Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
30th of September Sunday 1804 had not proceeded far before we discovered an Indian running after us, he requstd to go with us to the Ricaras , we refused to take him, I discovered at a great Distanc a great number of men women & Children decending a hill towards the river above which the Chief with us told us was the other Band, Some rain & hard wind at about 10 oClock we anchored opposit the Camps of this band and told them we took them by the hand, and Sent to each Chief a Carrot of Tobacco & Some to the principal men and farth[er] Said that after Staying with the band below 2 days to See them we had been badly treated and Should not land again, as we had not time to Delay— refured then to Mr. Durion for a full account of us, and an explination of what had been Said, they appeard ansioes for us to eat with them and observed they were friendly we apoligised & proceeded on under a Double reafed Sale— [1] the Chief on board threw out to those that ran up Small pieces of Tobacco & told them to go back and open thier ears, We Saw great number of white guls— refresh the party with whiskey, in the evening we Saw 2 Indians at a Distance, The boat turned by accident & was nearly filling and rocked verry much, allarmed the Indian Chief on board who ran and hid himself, we landed & the Indian express a wish to return, we gave him a Blanket Knife & Some tobacco and advised him to keep his men away, we camped on a Sand bar. [2] verry Cold & windy—
| N. 30° W. | 3 | m. to the upper point of Some woods S. S. |
| N. 80° W | 1 ½ | m on the S. S— |
| N. 64° W. | 3 | m. to a Bush on the L. S. |
| N. 46° W. | 1 ½ | m. on the L. S. |
| N. 10° W. | 3 | m. to a pt. on the S. S. passed the 2nd Band of Tetons, |
| North | 2 | m. to a tree on the S. S. |
| N. 24° W. | 4 | m. to a point on the L. S. |
| N. 50° W. | 2 ½ | m to the Lower point of Pania Island. |
| N. 30° W. | 3 | miles to a tree at the upper pt. of Some woods on the S. S. |
| N. 80° W. | 1 ½ | miles on the S. S. |
| N. 64° W. | 3 | ms. to a Bush on L. S. |
| N. 46° W. | 1 ½ | mes. on the L. S. |
| N. 10 W. | 3 | mes. to a pt. on the S. S. passed Several Sand bars & the Camp of a Band of Tetons (1) |
| North | 2 | miles to a tree on the S. S. |
| N. 24° W. | 4 | mes. to a pt. on the L. S. |
| N 50° W. | 2 ½ | mes. to the Lower pt. of Pania Island Situated in the Mide. of the river (2) |
| 20 ½ |
30th of Septr. Sunday 1804.
Set out this morning early had not proceeded on far before we discovered an Indn. running after us, he came up with us at 7 oClock & requested to come on bord and go up to the recorees we refused to take any of that band on board if he chose to proceed on Shore it was verry well Soon after I discovered on the hills at a great distance great numbers of Indians which appeared to be makeing to the river above us, we proceeded on under a Double reafed Sail, & Some rain at 9 oClock observed a large band of Indians the Same which I had before Seen on the hills incamping on the bank 〈of〉 the L. S. we Came too on a Sand bar Brackfast & proceeded on & cast the ancher opposit their Lodgs. at about 100 yards distand, and informed the Indians which we found to be a part of the Band we had before Seen, that [NB?: we] took them by the hand and Sent to each Chief a Carrot of tobacco, as we had been treated badly by Some of the band below, after Staying 2 days for them, we Could not delay any time, & refured them to Mr. Duron for a full account of us and to here our talk Sent by him to the Tetons, those were verry Selecitious for us to land and eate with them, that they were friendly &c. &. we appoligised & proceeded on, Sent the peroge to Shore above with the Tobacco & Delivd. it to a Soldr. of the Chief with us Several of them ran up the river, the Chf. on board threw then out a Small twist of Tobacco & told them to go back & open ther ears. they recved the Tobacco & returned to their lodges— we Saw great numbers of white guls this day is cloudy & rainey— refresh the men with a glass of whisky after Brackfast.
