Mandan Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database

Hauling Canoe and Baggage to Upper Portage Camp

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:15:11 +0000

a fair pleasant morning. the wind as usal. the party all
raised up eairly. Cap! Lewis and Clark with all the party
except 3 Set out with a waggon & baggage to take the canoe
& loading which was halled on the hill yesterday up to the
upper end of the portage, where we Shall form a Camp. Capt
Lewis & 3 or 4 men carried all their baggage in order to Stay
up their, in order to git the Iron boat in readiness &c. the
buffalow around the lower Camp verry thick Some gangs
Swam the River Cap! Clarks Servant york killed one which
was verry fat. Cap! Clark informed us that he Saw 40 or 50
Swimming the River ab’ the falls and Some went down over
them which he could not See them rise any more. a nomber
got to Shore half drowned. in this way great numbers of
those animels are lost and accounts for So many as we Saw
lying on the Shores below the falls ever Since we came from
[ 105 ]
LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNALS _ [June 23
the Mandans & Grossvauntares but a vast deal pleantier near
them. the country in general is verry high. no timber back
from the river and but verry little on the river, but bluffs &
high Clifts the most of the Shores. we are a little South of
the Mandans, but have had no verry hot weather as yet.

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Fort Huts Completed; Sioux Attack Mandan Hunters

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:15:05 +0000

Began the works of the fort the weather continued pleasant
for 14 days during which time all the men at Camp Ocepied
thair time dilligenently in Building their huts and got them
Made comfertable in that time to live in.
Saterday 3%.
a party of hunters was Sent down the river with a peirogue
to Bring the meat whome [home] the[y] Remained 15 days,
and on the 18″ Ins‘ the[y] had good Success the[y] kill? 34
deers, 10 Elks and 5 Buffelows, in all the[y] had Upwards of
20 hundred W! Nothing Else happ™? Extraordinary Untill
the 30% Inst a messenger from the mandans came to the fort to
Inform Our Officers that a hunting party of theirs was Robed
by the Sues & Rees Indians, on the 27% last, of Eight horses
and their meat that the[y] had kill?, & Kill? One of their men
and wounded two Others.
1 At this point begins handwriting No. 2, and continues over five pages of the MS.,
comprising the entries from November 1 to December 2 inclusive.— Ep.
[ 69 ]
LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNALS _ [Dec.1
the[y] Apply! for Some Assistance from the fort which Cap™
Lewis & Clark Readly granted them. Twenty Men turnd
Out Volentary Under the Command of Cap™ Clark out of the
fort to goe to fight the Sues the Guard Seat us Across the
Missourie at Eleven Oclock at the fort the Cap™ form? his
men On the S. W. Side of the river Missourie and told them
off in Sections, from the right, and Sent out a Noncommis-
sione? Officer and a file of men on Each flank to Reconitere
the woods at the distance of neerly One hundred Y® from the
head of Company. After a march of 6 miles we Ariv® at the
first Village of mandans, with our two Interprators One of
the mandans & one of the Grosvauinties, thinking to be Reign?
fors! [reinforced] by a party of Each Nation With a Detach-
ment from the Watesoons Nation like-ways, as they and [the]
Groce Vaunties are Nigh Neighbours to the Mandans Nation
but after we Ariv? At the Village the Cheifs of Both Nations
Concluded not to goe to fight as the weather was Cold and the
Snow Upwards of 18 Inches Deep on the Ground, before
Spring Nixt.
The Cap & the party halted two hours at the Village
he told the Cheifs and Warieres of the Mandans that he and
his men was on the Ground Ready to Assist them And the[y]
Should See that Him and his Men Could fight. After Some
little Conversation with the Savages, we took our leave of them
and Started for the fort | we Cross‘ the river between the first
& Second Village On the Ise And came whome to the fort
Ariv! at dark the Evening was col’ Each Drank Some Good
Spirits After which Reviv’ Us Very Much And Retir# to Our
Rooms Each. .
December 1%
Nothing hapened Extraordinary Continued Picquiting in
the huts.
the Big white a Cheif of the mandans Came to Our fort in
the Morning to Inform Us that the Buffelow was Close to us
a Comeing in Capt®-Lewis and 15 Men turn? Out to Shoot
[ 70]
1804] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL
them the[y] kill? 10, and the Indians Kill? 50 the two Cap-
tains Lewis & Clark took it in turn day about with a party
Each day to goe a hunting And had Great Success until the
15 inst that the Buffelow got neerly twenty miles off Cap™
Clark and his party Returned on the Morning of the 16% Ins‘
but Could find no game But two deer, the[y] Slept in the
woods all night Some Snow fell that made the Air warmir On
the Night of the 15% Inst.

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Horse Sled Built; Mandan Report Buffalo's Return

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:15:05 +0000

a cold day. Serg‘ Gass fixed a horse Sled for one of the
N. W. Comp?’ traders to go to thier forts with. Some of the
Mandans come & Informed us that the buffaloe had come near
the River again.

