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.
a fine Day Some wind last night which mixed the Snow and Sand in the bend of the river, which has the appearance of hillocks of Sand on the ice, which is also Covered with Sand & Snow, the frost which falls in the night continues on the earth & old Snow &c. &c.— a Number of indians here every Day our blckSmitth mending their axes hoes &c. &c. for which the Squars bring Corn for payment
Monday 31st Decr. a clear & cold morning. three men went up to the 2nd village of mandans in order to look in that bottom for timber to make pearogues.—
Monday 31st Decr. 1804 [1] nothing particular occured Since christmas but we live in peace and tranquillity in our fort, visited dayly by the natives with Supplys of corn &c.
Monday decemr 31st We had no event of any consequence happened from the 25th Instant to this day, The natives came into our Fort daily, & brought, Corn, Beans & dried Squashes, in with them these they exchanged with our party, for some trifles. the weather continued pleasant & the Air Serene.—
The Fort which we built here & which we named Fort Mandan, [2] is situated on the North East side of the Mesouri River. It 〈is〉 was built in a triangular form, with its base fronting the same, had a platform on the No. Side 12 feet high with Pickets on it, six feet, and a Room of 12 feet square, the under part serving as a Storehouse for provisions &ca. the three sides were 60 feet in length each, & picketted on the front side only, with pickets of 18 feet long & the houses which we resided in lay on the So West side & the Smith & Armourer Workshop was at the South point of the Fort.
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.