Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 15, 1804
A Frenchman returned with news that the pirogue was about eighteen miles downriver, loaded with meat, and that its bow had been damaged by ice. He was sent back to the boat with a kettle to help protect the exposed parts and a tow rope. The day's notes also reference a visit involving Sheheke (Big White), principal chief of the lower Mandan village, who provided about 100 pounds of meat carried by his wife, and received small presents in return.
frenchman who went after them, he Informed us that the pearogue
was ab* 18 m1 below loaded with meat, the frenchman Sent back
to the pearogue with a kittle to put on2 the Bow of the pearogue
was cut with the Ice &.C.
1 Big White, or Sheheke, principal chief of the lower Mandan village. Clark’s
description of the visit carries a characteristic flavor of savage manners: “he
packd about 100lb of fine meet on his squar for us.” In addition to this load
the “squar” carried, seemingly, her child, for Clark further notes that some
small presents were made to it.
Sheheke and his squaw descended the Missouri with Lewis and Clark, upon
their return journey in 1806, to visit the President at Washington. In 1807 Ser-
geant Pryor was intrusted with the duty of escorting the chieftain to his Dakota
home. But the detachment of soldiers was attacked by the Arikara and com-
pelled to beat a retreat; not until 1809 was Sheheke returned to his village.
After all this trouble and exile a sad fate awaited him. The “extravagant tales”
which he told of the things he had seen on his excursion into civilization caused
his fellows to set him down as a trifler and braggart; “for,” writes Brackenridge,
“the Mandans treat with ridicule the idea of there being a greater or more
numerous people than themselves.” Early Western Travels, VI, 137.
2 “we sent by the man Tin, to put on the parts of the Perogue exposed to
the ice & a toe roape.” Clark.
166 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Nov. 16
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Frenchman who went after them. He informed us that the pirogue was about 18 miles below, loaded with meat. The Frenchman was sent back to the pirogue with a kettle to put on. The bow of the pirogue was cut by the ice, etc.
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