
customers, and Mr. Hunt was kept in full employ during the evening, in 
delivering out to them blue beads and vermillion, the articles in use for 
this kind of traffic. This evening I judged that there were not fewer than 
eighty squaws, and I observed several instances wherein the squaw was 
consulted by her husband as to the quantum sufficit of price; a mark of 
consideration which, from some knowledge of Indians, and the estimation in 
which their women are held, I had not expected.

18th.- Went early to the bluffs to the south-westward of the town, on one 
of which I observed fourteen buffalo skulls placed in a row. The cavities 
of the eyes and the nostrils were filled with a species of artemisia 
common on the prairies, which appears to be a nondescript. On my return, I 
told our interpreter to inquire into the reason of this, and learned that 
it was an honour conferred by the Indians on the buffaloes which they had 
killed, in order to appease their spirits, and prevent

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them from apprising the living buffaloes of the danger they run in 
approaching the neighbourhood. After my return, I walked into the village 
with Mr. Donald M'Kenzie, who wore a green surtout. This attracted very 
much the attention of the squaws, and from the surprise they shewed, I 
believe it is a colour with which they were unacquainted. They were so 
anxious to obtain a part of it, that several offered him favours as an 
equivalent for a piece which they marked out. This occasioned much mirth 
betwixt us, and on my part a pretended alarm lest his coat should become a 
spencer. We amused ourselves sometime by watching a party who were engaged 
in play. A place was neatly formed, resembling a skittle alley, about nine 
feet in breadth and ninety feet long: a ring of wood, about five inches in 
diameter, was trundled along from one end, and when it had run some 
distance, two Indians, who stood ready, threw after it, in a sliding 
manner, each a piece of wood, about three feet long and four inches in 
breadth, made smooth on one edge, and kept from turning by a cross piece 
passing through it, and bent backwards so as to resemble a cross bow. The 
standers by kept an account of the game, and he whose piece, in a given 
number of throws, more frequently came nearest the ring after it had 
fallen, won the game.

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19th.- We breakfasted early, having killed the dogs the night before, and 
ten horses were brought into the camp for the party appointed to go to the 
Fort, beyond the Mandans, to escort the horses agreed for with Mr. Lisa, 
and I now declared to Mr. Hunt that, unless he absolutely refused me the 
privilege, I was determined to accompany them. With his accustomed 
kindness he consented, and a man was dispatched to catch a horse for me on 
the prairie. As the party had cast their bullets, and made every other 
preparation the preceding night, we were all ready, when the man returned 
with a very bad horse. He was small, and apparently weak; but being 
unwilling to delay the party, I fixed my saddle, and we set out, having 
previously agreed with one of the men to take care of my plants in my 
absence. We had for our guide a person of the name of Jones, who was 
acquainted with the whole of the country betwixt the Mandans and Aricaras; 
and after passing the villages, kept as much as possible in the ravines 
and valleys, to avoid being seen by the Sioux Indians, who we had reason 
to think were still lurking about the country; as we knew that if they 
discovered us, they would, almost to a certainty, cut us off. There being 
no provisions to spare in the camp, except a little dog's flesh, we took 
nothing with us to eat, nor made the least attempt to look for game, as 
our safety perhaps depended on the celerity and

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silence of our march. We continued at a smart trot until near eight 
o'clock in the evening, having only stopped once to give the horses an 
opportunity to feed. Our course lay nearly north, and we kept the river in 
sight the whole of the day, being sometimes very near it, and at other 
times five or six miles distant. We encamped on the border of a creek, not 
more than a mile from the Missouri, on the open prairie. We found this 
place so much infested with mosquitoes, that scarcely any of us slept. In 
the latter part of the day I discovered the insufficiency of my horse, as 
it was with difficulty I could keep up with the rest. The reflections on 
my situation, combined with the pain occasioned by mosquitoes, kept me 
from closing my eyes; in addition to this, I had already painfully 
experienced the effects of an Indian saddle, which I shall describe. It 
consists of six pieces of wood: two of these are strong forked sticks, one 
of which is formed to fix on the shoulders of the horse; the other is 
adapted to the lower part of the back: they are connected by four flat 
pieces, each about four inches in breadth: two of these are so placed as 
to lie on each side of the backbone of the horse, which rises above them; 
the two others are fastened to the extremities of the forked sticks, and 
the whole is firmly tied by thongs. Two strong slips of buffalo hide are 
doubled over each of the upper connecting pieces, for the purpose of 
holding

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the stirrup, which is formed of a stick about two feet long, and cut half 
way through in two places, so as to divide it into three equal parts: at 
these places it is bent, and when the two ends are strongly tied, it forms 
an equilateral triangle. The conjunct end of the foremost forked stick 
rises to the height of eight or ten inches above the back of the horse, 
and serves to fasten on it the coiled end of the long slip of dried skin 
intended to serve as a bridle: this slip is also made use of to fasten the 
horse at night, to allow him sufficient space wherein to graze, and is 
mostly fifty or sixty feet long. Under the saddle is laid a square piece 
of buffalo skin, dressed with the hair upon it, and doubled four-fold, and 
on the saddle the rider fixes his blanket.

