it
will be recollected, was given a flag and a medal by the two captains
when they passed up the river on their way to the Rocky Mountains and
the Pacific coast. The flag was now brought on and hoisted on the lodge
of Black Cat. On that occasion, also, the commanders of the expedition
had given the Indians a number of useful articles, among them being a
portable corn-mill. But the Indians had other uses for metal, and they
had taken the mill apart and used the iron for the purpose of making
barbs for their arrows. From the Omahas, who were located here, the
white men received a present of as much corn as three men could carry.
Black Cat also gave them a dozen bushels of corn.

Their days of starvation and famine were over. They were next visited
by Le Borgne, better known as One-eye, the head chief of all the
Minnetarees, to whom Lewis and Clark also extended an invitation to go
to Washington to see the Great Father. The journal says:--

"Le Borgne began by declaring that he much desired to visit his Great
Father, but that the Sioux would certainly kill any of the Mandans who
should attempt to go down the river. They were bad people, and would not
listen to any advice. When he saw us last, we had told him that we had
made peace with all the nations below; yet the Sioux had since killed
eight of his tribe, and stolen a number of their horses. The Ricaras too
had stolen their horses, and in the contest his people had killed two
of the Ricaras. Yet in spite of these dispositions he had always had
his ears open to our counsels, and had actually made a peace with
the Chayennes and the Indians of the Rocky Mountains. He concluded by
saying, that however disposed they were to visit the United States, the
fear of the Sioux would prevent them from going with us."

The truth was that One-eye had no notion of going to Washington; he was
afraid of nobody, and his plea of possible danger among the Sioux
was mere nonsense to deceive the white men. Captain Clark visited the
village of Black Cat, and that worthy savage made the same excuse that
Le Borgne (One-eye) had already put forth; he was afraid of the Sioux.
The journal adds:--

"Captain Clark then spoke to the chiefs and warriors of the village.
He told them of his anxiety that some of them should see their Great
Father, hear his good words, and receive his gifts; and requested them
to fix on some confidential chief who might accompany us. To this they
made the same objectio