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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates October 27, 1804 - October 31,
1804
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: October 27, 1804 - October 31, 1804
October 27,
1804
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,
October
28, 1804
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.
October
29, 1804
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 Shoshones. 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 Shoshones; he was instantly rebuked with great dignity
by one of the chiefs for this violation of decorum at such
a moment, and remained [120]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 buffalo 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 buffalo, 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.
October
30, 1804
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 pirogue 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.
October
31, 1804
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 [123]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.
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