e hundred which they
had seen, there was not a single female. The beaver is here in plenty,
and the two Frenchmen who are returning with us catch several every
night.

These villages which are nine in number are scattered along each side of
the river within a space of twenty miles; almost all that remains of
them is the wall which surrounded them, the fallen heaps of earth which
covered the houses, and occasionally human skulls and the teeth and
bones of men, and different animals, which are scattered on the surface
of the ground.

Tuesday 23. The weather was cloudy and we had some snow; we soon arrived
at five lodges where the two Frenchmen had been robbed, but the Indians
had left it lately as we found the fires still burning. The country
consists as usual of timbered low grounds, with grapes, rushes, and
great quantities of a small red acid fruit, known among the Indians by
a name signifying rabbitberries, and called by the French graisse de
buffle or buffaloe fat. The river too, is obstructed by many sandbars.
At twelve miles we passed an old village on the north, which was the
former residence of the Ahnahaways who now live between the Mandans and
Minnetarees. After making thirteen miles we encamped on the south.

Wednesday 24. The day was again dark and it snowed a little in the
morning. At three miles we came to a point on the south, where the river
by forcing a channel across a former bend has formed a large island on
the north. On this island we found one of the grand chiefs of the
Mandans, who with five lodges was on a hunting excursion. He met his
enemy the Ricara chief, with great ceremony and apparent cordiality, and
smoked with him. After visiting his lodges, the grand chief and his
brother came on board our boat for a short time; we then proceeded and
encamped on the north, at seven miles from our last night's station and
below the old village of the Mandans and Ricaras. Here four Mandans came
down from a camp above, and our Ricara chief returned with them to their
camp, from which we auger favourably of their pacific views towards each
other. The land is low and beautiful, and covered with oak and
cottonwood, but has been too recently hunted to afford much game.

25th. The morning was cold and the wind gentle from the southeast: at
three miles we passed a handsome high prairie on the south, and on an
eminence about forty feet above the water and extending back for several
miles in a beautiful plain,