20th. - We were on horseback on the first appearance of day, and 
immediately abandoned the river, passed over the bluffs, and struck into 
the interior of the country. Besides my rifle and other equipments, 
similar to those of the rest of the party, I had a portfolio for securing 
specimens of plants. I had contrived already to collect some interesting 
specimens, by frequently alighting to pluck them, and put them into my 
hat. For these opportunities, and to ease my horse, I ran many miles 
alongside of him. Notwithstanding this, about noon he seemed inclined to 
give up, and I proposed to Mr.

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Crooks that I should turn back: this he would by no means agree to, but 
prevailed on the lightest man in company to exchange horses with me for 
the rest of the day. Soon after noon, we observed some deer grazing at a 
distance; we therefore halted in a small valley, suffered the horses to 
graze, and dispatched one of the men to look after the deer, who soon 
returned, having killed one. As we had not eaten any thing from the 
morning of the preceding day, this news was very acceptable, and some were 
sent to fetch the meat, whilst others gathered dry buffaloe dung to boil 
our kettle. This opportunity afforded me the pleasure of adding to my 
little collection, besides securing in my portfolio what I had before 
gathered. It is perhaps needless to observe that the men were not slow in 
bringing the meat, nor that we were equally expeditious in our cooking. We 
were so confident of finding game, that we did not take any part of the 
remains of our feast, but proceeded, in the hope of being able to reach 
Cannon-ball River(29), intending to encamp on its banks. In the course of 
the afternoon we perceived innumerable herds of buffaloe; and had we 
wished to hunt, we might have killed

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great numbers; but we avoided them as much as possible, for fear of 
disturbing them, as it might have been the means of enabling some lurking 
war party to discover us. It is well known to the hunters and the Indians, 
that a herd of buffaloe, when frightened, will often run ten, fifteen, or 
even twenty miles before they stop. About five o'clock we perceived before 
us the valley of Cannon-ball River, bounded on each side by a range of 
small hills, visible as far as the eye can reach; and as they appear to 
diminish regularly, in the proportion of their distance, they produce a 
singular and pleasing effect. In the evening, as we considered the danger 
from the Sioux much decreased, we ventured to kill a buffalo: each man cut 
what he thought proper, and the remainder was left for the wolves, who 
doubtless picked the bones before the morning. On descending into the 
valley of the river, some deer were observed, feeding near the bank, 
whilst others were lying down near them. Some of our men stole cautiously 
round a grove, and shot two of the poor animals, although we had no great 
occasion for them. The Cannon-ball River was muddy at this time; but 
whether it is constantly so or not, I could not learn. It is here about 
one hundred and sixty yards wide, but so shallow that we crossed it 
without swimming, but not without wetting some of the blankets on our 
saddles. We encamped on a very fine prairie, near

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the river, affording grass in abundance, nearly a yard high, in which we 
stationed our horses. The alluvion of the river is about a mile in breadth 
from bluff to bluff, and is very beautiful, being prairie, interspersed 
with groves of trees, and ornamented with beautiful plants, now in flower. 
Amongst others which I did not observe before, I found a species of flax, 
resembling that which is cultivated: I think it is the species known as 
linum perenne. I rambled until it was quite dark, and found my way to the 
camp by observing the fire.

21st.- We arose before day. Each man cooked his own breakfast, cutting 
what suited him from the venison, and fixing it on a stick set in the 
ground, which inclined over the fire. At break of day we were on 
horseback, and soon after ascended the bluffs, and proceeded on our route. 
I noticed a sensible change in the face of the country after we had left 
the river. We now found some of the more elevated places covered with 
small stones, and divested of herbage, and throughout the soil was of less 
depth, and the grass shorter and more scanty. About ten o'clock we again 
found the country to assume the same fertile appearance as on the 
preceding day, and saw herds of buffaloe in every direction: before mid-
day two were killed, but very little was taken, except the marrow-bones: 
each man who chose to take one, hung it to his

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saddle. In the course of this forenoon we observed three rattlesnakes, of 
an entirely new and undescribed species: one of them I killed, and carried 
in my shot-pouch, and during the time we stopped to feed our horses, I 
secured the skin. We passed very close to several herds of buffaloe during 
the afternoon, near which we always observed a number of wolves lurking. I 
perceived that those herds which had wolves in their vicinity, were almost 
wholly females with their calves; but noticed also, that there were a few 
bulls with them, and that these were always stationed on the outside of 
the herd, inclosing the cows with their calves within. We came suddenly on 
one of these herds, containing, as we judged, from six to eight hundred 
buffaloes: they immediately gallopped off. One of our party rode after 
them, and overtook a calf which could not keep pace with the rest: he 
instantly dismounted, caught it by the hind leg, and plunged his knife 
into its body. We took what we wanted, and rode on. This afternoon I 
noticed a singularly formed hill on our right, in the direction of the 
Missouri, apparently about ten miles from us. It is of an oblong shape, 
nearly perpendicular at the ends, and level at the top, so as to resemble 
a regular building: near the centre there rises a pic, very steep, which 
seems to be elevated at least one hundred feet above the hill on which it 
stands. We rode this day almost without intermission, and

