the Sioux.  After presenting the letter, he told us that he was sent with ten warriors by his nation to arrange their settling near the Mandans and Minnetarees, whom they wished to join; that he considered all the neighboring nations friendly except the Sioux, whose persecution they would no longer withstand, and whom they hoped to repel by uniting with the tribes in this quarter:  he added that the Ricaras intended to follow our advice and live in peace with all nations, and requested that we would speak in their favour to the Assiniboin Indians.  This we willingly promised to do, and assured them that their great father would protect them and no longer suffer the Sioux to have good guns, or to injure his dutiful children.  We then gave him 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 of our boats filled and was near sinking; we however saved her with the loss of a little biscuit and powder.