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Pressing Past Grand River Without Hunting

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:52 +0000

took our leave of him and proceeded on. In a short time,
passed the mouth of the river Grand, and soon after over-
took the hunters, who had not killed any thing. We con-
tinued our voyage all day without waiting to hunt; gathering
some papaws on the shores, and in the evening encamped on
an island.
The 19th was a fine day, and at day light we continued our
voyage; passed the mouth of Mine river; saw several turkeys
288 GASS’S JOURNAL
on the shores, but did not delay a moment to hunt; being so
anxious to reach St. Louis, where, without any important
occurrence, we arrived on the 23rd and were received with
great kindness and marks of friendship by the inhabitants,
after an absence of two years, four months and ten days.
FINIS.
INDEX
A
Adams, Point, 191
Aird, Mr., 233
Aleis Indians, 212; dress of squaws, 212
Allum, 21
Angelica, 137
Antelope (Cabre), 28, 32, 33, 36, 50,
76, 107, 108, 115, 121, 256-258,
266, 281.
Aricaris Indians, see Rickaree Indians
Arrow creek, 6
Arrows, Prairie of, see Prairie of arrows
Ash, 5, 8, 166, 206, 211
Ash creek, 4
Assiniboin Indians, 65, 75
B
Badger, description of, 17; mentioned,
46, 66
Bald-pated prairie, 284
Barbarole Indians, see Jonkta Indians
Baskets, willow, 133
Beans, raised by Indians, 47, 48
Bear, 8, 9, 76, 87, 95, 99, 104, 105,
210, 231, 234, 241-243, 249, 259,
268, 270
Bear, Black, 209.
Bear, Brown, description of, 82; men-
tioned, 83, 84, 86, 93, 104, 106,
247, 269, 271
Bear, Grizly, 232
Bear, White, adventure with a, 260;
description of, 80; mentioned, 52
Bear creek, 5
Bear island, 259
Bear meat, Indian method of cooking,
232
Beaver, 15, 17, 30-33, 75-79, 83, 118,
121, 124, 132, 203, 222, 223, 268,
269, 274
19
Big-bellied Indians, see Grosventres In-
dians
Big Devil river, 6
Big Goodwoman’s creek, 6
Big Muddy creek, 5
Big Rock creek, 6
Big-White (Indian chief), with his fa-
mily, goes to Washington with explor-
ing party, 276
Bighorns, see Mountain sheep
Birch, 166, 222
Blackbird, king of Mahas, 19
Black-bird creek, 7
Blackbirds, 104
Blue-water creek, 10
Blustry point, 177
Boat of iron, description of, 103
Boiling spring, 262
Bonum creek, 3
Bore-tree, 142
Brants, 167, 170, 175, 177, 178, 180
Brarow, see Badger
Breastworks, 26, 27
Buckeye, 8
Buffaloe, 22, 23, 29-33, 34) 51, 52,
57, 59-62, 65, 66, 76-79, 81, 83, 89,
91, 92) 97) 102-104, 107-109, 258,
259, 266, 268, 270-272, 274, 281,
282; night adventure with a, 92
Buffaloe prairie, 22
Burnt bluffs, 272
Butterfly creek, 14
Buzzard, 178
Cc
Cabre, see Antelope
Calamex (or Callemax), Indians, their
characteristics, customs, and dress,
204; mentioned, 192
Cannon-ball river, 51
290
Canoe camp, 111, 177
Canoe deposit, see Deposit, Canoe
Canoe, Indian, see Indian canoes
Canzan river, see Kanzas river
Cape Disappointment, see Disappoint-
ment, Cape
Cape Swell, see Swell, Cape
Catarack river, 215
Catfish, 20, 22, 24, 286
Cathlama Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 204
Cathlama village, 205
Cedar, 28, 83, 113, 116, 146, 210
Cedar bluffs, 21, 22
Cedar fort, description of, 35
Cedar island, 35
Cerwercerna river, 45
Charlotte rivers, the two, 7
Cherries, 14, 117, 129, 135, 140, 211,
230
Chien Indians, 58, 278
Chien river, 43, 280
Chilook Indians, 206; dress of women,
207
Chiltz Indians, their characteristics, cus-
toms, and dress, 204
Chinkook river, 177
Chinook Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 178, 204; their
hats, 198; mentioned, 188, 192, 198,
200-203, 206
Chinook Indian squaw saves life of one
of exploring party, 192
Chischeet river, 52
Chononish Indians, their method of
cooking bear meat, 232; some char-
acteristics, 255; mentioned, 226-230,
232-234, 240-242, 244, 248, 249,
252
Christmas, celebration of, 62, 63, 187
Clarke, Captain William: Takes com-
mand of expedition and proceeds up
Missouri river, 1; goes hunting, re-
turning next day with game, g; trav-
els by land, 13; holds council with
Indians, 17; goes hunting, 18, 19;
Index
Clarke, Captain William (Coztinued)
goes fishing, 20; goes hunting and
kills two elk and a fawn, 21, 22;