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late in the evening arrived at Riviere de Coeur, or Heart River, and 
encamped on its banks, or, more properly, lay down in our blankets. I 
found that my horse did not get worse, although he showed a great 
disposition to lag behind; a certain proof of his being very much tired, 
as the Indian horses, when on a journey, have an aversion to be separated 
from their companions.

22nd.- Although the distance from this place to the Missouri Fur Company's 
Fort was estimated at about sixty miles, we determined if possible to 
reach it this day, and were, as usual, on horseback at day-break, having 
previously breakfasted on veal. I observed the preceding days a sufficient 
number of buffaloes to induce me to credit the hunters in their reports of 
the vast numbers they had seen; but this day afforded me ample 
confirmation. Scarcely had we ascended the bluffs of Heart River, when we 
discerned herds in every direction; and had we been disposed to devote the 
day to hunting, we might have killed a great number, as the country north 
of Heart River is not so uniform in its surface as that we had passed. It 
consists of ridges, of small elevation, separated by narrow valleys. This 
renders it much more favourable for hunting, and although we did not 
materially deviate from our course, five were killed before noon. Mr. 
Crooks joined me in remonstrating against this

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waste; but it is impossible to restrain the hunters, as they scarcely ever 
lose an opportunity of killing, if it offers, even although not in want of 
food. About two o'clock we arrived on the summit of a ridge more elevated 
than any we had yet passed. From thence we saw before us a beautiful 
plain, as we judged, about four miles across, in the direction of our 
course, and of similar dimension from east to west. It was bounded on all 
sides by long ridges, similar to that which we had ascended. The scene 
exhibited in this valley was sufficiently interesting to excite even in 
our Canadians a wish to stop a few minutes and contemplate it. The whole 
of the plain was perfectly level, and, like the rest of the country, 
without a single shrub. It was covered with the finest verdure, and in 
every part herds of buffaloe were feeding. I counted seventeen herds; but 
the aggregate number of the animals it was difficult even to guess at: 
some thought upwards of ten thousand. We descended into the plain, and 
each having two marrow bones hung to his saddle, we resolved to dine 
wherever we could first find water. In descending into the plain, we came 
upon a small herd feeding in a valley. One buffalo was shot by our party 
before we could possibly restrain them. At about half the distance across 
the plain we reached a small pond, where we halted, and having collected a 
sufficient quantity of dry buffaloe's dung, we made a fire, in which we 
disposed

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our bones, and although the water was stagnant, we made free use of it. 
During our stay here a very large herd of buffaloe continued to feed 
within a quarter of a mile of us. Some of them I observed gazing at us; 
but as they were to the windward, they had not the power of discovering 
what we were by the sense of smelling. I found, on inquiry from some of 
our party who were well acquainted with the habits of these animals, that 
they seem to rely chiefly on that sense for their safety. Around this herd 
we counted fifteen wolves, several of which stood for some minutes looking 
at us, without exhibiting any signs of fear: and as we did not think them 
worth shooting, we left them unmolested. On gaining the summit of the 
ridge forming the northern boundary of the plain, we noticed a chain of 
hills on our right hand, at the distance of about six miles. Jones, our 
guide, assured us they were the bluffs of the Missouri, and although we 
might not arrive at the Fort that night, yet he was certain of our being 
able to go to the Mandan village. About four o'clock we fell into a trace 
that Jones said was one of the roads which the Mandans usually followed 
when they went out to hunt. We resolved to keep along it, as we found it 
led towards the bluffs, at which we arrived in about an hour, and passed 
through a narrow valley, bounded on each side by some small rocks of 
secondary limestone. On

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turning an angle in the valley, we came suddenly in view of the Missouri, 
at no great distance from us. The sight of the river caused much joy in 
our party; but no one had so much occasion as myself to be pleased with 
it, as it was with the greatest difficulty I could keep up with the party, 
my horse being so tired, that Dorion and others of the party occasionally 
rode after me, to beat him forward. The trace turned up a long and very 
fine plain, betwixt the bluffs and the river. The plain continued to 
increase in breadth as we advanced, and had on it a sufficiency of clumps 
of cotton woods, so interspersed as to prevent our seeing its upper 
termination. We had not been on this plain more than half an hour, when we 
suddenly saw an Indian on horseback, gallopping down the bluffs at full 
speed, and in a few minutes he was out of sight, having proceeded nearly 
in the same direction we were pursuing. We considered this as a certain 
proof that we were not far from the Mandan town, and shortly after, on 
turning round the point of a large grove, we came in full view of it. We 
could perceive that the Indian had already given notice of our approach, 
as the tops of the lodges were crowded with people; and as we advanced, we 
saw crowds coming from the town to meet us. From the time the first of the 
Indians met us till we arrived in the town, we were continually employed 
in shaking hands, as every one was eager to

