Indians, with a present of tobacco, corn, and a few kettles; and told them that we would speak to their chiefs in the morning.  Sergeant Pryor reported, that on reaching their village, which is at twelve miles distance from our camp, he was met by a party with a buffaloe robe, on which they desired to carry their visitors:  an honour which they declined, informing the Indians that they were not the commanders of the boats:  as a great mark of respect, they were then presented with a fat dog, already cooked, of which they partook heartily, and found it well flavoured.  The camps of the Sioux are of a conical form, covered with buffaloe robes, painted with various figures and colours, with an aperture in the top for the smoke to pass through.  The lodges contain from ten to fifteen persons, and the interior arrangement is compact and handsome, each lodge having a place for cooking detached from it.

August 30th.  Thursday.  The fog was so thick that we could not see the Indian camp on the opposite side, but it cleared off about eight o’clock.  We prepared a speech, and some presents, and then sent for the chiefs and warriors, whom we received, at twelve o’clock, under a large oak tree, near to which the flag of the United States was flying.  Captain Lewis delivered a speech, with the usual advice and counsel for their future conduct.  We then acknowledged their chiefs, by giving to the grand chief a flag, a medal, a certificate, with a string of wampum; to which we added a chief’s coat; that is, a richly laced uniform of the United States artillery corps, and a cocked hat and red feather.  One second chief and three inferior ones were made or recognised by medals, and a suitable present of tobacco, and articles of clothing.  We then smoked the pipe of peace, and the chiefs retired to a bower, formed of bushes, by their young men, where they divided among each other the presents, and smoked and eat, and held a council on the answer which they were to make us to-morrow.  The young people exercised their bows and arrows in shooting at marks for beads, which we distributed to the best marksmen; and in the evening the whole party danced until a late hour, and in the course of their amusement we threw among them some knives, tobacco, bells, tape, and binding, with which they were much pleased.  Their musical instruments were the drum, and a sort of little bag made of buffaloe hide, dressed white, with small shot or pebbles in it, and a bunch of hair tied to it.  This produces a sort of rattling music, with which the party was annoyed by four musicians during the council this morning.

August 31.  In the morning, after breakfast, the chiefs met, and sat down in a row, with pipes of peace, highly ornamented, and all pointed towards the seats intended for captains Lewis and Clarke.  When they arrived and were seated, the grand chief, whose Indian name, Weucha, is, in English Shake Hand, and, in French, is called Le Liberateur (the deliverer) rose, and spoke at some length, approving what we had said, and promising to follow our advice: