Missouri River near Big Bend — Patrick Gass: September 24, 1804

passed a small creek on the south side. About 3 o’clock, the
man who had gone by land with the horse, came to us, and
informed us that he had gone that morning on an island to
kill elk, and that while he was there the Indians had stolen the
horse. He had killed three elk, and the periogues remained
behind to bring on the meat. We saw five Indians on the bank,
but we could not understand each other. We cast anchor to
wait for the periogues, one of which having came up, we went
*Mr. Mackenzie speaking of the Knisteneaux, a numerous nation of Indians
spread over a vast extent of country, extending south westerly from the coast of Lab-
rador, north of the St. Laurence and its lakes, and the lake Winnipic, east of E!k
river, south of the Lake of the Hills, and west, south and east of James’s Bay, and
the southern part of Hudson’s Bay, says, ‘‘ In the winter when the waters are frozen,
they make their journeys, which are never of any great length, with sledges drawn by
dogs.”’ General History of the Fur Trade.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 37
on to the mouth of the Tinton or Teeton river, where we
anchored about 100 yards from the shore on the south side.
The guard and cooks only landed, the rest slept in the boat.
The five Indians remained with us all night. We had a French-
man on board a periogue who understood and could speak a
little of the Sioux language. The Indians gave us to under-
stand the chiefs would come to-morrow, and that if their young
men had taken the horse, they would have him given up.
These Indians are a band of the Sioux, called the Tinton or
Teeton Band.