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perform that ceremony with the whole party, and several made us understand 
that they had seen us before, having been of the war party which we had 
met at the Great Bend. They conducted us to the lodge of She-he-kè, the 
chief, where we alighted. He met us at the door, and after shaking hands 
with us, said, to my great surprise in English, "Come in house." I was 
again surprised, on entering the lodge, to see a fine dunghill cock. On 
inquiry I found that She-he-kè had brought it with him from the United 
States, at the time he accompanied Messrs. Lewis and Clarke, where also he 
learnt his English." It appeared that immediately on the centinel 
announcing our approach, the squaw had set on the pot. The victuals being 
ready before we had done smoking, and Mr. Crooks expressing a 
determination to proceed to the Missouri Fur Company's Fort this evening, 
we soon finished our meal, which consisted of jerked flesh of buffaloe and 
pounded corn. The sun was setting when we mounted, and several of our 
horses appeared much jaded, but mine in particular. I therefore proposed 
to remain at the Mandans; but the party, and in particular Mr. Crooks, 
wished me to go on. With some reluctance I consented, and we pushed on our 
horses, in order to reach Knife River before it was quite dark, which by 
much exertion we effected, and arrived opposite to the third village of 
the Minetaree, or Gros Ventres

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Indians, as the night was closing in. On hallooing, some Indians came down 
to the bank on the other side of the river, and immediately ran back to 
the village. In a few minutes we saw them returning along with six squaws, 
each of whom had a skin canoe on her back, and a paddle in her hand. 
Whilst we unsaddled our horses they crossed the river in their canoes, and 
the Indians swam over, and all shook hands with us. The squaws put our 
saddles in their canoes, -where we also placed ourselves, and left the 
Indians to drive our horses over the river, which they managed with much 
address, by placing themselves in such a way as to keep them in a compact 
body. This river is not rapid, but it has the appearance of being deep, 
and is about eighty yards wide at this place. After saddling our horses, 
and giving the squaws three balls and three loads of powder for each man, 
being the price of ferriage, we passed through the village, having seven 
miles still to travel in order to reach the Fort. We could not now make 
our horses exceed a walk. On the hill above the town I imperfectly 
distinguished something that had the appearance of cavalry, which Jones 
told me were the stages whereon the Indians deposit the bodies of their 
dead. About eleven o'clock we reached the Fort, after having travelled 
this day more than eighteen hours, with very little intermission. We were 
received in a very friendly manner by Mr.

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Reuben Lewis, brother to Captain Lewis, who travelled to the Pacific 
Ocean: the mosquitoes were much less friendly, and were in such numbers, 
and so troublesome, that notwithstanding our excessive fatigue, it was 
next to impossible to sleep.

23rd.-We went early to look at the horses. The greater part were lying 
down, and appeared to have scarcely moved from the place where they had 
been left the preceding night, seeming to prefer rest to food. In 
consequence of their jaded state, Mr. Crooks resolved to remain at the 
Fort four or five days, that they might recruit themselves. On our return 
to breakfast, we found that the Fort was but ill supplied with provisions, 
having little of any thing but jerked meat; but as that, or any other 
accommodation the place afforded, was accompanied by kindness and the most 
polite attention from Mr. Lewis, we were much pleased with our reception. 
The bluffs here have a very romantic appearance, and I was preparing to 
examine them after breakfast, when some squaws came in belonging to the 
uppermost village of the Minetarees, with a quantity of roots to sell. 
Being informed that they were dug on the prairie, my curiosity was 
excited, and on tasting found them very palatable, even in a raw state. 
They were of the shape of an egg: some of them were nearly as large as 
those of a goose; others were smaller. Mr. Lewis

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obligingly caused a few to be boiled. Their taste most resembled that of a 
parsnip, but I thought them much better. I found no vestige of the plant 
attached to them, and anxious to ascertain the species, I succeeded in 
obtaining information from the squaws of the route by which they came to 
the Fort, and immediately set out on the search. After much pains I found 
one of the places where they had dug the plants, and to my surprise 
discovered, from the tops broken off, that the plant was one I was well 
acquainted with, having found it even in the vicinity of St. Louis, where 
I had first discovered it, and determined it to be a new species of 
psoralea, which is now known as psoralea esculenta. On enquiry I was 
informed that this root is of the greatest importance, not only to the 
Indians, but to the hunters, who, in case of the failure of other food, 
from the want of success in hunting, can always support life by resorting 
to it; and even when not impelled by want, it cannot but be extremely 
grateful to those who otherwise must exist on animal food alone, without 
bread or salt; at least I then thought it so. I found the country about 
the Fort, and especially the bluffs, extremely interesting. It chiefly 
consists of argillaceous schistus, and a very tenacious and indurated 
yellow clay, exhibiting in many places the appearance of coal. The land 
floods from the country behind the bluffs had cut through them, and left 
large

