Created by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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a Delightfull Day put out our Clothes to Sun— Visited by the big white & Big man they informed me that Several men of their nation was gorn to Consult their Medison Stone about 3 day march to the South West [1] to know What was to be the result of the insuing year— They have great confidence in this Stone and Say that it informs them of every thing which is to happen, & visit it every Spring & Sometimes in the Summer—"They haveing arrived at the Stone give it Smoke and proceed to the wood at Some distance to Sleep the next morning return to the Stone, and find marks white & raised on the Stone representing the piece or war which they are to meet with, and other changes, which they are to meet" ["]This Stone has a leavel Surface of about 20 feet in Surcumfrance, thick [NB: thick] and pores," and no doubt has Some mineral qualtites effected by the Sun.
The Big Bellies have a Stone to which they ascribe nearly the Same Virtues
Capt Lewis returned with 2 Slays loaded with meat, after finding that 〈they〉 he could not overtake the Souis war party, (who had in their way distroyd all the meat at one Deposit which I had made & Burnt the Lodges) deturmined to proceed on to the lower Deposit, which he found had not been observed by Soux he hunted two day Killed 36 Deer & 14 Elk, Several of them So meager, that they were unfit for use, the meet which he killed and that in the lower Deposit amounting to about 3000 wt was brought up on two Slays, one Drawn by 16 men had about 2400 wt on it
Thursday 21st Feby. 1805. clear and pleasant. two hunters Stayed to find and take care of the meat 2 Elk which was left in the woods, and to hunt Some. we Set off eairly and proceeded on verry fast. the Snow and Ice thoughed on the River considerable So that it was wet & Slopy halling the Sled. we pushed on and arived at the Fort before Sunset with all our meat and Skins &.C. the men generally fatigued halling a heavy load 21 miles on the hard Ice & Snow in places which made the Sleds run hard except where the Ice was Smoth under—
Thursday 21st. Some rain fell to day, the first that has fallen since November. In the evening the weather became clear and pleasant.
Thursday February 21st This day the weather still continued Clear & pleasant, In the afternoon Captain Lewis, and the party under his Command arrived at the Fort, They were very much fataigued. They brought with them, abundance of meat that they had killed on their return.—
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.