names Buffaloe prairie, 22; goes with
Captain Lewis to examine hill where
little people are said to live, 22, 23;
holds council with Sioux Indians, 24;
goes to view knob of a hill, 29; visits
prairie dog village, 29; goes hunting
and kills an antelope, 31, 32, 34, 353
threatened by Sioux Indians, 37;
holds council with Sioux Indians, 38;
goes to see Indians dance, 39; goes
hunting, 45; holds council with Rick-
aree Indians, 47, 48; visits Indians
and returns with corn and _ buffaloe
robes, 55; goes buffaloe hunting, 59;
goes hunting, 60, 61; gives brandy
to men for Christmas celebration, 63;
gives whiskey to men for New Year’s
celebration, 64; goes hunting, 68;
kills a hare, 75; kills an antelope, 76;
travels by land, 76; kills tliree black-
tailed deer and a buffaloe calf, 78;
measures Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers at mouth of Yellowstone, 795
measures Missouri and Muscle-shell
rivers at their confluence, 86; his ex-
pedition up south fork of Missouri
river, 94, 95; surveys road for a port-
age, 101, 102; measures portage and
Falls of Missouri river, 105; has nar-
row escape ina hail storm, 106; goes
in search of timber to build boats,
108, 109; goes ahead of party, 1123
leaves note informing party which
branch he had taken, 117; illness and
recovery, 117; starts for Columbia
river, 126; goes to Cape Disappoint-
ment to view the Ocean, 177; returns
from Cape Disappointment, 178; vis-
its the Ocean, 184, 185; gives men
tobacco and handkerchiefs for Christ-
mas, 187; visits salt-makers’ camp,
192; goes to examine tributary of the
Columbia, 209; goes hunting, 214;
Index
Clarke, Captain William (Continued)
purchases horses from Indians, 21 5—
217; journeys on foot so that men
with sore feet may ride, 220; kills
two pheasants, 222; doctors the sick
Indians, 226, 229, 2373; ascends
Clarke’s river, 254; ascends Gallatin
river in order to cross over to Yellow-
stone river, 262; account of his ex-
ploring trip, 274; holds council with
Rickaree Indians, 278; mentioned,
56, 57, 60, 69, 73, 88, 102, 113,
114, 11g, 121, 128, 130, 132-135,
146-149, 186, 197, 215, 235, 245,
2.53, 261, 271-274, 285
Clarke’s river, 139, 140, 159, 176, 252
Clarke’s view, 191
Clatsop, Fort, 190, 205
Clatsop Indians, their characteristics,
customs, and dress, 204; mentioned,
179, 180, 193, 194
Clear-water river, 112
Clover, 126, 257
Clover, red, description of, 220
Columbia plains, 211, 216, 219
Columbia river, exploration of, 125, 127,
158, 175, 177) 183, 205-219, 2525
falls of, 162, 163, 177, 218; mouth
of, 1745; narrows of, 163, 177, 216—
218; rapids of, 164, 167, 177, 212,
213
Columbia river Indians, see Indians of
the Columbia river
Columbia valley, 210
Commas, description of, 242;
tioned, 252
Commas flat, 242, 244, 248, 249
Commas root, description of, 148; men-
tioned, 222, 230
Copperas, 21
Coquallaisquet river, 256
Corn, raised by Indians, 47, 48
Cotton-wood, description of, 57; men-
tioned, 5, 8, 18,23, 28, 29, 56,81, 90,
92, 93, 100, 103, 112, 117, 166, 168,
170, 222, 223, 230, 256, 259, 266
men-
2g1
Council Bluffs, 17, 284
Cowas root, 230
Crab-tree bark, used as substitute for
tobacco, 201
Cranberries, 163
Crane, 139, 169, 175
Crow, 155, 161
Crusate’s river, 214
Currant bushes, 104
Currants, 112, 113, 117, 119, 129
Cutteau (Knife) river, 73
D
Dead, Indian custom of burying their,
204
De Chirn river, see Chien river
Deer, 4-6, 8-10, 12-18, 22, 24, 28-31,
33> 35» 46, 50-52, 57, 59, 61, 65,
66, 68, 75, 77, 78, 81, 83, 91, 96,
99, 101, 102, 108, 113-117, 119—
121, 123-126, 130, 134, 135, 137,
138-141, 151, 164-166, 168, 169,
175,177, 178, 180, 188, 193, 194,
201-203, 207-209, 213-216, 223,
2275 233, 235) 237-244, 247-249,
251-259, 269-272, 274, 276, 277;
279-281, 285, 286
Deer, Black-tailed or Mule, description
of, 33; mentioned, 34, 78, 269, 281
Deer creek, 4
Deer island, 206, 207
Deer-lick creek, 7
Depie creek, 9
Deposit, Canoe, 274
Deposits, 97, 98, 259, 260
Disappointment, Cape, 177
Divide between Missouri and Columbia
Trivers, 127, 257
Dog river, see Chien river
Dogwood, 211
Dogs, as diet, 163
Dogs, Indian, see Indian dogs
Du Bois (or Du Beau) creek, 9
Du Bois river, see Wood river
292
Ducks, 136, 147, 155, 156, 162, 166,
