Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 22, 1804

saw some timber on the south side and high plains on the
north. About 3 o’clock we passed cedar island, one of the
Three Sisters, where Mr. Lucelle had built a fort of cedar.
The space picketed in is about 65 or 70 feet square, with sen-
try boxes in two of the angles. The pickets are 13 1-2 feet
above ground. In this square he built a house 45 1-2 by 32 1-2
feet, and divided it into four equal parts, one for goods,
one to trade in, one to be used as a common hall, and the
other for a family house. Here the two men came to us with
the horse. They had killed a white wolf and some deer. We
proceeded on, passed a creek, and islands of the Three Sis-
ters; and an old Indian camp, where we found some of their
dog poles, which answer for setting poles. The reason they
36 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
are called dog poles, is because the Indians fasten their dogs
to them, and make them draw them from one camp to another
loaded with skins and other articles.* We encamped on the
north side.