Clark: August 21, 1806

Thursday 21st August 1806 Musquetors very troublesom in the early part of
last night and again this morning I directed Sergt. Ordway to proceed on
to where there was Some ash and get enough for two ores which were
wanting. Men all put their arms in perfect order and we Set out at 5 a.m.
over took Sergt. ordway with wood for oars &c. at 8 A.M. Met three
french men Comeing up, they proved to be three men from the Ricaras two of
them Reevea & Greinyea wintered with us at the mandans in 1804 we Came
too, those men informed us that they were on their way to the Mandans, and
intended to go down to the Illinois this fall. one of them quit a young
lad requested a passage down to the Illinois, we concented and he got into
a Canoe to an Ore. Those men informd us that 700 Seeoux had passed the
Ricaras on their way to war with the Mandans & Menitarras and that
their encampment where the Squaws and Children wer, was Some place near
the Big Bend of this river below. no ricaras had accompanied them but were
all at home, they also informed us that no trader had arived at the
Ricaras this Season, and that they were informed that the Pania or Ricara
Chief who went to the United States last Spring was a year, died on his
return at Smoe place near the Sieoux river &c. those men had nether
powder nor lead we gave them a horn of powder and Some balls and after a
delay of an hour we parted from the 2 men Reevey & Grienway and
proceeded on. the wind rose and bley from the N. W. at half past 11 a.m.
we arived in view of the upper Ricara villages, a Great number of womin
Collecting wood on the banks, we Saluted the village with four guns and
they returned the Salute by fireing Several guns in the village, I
observed Several very white Lodges on the hill above the Town which the
ricaras from the Shore informed me were Chyennes who had just arived-. we
landed opposit to the 2d Villages and were met by the most of the men
women and children of each village as also the Chyennes they all appeared
anxious to take us by the hand and much rejoiced to See us return. I
Steped on Shore and was Saluted by the two great Chiefs, whome we had made
or given Medals to as we assend this river in 1804, and also Saluted by a
great number both of Ricaras & Chyennes, as they appeared anxious to
here what we had done &c. as well as to here Something about the
Mandans & Minetarras. I Set my self down on the Side of the Bank and
the Chiefs & brave men of the Ricaras & Chyennes formed a Cercle
around me. after takeing a Smoke of Mandan tobacco which the Big white
Chief who was Seated on my left hand furnished, I informed them as I had
before informed the Mandans & Menitarras, where we had been what we
had done and Said to the different nations in there favour and envited
Some of their Chiefs to accompany us down and See their great father and
receve from his own mouth his good Councils and from his own hands his
bountifull gifts &c. telling pretty much the Same which I had told the
mandans and menitarras. told them not to be afraid of any nation below
that none would hurt them &c. a man of about 32 years of age was
intreduced to me as 1st Chief of the nation this man they Call the grey
eyes or ____ he was absent from the Nation at the time we passed up, the
man whome we had acknowledged as the principal chief informed me that the
Grey eyes was a greater Chief than himself and that he had given up all
his pretentions with the Flag and Medal to the Grey eyesThe
principal chief of the Chyenne’s was then introduced he is a Stout jolley
fellow of about 35 years of age whome the Ricaras Call the Grey Eyes I
also told the ricaras that I was very Sorrey to here that they were not on
friendly terms with their neighbours the Mandans & Menetarras, and had
not listened to what we had Said to them but had Suffered their young men
to join the Sieoux who had killed 8 Mandans &c. that their young men
had Stolen the horses of the Minetarras, in retaliation for those enjories
the Mandans & Menetarras had Sent out a war party and killed 2
ricaras. how could they expect other nations would be at peace with them
when they themselves would not listen to what their great father had told
them. I further informed them that the Mandans & Menetaras had opened
their ears to what we had Said to them but had Staid at home untill they
were Struk that they were Still disposed to be friendly and on good terms
with the ricaras, they then Saw the great Chief of the Mandans by my Side
who was on his way to see his great father, and was derected by his nation
& the Menetaras & Maharhas, to Smoke in the pipe of peace with you
and to tell you not to be afraid to go to their towns, or take the Birds
in the plains that their ears were open to our Councils and no harm Should
be done to a Ricara. The Chief will Speak presently The Grey eyes Chief of
the ricaras made a very animated Speach in which he mentioned his
williness of following the councels which we had given them that they had
Some bad young men who would not listen to the Councels but would join the
Seioux, those men they had discarded and drove out of their villages, that
the Seioux were the Cause of their Missunderstanding &c. that they
were a bad peoples. that they had killed Several of the Ricaras Since I
Saw them. That Several of the chiefs wished to accompany us down to See
their great father, but wished to see the Chief who went down last Sumer
return first, he expressed Some apprehention as to the Safty of that
Chiefs in passing the Sieoux. that the Ricaras had every wish to be
friendly with the Mandans &c. that every mandan &c. who chose to
visit the ricares should be Safe that he Should Continue with his nation
and See that they followed the Council which we had given them &c.The
Sun being very hot the Chyenne Chief envited us to his Lodge which was
pitched in the plain at no great distance from the River. I accepted the
invitation and accompanied him to his lodge which was new and much larger
than any which I have Seen it was made of 20 dressed Buffalow Skins in the
Same form of the Sceoux and lodges of other nations of this quarter. about
this lodges was 20 others Several of them of nearly the Same Size. I
enquired for the ballance of the nation and was informed that they were
near at hand and would arive on tomorrow and when all together amounted to
120 Lodges after Smokeing I gave a medal of the Small size to the Chyenne
Chief &c. which appeared to alarm him, he had a robe and a fleece of
fat Buffalow meat brought and gave me with the meadel back and informed me
that he knew that the white people were all medecine and that he was
afraid of the midal or any thing that white people gave to them. I had
previously explained the cause of my gveing him the medal & flag, and
again told him the use of the medal and the caus of my giveing it to him,
and again put it about his neck delivering him up his preasent of a roab
& meat, informing him that this was the medecene which his Great
father directed me to deliver to all the great Chiefs who listened to his
word and followed his councils, that he had done So and I should leave the
medal with him as a token of his cincerity &c. he doubled the quantity
of meat, and received the medal

