sk for it, but send a squaw, who
without saying any thing, sits down by the door of the lodge till the
master understands the hint, and gives her gratuitously a part for her
family. Chaboneau who with one man had gone to some lodges of
Minnetarees near the Turtle mountain, returned with their faces much
frostbitten. They had been about ninety miles distant, and procured
from the inhabitants some meat and grease, with which they loaded the
horses. He informs us that the agent of the Hudson bay company at that
place, had been endeavouring to make unfavourable impressions with
regard to us on the mind of the great chief, and that the N.W. company
intend building a fort there. The great chief had in consequence spoken
slightly of the Americans, but said that if we would give him our great
flag he would come and see us.

Monday 14. The Mandans continue to pass down the river on their hunting
party, and were joined by six of our men. One of those sent on Thursday
returned, with information that one of his companions had his feet so
badly frostbitten that he could not walk home. In their excursion they
had killed a buffaloe, a wolf, two porcupines and a white hare. The
weather was more moderate to-day, the mercury being at 16 degrees below
0, and the wind from the S.E. we had however some snow, after which it
remained cloudy.

Tuesday 15. The morning is much warmer than yesterday, and the snow
begins to melt, though the wind after being for some time from the S.E.
suddenly shifted to N.W. Between twelve and three o'clock A.M. there was
a total eclipse of the moon, from which we obtained a part of the
observation necessary for ascertaining the longitude.

We were visited by four of the most distinguished men of the
Minnetarees, to whom we showed marked attentions, as we knew that they
had been taught to entertain strong prejudices against us; these we
succeeded so well in removing, that when in the morning,

Wednesday 16, about thirty Mandans, among whom six were chiefs came to
see us, the Minnetarees reproached them with their falsehoods, declaring
that they were bad men and ought to hide themselves. They had told the
Minnetarees that we would kill them if they came to the fort, yet on the
contrary they had spent a night there and been treated with kindness by
the whites, who had smoked with them and danced for their amusement.
Kagohami visited us and brought us a little corn, and soon afterwards
one of the first war chief