a small medal, a certificate of his
good conduct, a carrot of tobacco, and some wampum, with which he
departed for the Mandan village well satisfied with his reception.
Having made all our arrangements, we left the fort about five o'clock in
the afternoon. The party now consisted of thirty-two persons. Besides
ourselves were serjeants John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick Gass:
the privates were William Bratton, John Colter, John Collins, Peter
Cruzatte, Robert Frazier, Reuben Fields, Joseph Fields, George Gibson,
Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, Baptiste Lapage, Francis
Labiche, Hugh M'Neal, John Potts, John Shields, George Shannon, John B.
Thompson, William Werner, Alexander Willard, Richard Windsor, Joseph
Whitehouse, Peter Wiser, and captain Clarke's black servant York. The
two interpreters, were George Drewyer and Toussaint Chaboneau. The wife
of Chaboneau also accompanied us with her young child, and we hope may
be useful as an interpreter among the Snake Indians. She was herself one
of that tribe, but having been taken in war by the Minnetarees, by whom
she was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and afterwards
married her. One of the Mandans likewise embarked with us, in order to
go to the Snake Indians and obtain a peace with them for his countrymen.
All this party with the baggage was stowed in six small canoes and two
large periogues. We left the fort with fair pleasant weather though the
northwest wind was high, and after making about four miles encamped on
the north side of the Missouri, nearly opposite the first Mandan
village. At the same time that we took our departure, our barge manned
with seven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and Mr. Gravelines as pilot, sailed
for the United States loaded with our presents and despatches.

Monday, 8th. The day was clear and cool, the wind from the northwest, so
that we travelled slowly. After breakfasting at the second Mandan
village we passed the Mahaha at the mouth of Knife river, a handsome
stream about eighty yards wide. Beyond this we reached the island which
captain Clarke had visited on the 30th October. This island has timber
as well as the lowlands on the north, but its distance from the water
had prevented our encamping there during the winter. From the head of
this island we made three and a half miles to a point of wood on the
north, passing a high bluff on the south, and having come about fourteen
miles. In the course of the day one