168, 169, 171, 175, 180, 182, 207,
211, 216, 233, 249
E
Eagle, 155
Elk, 13, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, 28, 30,
31, 36 51, 57, 65, 67, 68, 76-78,
91, 92, 96, 99, 101, 102, 104, 105,
113, 118, 139, 182, 185, 188, 190,
191, 193-199, 201-203, 205, 209,
210, 251, 2595 269, 270, 272-274,
2775 279, 281, 283, 284, 286
Elk island, 13, 36
Elm, 24
Elm creek, 34
Experiment, The, 108
Exploring party, start, 1; encamp for
the winter on the Missouri, 56-73;
find game scarce and are forced to
subsist on their horses and portable
soup, 142-147, 229, 238; dine at
head-waters of Missouri, 126, 127;
begin voyage down Lewis river, 152;
begin voyage down Columbia river,
160; reach the end of their voyage,
1753 prepare to encamp for the win-
ter on Pacific coast, 186-188; move
into winter huts and celebrate Christ-
mas, 187; leave Fort Clatsop and begin
return trip, 205; separate to pursue
different routes, 252; reunited, 274;
reach St. Louis, 288; number of elk
and deer killed by, Dec., 1805, to
March, 1806, 203
F
Fawns, 17, 22, 30
Fir, 144, 194, 195, 211, 255
Fire-prairie creek, 9
Fish, 20, 135, 155, 1733 petrified, 30;
see also specific names
Fish camp, 176
Fish creek, 51
Index
Flathead Indians, their lodges, 155;
their method of making bread, 147,
148; some characteristics, 204; men-
tioned, 137, 138, 140, 150, 151,
153, 155
Flathead river, see Clarke’s river
Flattening of the head, Indian custom
of, 165
Flax, 96, 101, 126, 133, 256
Fleas, 215
Flies, 190; horse, 249
Flounder, 177
Flowers, 206
Floyd, Sergeant, death and burial of, 21
Floyd’s river, 21
Fort Clatsop, see Clatsop, Fort
Fourth of July, celebration of, 11, 107
G
Gallatin’s river, 121, 262, 274
Garter snakes, 207
Gaskenade river, 4, 5
Gass, Sergeant, builds canoes, 70; finds
petrified log, 77; helps Captain Lewis
build his iron boat, 103; goes in
search of material for canoes and kills
two elks, 104; visits Falls of Mis-
souri river, 106, 1073 joins Captain
Clarke’s party in search of timber,
1093 goes with Captain Lewis to look
for Snake Indians, 118; ill, 149; re-
covers from illness, 151; has narrow
escape by canoe sinking, 153; has
attack ofague, 154; helps build quar-
ters for commanding officers, 186;
goes to salt works, 190-192; goes
hunting with companion and spends
a night out-doors in the rain, 1973 is
ill, 263; with companion, starts by
land to mouth of Maria’s river, 266
Geese, 75-77, 130, 139, 155, 156, 162,
166-169, 171, 175, 202, 207, 209
Geesem, an interpreter, 276
Glade creek, 252
Gnats, 247
Index
Goat creek, 28
Goat-pen creek, 76
Goats, 28, 32, 33, 35, 44, 50-52, 62,
76, 121-124, 266
Gooseberries, 100, 109, 117
Gooseberry bushes, 243
Grand Bend, see Missouri river, Great
Bend of
Grand Point, 76
Grand river, 7, 287
Grapes, 13, 31
Grapevines, 5
Grindstone creek, 5
Grosventres (or Grossventer) Indians,
55> 7% 73) 74) 117, 267, 275, 276
– Grouse, 159, 2333 see also Prairie hen
Gulls, 161, 162, 169, 172
i
Haley’s (Hailey’s or Hayley’s) Bay, 177,
Ig1, 200, 207
Hares, 32, 65, 75, 159
Hawks, 155, 177
Haws, 129, 141
Hazlenut, 166
Heath hens, see Grouse
Herrings, 198
Hickory, 5
Hidden creek, 45
Hood, Mount, 168
Hot Spring, 141, 251, 252
Hudson’s Bay Company, 61
Hungry creek, 245-247, 250
Hysop or hyssop, 77, 133
I
Ibex, see Mountain sheep
Independence creek, 11
Indian baskets, 133
Indian bread, 130, 134
Indian canoes, 208
Indian customs: burial of the dead, 204;
method of making fire, 133; mode
of worship, 81; use of cedar bark for
293
Indian customs (Continued)
food and clothing, 210; see also names
of nations and tribes
Indian dog poles, 35, 36
Indian dogs, 41
Indian saddles, 235, 236
Indian spears, 131
Indian war-mallet, 233
Indians, see names of nations and tribes
Indians hold council to decide about
accompanying exploring party to
Washington, 275
Indians of the Columbia river, burial
customs, 160, 161, 204; dress, 131,
170, 176; form of salutation, 127;
lodges, 162, 164; mentioned, 127—
131, 133, 158-167, 169-179, 186;
see also Chiltz, Chinook, Clatsop, and
Flathead Indians
Indians residing between Falls of the
Columbia river and the coast, rascally
and thieving, 227
Indians residing between Rocky moun-
tains and Falls of Columbia, honest
