Tabeau and Gravelines at the Ricara village, requesting them to preserve
peace if possible, and to declare the part which we should be forced to
take if the Ricaras and Sioux made war on those whom we had adopted.
After distributing a few presents to the Sharhas and Mandans, and
showing them our curiosities we dismissed them, apparently well pleased
at their reception.

Monday, December 3. The morning was fine, but in the afternoon the
weather became cold with the wind from the northwest. The father of the
Mandan who was killed brought us a present of dried pumpkins and some
pemitigon, for which we gave him some small articles. Our offer of
assistance to avenge the death of his son seemed to have produced a
grateful respect from him, as well as from the brother of the deceased,
which pleased us much.

Tuesday 4th. The wind continues from the northwest, the weather cloudy
and raw, and the river rose one inch, Oscapsahe and two young chiefs
pass the day with us. The whole religion of the Mandans consists in the
belief of one great spirit presiding over their destinies. This being
must be in the nature of a good genius since it is associated with the
healing art, and the great spirit is synonymous with great medicine, a
name also applied to every thing which they do not comprehend. Each
individual selects for himself the particular object of his devotion,
which is termed his medicine, and is either some invisible being or more
commonly some animal, which thenceforward becomes his protector or his
intercessor with the great spirit; to propitiate whom every attention is
lavished, and every personal consideration is sacrificed. "I was lately
owner of seventeen horses," said a Mandan to us one day, "but I have
offered them all up to my medicine and am now poor." He had in reality
taken all his wealth, his horses, into the plain, and turning them loose
committed them to the care of his medicine and abandoned them forever.
The horses less religious took care of themselves, and the pious votary
travelled home on foot. Their belief in a future state is connected with
this tradition of their origin: the whole nation resided in one large
village under ground near a subterraneous lake; a grape-vine extended
its roots down to their habitation and gave them a view of the light:
some of the most adventurous climed up the vine and were delighted with
the sight of the earth, which they found covered with buffaloe and rich
with every ki