Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 27, 1804

myself and some of the men, went over to the Indian camp.
Their lodges are about eighty in number, and contain about
ten persons each ; the greater part women and children. The
women were employed in dressing buffaloe skins, for cloth-
ing for themselves and for covering their lodges. They are
the most friendly people I ever saw ; but will pilfer if they
have an opportunity. They are also very dirty : the water
they make use of, is carried in the paunches of the animals
they kill, just as they are emptied, without being cleaned.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 39
They gave us dishes of victuals of various kinds; I had never
seen anything like some of these dishes, nor could I tell of
what ingredients, or how they were made.
About 15 days ago they had had a battle with the Mahas,
of whom they killed 75 men and took 25 women prisoners,
whom they have now with them. They promised to capt.
Lewis that they would send the prisoners back and make
peace.
About 3 o’clock we went aboard the boat accompanied
with the old chief and his little son. In the evening captain
Clarke and some of the men went over, and the Indians made
preparations for a dance. At dark it commenced. Captain
Lewis, myself and some of our party went up to see them
perform. Their band of music, or orchestra, was composed
of about twelve persons beating on a buffaloe hide, and shak-
ing small bags that made a rattling noise : They had a large
fire in the centre of their camp ; on one side the women, about
80 in number, formed in a solid column round the fire, with
sticks in their hands, and the scalps of the Mahas they had
killed, tied on them. They kept moving, or jumping round
the fire, rising and falling on both feet at once ; keeping a
continual noise, singing and yelling. In this manner they
continued till 1 o’clock at night, when we returned to the boat
with two of the chiefs. On coming aboard, the periogue run
across the bow of the boat and broke the cable. All hands
were roused to row the boat ashore ; the chiefs called aloud,
and a number of the warriors came to our assistance, but we
did not need it : the circumstance, however, showed their
4o GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
disposition to be of service. This unfortunate accident lost
to us our anchor.