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bodies of clay standing up, with the sides perpendicular, and resembling 
in appearance towers, or large square buildings, which it was impossible 
to ascend. The incumbent soil appears to be of excellent quality, and was 
at this time covered with fine grass and a number of beautiful plants. The 
roots and specimens of these I collected with the greatest assiduity, not 
having yet determined to remain any longer than until our party returned. 
I soon found the number to increase so much, as I lengthened my 
excursions, that I resolved to remain at the Fort until Mr. Lisa came up 
with his boat, and obtain a passage with him down to the Aricaras, and 
this resolution I announced to Mr. Crooks. The Missouri had overflowed its 
banks some time before our arrival, and on receding had left numberless 
pools in the alluvion. In these the mosquitoes had been generated in 
numbers inconceivably great. In walking it was necessary to have one hand 
constantly employed to keep them out of the eyes; and although a person 
killed hundreds, thousands were ready to take their place. At evening the 
horses collected in a body round the Fort, waiting until fires were made, 
to produce smoke, in which they might stand for protection. This was 
regularly done, and a quantity of green weeds thrown on each fire to 
increase the smoke. These fires caused much quarrelling and fighting, each 
horse contending for the centre of the smoke,

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and the place nearest the fire. In the afternoon we were visited by She-he-
kè, the Mandan chief, who came dressed in a suit of clothes brought with 
him from the United States. He informed us that he had a great wish to go 
[to] live with the whites, and that several of his people, induced by the 
representations he had made of the White people's mode of living, had the 
same intentions. We were able to converse with She-he-kè through the 
medium of Jussum, the interpreter for the Fort, who was a Frenchman, and 
had married a squaw belonging to the second village of the Minetarees, or 
Gros Ventres Indians. As I expressed a wish to visit the villages, I spoke 
to Jussum on that subject, who readily consented to accompany me, but 
informed me that in a day or two there would be a dance of the squaws, to 
celebrate the exploits of their husbands, when it was agreed we should go. 
The Fort consisted of a square block-house, the lower part of which was a 
room for furs: the upper part was inhabited by Mr. Lewis and some of the 
hunters belonging to the establishment. There were some small outhouses, 
and the whole was surrounded by a pallisado, or piquet, about fifteen feet 
high. I found attached to it a very pretty garden, in which were peas, 
beans, sallad, radishes, and other vegetables, under the care of a 
gardener, an Irishman, who shewed it to me with much self-importance. I 
praised his management, but expressed

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my regret that he had no potatoes. "Oh!" said he, "that does not signify; 
we can soon have them; there is plenty just over the way." I did not think 
the man was serious; but on mentioning the circumstance to Mr. Lewis, he 
told me that there really were potatoes at an English Fort on the river 
St. Peter's, distant only from two to three hundred miles.

24th.- This morning I was informed by Jussum that the squaw dance would be 
performed in the afternoon, and he promised to have horses ready for us by 
mid-day. I packed up a few beads for presents, and spent the fore part of 
the day in my usual way, but took a more extended range into the interior 
from the river, as the air was calm, having discovered that the mosquitoes 
remain almost entirely in the valley of the river, where during calm 
weather it was nearly impossible to collect. On the top of a hill, about 
four miles from the Fort, I had a fine view of a beautiful valley, caused 
by a rivulet, being a branch of Knife River, the declivities of which 
abound in a new species of eleagnus, intermixed with a singular procumbent 
species of cedar (juniperus.) The branches are entirely prostrate on the 
ground, and never rise above the height of a few inches. The beautiful 
silvery hue of the first, contrasted with the dark green of the latter, 
had a most pleasing

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effect; and to render the scene more interesting, the small alluvion of 
the rivulet was so plentifully covered with a species of lily, (lilium 
catesbaei) as to make it resemble a scarlet stripe as far as the eye could 
trace it. I returned to the Fort much gratified, and prepared to accompany 
Jussum to the dance. On our approach some fields of Indian corn lay 
betwixt us and the village, which I wished to avoid, and proposed that we 
should change our route, as the corn was now nearly a yard high.(30) This 
proposal was absolutely refused by Jussum, and we rode on through the corn 
till we came to where some squaws were at work, who called out to us to 
make us change our route, but were soon silenced by Jussum. I suspected 
that he committed

