Teton Sioux confrontation near Pierre, SD — Patrick Gass: September 28, 1804

where the boat lay, but could not find the anchor. At g o’clock
we made preparations to sail; some of the chiefs were on
board, and concluded to go some distance with us. When
we went to shove off, some of the Indians took hold of the
rope and would not Jet it go. This conduct had like to be
attended with bad consequences, as Captain, Lewis was near
giving orders to cut the rope and to fireonthem. The chiefs,
however, went out and talked with them: they said they wanted
a carrot of tobacco, and that if we gave that we might go.
The tobacco was given them, and we went off under a gentle
breeze of wind. We passed high land on the north side and
bottom on the south. We proceeded 4 miles and then saw an
Indian following us along the beach, when captain Lewis went
in a periogue and brought him on board. He informed us
that 300 more Indians had come to their camp, and desired
we should stop and talk with them. We did not then stop,
but proceeded on, and he remained on board. We passed a
fine bottom covered with timber on the north side, and bare
hills on the south. We made two large stones serve the pur-
pose of an anchor, and at sunset anchored for the night, near
a small sand bar in the middle of the river.
While I was at the Indian camp yesterday, they yoked a
dog to a kind of car, which they have to haul their baggage
from one camp to another; the nation having no settled place
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 41
or village, but are always moving about.* The dogs are not
large, much resemble a wolf, and will haul about 70 pounds
each.
*It appears that these people, (in some respects resembling the wandering Arabs)
are an unsettled, ferocious, blood-thirsty race, and have been great destroyers of the
Algonquin nation, who inhabit the country about lake Superior. Mr. Mackenzie
states the following circumstance: ‘‘ Within three miles of the last portage’? (a place
near lake Superior) ‘‘ is a remarkable rock, with a smooth face, but split and cracked
in different parts, which hang over the water. Into one of its horizontal chasms a
great number of arrows has been shot, which is said to have been done by a war party
of the Nadowasis or Sieux, who had done much mischief in this country, and left these
weapons as a warning to the Chebois or natives, that, notwithstanding its lakes, rivers
and rocks, it was not inaccessible to their enemies.’’
General History of the Fur Trade.
42 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
CHAP. IV.
ATURDAY, 29th. We set sail early and had fair weather ;
S passed a handsome bottom covered with timber on the
north side, and bluffs on the south. We saw several Indians
on the south side walking up the shore; spoke to them and
found they were some of those we left yesterday. There were
one or two of the chiefs with them. They requested us to
give them a carrot of tobacco for the chiefs of the other band
to smoke. We sent them two carrots to a sand bar, where
they could get it; but told them we should not go on shore
again, until we came to the nation of the Aricaris, commonly
called Rickarees, Rickrees or Rees. The Missouri is very
shallow at this time and full of sand bars. We passed an old
village on the south side, where the Rickarees lived five years
ago, and raised corn in the bottom, around the village. We
encamped on a sand beach on the south side of the river.