we Saw about 6 miles above 2 Indians who came to the bank and looked at us a about ½ an hour & went over the hills to the S W. we proceeded on under a verry Stiff Breeze from the S. 〈W〉 E, the Stern of the boat got fast on a log and the boat turned & was verry near filling before we got her righted, the waves being verry high, The Chief on board was So fritined at the motion of the boat which in its rocking caused Several loose articles to fall on the Deck from the lockers, he ran off and hid himself, we landed he got his gun and informed us he wished to return, that all things were Cleare for us to go on we would not See any more Tetons &c. we repeated to him what had been Said before and advised him to keep his men away, gave him a blanket a Knife & Some Tobacco, Smokd a pipe & he 〈Dep〉 Set out. we also Set Sale and Came to at a Sand bar, & Camped, a verrey Cold evening, all on ou[r] guard
Sunday 30th Sept. 1804. we Set off eairly under a fine Breeze of wind from the E. passed a willow Island N. S. passd. a large Bottom covered with Timber on N. S. Barron hills on S. S. See an Indian on S. S. Spoke to him. found it was one of those we Saw at village below. he told us that the other band was comming on, and wished us to Stop. we told him we could not Stop neither did we wish to See them. passed handsom Bottom prarie on N. S. a bottom covered with Timber on S. S. proceeded on 10 miles at 10 oClock we discovered a large nomber of Indians on a hill S. Side comming down towards the river a head of. we halted on a Sand bar, took breakfast. the Indians assembled on S. Shore hoisted a white flag. we then took down our red flag. directly after they hoisted another. We then took them to be our friends. the weather being cool, cloudy a mist of rain 〈the〉 our officers Gave Each man of the party a draghm. we then hoisted our Sails & Sailed up to where the Indians was assembled about 200 of them on the Bank of the River S. S. had put up one or 2 lodges which was white. we ankered out opposite to them about 100 yards. Spoke to them to know what they wanted. they Sayed they wanted us to come on Shore and eat with them & Smoak, for they were our friends &.C. our Capts. told them our reason was that we had been ill treated by the band below, and that we would not Stop but we were friends to them & would Send them Some tobacco for a token that he had taken them by the hand. And then we Should go on to the Rick Rees where we Should halt again. we then Sent them Some tobacco &.C. hoisted Sail proceeded on passed a Creek on S. S. [3] passd. a bottom covered with Timber on N. S. passd an Island & large Sand bars on S. Side. the old Teton chief remained with us in order to go to the R. Rees nation.— We passed a large quantity of Grapes in the Bottom of Small Timber on N. Side.— proceeded on till about 4 oClock put to Shore in order to take Some fire wood on board. when we put off the Stern of our Barge got fast. She Swang round in the Stream the wind being So hard from E. that caused the waves to run high the Boat got in the trough & She rocked verry much before we could git hir Strait we hoisted Sail and came Strait. Sailed verry fast. the Indian chief we had on board was verry fraid. he Said he thought our Boat was a medicine & he would go no further with us. we then put him to Shore our Captains Gave him a Blanket, Some tobacco a knife and Some other Small articles. he then Set of to return to his Band. We Sailed on verry fast. came 24 miles this day. Camped on a Sand bar on N. S.
Sunday 30th. We set out early in a cloudy morning; passed black buffs on the south side, and handsome bottom prairie on the north; saw an Indian on the shore, and the chief we had on board spoke to him. He said he wished to come on board and go with us to the Rees; but we did not take him. The wind was fair and we made 9 miles by 10 o'clock. We saw a great number of Indians coming down to the river on the south side. We stopt for breakfast about 200 yards from the shore; then proceeded about a mile; near to the place where the Indians were encamped on the south side; we halted and spoke to them [4] and then went on under a fine breeze of wind.
A short time before night, the waves ran very high and the boat rocked a great deal, which so alarmed our old chief, that he would not go any further. We encamped on the north side.
Sunday 30th Sept. 1804. Set off eairly. a cloudy morning. we proceeded on Saw a Great nomber of Indians on the S. S. comming down the river. we halted a fiew minutes and Gave them Some tobacco & Spoke a fiew words to them, and went on under a fine breeze of wind towards night the waves ran & our boat rocked So that it Skared our old Indian which was on board He was afraid to go any further with us, and went out on Shore in order to return to his nation. we Camped on the N. S. of the river.—
Sunday Septemr 30 We set off early this morning, having cloudy weather, We proceeded on, & saw a great number of Indians, on the South side of the River; Running down to the River, The Officers stopped the boat a few minutes, and gave them some Tobacco, The Interpreter [5] spoke a few Words to them; they belonging to the Souix nation; which is by farr the most numerous Tribe of Indians, that Inhabit along the Mesouri, We proceeded on with a favourable breeze of Wind, towards evening, the Waves ran very high, and our boat Rocked exceedingly—
The Indian who was on board the boat, was so much frightened at the boat rocking,— that he requested to be put on shore; being afraid to venture any further with us.—
We landed this Indian on the shore, after the Officers had made him some presents, and he took a friendly leave of us and returned towards his nation— We proceeded on 'till Evening, and encamped on a Bank lying on the North side of the River.—
Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
in partnership with the University of Nebraska Press
and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.