proceeded to the second village on the north, passing by a bank
containing coal, and a second village, and encamped at four miles on the
north, opposite to a village of Ahnahaways. We here met with a
Frenchman, named Jesseaume, who lives among the Indians with his wife
and children, and who we take as an interpreter. The Indians had flocked
to the bank to see us as we passed, and they visited in great numbers
the camp, where some of them remained all night. We sent in the evening
three young Indians with a present of tobacco for the chiefs of the
three upper villages, inviting them to come down in the morning to a
council with us. Accordingly the next day,

Sunday, October 28, we were joined by many of the Minnetarees and
Ahnahaways from above, but the wind was so violent from the southwest
that the chiefs of the lower villages could not come up, and the
council was deferred till to-morrow. In the mean while we entertained
our visitors by showing them what was new to them in the boat; all
which, as well our black servant, they called Great Medicine, the
meaning of which we afterwards learnt. We also consulted the grand chief
of the Mandans, Black Cat, and Mr. Jesseaume, as to the names,
characters, &c. of the chiefs with whom we are to hold the council. In
the course of the day we received several presents from the women,
consisting of corn, boiled hominy, and garden stuffs: in our turn we
gratified the wife of the great chief with a gift of a glazed earthen
jar. Our hunter brought us two beaver. In the afternoon we sent the
Minnetaree chiefs to smoke for us with the great chief of the Mandans,
and told them we would speak in the morning.

Finding that we shall be obliged to pass the winter at this place, we
went up the river about one and a half miles to-day, with a view of
finding a convenient spot for a fort, but the timber was too scarce and
small for our purposes.

Monday, October 29. The morning was fine and we prepared our presents
and speech for the council. After breakfast we were visited by an old
chief of the Ahnahaways, who finding himself growing old and weak had
transferred his power to his son, who is now at war against the
Shoshonees. At ten o'clock the chiefs were all assembled under an awning
of our sails, stretched so as to exclude the wind which had become high;
that the impression might be the more forcible, the men were all
paraded, and the council opened by a discharge from the swivel of the
bo