he Shoshonees, very soon after the white men's
expedition had left for the Rocky Mountains, notwithstanding their
promise to keep peace with the surrounding tribes. They had also sent a
war-party against the Ricaras, two of whom they killed. Accordingly, the
white chiefs had a powwow with the Indian chiefs, at which the journal
says these incidents occurred:--

"We took this opportunity of endeavoring to engage Le Borgne in our
interests by a present of the swivel, which is no longer serviceable, as
it cannot be discharged from our largest pirogue. It was loaded; and the
chiefs being formed into a circle round it, Captain Clark addressed them
with great ceremony. He said that he had listened with much attention
to what had yesterday been declared by Le Borgne, whom he believed to be
sincere, and then reproached them with their disregard of our counsels,
and their wars on the Shoshonees and Ricaras. Little Cherry, the
old Minnetaree chief, answered that they had long stayed at home and
listened to our advice, but at last went to war against the Sioux
because their horses had been stolen and their companions killed; and
that in an expedition against those people they met the Ricaras, who
were on their way to strike them, and a battle ensued. But in future he
said they would attend to our words and live at peace. Le Borgne added
that his ears would always be open to the words of his Good Father, and
shut against bad counsel. Captain Clark then presented to Le Borgne the
swivel, which he told him had announced the words of his Great Father
to all the nations we had seen, and which, whenever it was fired, should
recall those which we had delivered to him. The gun was discharged, and
Le Borgne had it conveyed in great pomp to his village. The council then
adjourned."

After much diplomacy and underhand scheming, one of the Mandan chiefs,
Big White, agreed to go to Washington with the expedition. But none of
the Minnetarees could be prevailed upon to leave their tribe, even for
a journey to the Great Father, of whose power and might so much had been
told them. The journal, narrating this fact, says further:--

"The principal chiefs of the Minnetarees now came down to bid us
farewell, as none of them could be prevailed on to go with us. This
circumstance induced our interpreter, Chaboneau, to remain here with his
wife and child, as he could no longer be of use to us, and, although we
offered to take him with us to the United