Clark: February 21, 1805

21st February Thursday 1805 a Delightfull Day put out our Clothes to SunVisited
by the big white & Big man they informed me that Several men of their
nation was gorn to Consult their Medison Stone about 3 day march to the
South West to know What was to be the result of the insuing yearThey
have great confidence in this Stone and Say that it informs them of every
thing which is to happen, & visit it every Spring & Sometimes in
the Summer “They haveing arrived at the Stone give it Smoke and proceed to
the wood at Some distance to Sleep the next morning return to the Stone,
and find marks white & raised on the Stone representing the piece or
war which they are to meet with, and other changes, which they are to
meet” This Stone has a leavel Surface of about 20 feet in Surcumfrance,
thick and pores, and no doubt has Some mineral qualtites effected by the
Sun.

The Big Bellies have a Stone to which they ascribe nearly the Same Virtues

Capt Lewis returned with 2 Slays loaded with meat, after finding that he
could not overtake the Souis war party, (who had in their way distroyd all
the meat at one Deposit which I had made & Burnt the Lodges)
deturmined to proceed on to the lower Deposit, which he found had not been
observed by Soux he hunted two day Killed 36 Deer & 14 Elk, Several of
them So meager, that they were unfit for use, the meet which he killed and
that in the lower Deposit amounting to about 3000 wt was brought up on two
Slays, one Drawn by 16 men had about 2400 wt on it

[Clark, February 22, 1805]
Fort Mandan
22nd of February Friday 1805.
a Cloudy morning, at about 12 oClock it began to rain and Continud for
a fiew minits, and turned to Snow, and Continud Snowing for about one
hour, and Cleared away fair The two hunters left below arrived, They
killed two Elk, and hung them up out of the reach of the wolvesThe
Coal a Ricara who is a considerable Chief of the Mandans visited us to
day, and maney others of the three nations in our neighbourhood.