Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — Joseph Whitehouse: September 8, 1804
After unsuccessfully dragging the river to recover a lost anchor, the party prepared to depart around 9 a.m. with several chiefs aboard. As they tried to shove off, about 60 warriors on the bank seized the cable, some armed with guns and bows. Captain Lewis nearly cut the rope with his sword and ordered the men to fire, but the chiefs intervened and negotiated release for a carrot of tobacco. The expedition continued under a good breeze, took aboard an Indian messenger reporting 300 more warriors at the village, declined to stop, and anchored near a sandbar at sunset.
we draged the river in hopes to find our anker but it was in
vain, about 9 oClock we went to Set off Some of the chiefs
was then on board and concluded to go a little ways with us.
when we were about to Shove off a nomber of warrie [r] s on
Shore caught hold of our cable and another whiped of[f] the
children the women went off also only about 60 warries on
the edge of the bank and we jest under the bank Some of
them had fire arms and the rest had Good bows and arrows
ready for war. the consequence had like to have been bad as
Cap* Lewis was near cutting the cable with his Sword and giv-
ing orders for the party to fire on them, then the chiefs went
out and Spoke to them, they Said if we would Give them a
carrit of tobacco they would loose the rope, we gave them
tobacco, the chief after Some hesitation loosed the rope him-
self, we then Set of under a fine breese of wind, passed high
land on N. S. & bottom on S. S. Saw an Indian comming up
the Shore, we hoisted a white flag, and a red flag for peace or
war, and was| determined to fight our way, if we could not Go
without. Cap! Lewis Got into a perogue and went on Shore to
See what the Indian wished [and] brought him on board, he
Informed us that 300 more of Savages had arived at the village
they wished us to Stop and talk with them, but we did not
Stop, he remained on board, about Sunset we ankered out
near a Small Sand bar in the middle of the river for to Stay all
night.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We dragged the river hoping to find our anchor, but it was in vain. About 9 o'clock we went to set off. Some of the chiefs were then on board and concluded to go a little ways with us. When we were about to shove off, a number of warriors on shore caught hold of our cable, and another whipped off the children; the women went off also. Only about 60 warriors were on the edge of the bank, and we were just under the bank. Some of them had firearms, and the rest had good bows and arrows ready for war.
The consequence had like to have been bad, as Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) was near cutting the cable with his sword and giving orders for the party to fire on them. Then the chiefs went out and spoke to them. They said if we would give them a carrot of tobacco, they would loose the rope. We gave them tobacco, and the chief, after some hesitation, loosed the rope himself.
We then set off under a fine breeze of wind, passed high land on the north side and bottom on the south side. We saw an Indian coming up the shore. We hoisted a white flag and a red flag for peace or war, and were determined to fight our way if we could not go without. Capt Lewis got into a pirogue and went on shore to see what the Indian wished, and brought him on board. He informed us that 300 more of the natives had arrived at the village, and they wished us to stop and talk with them, but we did not stop. He remained on board. About sunset we anchored out near a small sandbar in the middle of the river to stay all night.
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