Clark: August 16, 1806

Friday 16th August 1806 a cool morning. Sent up Sergt. Pryor to the mandan
village, for Some Corn which they offered to give us. he informed that
they had more Corn collected for us than our Canoes Could Carry Six load
of which he brought down. I thanked the Chief for his kindness and
informed him that our Canoes would not Carry any more Corn than we had
already brought down. at 10 A. M the Chiefs of the different villages came
to See us and Smoke a pipe &c. as our Swivel Could no longer be
Serveceable to us as it could not be fireed on board the largest Perogue,
we Concluded to make a present of it to the Great Chief of the Menetaras
(the One Eye) with a view to ingratiate him more Strongly in our favour I
had the Swivel Charged and Collected the Chiefs in a circle around it and
adressed them with great ceremoney. told them I had listened with much
attention to what the One Eye had Said yesterday and beleived that he was
Sincere & Spoke from his heart. I reproached them very Severely for
not attending to what had been Said to them by us in Council in the fall
of 1804 and at different times in the winter of 1804 & 5, and told
them our backs were Scercely turned befor a party followed and killed the
pore defenceless snake indians whom we had taken by the hand & told
them not to be afraid that you would never Strike them again &c. also
mentioned the ricers &c. The little Cherry old Chief of the Menetarras
Spoke as follows Viz: “Father we wish to go down with you to See our Great
Father, but we know the nations below and are afraid of the Scioux who
will be on the river and will kill us on our return home. The Scioux has
Stolen our horses and killed 8 of our men Since you left us, and the
Ricaras have also Struck us. we Staid at home and listened to what you had
told us. we at length went to war against the Scioux and met with Ricaras
and killed two of them, they were on their way to Strike us. We will
attend to your word and not hurt any people all Shall be Welcom and we
Shall do as you direct-.” The One Eye Said his ears would always be open
to the word of his great father and Shut against bad Council &c. I
then a good deel of Ceremony made a preasent of the Swivel to the One Eye
Chief and told him when he fired this gun to remember the words of his
great father which we had given him. this gun had anounced the words of
his great father to all the nations which we had Seen &c. &c.
after the council was over the gun was fired & delivered, they Chief
appeared to be much pleased and conveyed it immediately to his village
&c. we Settled with and discharged Colter. in the evening I walked to
the village to See the little Crow and know when he would be ready, took
with me a flag intending to give him to leave at his lodge but to my
astonishment he informed me he had declined going down the reason of which
I found was through a jellousy between himself and the principal Chief he
refused a flag & we Sent for Mr. Jessomme and told him to use his
influn to provail on one of the Chiefs to acompany us and we would employ
him. he informed us soon after that the big white Chief would go if we
would take his wife & Son & Jessoms wife & 2 children we wer
obliged to agree to do