Clark: August 21, 1806

Thursday, 21st August 1806. Mosquitoes were very troublesome in the early part of last night and again this morning. I directed Sergt. Ordway to proceed on to where there was some ash and get enough for two oars which were wanting. The men all put their arms in perfect order and we set out at 5 a.m. Overtook Sergt. Ordway with wood for oars, etc. at 8 a.m. Met three Frenchmen coming up; they proved to be three men from the Ricaras (Arikaras), two of them, Reevea and Greinyea, wintered with us at the Mandans in 1804. We came to. Those men informed us that they were on their way to the Mandans, and intended to go down to the Illinois this fall. One of them, a young lad, requested a passage down to the Illinois. We consented and he got into a canoe to take an oar. Those men informed us that 700 Sioux had passed the Ricaras on their way to war with the Mandans and Minitarees, and that their encampment, where the squaws and children were, was some place near the Big Bend of this river below. No Ricaras had accompanied them but were all at home. They also informed us that no trader had arrived at the Ricaras this season, and that they were informed that the Pania (Pawnee) or Ricara chief who went to the United States last spring was a year, died on his return at some place near the Sioux River, etc. Those men had neither powder nor lead. We gave them a horn of powder and some balls, and after a delay of an hour we parted from the two men, Reevey and Grienway, and proceeded on.

The wind rose and blew from the N.W. At half past 11 a.m. we arrived in view of the upper Ricara villages. A great number of women were collecting wood on the banks. We saluted the village with four guns and they returned the salute by firing several guns in the village. I observed several very white lodges on the hill above the town, which the Ricaras from the shore informed me were Cheyennes who had just arrived. We landed opposite to the second village and were met by most of the men, women, and children of each village, as also the Cheyennes. They all appeared anxious to take us by the hand and much rejoiced to see us return. I stepped on shore and was saluted by the two great chiefs whom we had made or given medals to as we ascended this river in 1804, and also saluted by a great number both of Ricaras and Cheyennes, as they appeared anxious to hear what we had done, etc., as well as to hear something about the Mandans and Minitarees.

I sat myself down on the side of the bank and the chiefs and brave men of the Ricaras and Cheyennes formed a circle around me. After taking a smoke of Mandan tobacco which the Big White chief, who was seated on my left hand, furnished, I informed them, as I had before informed the Mandans and Minitarees, where we had been, what we had done and said to the different nations in their favor, and invited some of their chiefs to accompany us down and see their great father and receive from his own mouth his good counsels and from his own hands his bountiful gifts, etc., telling pretty much the same which I had told the Mandans and Minitarees. I told them not to be afraid of any nation below, that none would hurt them, etc.

A man of about 32 years of age was introduced to me as 1st chief of the nation. This man they call the Grey Eyes, or ____. He was absent from the nation at the time we passed up. The man whom we had acknowledged as the principal chief informed me that the Grey Eyes was a greater chief than himself and that he had given up all his pretentions with the flag and medal to the Grey Eyes. The principal chief of the Cheyennes was then introduced; he is a stout, jolly fellow of about 35 years of age whom the Ricaras call the Grey Eyes.

I also told the Ricaras that I was very sorry to hear that they were not on friendly terms with their neighbors the Mandans and Minitarees, and had not listened to what we had said to them, but had suffered their young men to join the Sioux who had killed 8 Mandans, etc., that their young men had stolen the horses of the Minitarees, and in retaliation for those injuries the Mandans and Minitarees had sent out a war party and killed 2 Ricaras. How could they expect other nations would be at peace with them when they themselves would not listen to what their great father had told them? I further informed them that the Mandans and Minitarees had opened their ears to what we had said to them, but had stayed at home until they were struck; that they were still disposed to be friendly and on good terms with the Ricaras. They then saw the great chief of the Mandans by my side, who was on his way to see his great father, and was directed by his nation and the Minitarees and Maharhas to smoke in the pipe of peace with you and to tell you not to be afraid to go to their towns, or take the birds in the plains, that their ears were open to our counsels and no harm should be done to a Ricara. The chief will speak presently.

The Grey Eyes, chief of the Ricaras, made a very animated speech in which he mentioned his willingness to follow the counsels which we had given them; that they had some bad young men who would not listen to the counsels but would join the Sioux. Those men they had discarded and driven out of their villages. That the Sioux were the cause of their misunderstanding, etc., that they were a bad people; that they had killed several of the Ricaras since I saw them. That several of the chiefs wished to accompany us down to see their great father, but wished to see the chief who went down last summer return first. He expressed some apprehension as to the safety of that chief in passing the Sioux. That the Ricaras had every wish to be friendly with the Mandans, etc., that every Mandan, etc., who chose to visit the Ricaras should be safe; that he should continue with his nation and see that they followed the counsel which we had given them, etc.