The Big White chief of the Mandans Spoke at some length explainin the
Cause of the misunderstanding between his nation and the ricaras,
informing them of his wish to be on the most freindly termes &c. the
Chyennes accused both nations of being in folt. I told to them all that if
they eve wished to be hapy that they must Shake off all intimecy with the
Seioux and unite themselves in a Strong allience and attend to what we had
told them &c. which they promesed all to do and we Smoked and parted
on the best terms, the Mandan Chief was Saluted by Several Chiefs and
brave men on his way with me to the riverI had requested the
ricaras & Chyennes to inform me as Soon as possible of their
intentions of going down with us to See their great father or not. in the
evening the Great Chief requested that I would walk to his house which I
did, he gave me about 2 quarts of Tobacco, 2 beaver Skins and a trencher
of boiled Corn & beans to eat (as it is the Custom of all the Nations
on the Missouri to give Something to every white man who enters their
lodge Something to eat) this Chief informed me that none of his Chiefs
wished to go down with us they all wished to See the cheif who went down
return first, that the Chyennes were a wild people and were afraid to go.
that they Should all listen to what I had Said. I gave him Some ribon to
Suspend his Medal to and a Shell which the Snake indians gave me for which
he was very much pleased.

The interpreter informed me that the Cheifs of those villages had no
intention of going down. one the Cheifs of the Village on the island
talkd. of going down. I returned to the boat where I found the principal
Chief of the lower vilege who had Cut part of his hair and disfigured
himself in Such a manner that I did not know him, he informed me the Sieux
had killed his nephew and that Was in tears for him &c. we deturmind
to proceed down to the Island and accordingly took the chief on board and
proceeded on down to the isd village at which place we arived a little
before dark and were met as before by nearly every individual of the
Village, we Saluted them and landed imediately opposit the town. The one
arm 2d Cheif of this village whome we had expected to accompany us down
Spoke to the mandan Cheif in a loud and thretening tone which Caused me to
be Some what alarmed for the Safty of that Cheif, I inform the Ricaras of
this village that the Mandans had opened their ears to and fold. our
Councils, that this Cheif was on his way to see their Great Father the P.
of U S. and was under our protection that if any enjorey was done to him
by any nation that we Should all die to a man. I told the Ricaras that
they had told us lies, they promised to be at peace with the mandans &
Menetarras. that our back was Scrcely turned before they went to war &
Killd. them and Stole their horses &cThe Cheif then envited me
& the Mandan Chief to his house to talk there. I accompanied him,
after takeing a very Serimonious Smoke the 2d Cheif informd. me that he
had opened his ears to what we had Said to him at the time we gave him the
medal that he had not been to war against any Natn. Since, that once been
to See the mandans and they were going to kill him, they had not killed
the Mandans, it was the Seeoux who killed them and not the ricaras, he
Said that the Mandan Cheif was as Safe as if he was in his own Vilg that
he had opened his ears and Could here as well as the mandans. I then
informd them what I had told the upper villages and we all become
perfectly reconsiled all to each other and Smoked in the most perfect
harmony we had invatations to go into their lodges and eate. I at length
went to the grand Chiefs Lodge by his particelar invitation, the Mandan
Chief Stuck close to me the Chief had prepd. a Supper of boiled young
Corn, beens & quashes of which he gave me in Wooden bowls. he also
gave me near 2 quarts of the Tobacco Seed, & informed me he had always
had his ears open to what we had Said, that he was well convinced that the
Seeoux was the caus of all the trouble between the Mandans & them the
Ricars had Stolen horses from the Mandan which had been returned all
except one which could not be got, this mischief was done by Some young
men who was bad. a long Conversation of explanations took place between
the Ricara & mandan Chiefs which appeared to be Satisfactory on both
Sides. the Chief gave a pipe with great form and every thing appeared to
be made up. I returned to the river & went to bead. the Indians contd
on board. made 22 miles today only.