Building Fort Mandan — Patrick Gass: October 27, 1804
The expedition set out early and reached the first Mandan village by 7:30 a.m., stopping for about two hours. The village had 40-50 lodges built like those of the Arikara, and the party noted that the Mandans had lighter complexions than other Indians, with some fair-haired children. They passed a southern bluff containing a coal-like black stratum, then continued past a second Mandan village and camped about a mile beyond it to hold a council. The site lay 1,610 miles from their starting point. The Mandans scaffold their dead in buffalo robes rather than burying them.
we set out early. At half past seven we arrived at the first
village of the Mandans and halted about two hours. This
village contains 40 or 50 lodges built in the manner of those
of the Rickarees. These Indians have better complexions
than most other Indians, and some of the children have fair
hair. We passed a bluff on the south side with a stratum of
black resembling coal. There is a bottom on the north side,
where the second Mandan village is situated. We went about
a mile above it, and encamped in the same bottom, for the
purpose of holding a council with the natives. This place is
1610 miles from the mouth of the river du Bois, where we first
embarked to proceed on the expedition. There are about the
same number of lodges, and people, in this village as in the first.
These people do not bury their dead, but place the body on
a scaffold, wrapped in a buffaloe robe, where it lies exposed.*
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We set out early. At half past seven we arrived at the first village of the Mandans and halted about two hours. This village contains 40 or 50 lodges built in the manner of those of the Rickarees (Arikaras). These Indians have better complexions than most other Indians, and some of the children have fair hair. We passed a bluff on the south side with a stratum of black resembling coal. There is a bottom on the north side, where the second Mandan village is situated. We went about a mile above it, and camped in the same bottom, for the purpose of holding a council with the natives. This place is 1610 miles from the mouth of the River du Bois, where we first embarked to proceed on the expedition. There are about the same number of lodges, and people, in this village as in the first. These people do not bury their dead, but place the body on a scaffold, wrapped in a buffalo robe, where it lies exposed.*
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