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this aggression to show his authority or importance. On our arrival at the 
village we went into several of the lodges, which were constructed exactly 
in the same form as those of the Aricaras. We smoked at every lodge, and I 
found by the bustle among the women that they were preparing for the 
dance, as some of them were putting on their husbands' clothes, for which 
purpose they did not retire into a corner, nor seem in the least 
discomposed by our presence. In about half an hour the dance began, which 
was performed in a circle, the dancers moving round, with tomahawks in 
their hands. At intervals they turned their faces all at once towards the 
middle of the circle, and brandished their weapons. After some time one of 
them stepped into the centre of the ring, and made an harangue, frequently 
brandishing her weapon, whilst the rest moved round her. I found that the 
nature of all the speeches was the same, which was to boast of the actions 
of their husbands. One which made Jussum smile I requested he would 
interpret. He briefly informed me, that she had said her husband had 
travelled south-west to a country inhabited by white people, which journey 
took him twenty days to perform: that he went to steal horses, and when he 
came to the white people's houses, he found one where the men were gone 
out, and in which he killed two women, and stole from them a number of 
horses. She corrected

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herself, by denying that they were women whom her husband had killed, and 
the reasons she assigned to prove they were not, was what caused Jussum to 
smile. The dance did not last more than an hour, and I was informed by 
Jussum that it would be followed by a feast of dog's flesh, of which it 
was expected I should partake. I excused myself by saying I wished to 
collect some plants, and set out alone. In my way to the Fort I passed 
through a small wood, where I discovered a stage constructed betwixt four 
trees, standing very near each other, and to which the stage was attached, 
about ten feet from the ground. On this stage was laid the body of an 
Indian, wrapt in a buffalo robe. As the stage was very narrow, I could see 
all that was upon it without much trouble. It was the body of a man, and 
beside it there lay a bow and quiver with arrows, a tomahawk, and a 
scalping knife. There were a great number of stages erected about a 
quarter of a mile from the village, on which the dead bodies were 
deposited, which, for fear of giving offence, I avoided; as I found, that 
although it is the custom of these people thus to expose the dead bodies 
of their ancestors, yet they have in a very high degree that veneration 
for their remains which is a characteristic of the American Indians. I 
arrived at the Fort about sunset. Soon afterwards we heard the report of a 
swivel down the river, which caused us all to run

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out, and soon saw the boat belonging to Mr. Lisa turning a point about two 
miles below us. We returned the salute, but he did not arrive that night, 
as the side on which we were, to within half a mile of the Fort, consisted 
of high perpendicular bluffs, and his men were too much exhausted to reach 
us by the river.

25th.- This morning I had the pleasure of again meeting Mr. Brackenridge, 
and of finding that it was the intention of Mr. Lisa to stay at least a 
fortnight at the Fort. I was very glad to have so good an opportunity of 
examining this interesting country. I received by the hands of Mr. 
Brackenridge some small articles for trade, which I had delivered to him 
at the Aricaras. This enabled me to reward the gardener for his civility 
in offering me a place in the garden where I could deposit my living 
plants, and of this I availed myself during my stay.

27th.- The business relative to the horses having been arranged betwixt 
Mr. Lisa and Mr. Crooks, he set out early this morning on his return to 
the Aricara nation; and as he was not without his fears that the Gros 
Ventres Indians, headed by Le Borgne, or One Eyed, would attempt to rob 
him of his horses, he determined to proceed with as much celerity as we 
had travelled to the Fort,

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and kept his departure as secret as possible. I was much pleased to see 
this chief at the Fort in a few hours afterwards, being satisfied that Mr. 
Crooks was now out of his reach. As it may give some idea of the tyrannic 
sway with which the chiefs sometimes govern these children of nature, I 
shall relate an instance of cruelty and oppression practised by this 
villain. He had a wish to possess the wife of a young warrior of his 
tribe, who was esteemed beautiful. She resisted his offers, and avoided 
him. He took the opportunity of the absence of her husband, and carried 
her off forcibly. The husband was informed on his return of the 
transaction, and went to the lodge of Le Borgne to claim his wife. The 
monster killed him. The young man had no father: his mother only was 
living, and he was her only son. The shock deprived her of reason, and she 
reviles the wretch whenever she meets him, and often seeks him to procure 
the opportunity of doing so. Even amongst those we term savages, the 
horror which the deed has occasioned is so great, and the pity which the 
situation of the poor maniac has excited so prevailing, that he dares not 
kill her. How much then ought Christians to detest a similar deed. He has 
a most savage and ferocious aspect, and is of large stature. He is chief 
of one of the villages of the Minetarees, or, as the French call them, 
Gros Ventres, and assumes a dominion over both, although

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there are several other chiefs. It is stated by Mr. Lewis that the two 
villages or bands can raise six hundred warriors, but the number at this 
time is probably much less. The object of this wretch in visiting the Fort 
was to make professions of friendship, and to obtain a present. Mr. Lisa 
knew very well the value of his professions, but, notwithstanding, he gave 
him some, with which he appeared satisfied. Having selected some silver 
ornaments which I purposed, presenting to She-he-kè, Mr. Brackenridge 
agreed to accompany me to the Mandan village. We obtained horses from Mr. 
Lewis for the journey, and about ten o'clock set off. We crossed Knife 
River at the lower of the Minetaree villages, and paid the accustomed 
price to the squaw who ferried us over; which was, for each of us, three 
balls and three charges of powder. Before we left the village, we were 
invited into the lodge belonging to the White Wolf, one of the chiefs of 
this village, with whom we smoked. I was surprised to observe that his 
squaw and one of his children had brown hair, although their skins did not 
appear to be lighter coloured than the rest of the tribe. As the woman 
appeared to be above forty years of age, it is almost certain that no 
intercourse had taken place betwixt these people and the whites at the 
time she was born. I should have been less

