Fort Mandan (winter) — Patrick Gass: January 4, 1805
With winter ending at the Mandan villages, the expedition began loading the boat to resume their voyage. On January 5th, a hard, cold northwest wind blew as they unloaded, sorted, and repacked their goods, stores, and baggage. Gass takes the occasion to comment on the Missouri tribes, noting that chastity is little valued, venereal disease is common, and women are treated as articles of trade at low prices. On January 6th, clear and pleasant weather brought word that some Arikaras had arrived at the Mandan villages, prompting the interpreter and several men to investigate while the party waited.
% full of skins, buffaloe Pyare ae and horns he the
eC haul
we began to. load the boat.
‘Friday 5th. This was a Pane ee and the sat
a them aboard our craft, that we mighs be ready to
| _ continue our voyage…
If this brief Journal should Gappen’ to be preser-
pr ; Pome, readers will perhaps expect, that,. after
Gtr Jong friendly intercourse with these Indians, a-
a . Mong whom we have spent the winter; our ac-
‘and the information we received relative t to several
‘count of the fair sex of the Missouri ; aod entertain
them with narratives of feats of love as well as of
arms. pices’ we could furnish ¢ a le a Humber
we were ‘iseeds in preparing our craft, for a re- ce
rt i «
i “” 4 a a
“4 BS ee te eee
Se ee See ge a fe C
PRES .
| “blew hard and cold from the N. W. We tock all
our goods, stores and baggage out, divided and put —
fd be. ever thought wortby of appearing in |
“‘quaintance with those nations lower down the river
ether nations, we ought to be prefers Dhaene: oO
we are about to renew our voyage, to give some ac-.
One
ee
Ties oa RES Soar aaah ee
SNe
Dh “oath of as gent ine meats a size as me Se
cumstances “will make practicable. ” It may be obser-
generally that chastity i is not very highly esteem- :
os these people, and that the severe and loath- —
some ¢ effects. of certain French principles are not un-—
common among them. ‘The fact is, that the women
are generaily considered an article of traffic and in-
– dulgencies are sold at a very” ‘moderate price. As” a
proof of this I will just mention, that for an old to
“Daceo as one of our men was inlet of the 10
von the printed as well as sin the hepa cities ¢ of 3
: ished nations. –
ERE Oey ler
fe Os SUN AE
Sea Pia Mi =
o CHAP. VIF,
theurey. 6th. Phe Hage was clear. ‘and siheacat :
“This morning we heard that some of the Rickarecs
~ had come up to the Mandan villages. Our interpre=
ter and some of the men were sent over to ascertain
the truth of the report; and we were detained all
_ day waiting theirreturn. — _
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
...full of skins, buffalo robes and horns... we began to load the boat.
Friday 5th. This was a clear day, but the wind blew hard and cold from the N. W. We took all our goods, stores and baggage out, divided them, and put 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, readers will perhaps expect that, after our long friendly intercourse 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, before we are about to renew our voyage, 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 considerable number, we were so busy in preparing our craft for a renewal of our voyage, that we shall only relate a few of as genuine an authentic kind 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 considered an article of traffic, and indulgences 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 indulged...as is too often the case in the printed as well as in the populous cities of polished nations.
CHAP. VII.
Saturday 6th. The day was clear and pleasant. This morning we heard that some of the Rickarees had come up to the Mandan villages. Our interpreter and some of the men were sent over to ascertain the truth of the report; and we were detained all day waiting their return.
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