April 6, 1805
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Aug 30, 1803 Sep 30, 1806

April 6, 1805

 

a fine day    visited by a number of mandans, we are informed of the arrival of the whole of the ricarra nation on the other Side of the river near their old village.    we Sent an interpreter to See with orders to return imediately and let us know if their Chiefs ment to go down to See their great father. [1]

 

Saturday 6th April 1805.    clear and pleasant.    we took all our Baggage on board the perogues in order to Set off. Some of the Mandans Indians informed us that the Rick a Ree nation was all comming up to their villages, as they Supposed to Stay and live with them.    our officers wished to wait and know their business, as the indians sayed that they were near this on the opposite Side of the River. So our Intrepeter [2] one of the party and two frenchmen was Sent across the River in order to go & See if the report was true.    the wind Gentle from the South.

 

Saturday 6th. The day was clear and pleasant. This morning we heard that some of the Rickarees had come up to the mandan villages. Our interpreter [3] and some of the men were sent over to ascertain the truth of the report; and we were detained all day waiting their return.

1. Probably they were near the sites of the old Arikara villages shown on Atlas map 29, in Oliver County, North Dakota, roughly opposite present Washburn. Gravelines was probably the interpreter sent across the river. MRC map 51. (back)
2. Probably Gravelines. (back)
3. Probably Gravelines. The captains wanted to know if any Arikara chiefs were ready to go to Washington. (back)