and well disposed, 227
Tron ore, 14
Isquetcoqualla river, 254, 255
J
Jaune river, see Yellowstone river
Jefferson river, 121, 122, 126, 127,
262, 274
Jitk, 9
Jonkta Indians, 44
K
Kanowa Indians, 286
Kanzas river, 10, 286
Kanzon river, see Kanzas river
Kilhouanakkle river, 200
Kimooeenem river, 154, 159, 162, 177
Knife river, see Cutteau river
Kooskooske river, 154, 159, 176, 224,
226, 232
294
L
Labenile creek, 9
Landselle’s fort, 280
Lewis, Captain Meriwether: Joins ex-
pedition, 3; kills a deer, 6; holds
council with Indians, 17; kills a peli-
can, 19; goes fishing, 20; goes with
Captain Clarke to explore a prairie,
22, 233 holds council with Sioux In-
dians, 24; views knob of a hill and
visits prairie-dog village, 29; passes
trading house built in 1796, 30; kills
a strange bird, 33; goes hunting and
returns with game, 3 3-35; holds coun-
cil with Sioux Indians, 38; persuades
Indians to return women prisoners
taken in battle with Mahas, 39; goes
to see Indians dance, 39; gives pres-
ents to Indians and persuades them to
allow exploring party to depart in
peace, 40; visits Rickaree Indians,
holds council with them, and presents
them with American flag, 46-48;
gives presents to Rickaree Indians,
50; holds council with Grossventer,
Mandan, Sioux, and Watasoon In-
dians, 55; visits Mandan village, 56;
goes buffaloe hunting, 59; gives
whiskey to men for New Year’s cele-
bration, 64; calls for volunteers to
pursue Indian robbers, 69; sets out
by land for Yellowstone river, 78;
rejoins exploring party, 79; kills a
white bear and an elk, 80; his expe-
dition up north fork of Missouri river,
94, 96; sets out for mountains, 98;
visits Falls of the Missouri, 100;
helps men to make an iron boat,
103; bleeds sick man with pen-knife,
104; goes to look at spring, 105;
goes to mountain to take observation,
111; goes ahead of party and en-
camps over night alone in the wilder-
ness, 118; goes ahead with party to
look for Snake Indians, 118; journeys
as far as Columbia river and returns
Index
Lewis, Captain Meriwether (Continued)
with Snake Indians, 125; buys horses
for party, 133; ill, 1495 goes hunting
by moonlight, 168; takes specimen
of Indian language, 177; gives medal
to Chinook Indian, 178; trades blue
beads to Indians for sea otter skins,
1793 goes in search of winter camp-
ing place, 181; returns and reports
place for camp, 183; gives men to-
bacco and handkerchiefs for Christ-
mas, 187; buys canoes of Indians,
214; strikes Indian for stealing, 2173
journeys on foot so that men with sore
feet may ride, 220; doctors sick
among Indians, 226, 229, 2373 de-
scends Clarke’s river, 254-2673; as-
cends Maria’s river, 261; and party
have encounter with Grossventress’
Indians, 267; has skeleton of bighorns
prepared to take to Washington, 268,
269; wounded accidentally by one of
the party, 273, 274; recovering from
wound, 277; mentioned, 1, 60, 71,
86, 99, 108, 109, 112, 117, 119—
I2I, 124, 128, 132, 133, 140-142,
146, 150, 160, 163, 173-175; 184,
197, 213; 215, 235; 253; 260, 270,
271, 285
Lewis river, 152-159, 177; 224, 240
Little-bow creek, 23
Little Goodwoman creek, 6
Little Missouri river, 74, 75, 79, 275
Little Osage river, 3
Little Sioux river, 18
Loos Indians, see Loup Indians
Loup Indians, 14, 285
Lucelle, Mr., 35
M
Mackenzie, Mr., 36, 41
M’Clanen, Captain, 287
M’Clelland, Mr., 285
Madison river, 121
Magpie, 243
Maha creek, 12, 20
Index
Maha Indians, 19, 20, 23, 39, 285
Maha village, 20, 254, 283
Mandan, Fort, 58, 63, 65, 79
Mandan Indians, their method of hunt-
ing buffaloe, 59; superstitions regard-
ing buffaloe, 66, 67; burial customs,
54; characteristics, 71, 72; method
of wintering horses, 64, 65; men-
tioned, 47, 48, 52, 53, 55-73, 275
Mandan villages, 53, 54
Maple, 168, 170; soft, 211.
Marapa river, 46
Maria’s river, 96, 97, 99, 260, 261,
266-268
Marrow creek, 6
Medicine river, 101, 103, 104, 257-259
Milk river, 83, 270
Mine creek, 6
Mine river, 287
Mississippi river, 1
Missouri Indians, 17
Missouri river, ascent of, 1-55, 73-1273
description of country through which
it flows, 89~91; descent of, 257-288;
distance from mouth to Pacific Ocean,
176,177; Falls of the, 99, 100, 105—
107, 254; Great Bend of, 34, 35, 53,
