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NAVIGATING NARRATIVES

September 27, 1804

Clark A The bank as usual lined with Sioux. Gave the 2 principal chiefs a blanket and a peck of corn each. Captain Lewis accompanied the chiefs to their lodges. They informed us that a great part of their nation had not arrived and would arrive tonight and requested us to delay one day longer that they might see us. ¶ I wrote a letter to Mr. Dorion and prepared some commissions and a medal and sent to Captain Lewis. At 2 o'clock Captain Lewis retuned with 4 chiefs and a brave man named War-cha pa — (when any of those people die they pierce their flesh with arrows above and below their elbows as a testimony of their grief). After a delay of half an hour I went with them on shore. They left the boat with reluctance (we suspect they are treacherous and are at all times guarded and on our guard). They again offered me a young woman and wish me to take her and not despise them. I wavered the Subject. At dark the dance began as usual and performed as last night. Women with their husbands and relations cloths arms scalps on poles etc. Captain Lewis joined me and we continued until about 11 o'clock and 2 Chief accompanied us to the boat. I with 2 chiefs was in a pirogue going on board. By bad steering the pirogue struck the cable with such force as to break it near the anchor. Captain Lewis and 3 or 4 men on shore. I had all hands up and was compelled to land. The chief got alarmed and alarmed the Indians. The 1st chief and about 200 men came down in great haste armed and for action, and found it was false. About 20 of them camped on shore all night. This alarm Captain Lewis and well as myself viewed as the signal of their intentions. One half on guard. Our misfortune of losing our anchor obliged us to lay under a falling in bank much exposed to the accomplishment of the hostile intentions of those Tetons (who we had every reason to believe from their conduct intended to make an attempt to stop our progress and if possible rob us). Pierre Cruzatte, who spoke Omaha, came in the night and informed me that the Omaha prisoners told him that the Tetons intended to stop us. We showed but little sign of a knowledge of their intentions.

Clark B I rose early after a bad nights sleep. Found the chiefs all up, and the bank as usual lined with spectators. We gave the 2 great chiefs a blanket apiece, or rethr they took off agreeable to their custom the one they lay on, and each one peck of corn. After breakfast, Captain Lewis and the chiefs went on shore. As a very large part of their nation was coming in, the disposition of whom I did not know one of us being sufficient on shore, I wrote a letter to Mr. Dorion and prepared a medal and some commissions and sent to Captain Lewis. At 2 o'clock Captain Lewis returned with 4 chiefs and a brave man named War cha pa or On His Guard. When the friends of those people die they run arrows through their flesh above and below their elbows as a testimony of their grief. ¶ After staying about half an hour, I went with them on shore. Those men left the boat with reluctance. I went first to the 2nd chiefs lodge, where a crowd came around. After speaking on various subjects, I went to a principal man's lodge, from there to the grand chief's lodge. After a few minutes he invited me to a lodge within the circle in which I stayed with all their principal men until the dance began, which was similar to the one of last night performed by their women with poles on which scalps of their enemies were hung, some with the guns, spears and war implements of their husbands in their hands. ¶ Captain Lewis came on shore and we continued until we were sleepy and returned to our boat. The 2nd chief and one principal man accompanied us. Those two Indians accompanied me on board in the small pirogue, Captain Lewis with a guard still on shore. The man who steered not being much accustomed to steer, passed the bow of the boat and the pirogue came broadside against the cable and broke it which obliged me to order in a loud voice all hands, all hands up and at their ores, my peremptory order to the men and the bustle of their getting to their ores alarmed the chiefs, together with the appearance of the men on shore. As the boat turned, the chief hollered and alarmed the camp or town, informing them that the Omahas was about attacking us. In about 10 minutes the bank was lined with men armed, the 1st chief at their head. About 200 men appeared and after about ½ hour returned all but about 60 men who continued on the bank all night. the chiefs continued all night with us. This alarm I as well as Captain Lewis considered as the signal of their intentions (which was to stop our proceeding on our journey and if possible rob us). We were on our guard all night. The misfortune of the loss of our anchor obliged us to lay under a falling bank much exposed to the accomplishment of their hostile intentions. Pierre Cruzatte—our bowman who could speak Omaha—informed us in the night that the Omha prisoners informed him we were to be stopped. We show as little signs of a knowledge of their intentions as possible. All prepared on board for anything which might happen. We kept a strong guard all night in the boat. No sleep.

Gass We remained here all day. Captain Lewis, myself, and some of the men went over to the Indian camp. Their lodges are about eighty in number and contain about ten persons each; the greater part women and children. The women were employed in dressing buffalo skins for clothing for themselves and for covering their lodges. They are the most friendly people I ever saw; but will pilfer if they have an opportunity. They are also very dirty: the water they make use of is carried in the paunches of the animals they kill, just as they are emptied, without being cleaned. They gave us dishes of victuals of various kinds. I had never seen anything like some of these dishes, nor could I tell of what ingredients or how they were made. ¶ About 15 days ago, they had a battle with the Omahas of whom they killed 75 men and took 25 women prisoners, whom they have now with them. They promised to Captain Lewis that they would send the prisoners back and make peace. ¶ About 3 o'clock we went aboard the boat accompanied with the old chief and his little son. In the evening, Captain Lewis and some of the men went over, and the Indians made preparations for a dance. At dark it commenced. Captain Lewis, myself, and some of our party went up to see them perform. Their band of music, or orchestra, was composed of about twelve persons beating on a buffalo hide and shaking small bags that made a rattling noise. They had a large fire in the center of their camp. On one side the women, about 80 in number, formed in a solid column round the fire, with sticks in their hands, and the scalps of the Omahas they had killed, tied on them. They kept moving or jumping round the fire, rising and falling on both feet at once; keeping a continual noise, singing and yelling. In this manner they continued till 1 o'clock at night, when we returned to the boat with two of the chiefs. On coming aboard, the pirogue run across the bow of the boat and broke the cable. All hands were roused to tow the boat ashore. The chiefs called aloud and a number of the warriors came to our assistance, but we did not need it. The circumstance, however, showed their disposition to be of service. This unfortunate accident lost to us our anchor.

