e of the circle; these
are joined by poles from one fork to another, which are supported also
by other forked poles slanting from the ground: in the centre of the
lodge are placed four higher forks, about fifteen feet in length,
connected together by beams; from these to the lower poles the rafters
of the roof are extended so as to leave a vacancy in the middle for the
smoke: the frame of the building is then covered with willow branches,
with which is interwoven grass, and over this mud or clay: the aperture
for the door is about four feet wide, and before it is a sort of entry
about ten feet from the lodge. They are very warm and compact.

They cultivate maize or Indian corn, beans, pumpkins, watermelons,
squashes, and a species of tobacco peculiar to themselves.

Their commerce is chiefly with the traders who supply them with goods in
return for peltries, which they procure not only by their own hunting,
but in exchange for corn from their less civilized neighbours. The
object chiefly in demand seemed to be red paint, but they would give any
thing they had to spare for the most trifling article. One of the men
to-day gave an Indian a hook made out of a pin, and he gave him in
return a pair of moccasins.

They express a disposition to keep at peace with all nations, but they
are well armed with fusils, and being much under the influence of the
Sioux, who exchanged the goods which they get from the British for
Ricara corn, their minds are sometimes poisoned and they cannot be
always depended on. At the present moment they are at war with the
Mandans. We are informed by Mr. Gravelines, who had passed through that
country, that the Yankton or Jacques river rises about forty miles to
the east or northeast of this place, the Chayenne branch of the Red
river about twenty miles further, passing the Sioux, and the St. Peter's
about eighty.

Saturday, 13th. In the morning our visitors left us, except the brother
of the chief who accompanies us and one of the squaws. We passed at an
early hour a camp of Sioux on the north bank, who merely looked at us
without saying a word, and from the character of the tribe we did not
solicit a conversation. At ten and a half miles we reached the mouth of
a creek on the north, which takes its rise from some ponds a short
distance to the northeast: to this stream we gave the name of Stoneidol
creek, for after passing a willow and sand island just above its mouth,
we discovered that a few m