280; north branch, 118-122; rapids
of, 100, 112; source of, 127, 257;
south branch, 120-122; three forks
of, 117, 121, 122; two forks of, 93,
94,96, 97; west branch of, 120-122
Moha creek, see Maha creek
Mombran’s tavern, 4
Mountain holly, 135
Mountain sheep, 80, 87-89, 93, 112,
240, 268, 269
Mud creek, 5
Mulberries, 8
Muscle-shell (or Muscle shoal) river,
86, 269
Musquitoes, 18, 19, 32, 104, 109, 115,
202, 243, 244, 247, 249, 253, 254,
256, 258-262, 272, 275) 2775 2795
282-284, 286
Myrrh, 137
295
N
Nadowa, 12
Namahia creek, 13
Nettles, 206
Netul river, 200
New Year’s day, celebration of, 64
Night creek, 34
North West Company, 61
North West Company traders, 54, 58,
61, 62, 66, 277
oO
Oak, 5, 24, 164, 166, 206
Onion creek, 75
Onions, wild, 114
Osage Indians, 5
Osage river, 5
Oto Indians, see Otto Indians
Otter, 52, 124, 203, 223, 274
Otter, sea, 164, 166, 172
Otter creek, 4
Otto Indians, 14, 16-18, 284
P
Pacific Ocean, exploring party arrive at,
174, 175; distance from mouth of
Missouri river to, 176, 177
Paint creek, 28
Pania river, 28
Panther, 149
Papaws, 287
Pelicans, 19, 51, 161, 283
Perch fish, 20
Petrified wood, 77
Pettit-ark creek, see Little~Bow creek
Pheasants, 131, 136, 137, 142, 147,
149, 222, 227, 248
Philosophy river, 122
Pigeons, wild, 10g
Pike fish, 20
Pine, 83-85, 113, 114, 116, 121, 126,
128, 131, 135, 136, 140, 142, 144,
146, 148, 152, 164, 166, 168, 170,
178, 184, 228, 242
296
Platt creek, 10
Platte river, 14, 15, 90, 284, 286, 287
Pleasant camp, 281
Plumb creek, 27
Plumbs, 281
Poncas Indians, 28
Pond creek, 11
Pond river, 49
Ponis (Panis or Poenese) Indians, 7, 14,
286, 287
Porcupine, 31, 32
Porcupine creek, 81
Porpoises, 172
Portage river, 263-265
Portages, Missouri river, 102, 105, 261—
264; Columbia river, 162, 164, 167,
213, 214, 216
Prairie dog, 29
Prairie hen, 131; see also Grouse
Prairie of Arrows, 6
Prarow, see Badger
President of the U. S., specimens sent
to, 71
Prickley pear, 95
Pumice stone, 13, 74, 77, 178
Q
Quail, 211
Quicksand river, 177, 208
R
Rabbit berries, 22, 52
Racoon, 203
Rainy, Mount, 169
Rapid-water river, 28
Ravens, 161, 202
Rat, wood, 11
Rattle-snake, description of, 116; men-
tioned, 216
Rickaree (Aricaris, Rickree, or Rees)
Indians, characteristics, 48; lodges,
45-475 superstitions, 278; mentioned,
42, 46-50, 54, 70, 73
Rickaree Indian villages, 48, 277, 278
Index
River de Bois, see Wood river
Rock camp, 215
Rocky mountains, 65, 80, 111-117,
119, 124-132, 137, 139, 140, 142—
147) 176, 231, 250
Rogue’s-harbour creek, 177
Roots, edible, 222, 238; see also names
of roots, and Shrub, edible
Rose river, 94, 266
Round-knob creek, 16
Rush creek, 4
Rushes, 5
S
Sacque river, 23, 24
Sage brush, 221
Saine creek, 6
St. Charles, 2, 3
St. Johns, 3
St. Louis, 1, 3, 71, 288
Salmon, 128, 129, 132, 136, 151, 157,
158, 161, 163, 172, 177, 182, 186,
188, 213, 240, 247
Salmon-trout, 247, 249
Salt spring, 30
Salt works, 188, 190-193, 195-198
Sandy river, 209, 210
Service berries, 117,
256
Service-berry bushes, 141, 142, 149,
243
Service-berry valley, 125
Shallow Bay, 171, 177, 181
Shapaleel (Indian bread), 215, 218, 219,
221, 222, 226
Sharbons creek, 75
Sheep, Mountain, see Mountain sheep
Sheep, unknown variety, 150
Sheep-sorrel, 202
Shoshone Indians, see Snake Indians
Shoshone river, see Snake river
Shotto, Mr., 283
Shrub, edible, 211
Sioux crossing-place, 34
UG EGS U5
Index
Sioux Indians, councils held with, 24,
55; dances, 25; declare war against
exploring party, 70; lodges, 24; mu-
sical instruments, 25; mentioned
7) 20, 23, 24, 36, 45, 52, $7, 2845
see also Teeton Indians, Yonktin
Indians
Sioux river, 21
Slate run, 46
Slaughter river, 268
Smoke creek, 36
Snake creek, 8
Snake Indians, 74, 125, 126, t40, 240
Snake river, 162, 176, 177, 218
Snakes, 11; see also Garter snakes, Rat-
tle-snake
Snow creek, 99
Soldiers creek, 18
Spear mint, 104
Springs, see Boiling spring, Hot spring,
Salt spring, Sulphur spring
Squashes (raised by Indians), 47
Squirrel, description of, 108, 216, 243;
mentioned, 136, 164, 165, 177, 191
Stony creek, 142
Strawberries, 100
Strawberry creek, roo
Strawberry island, 212
Strawberry vines, 141, 242
Sturgeon, 200, 202, 206
Sugar tree, 8
Sulphur, 74
Sulphur spring, 101

