Clark: September 26, 1804

26th of Septr Set out early and proceeded onthe river lined with
indians, came too & anchored by the particular request of the Chiefs
to let their Womin & Boys See the Boat, and Suffer them to Show us
some friendshipgreat members of men womin & Children on the
bank viewing usThose people are Spritely Small legs ille looking
Set men perticularly, they grease & Black themselves when they dress,
make use of Hawks feathers about thier heads, cover with a Roab each a
polecat Skin to hold their Smokeables, fond of Dress, Badly armed. ther
women appear verry well, fine Teeth, High Cheek Dress in Skin Peticoats,
& a Roabe with the flesh Side out and harey ends turned back over
their Sholdes, and look wellthey doe all the Laborious work, and I
may say are perfect Slaves to thier husbands who frequently have Several
wives- Capt Lewis & 5 men went on Shore with the Chiefs, who appeared
to wish to become friendly they requested us to remain one night & see
them dance &c.in the evening I walked on Shore, and Saw Several
Mahar Womin & Boys in a lodge & was told they were Prisones
laterly taken in a battle in which they killed a number & took 48
prisonersI advised the Chiefs to make peace with that nation and
give up the Prisoners, if they intended to follow the words of their great
father they promised that they would do SoI was in Several Lodges
neetly formed, those lodges are about 15 to 20 feet Diametr Stretched on
Poles like a Sugar Loaf, made of Buffalow Skins Dressed about 5 oClock I
was approached by 10 well Dressed young men with a neet Buffalow Roab
which they Set down before me & requested me to get in they Carried me
to ther Council Tents forming 3/4 Circle & Set me down betwn 2 Chefs
where about 70 men were Seated in a circle, in front of the Chief 6 feet
Square was cleared & the pipe of peace raised on forks & Sticks,
under which was Swans down Scattered, the Flags of Spane & the one we
gave them yesterday was Displayed a large fire was made on which a Dog was
Cooked, & in the center about 400 wt of Buffalow meat which they gave
us,Soon after, I took my Seat the young men went to the boat &
brought Capt Lewis in the Same way & placed him by me Soon after an
old man rose & Spoke approveing what we had done. requesting us to
take pitty on them &C. answeredThey form their Camp in a circle

The great Chief then rose in great State and Spoke to the Same purpos and
with Solemnity took up the pipe of peace and pointed it to the heavens,
the 4 quartrs and the earth, he made Some divistation, & presented the
Sten to us to Smoke, after Smokeing & a Short Harrang to his people we
were requested to take the meat, and the Flesh of the Dog gavin us to eatWe
Smoked untill Dark, at which time all was cleared away & a large fire
made in the Center, Several men with Tamborens highly Decorated with Der
& Cabra Hoofs to make them rattle, assembled and began to Sing &
BeatThe women Came forward highly decerated with the Scalps &
Trofies of war of their fathes Husbands & relations, and Danced the
war Dance, which they done with great chearfulness untill 12 oClock, when
we informed the Chief we intended return on bord, (they offered us women,
which we did not except) 4 Chiefs accompanied us to the boat and Staid all
nightThose people have a Description of Men which they Call
Soldiars, those men attend to the police of the Band, Correct all vices
&. I Saw one to day whip 2 Squars who appeared to have fallen out,
when the Soldier approached all appeared give way and flee at night they
Keep 4 or 5 men at different distances walking around their Camp Singing
the acursenes of the night all in Spirits this evening wind hard from the
S E

I saw 25 Squars & Boys taken 13 days ago in a battle with the Mahars,
in which they destroyed 40 Lodges, Killed 75 men & boys, & took 48
prisones which they promised us Should be delivered to Mr. Durion now with
the Yankton _____, we gave our Mahar interpeter a few alls & &. to
give those retched Prisonis, I saw Homney of ground Potatos a Spoon of the
Big Horn animals which will hold 2 quarts.