Ordway A clear and pleasant morning. The most of the party went to the village in the course of the day 5 or 6 at a time, as the chiefs desired us to stay this day as they said that another lodge would came today (600 men) (and 7 chiefs). The chiefs and chiefs' sons came on board several times in the course of the day and dined with the officers etc. Sergeant Gass informed me as he was at the village today that he counted 80 lodges (of the Teton tribe) which contain ten persons each, which were built round with poles about 15 or 20 feet high and covered with dressed buffalo hides painted, some of them red etc. They draw them from one place to another with their dogs. They tackled one today which carried about 80 weight with ease. About 2 thirds are women and children. The women are employed in dressing buffalo skins for clothes and lodges etc. They appear to be very friendly, but will steal and pilfer if they have an opportunity. The vessels they carry their water in are deers paunches and other kinds, some wooden bowls which they make. The chiefs promised our captains that they would send the prisoners back to their nation again. Towards evening they made preparations for another dance this evening. At dark the officers and 7 or 8 of the party went over to the dance and see them dance and carry on nearly as the evening before. Only the men danced and made speeches after the women had danced a while etc. The dance lasted till about 12 o'clock at night, at which time the captains returned to the boat. Brought with them 2 chiefs. The men all returned also. An accident happened as they came on board by the neglect of the men at the helm of the pirogue who steered her above the big boat. She swung round with the current and she came full force down against the bow of the barge, broke the cable of her. We found we were all on float. Roused all hands and got safe to shore on south side. The Indians hearing us and expected that the Omaha Indians had come to attack us, they all ran to our assistance on the bank of the river and fired several guns for an alarm only. We informed them the cause etc. Some of them remained with us the remainder part of the night. We examined the pirogue that met with the stroke, found that she had sprang a leak at one place. We corked it and bailed the pirogue. Found her not very much damaged, but if the cable of the boat had not gave way the pirogue must have broke in two or turned over. I being on duty set up the remainder part of the night and had all the party on their guards.

Whitehouse A We stayed here this day. Captain Lewis and some of the party went over to see the Indians camps. Their lodges are about 80 in number and contain about 10 souls each, the most of them women and children. The women are employed dressing buffalo hides for to make themselves clothing and to make their lodges etc. They are or appear as yet to be the most friendly people I ever saw but they will steal and plunder if they can get an opportunity. They are very dirty. The vessels they carry their water in is the paunch of their game which they kill and in the same manner that they take them out of the animal. They gave us different kinds of victuals to eat. Some of it I never saw the like before. About 15 days ago they had a battle with the Omahas. They killed 65 men and took 25 women prisoners. They took the 65 of the Omahas scalps and had them hung on small poles which their women held in their hands when they danced. We saw them have one dance this evening. They kept it up until one o'clock dancing round a fire about 80 of them in number. They had drums and whistles for music. They danced war dances round the fire which was curious to us. When we came on board an accident happened by running the pirogue across the bow of the boat and broke our cable and lost our anchor. All hands was raised and rowed the barge to shore. The savages ran down to know what was the matter. We told them. They said that they came to our assistance. We thanked them for showing their good will but kept on our guard all night for fear they would turn our enemies themselves.

Whitehouse B We remained at same place at anchor this day. Captain Lewis and some of our party went ashore to see the Indian encampment and carried the two Indian chiefs with him. Their encampment consisted of eighty lodges in number and contained ten souls in each, the most part of them women and children. The women were employed dressing buffalo hides to make themselves clothing and to make their lodges. They appeared to be the most friendly people I had ever seen as savages, but they will steal and plunder if they can get an opportunity to do so. They are very dirty in regard to the vessels that they carry their water in—this being the paunch of the animals they kill and water is put into it in the same condition as it is taken from the animal. They gave us victuals to eat which was different from what we had ever before seen or tasted. As I was one of the party that came ashore with Captain Lewis, I had an opportunity of seeing what I have here mentioned in regard to these Indians. They informed Captain Lewis (by the Frenchman our interpreter) that fifteen days before this time, that they had a battle with the Omaha Indians and that they had killed sixty-five of their men and had taken twenty-five of their women prisoners, who was then here. They took the scalps off those 65 Omahas and had them hung on small poles which the women held in their hand when they danced the evening before. This evening they commenced dancing again which they continued to do till one o'clock in the morning. There was about 80 of them and they danced round a fire and had a drum made out of a hollow piece of wood with a Skin stretched over it and some whistles of their own making for music. They danced their war dance which was a curiosity to us. We put off from the shore to go on board the boat when the pirogue, running across the bow of the boat, broke the cable of the boat and we lost her anchor. This caused all the hands to be roused, and the oars to be manned immediately, which being done, the boat was rowed towards the shore. The Indians, observing the boat coming to the shore where they was, got alarmed. Numbers of them came to the bank of the river and enquired what was the matter. They were told by our interpreter the cause, at which they seemed satisfied and said that they came to assist us. The interpreter thanked them for showing their good will. ¶ Our officers, fearing the treachery of these Indians, kept up a strong guard this night, not wishing to lay it in the power of these Indians to do us any injury as the boat lay under the bank of the river and fastened to a stake with the remainder of the cable.