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Three Buffalo Taken at the Great Bend

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:47 +0000

barked early: proceeded on till we came to the upper end of
the Great-bend, and there stopped to hunt.* As our hunters
*In a former geographical note (pa. 62) we stated that the place where Mr.
Thompson, Astronomer to the North West Company, took his observations in the
year 1798 to ascertain the latitude and longitude of the northern bend of the Missouri,
was near the longitude of the Mandan villages. If what Mr. Thompson called the
northern bend is the same with what Mr. Gass calls the great bend (of which there
appears little doubt) the longitude of the Mandan villages will be between two and
three degrees west of the northern, or great bend ; or in about longitude 104 degrees
west of London, 29 degrees west of Philadelphia, rz 1-2 degrees west of the mouth of
the Missouri, and nearly 20 degreéS east of the mouth of the Columbia. This will
still shew the great errors of those maps of Louisiana, which place the Mandan villages
20 degrees west of the longitude of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi ;
and less than 12 degrees east of that of the mouth of the Columbia.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 281
saw no game, we in a short time continued our voyage round
the bend; at the lower end of which we killed an elk. As we
were passing an island we saw a gang of buffaloe feeding on
it; when we halted and killed three of them, and encamped
on the island for the night.
Tbursday 28th. We had another pleasant day; embarked
early, and proceeded on till about 11 o’clock, when we arrived
at Pleasant camp, and halted. We left this camp on the
13th Sept. 1804. The Commanding Officers wishing to pro-
cure and take down with them the skeletons of some mule
deer, and cabre; and knowing that there were but few of those
animals lower down the river, continued here the remainder
of the day, and sent out six or eight hunters; who returned
at night without finding any of the wished for animals, but
killed some fat buffaloe and common deer.

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Two Trappers Met; Clark Reported One Day Ahead

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:45 +0000

ceeded on. Captain Lewis is in good spirits; but his wound
stiff and sore. Having gone about nine miles we met with
two men on the river trapping and hunting. Captain Lewis
gave them some ammunition, and directions with respect to
the river above. They informed us that Captain Clarke and
party had passed them yesterday at noon. We proceeded on
18
274. GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
and at 10 o’clock overtook Captain Clarke and his party, all
in good health. The two men with the small canoe, who had
been sometime absent, came down and joined us at the place
where we met with the two strangers: and now, (thanks to
God) we are all together again in good health, except Capt.
Lewis, and his wound is not dangerous.
After the Corps were separated among the mountains, as
before mentioned, Captain Clarke’s party proceeded on to
the Canoe deposit, near the head of the main branch of the
Missouri (called Jefferson’s river) and having descended with
the canoes to the mouth of the branch, which they called
Gallatin, Captain Clarke with ten men left those, who were
to take down the canoes to the falls; travelled three days up
Gallatin’s river towards the south, when they crossed a ridge
and came upon the waters of the Jaune or Yellow-stone river.
Having gone about 100 miles down this river by land they
made two canoes, and Captain Clarke having sent off a ser-
jeant and three men with the horses to the Mandan villages,
went down himself with six other men by water. On the
second day after the serjeant and his party had started for
the Mandan villages, the Indians stole the whole of the horses,
and the party were obliged to descend the river in skin canoes.
Captain Clarke’s party in their route had found game plenty
of different kinds, buffaloe, elk, deer, beaver, otter and some
other animals. They also found the Yellow-Stone river a
pleasant and navigable stream, with a rich soil along it; but
timber scarce.
We here took the men on board, and left the buffaloe
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 275
canoes. At night we encamped on a sand beach, as the
musquitoes are not so bad there as in the woods.