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surprised at the circumstance had they been one of those tribes who change 
their places of residence; but they have not even a tradition of having 
resided in any other place than where the present village stands. The 
White Wolf appeared to be much pleased with our visit, and by signs 
invited us to call at his lodge whenever we came that way. He shook hands 
very cordially with us at parting. In our way to the Mandans we passed 
through the small village belonging to the Ahwahhaways, consisting of not 
more than eighteen or twenty lodges. This nation can scarcely muster fifty 
warriors, and yet they carry on an offensive war against the Snake and 
Flathead Indians. On our arrival at the Mandans, She-he-kè, as before, 
came to the door of his lodge, and said, "come in house." We had scarcely 
entered when he looked earnestly at us, and said, "whiskey." In this we 
could not gratify him, as we had not thought of bringing any. I presented 
the silver ornaments to him, with which he seemed much pleased, and after 
smoking we were feasted with a dish consisting of jerked buffalo meat, 
corn, and beans boiled together. I mentioned to him my wish to purchase 
some mockasons, and he sent out into the village to inform the squaws, who 
flocked into the lodge in such numbers, and with so plentiful a supply, 
that I could not buy a tenth part of them. I furnished myself with a dozen 
pair at a cheap rate, for which I gave a little vermillion,

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or rather red lead, and a few strings of blue beads. During our stay, She-
he-kè pointed to a little boy in the lodge, whom we had not before 
noticed, and gave us to understand that his father was one of the party 
that accompanied Mr. Lewis, and also indicated the individual. On our 
return we crossed Knife River at the upper village of the Minetarees. The 
old squaw who brought the canoe to the opposite side of the river, to 
fetch us over, was accompanied by three young squaws, apparently about 
fourteen or fifteen years of age, who came over in the canoe, and were 
followed by an Indian, who swam over to take care of our horses. When our 
saddles were taken off, and put into the canoe, Mr. Brackenridge and 
myself stepped in, and were followed by the old squaw, when the three 
young ones instantly stripped, threw their clothes into the canoe, and 
jumped into the river. We had scarcely embarked before they began to 
practice on us a number of mischievous tricks. The slow progress which the 
canoe made enabled them to swim round us frequently, sometimes splashing 
us, then seizing hold of the old squaw's paddle, who tried in vain to 
strike them with it; at other times they would pull the canoe in such a 
manner as to change the direction of its course; at length they all seized 
hold of the hind part, and hung to it. The old squaw called out to the 
Indian that was following our horses, who immediately swam down to our 

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assistance, and soon relieved us from our frolicksome tormentors, by 
plunging them successively over head, and holding them for a considerable 
time under water. After some time they all made their escape from him, by 
diving and swimming in different directions. On landing, by way of 
retaliation, we seized their clothes, which caused much laughing betwixt 
the squaw and the Indian. We had many invitations to stay and smoke; but 
as it was near sunset, and we had seven miles to ride, they excused us.

29th and 30th.- I continued adding to my stock, and the latter day 
observed a vein of fine coal, about eighteen inches thick, in the 
perpendicular bluff below the Fort. On shewing specimens of it to some of 
the hunters in the Fort, they assured me that higher up the river it was a 
very common substance, and that there were places in which it was on fire. 
As pumice is often found floating down the Missouri, I made frequent 
inquiries of the hunters if any volcano existed on the river or its 
branches, but could not procure from them any information that would 
warrant such a conclusion. It is probable, therefore, that this pumice 
stone proceeds from these burning coal beds.

1st July.- I extended my researches up the river, along, the foot of the 
bluffs; and when at

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the distance of three or four miles from the Fort, and in the act of 
digging up some roots, I was surprised by an Indian, who was within a few 
yards of me before I perceived him. He had a short gun on his shoulder, 
and came close to me. He shewed me by signs that he knew very well I was 
collecting those roots and plants for medicine, and laying hold of my 
shirt, made the motion usual when traffic or exchange is proposed. It 
consists in crossing the two fore fingers one over the other alternately. 
On his pointing to a little distance from us, I perceived a squaw coming 
up, followed by two dogs, each of which drew a sledge, containing some 
mockasons and other small articles. The signs which he afterwards made 
were of a nature not to be misunderstood, and implied a wish to make a 
certain exchange for my shirt, wherein the squaw would have been the 
temporary object of barter. To this proposition I did not accede, but 
replied, in the Osage language, honkoska (no) which he seemed to 
understand, and immediately took hold of my belt, which was of scarlet 
worsted, worked with blue and white beads, and repeated his proposition, 
but with the same success. After looking at me fiercely for a few moments, 
he took his gun from his shoulder, and said in French, sacre crapaud, 
which was also repeated by the squaw. As I had foreseen that he would be 
offended at my refusal, I took care, on the first movement

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which he made with his gun, to be beforehand with him, by placing my hand 
on the lock of mine, which I held presented to him. In this situation we 
gradually withdrew from each other, until he disappeared with his squaw 
and the dogs.

