Fort Mandan, preparing for departure — Patrick Gass: April 3, 1805
On a cold day with northwest winds, the expedition unloaded all their goods, stores, and baggage, then divided and reloaded them aboard their craft in preparation to resume the voyage upriver. Gass uses the entry to reflect on the journal itself, explaining that he will not fill it with romantic anecdotes about Native women, both to keep it compact for the uncertain journey ahead and to focus on useful information. He remarks that chastity is little valued among these tribes, that venereal disease is present, and notes women are often traded for goods.
and cold from the N. W. We took all our goods, stores and
baggage out, divided and put them aboard our craft, that we
might be ready to continue our voyage.
If this brief Journal should happen to be preserved, and
be ever thought worthy of appearing in print : some readers
will perhaps expect, that, after our long friendly intercourse
with these Indians, among whom we have spent the winter;
our acquaintace with those nations lower down the river and
the information we received relative to several other nations,
we ought to be prepared now, when we are about to renew
our voyage, to give some account of the fair sex of the Mis-
souri : and entertain them with narratives of feats of love as
72 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
well as of arms. Though we could furnish a sufficient num-
ber of entertaining stories and pleasant anecdotes, we do not
think it prudent to swell our Journal with them ; as our views
are directed to more useful information. Besides, as we are
yet ignorant of the dangers, which may await us, and the diffi-
culty of escape, should certain probable incidents occur, it
may not be inconsistent with good policy to keep the Journal
of as small and portable a size as circumstances will make
practicable. It may be observed generally that chastity is not
very highly esteemed by these people, and that the severe and
loathsome effects of certain French principles are not uncommon
among them. The fact is, that the women are generally con-
sidered an article of traffic and indulgencies are sold at a very
moderate price. As a proof of this I will just mention, that
for an old tobacco box, one of our men was granted the hon-
our of passing a night with the daughter of the head-chief of
the Mandan nation. An old bawd with her punks, may also
be found in some of the villages on the Missouri, as well as
in the large cities of polished nations.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 73
CHAP. VII.
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The wind was cold from the northwest. We took all our goods, stores, and baggage out, divided them, and loaded them aboard our craft so that we might be ready to continue our voyage.
If this brief Journal should happen to be preserved and ever be thought worthy of appearing in print, some readers will perhaps expect that, after our long friendly relations with these Indians, among whom we have spent the winter, our acquaintance with those nations lower down the river, and the information we received relative to several other nations, we ought now, when we are about to renew our voyage, to be prepared to give some account of the fair sex of the Missouri, and entertain them with narratives of feats of love as well as of arms. Though we could furnish a sufficient number of entertaining stories and pleasant anecdotes, we do not think it prudent to fill our Journal with them, as our aim is to provide more useful information. Besides, as we are yet ignorant of the dangers that may await us, and the difficulty of escape should certain likely incidents occur, it may not be inconsistent with good policy to keep the Journal as small and portable in size as circumstances will allow.
It may be observed generally that chastity is not very highly esteemed by these people, and that the severe and loathsome effects of certain French principles are not uncommon among them. The fact is that the women are generally considered an article of trade, and favors are sold at a very moderate price. As proof of this, I will just mention that for an old tobacco box, one of our men was granted the honor of passing a night with the daughter of the head chief of the Mandan nation. An old bawd with her prostitutes may also be found in some of the villages on the Missouri, as well as in the large cities of polished nations.
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