The sun being very hot, the Cheyenne chief invited us to his lodge, which was pitched in the plain at no great distance from the river. I accepted the invitation and accompanied him to his lodge, which was new and much larger than any which I have seen. It was made of 20 dressed buffalo skins in the same form as the Sioux and lodges of other nations of this quarter. About this lodge were 20 others, several of them of nearly the same size. I inquired for the balance of the nation and was informed that they were near at hand and would arrive tomorrow, and when all together amounted to 120 lodges. After smoking, I gave a medal of the small size to the Cheyenne chief, etc., which appeared to alarm him. He had a robe and a fleece of fat buffalo meat brought and gave to me with the medal back, and informed me that he knew that the white people were all medicine and that he was afraid of the medal or anything that white people gave to them. I had previously explained the cause of my giving him the medal and flag, and again told him the use of the medal and the cause of my giving it to him, and again put it about his neck, delivering him up his present of a robe and meat, informing him that this was the medicine which his great father directed me to deliver to all the great chiefs who listened to his word and followed his counsels; that he had done so and I should leave the medal with him as a token of his sincerity, etc. He doubled the quantity of meat, and received the medal.

The Big White, chief of the Mandans, spoke at some length explaining the cause of the misunderstanding between his nation and the Ricaras, informing them of his wish to be on the most friendly terms, etc. The Cheyennes accused both nations of being in fault. I told them all that if they ever wished to be happy, they must shake off all intimacy with the Sioux and unite themselves in a strong alliance and attend to what we had told them, etc., which they all promised to do, and we smoked and parted on the best terms. The Mandan chief was saluted by several chiefs and brave men on his way with me to the river.

I had requested the Ricaras and Cheyennes to inform me as soon as possible of their intentions of going down with us to see their great father or not. In the evening the great chief requested that I would walk to his house, which I did. He gave me about 2 quarts of tobacco, 2 beaver skins, and a trencher of boiled corn and beans to eat (as it is the custom of all the nations on the Missouri to give something to every white man who enters their lodge, something to eat). This chief informed me that none of his chiefs wished to go down with us; they all wished to see the chief who went down return first; that the Cheyennes were a wild people and were afraid to go; that they should all listen to what I had said. I gave him some ribbon to suspend his medal to, and a shell which the Snake Indians gave me, for which he was very much pleased.

The interpreter informed me that the chiefs of those villages had no intention of going down. One of the chiefs of the village on the island talked of going down. I returned to the boat, where I found the principal chief of the lower village, who had cut part of his hair and disfigured himself in such a manner that I did not know him. He informed me the Sioux had killed his nephew and that he was in tears for him, etc. We determined to proceed down to the island, and accordingly took the chief on board and proceeded on down to the island village, at which place we arrived a little before dark and were met as before by nearly every individual of the village. We saluted them and landed immediately opposite the town. The One Arm, 2nd chief of this village, whom we had expected to accompany us down, spoke to the Mandan chief in a loud and threatening tone, which caused me to be somewhat alarmed for the safety of that chief. I informed the Ricaras of this village that the Mandans had opened their ears to and followed our counsels, that this chief was on his way to see their great father the President of the United States, and was under our protection; that if any injury were done to him by any nation, we should all die to a man. I told the Ricaras that they had told us lies; they promised to be at peace with the Mandans and Minitarees, but that our back was scarcely turned before they went to war and killed them and stole their horses, etc.

The chief then invited me and the Mandan chief to his house to talk there. I accompanied him. After taking a very ceremonious smoke, the 2nd chief informed me that he had opened his ears to what we had said to him at the time we gave him the medal; that he had not been to war against any nation since; that once he had been to see the Mandans and they were going to kill him; that they had not killed the Mandans, it was the Sioux who killed them and not the Ricaras. He said that the Mandan chief was as safe as if he was in his own village; that he had opened his ears and could hear as well as the Mandans. I then informed them what I had told the upper villages, and we all became perfectly reconciled to each other and smoked in the most perfect harmony. We had invitations to go into their lodges and eat. I at length went to the grand chief's lodge by his particular invitation. The Mandan chief stuck close to me. The chief had prepared a supper of boiled young corn, beans, and squashes, of which he gave me in wooden bowls. He also gave me near 2 quarts of the tobacco seed, and informed me he had always had his ears open to what we had said; that he was well convinced that the Sioux were the cause of all the trouble between the Mandans and them. The Ricaras had stolen horses from the Mandans, which had been returned all except one which could not be got; this mischief was done by some young men who were bad. A long conversation of explanations took place between the Ricara and Mandan chiefs which appeared to be satisfactory on both sides. The chief gave a pipe with great form and everything appeared to be made up. I returned to the river and went to bed. The Indians continued on board. Made 22 miles today only.