Fort Mandan (winter) — Joseph Whitehouse: January 22, 1805

at day light it began to Snow & blow So that we did not Set
off this morning. Some men went out to hunt. Killed Some
buffaloe & Some Deer, one of the party kill^ two beaver last
night, the men who was out a hunting found Several peaces
of red cloath at an Indian camp, where we expect they left last
winter for a Sacrifice to their maker as that is their form of wor-
ship, as they have Some knowledge of the Supreme being, and
anything above their comprihention they call big medicine,
about 3 oC the wind abated & quit Snowing, we Set off. pro-
i8o5] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL
ceeded on. the [wind] had shifted and blew from the west,
the Snow lay on the Edge of the Sand beaches where the wind
blew it against the bank about 12 Inches Deep but their was
not more than about one Inch on a level. Cap* Clark & one
of the party Shot 3 beaver on the South Shore, the air verry
cold, we Camped on the N. S. at a handsom bottom partly
covered with timber, came 5 miles to day.