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Warm Return to the Mandan and Hidatsa Villages

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:45 +0000

we embarked early. In a short time we arrived near to our
old friends the Grossventres and Mandans; and fixed our
encampment in a central position, so as to be most convenient
to the different villages. The inhabitants of all the villages
appeared very glad to see us, and sent us presents of corn,
beans and squashes.

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Shelters Built on Meadow Plains; Month's Wait Anticipated

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:23:28 +0000

ers went out early. The rest of the party were engaged
making places of shelter, to defend them from the stormy
weather. Some had small sails to cover their little hovels,
and others had to make frames and cover them with grass.
Around our camp the plains have the appearance of a mea-
dow before it is mowed, and affords abundance of food for
our horses. Here we expect to remain a month before we
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 233
can cross the mountains. The natives staid all day at our
camp; and one of them had round his neck the scalp of an
Indian, with six thumbs and four fingers of the other Indians
he had killed in battle, of the Sho-sho-ne, or Snake nation.
The nation here the Cho-no-nish, is very numerous, as well as
the other. These nations have been long at war and destroyed
a great many of each other in a few years past.
From the Mandan nation to the Pacific ocean, the arms of
the Indians are generally bows and arrows, and the war-mallet.
The war-mallet is a club with a large head of wood or stone;
those of stone are generally covered with leather, and fastened
to the end of the club with thongs or straps of leather and
the sinews of animals.*
In the afternoon two of our hunters came in and had
killed nothing but some grouse; four more continued out.

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Goods Redistributed; Gass Reflects on His Journal

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:22:27 +0000

and cold from the N.W. We took all our goods, stores and
baggage out, divided and put them aboard our craft, that we
might be ready to continue our voyage.
If this brief Journal should happen to be preserved, and
be ever thought worthy of appearing in print: some readers
will perhaps expect, that, after our long friendly intercourse
with these Indians, among whom we have spent the winter;
our acquaintace with those nations lower down the river and
the information we received relative to several other nations,
we ought to be prepared now, when we are about to renew
our voyage, to give some account of the fair sex of the Mis-
souri: and entertain them with narratives of feats of love as
72 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
well as of arms. Though we could furnish a suffictent num-
ber of entertaining stories and pleasant anecdotes, we do not
think it prudent to swell our Journal with them; as our views
are directed to more useful information. Besides, as we are
yet ignorant of the dangers, which may await us, and the dif_i-
culty of escape, should certain probable incidents occur, it
may not be inconsistent with good policy to keep the Journal
of as small and portable a size as circumstances will make
practicable. It may be observed generally that chastity is not
very highly esteemed by these people, and that the severe and
loathsome effects of certain French principles are not uncommon
among them. The fact is, that the women are generally con-
sidered an article of traffic and indulgencies are sold at a very
moderate price. As a proof of this I will just mention, that
for an old tobacco box, one of our men was granted the hon-
our of passing a night with the daughter of the head-chief of
the Mandan nation. An old bawd with her punks, may also
be found in some of the villages on the Missouri, as well as
in the large cities of polished nations.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 73
CHAP. VII.
Gime 6th. The day was clear and pleasant. This
morning we heard that some of the Rickarees had come
up to the Mandan villages. Our interpreter and some of the
men were sent over to ascertain the truth of the report; and
we were detained all day waiting their return.

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Frenchmen Robbed by Mandans Turn Back Upriver

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:22:18 +0000

some frost. We set sail early, and a hunter went up each
shore. Having proceeded two miles we met a couple of
Frenchmen ina canoe, who had been up at the Mandan nation
hunting, and met with a party of that nation, who robbed
them of their arms, ammunition and some fur which they had ;
and therefore they had to return down the river; but, meet-
ing us, went back in hopes of recovering their property. We
passed a small river, on the south side called Cannon-ball
river. Several hunters went out here. We passed a creek on
the north side, called Fish creek, on which J killed a deer. At
night we encamped or the south side, and all the hunters
came in having killed six deer, four goats and a pelican.

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