October 30, 1804
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

October 30, 1804

 

30th of October Tuesday 1804    many Indian Chief visit us to day    I went in th Perogou to the Island 7 miles above [1] to look out a proper place for to winter, it being near the tim the ice begins to run at this place, and the Countrey after a few leagues high is Said to be barron of timber, I found no place Soutable, & we concluded to drop down to th next point below & build a fort to winter in    the Party Danced which Delited the 〈Savages〉 Indians.

 

Two Chiefs came to have Some talk    one the princapal of the lower Village the other the one who thought himself the principal mane, & requested to hear Some of the Speech that was Delivered yesterday    they were gratified, and we put the medal on the neck of the Big White to whome we had Sent Clothes yesterday & a flag, those men did not return from hunting in time to 〈here〉 join the Counell, they were well pleased (2d of those is a Chien) [2]    I took 8 men in a Small perogue and went up the river as far as the 1st Island about 7 miles to See if a Situation Could be got on it for our Winter quarters, found the wood on the Isd. as also on the pt. above So Distant from the water that, I did not think that we Could get a good wintering ground there, and as all the white men here informed us that wood was Sceres, as well as game [NB: game] above, we Deturmined to drop down a fiew miles near wood and game

Course to the Island
N. 12° W. 3 me. to a Bluff 30 feet high above the point of wood S. S.
N. 20° W 2 mes. to a tree under the bank about 20 feet high—    S. S.
butifull plain
N. 30° W. 1 ½ mes. to a pt. of the Same Bluff 30 feet high under which
There was Coal S. S.
N. 45° W. 1 ½ me. to the Lower point of an Island Current on the L. S.
this Isd. abt. 1 mile long.
  7  

on my return found maney Inds. at our Camp, gave the party a dram, they Danced as is verry Comn. in the evening which pleased the Savages much.    Wind S. E

 

Ka gar no mogh ge the 2d Chief of the 2d Village of Mandins Came the 30t of Octr. and Spoke to us as follows.    Viz

Will you be So good as to go to the Village    the Grand Chief will Speek & give Some Corn, if you will let Some men take bags it will be well. I am going with, the Chief of the ricares to Smoke a pipe with that nation—    I concluded to go down

Mockerson Indians [4]

The principal Chief of the Wau te Soon Came and Spoke a fiew words on Various Subjects not much to the purpose.    we Smoked and after my Shooting the air gun he departed, Those nations know nothing of reagular Councils, and know not how to proceed in them, they are restless &c—

 

Wound up the Chronometer, and observed equal Altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant.

A. M 8   4 44       P. M. lost in consequence
  "   7 31     of the sun's being
  " 10 31     obscured by clouds.

Altitude given by Sextant at the time of Obstn.    44° 53' 15"

 

Tuesday 30th Oct.    a clear and pleasant morning.    we delayed in order to Give the Savvages time to consider & Give an answer to the counsel &.C.    at 10 o.C. A. M. Capt. Clark and 8 of the party went in a pearogue Six miles up the River to look on an Isl. for a place for our winter quarters.    one or 2 of the natives went with them    at 5 oC. P. M. they returned and enformed us that it the place was not Suitable for us to winter &.C.    the natives were a nomber of the men & women about our camp with Some corn & Bread made of the corn meal parched & mixed with fat &.C. which eats verry well, they expect us to give them Some Small article in return for their produce, Such as corn Beans Squasshes &C of which they raise pleanty off for themselves & to trade with other nations &.C.—

 

Tuesday 30th.    We remained here to know the answer of the Indians. The day was clear and pleasant. At 10, Captain Lewis [6] with a party of our people, and an Indian or two, went about 6 miles up the river to view an island, in order to ascertain whether or not it would suit for winter quarters. At 5 P. M. they returned and were of opinion, that it was not an eligible place.

 

Tuesday October 30th    This day we had clear & pleasant weather, the Officers were waiting for an answer to some requests, that they had made to the Indians Yesterday.—    Captain Clark, and several of our Men went in a Pettyauger up the River about 6 Miles to an Island in Order to look out a place for our Quarters during the winter, At 5 o'Clock P. M. he returned and found that the Island would not answer for that purpose, we still remain'd at our Encampment on the Sand beach.—

1. Probably the island which is prominent above the last Hidatsa village on Atlas map 29, surrounded by a sandbar. It appears later to have joined the McLean County, North Dakota, shore. Warren map 89; MRC map 52. (back)
2. Big Man, the adopted Cheyenne. (back)
3. This transcript is on a loose sheet in the Voorhis Collection, Missouri Historical Society. See Indian Speeches, Miscellaneous Documents of Lewis and Clark, Appendix C. Included on this sheet is the following (see also October 1, 1804):
Ricare Name for Dift. Nations
Shar ha or Dog Indians   in the open Prarie West
Ki a wah } all those nations live the West &
South West of the Rickaries Nation
Kun na war wih
Wa na tar wer
War too che work koo
An nah hose
Te pah cus
Car tar kah
(back)
4. This transcript immediately follows the previous speech on the same sheet, suggesting that it was made on the same day. (back)
5. Lewis's observation from Codex O, made at the same place as that of October 29. (back)
6. Actually Clark—not Lewis—went on this excursion. (back)