The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates December 1, 1804 - December 5,
1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: December 1, 1804 - December 5, 1804
December 1, 1804
Saturday, December 1. The wind was from the northwest, and
the whole party engaged in picketing the fort. About ten
o'clock the half-brother of the man who had been killed,
came to inform us that six Sharhas or Chayenne Indians had
arrived, bringing a pipe of peace, and that their nation
was three days march behind them. Three Pawnees had accompanied
the Sharhas, and the Mandans being afraid of the Sharhas
on account of their being at peace with the Sioux, wished
to put both them and the three Pawnees to death; but the
chiefs had forbidden it as it would be contrary to our wishes.
We gave him a present of tobacco, and although from his
connexion with the sufferer, he was more embittered against
the Pawnees than any other Mandan, yet he seemed perfectly
satisfied with our pacific counsels and advice. The Mandans,
we observe, call all the Ricaras by the name of Pawnees;
the name of Ricaras being that by which the nation distinguishes
itself.
In the evening we were visited by a Mr. Henderson, who came
from the Hudson bay company to trade with the Minnetarees.
He had been about eight days on his route in a direction
nearly south, and brought with him tobacco, beeds, and other
merchandize to trade for furs, and a few guns which are
to be exchanged for horses.
December 2, 1804
Sunday, December 2. The latter part of the evening
was warm, and a thaw continued till the morning, when the
wind shifted to the north. At eleven o'clock the chiefs
of the lower village brought down four of the Sharhas. We
explained to them our intentions, and advised them to remain
at peace with each other: we also gave them a flag, some
tobacco, and a speech for their nation. These were accompanied
by a letter to messrs. Tabeau and Gravelines at the Ricara
village, requesting them to preserve peace if possible,
and to declare the part which we should be forced to take
if the Ricaras and Sioux made war on those whom we had adopted.
After distributing a few presents to the Sharhas and Mandans,
and showing them our curiosities we dismissed them, apparently
well pleased at their reception.
December 3, 1804
Monday, December 3. The morning was fine, but in
the afternoon the weather became cold with the wind from
the northwest. The father of the Mandan who was killed brought
us a present of dried pumpkins and some pemitigon, for which
we gave him some small articles. Our offer of assistance
to avenge the death of his son seemed to have produced a
grateful respect from him, as well as from the brother of
the deceased, which pleased us much.
December 4, 1804
Tuesday 4th. The wind continues from the northwest,
the weather cloudy and raw, and the river rose one inch,
Oscapsahe and two young chiefs pass the day with us. The
whole religion of the Mandans consists in the belief of
one great spirit presiding over their destinies. This being
must be in the nature of a good genius since it is associated
with the healing art, and the great spirit is synonymous
with great medicine, a name also applied to every thing
which they do not comprehend. Each individual selects for
himself the particular object of his devotion, which is
termed his medicine, and is either some invisible being
or more commonly some animal, which thenceforward becomes
his protector or his intercessor with the great spirit;
to propitiate whom every attention is lavished, and every
personal consideration is sacrificed. "I was lately owner
of seventeen horses," said a Mandan to us one day, "but
I [139]have offered them all up to my medicine and am now
poor." He had in reality taken all his wealth, his horses,
into the plain, and turning them loose committed them to
the care of his medicine and abandoned them forever.
The
horses less religious took care of themselves, and the pious
votary traveled home on foot. Their belief in a future state
is connected with this tradition of their origin: the whole
nation resided in one large village under ground near a
subterraneous lake; a grape-vine extended its roots down
to their habitation and gave them a view of the light: some
of the most adventurous climed up the vine and were delighted
with the sight of the earth, which they found covered with
buffalo and rich with every kind of fruits: returning with
the grapes they had gathered, their countrymen were so pleased
with the taste of them that the whole nation resolved to
leave their dull residence for the charms of the upper region;
men, women and children ascended by means of the vine; but
when about half the nation had reached the surface of the
earth, a corpulent woman who was clambering up the vine
broke it with her weight, and closed upon herself and the
rest of the nation the light of the sun. Those who were
left on earth made a village below where we saw the nine
villages; and when the Mandans die they expect to return
to the original seats of their forefathers; the good reaching
the ancient village by means of the lake, which the burden
of the sins of the wicked will not enable them to cross.
December 5, 1804
Wednesday 5. The morning was cold and disagreeable,
the wind from the southeast accompanied with snow: in the
evening there was snow again and the wind shifted to the
northeast: we were visited by several Indians with a present
of pumpkins, and by two of the traders of the northwest
company.
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