Fort Mandan, North Dakota — Patrick Gass: November 7, 1804

high prairie land on both sides ; but there is some cotton wood
on the low points in the bottom. On the south side we found
a scaffold of meat neatly dried. This had been left by one of
our men, who had gone out on the 26th of last month to hunt
the horses, and supposing we had got a distance ahead, pro-
ceeded up the river several days’ journey, before he discovered
his error. Captain Lewis and captain Clarke with some of
the men went to view a round knob of a hill in a prairie, and
on their return killed a prairie dog, in size about that of the
smallest species of domestic dogs.
Having understood that the village of those small dogs
was at a short distance from our camp, captain Lewis and
captain Clarke, with all the party, except the guard, went to
it ; and took with them all the kettles and other vessels for
holding water ; in order to drive the animals out of their holes
by pouring in water ; but though they worked at the business
till night, they only caught one of them.