2nd.-Mr. Brackenridge and I made an excursion into the interior from the 
river, and found nothing interesting but what has already been noticed, 
excepting some bodies of argillaceous schist, parts of which had a 
columnar appearance. They were lying in a horizontal position, and 
resembled in some degree the bodies of trees.

4th.- This day being the anniversary of the independence of the United 
States, Mr. Lisa invited us to dine on board of his boat, which was 
accepted by Messrs. Brackenridge, Lewis, Nuttall, and myself; and as Le 
Borgne and the Black Shoe, the two Minetaree chiefs, called at the Fort 
before dinner, they were invited also. They ate with moderation, and 
behaved with much propriety, seeming studiously to imitate the manners of 
white people. After dinner Mr. Lisa gave to each of them a glass of 
whiskey, which they drank without any hesitation; but on having swallowed 
it, they laid their hands on their stomachs, and exhibited such distortion 
of features, as to render it impossible to forbear laughing. As Jussum was 
present, I asked

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him the meaning of some words which they spoke to each other, who informed 
me that they called the whiskey fire water.

Mr. Lisa having announced to us his intention to depart on the 6th for the 
Aricaras, I employed myself during the 5th in packing up carefully my 
collection, and on the morning of the 6th we set out. Our progress down 
the river was very rapid, as it was still in a high state. We did not land 
until evening, after making in the course of the day more than one hundred 
miles. In the evening and during the night the mosquitoes were exceedingly 
troublesome, which rendered it almost impossible to sleep.

7th.- We passed Cannon-ball River about ten o'clock, and stopped a short 
time at its mouth, where I noticed and procured some additional specimens. 
In the evening I had the pleasure of meeting my former companions, and was 
rejoiced to find that Mr. Crooks arrived safely with the horses, and that 
Mr. Hunt had now obtained nearly eighty in all. Soon after my arrival, Mr. 
Hunt informed me of his intention to depart from the Aricaras shortly. I 
therefore purposed returning down the river; and as the Canadians would 
not be permitted to take their trunks, or, as they termed them, their 
caisettes, by land, I purchased

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from them seventeen, in which I intended to arrange my living specimens, 
having now collected several thousands. It had been a custom with us to 
keep a guard round our camp during the night, since our arrival at the 
Aricaras. Four of the party were stationed for this purpose until 
midnight, and were then relieved by four others, who remained on guard 
until morning. On the morning of the 10th, at day-break, some Indians came 
to our camp from the village, among whom was my friend the young warrior. 
As I happened to be on guard, he came to me, and by signs invited me to go 
and breakfast with him. Whilst we were sitting together, he suddenly 
jumped up, and pointed to the bluffs, at the distance of three or four 
miles down the river. On looking, I observed a numerous crowd of Indians. 
He gave me to understand that it was a war party on their return, and 
immediately ran to the village. In a few minutes the tops of the lodges 
were crowded with Indians, who appeared much agitated. Soon after an 
Indian gallopped past our camp, who I understood was a chief. In a few 
minutes afterwards parties began to come out of the village, on their way 
to meet the warriors, or rather to join them, as it is the custom for a 
war party to wait at a distance from the village, when a victory has been 
gained, that their friends may join in the parade of a triumphal entry; 
and on such occasions all their

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finery and decorations are displayed: some time also is requisite to 
enable the warriors at home and their friends to paint themselves, so as 
to appear with proper eclat. During the time that elapsed before the 
arrival of the procession, I walked into the village, where a universal 
stillness prevailed. No business seemed to be going on, excepting the 
preparing of something for the warriors to eat on their return. The squaws 
were thus employed in all the lodges into which I entered(31) , and I 
noticed that not one of the poor creatures seemed in the least solicitous 
about her own person; as they are

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too insignificant to be thought an appendage to a triumph. It was near the 
middle of the day before the procession came in sight, when I went to meet 
it, in order that my view might be prolonged. A number of the old men and 
squaws were also moving down from the town to meet it. At the head of the 
procession were four standard bearers, followed by a band of warriors on 
foot; after which came a party on horseback: to these succeeded two of the 
principal chiefs, betwixt whom was a young warrior, who I understood had 
been severely wounded. Then came two other standard bearers, who were 
succeeded by another band of foot and horse; this order was observed until 
the four bands of which the party consisted had passed. They were about 
three hundred in number: each man carried a shield; a few were armed with 
guns, some with bows,(32) and others with war clubs.