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26th Septr. 1804 bad hd Isd. 26th of September Wednesday 1804 Set out
early proceeded on and Came to by the wish of the Chiefs for to let their
Squars & boys See the Boat and Suffer them to treat us well great
number of men women & Children on the banks viewing us, these people
Shew great anxiety, they appear Spritely, generally ill looking & not
well made thier legs & arms Small Generallythey Grese &
Black themselves with coal when they dress, make use of a hawks feather
about their heads the men a robe & each a polecats Skins, for to hold
ther Bais roly for Smokeing fond of Dress & Show badly armed with
fuseis &. The Squaws are Chearfull fine lookg womin not handson, High
Cheeks Dressed in Skins a Peticoat and roab which foldes back over thir
Sholder, with long wool. doe all ther laborious work & I may Say
perfect Slaves to the men, as all Squars of nations much at war, or where
the womin are more noumerous than the menafter Comeing too Capt.
Lewis & 5 men went on Shore with the Chiefs, who appeared desposed to
make up & be friendly, after Captain Lewis had been on Shore about 3
hours I became uneasy for fear of Some Deception & sent a Serjeant to
See him and know his treatment which he reported was friendly, & thy
were prepareing for a Dance this evening

The made frequent Selecitiation for us to remain one night only and let
them Show their good disposition towards us, we deturmined to remain,
after the return of Capt. Lewis, I went on Shore I saw Several Maha
Prisoners and Spoke to the Chiefs it was necessary to give those prisoners
up & become good friends with the Mahars if they wished to follow the
advice of their Great father I was in Several Lodges neetly formed as
before mentioned as to the Bauruly TribeI was met by about 10 well
Dressd. yound men who took me up in a roabe Highly a decrated and Set me
Down by the Side of their Chief on a Dressed robe in a large Council House
this house formed a 3/4 Cercle of Skins well Dressed and Sown together
under this Shelter about 70 men Set forming a Circle in front of the
Chiefs a plac of 6 feet Diameter was Clear and the pipe of peace raised on
Sticks under which there was Swans down Scattered, on each Side of the
Circle two Pipes, The flags of Spain 2 & the Flag we gave them in
front of the Grand Chief a large fire was near in which provisions were
Cooking, in the Center about 400 wt. of excellent Buffalo Beif as a
present for us

Soon after they set me Down, the men went for Capt Lewis brough him in the
same way and placed him also by the Chief in a fiew minits an old man rose
& Spoke approveing what we had done & informing us of their
Situation requesting us to take pity on them &c which was answered The
Great Chief then rose with great State to the Same purpote as far as we
Could learn & then with Great Solemnity took up the pipe of peace whin
the principal Chiefs Spoke with the pipe of Peace he took in one hand Some
of the most Delicate parts of the Dog which was prepared for the feist
& made a Sacrifise to the flag& after pointing it to the
heavins the 4 quarter of the Globe & the earth,, lit it and prosist
presented the Stem to us to Smoke, after a Smoke had taken place, & a
Short Harange to his people, we were requested to take the meal put before
us the dog which they had been cooking, & Pemitigon & ground
potatoe in Several platters. Pemn is buffo meat dried or baked pounded
& mixed with grease raw Dog Sioux think great dishused on festivals.
eat little of dog pemn & pote good we Smoked for an hour Dark &
all was Cleared away a large fire made in the Center, about 10 misitions
playing on tamberins. long sticks with Deer & Goats Hoofs tied So as
to make a gingling noise and many others of a Similer kind, those men
began to Sing, & Beet on the Tamboren, the women Came foward highly
Deckerated in theire way, with the Scalps and Trofies of war of ther
father Husbands Brothers or near Connection & proceeded to Dance the
war Dance which they done with Great Chearfullness untill 12 oClock when
we informed the Cheifs that they were fatigued &c. they then retired
& we Accompd. by 4 Chiefs returned to our boat, they Stayed with us
all night. Those people have Some brave men which they make use of as
Soldiers those men attend to the police of the Village Correct all errors
I saw one of them to day whip 2 Squars who appeared to have fallen out,
when he approachd all about appeared to flee with great turrow at night
thy keep two 3 4 or 5 men at deffinit Distances walking around Camp
Singing the accurrunces of the night all the men on board 100 paces from
Shore wind from the S. E. moderate one man verry sick on board with a
Dangerass abscess on his Hip. all in Spirits this eveninge

In this Tribe I saw 25 Squars and boys taken 13 days ago in a battle with
the mahars in this battle they Destroyd 40 lodges, killed 75 men, &
Som boys & children, & took 48 Prisones Womin & boys which
they promis both Capt. Lewis and my Self Shall be Delivered up to Mr.
Durion at the Tribe, those are a retched and Dejected looking people the
Squars appear low & Corse but this is an unfavourabl time to judge of
them we gave our Mahar inteptr. Some fiew articles to give those Squats in
his name Such as alls needle &. &c.

I Saw & eat Pemitigon the Dog, Groud potatoe made into a Kind of
homney, which I thought but little inferiorI also Saw a Spoon made
of a horn of an animile of the Sheep kind the spoon will hold 2 quarts.