Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Joseph Whitehouse: December 25, 1804
Christmas Day at the expedition's winter quarters was marked with celebration. The party greeted the morning by firing the swivel gun and a round of small arms, followed by another swivel discharge. Captain Clark distributed glasses of brandy to each man, and the American flag was raised. The men cleared a room and spent the day dancing, with additional rounds of brandy, a signal gun for dinner, and another to resume dancing until eight at night. No women joined except the interpreters' three wives, who only watched. At the officers' request, the local natives remained in their villages.
we ushred [in] the morning with a discharge of the Swivvel,
and one round of Small arms of all the party, then another
from the Swivel, then Cap! Clark presented a glass of brandy
to each man of the party, we hoisted the american flag, and
each man had another Glass of brandy, the men prepared
one of the rooms and commenced dancing, at lo oC we had
another Glass of brandy, at one a gun was fired as a Signal for
diner, half past two another gun was fired to assemble at the
dance, and So we kept it up in a jovel manner untill eight oC.
at night, all without the comp^ of the female Seek, except
three Squaws the Intreptirs wives and they took no part with
us only to look on. agreeable to the officers request the
natives all Stayed at their villages all day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We ushered in the morning with a discharge of the swivel gun, and one round of small arms by all the party, then another from the swivel, then Capt. Clark (Capt. Clark) presented a glass of brandy to each man of the party. We hoisted the American flag, and each man had another glass of brandy. The men prepared one of the rooms and commenced dancing. At 10 o'clock we had another glass of brandy. At one, a gun was fired as a signal for dinner. Half past two, another gun was fired to assemble at the dance, and so we kept it up in a jovial manner until eight o'clock at night, all without the company of the female sex, except three squaws, the interpreters' wives, and they took no part with us, only to look on.
Agreeable to the officers' request, the natives all stayed at their villages all day.
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