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〃In　the　evening　Colter　applied　to　us　for　permission　to　join　the　two　trappers　who　had　accompanied　us；　and　who　now　proposed　an　expedition　up　the　river；　in　which　they　were　to　find　traps　and　to　give　him　a　share　of　the　profits。　　The　offer　was　a　very　advantageous　one；　and　as　he　had　always　performed　his　duty；　and　his　services　could　be　dispensed　with；　we　consented　to　his　going　upon　condition　that　none　of　the　rest　were　to　ask　or　expect　a　similar　indulgence。　To　this　they　all　cheerfully　assented；　saying　that　they　wished　Colter　every　success；　and　would　not　apply　for　liberty　to　separate　before　we　reached　St。　Louis。　　We　therefore　supplied　him；　as　did　his　comrades　also；　with　powder　and　lead；　and　a　variety　of　articles　which　might　be　useful　to　him；　and　he　left　us　the　next　day。　The　example　of　this　man　shows　how　easily　men　may　be　weaned　from　the　habits　of　civilized　life　to　the　ruder；　though　scarcely　less　fascinating；　manners　of　the　woods。　　This　hunter　had　now　been　absent　for　many　years　from　the　frontiers；　and　might　naturally　be　presumed　to　have　some　anxiety；　or　at　least　curiosity；　to　return　to　his　friends　and　his　country；　yet；　just　at　the　moment　when　he　was　approaching　the　frontiers；　he　was　tempted　by　a　hunting　scheme　to　give　up　all　those　delightful　prospects；　and　to　go　back　without　the　least　reluctance　to　the　solitude　of　the　wilds。〃

The　two　captains　learned　here　that　the　Minnetarees　had　sent　out　a　war…party　against　the　Shoshonees；　very　soon　after　the　white　men's　expedition　had　left　for　the　Rocky　Mountains；　notwithstanding　their　promise　to　keep　peace　with　the　surrounding　tribes。　　They　had　also　sent　a　war…party　against　the　Ricaras；　two　of　whom　they　killed。　Accordingly；　the　white　chiefs　had　a　powwow　with　the　Indian　chiefs；　at　which　the　journal　says　these　incidents　occurred：

〃We　took　this　opportunity　of　endeavoring　to　engage　Le　Borgne　in　our　interests　by　a　present　of　the　swivel；　which　is　no　longer　serviceable；　as　it　cannot　be　discharged　from　our　largest　pirogue。　It　was　loaded；　and　the　chiefs　being　formed　into　a　circle　round　it；　Captain　Clark　addressed　them　with　great　ceremony。　He　said　that　he　had　listened　with　much　attention　to　what　had　yesterday　been　declared　by　Le　Borgne；　whom　he　believed　to　be　sincere；　and　then　reproached　them　with　their　disregard　of　our　counsels；　and　their　wars　on　the　Shoshonees　and　Ricaras。　　Little　Cherry；　the　old　Minnetaree　chief；　answered　that　they　had　long　stayed　at　home　and　listened　to　our　advice；　but　at　last　went　to　war　against　the　Sioux　because　their　horses　had　been　stolen　and　their　companions　killed；　and　that　in　an　expedition　against　those　people　they　met　the　Ricaras；　who　were　on　their　way　to　strike　them；　and　a　battle　ensued。　But　in　future　he　said　they　would　attend　to　our　words　and　live　at　peace。　　Le　Borgne　added　that　his　ears　would　always　be　open　to　the　words　of　his　Good　Father；　and　shut　against　bad　counsel。　Captain　Clark　then　presented　to　Le　Borgne　the　swivel；　which　he　told　him　had　announced　the　words　of　his　Great　Father　to　all　the　nations　we　had　seen；　and　which；　whenever　it　was　fired；　should　recall　those　which　we　had　delivered　to　him。　　The　gun　was　discharged；　and　Le　Borgne　had　it　conveyed　in　great　pomp　to　his　village。　The　council　then　adjourned。〃

After　much　diplomacy　and　underhand　scheming；　one　of　the　Mandan　chiefs；　Big　White；　agreed　to　go　to　Washington　with　the　expedition。　But　none　of　the　Minnetarees　could　be　prevailed　upon　to　leave　their　tribe；　even　for　a　journey　to　the　Great　Father；　of　whose　power　and　might　so　much　had　been　told　them。　The　journal；　narrating　this　fact；　says　further：

〃The　principal　chiefs　of　the　Minnetarees　now　came　down　to　bid　us　farewell；　as　none　of　them　could　be　prevailed　on　to　go　with　us。　This　circumstance　induced　our　interpreter；　Chaboneau；　to　remain　here　with　his　wife　and　child；　as　he　could　no　longer　be　of　use　to　us；　and；　although　we　offered　to　take　him　with　us　to　the　United　States；　he　declined；　saying　that　there　he　had　no　acquaintance；　and　no　chance　of　making　a　livelihood；　and　preferred　remaining　among　the　Indians。　　This　man　had　been　very　serviceable　to　us；　and　his　wife　was　particularly　useful　among　the　Shoshonees：　indeed；　she　had　borne　with　a　patience　truly　admirable　the　fatigues　of　so　long　a　route；　encumbered　with　the　charge　of　an　infant；　who　was　then　only　nineteen　months　old。　　We　therefore　paid　him　his　wages；　amounting　to　five　hundred　dollars　and　thirty…three　cents；　including　the　price　of　a　horse　and　a　lodge　purchased　of　him；　and　soon　afterward　dropped　down　to　the　village　of　Big　White；　attended　on　shore　by　all　the　Indian　chiefs；　who　had　come　to　take　leave　of　him。

〃We　found　him　surrounded　by　his　friends；　who　sat　in　a　circle　smoking；　while　the　women　were　crying。　　He　immediately　sent　his　wife　and　son；　with　their　baggage；　on　board；　accompanied　by　the　interpreter　and　his　wife；　and　two　children；　and　then；　after　distributing　among　his　friends　some　powder　and　ball　which　we　had　given　him；　and　smoking　a　pipe；　he　went　with　us　to　the　river　side。　The　whole　village　crowded　about　us；　and　many　of　the　people　wept　aloud　at　the　departure　of　their　chief。〃

Once　more　embarked；　the　party　soon　reached　Fort　Mandan；　where　they　had　wintered　in　1804。　　They　found　very　little　of　their　old　stronghold　left　except　a　few　pickets　and　one　of　the　houses。　The　rest　had　been　destroyed　by　an　accidental　fire。　Eighteen　miles　below；　they　camped　near　an　old　Ricara　village；　and　next　day；　as　they　were　about　to　resume　their　voyage；　a　brother　of　Big　White；　whose　camp　was　farther　inland；　came　running　down　to　the　beach　to　bid　Big　White　farewell。　The　parting　of　the　two　brothers　was　very　affectionate；　and　the　elder　gave　the　younger　a　pair　of　leggings　as　a　farewell　present。　The　Indian　chief　was　satisfied　with　his　treatment　by　the　whites；　and　interested　himself　to　tell　them　traditions　of　localities　which　they　passed。　　August　20　they　were　below　the　mouth　of　Cannon…ball　River；　and　were　in　the　country　occupied　and　claimed　by　the　Sioux。　　Here；　if　anywhere；　they　must　be　prepared　for　attacks　from　hostile　Indians。　　At　this　point；　the　journal　sets　forth　this　interesting　observation：

〃Since　we　passed　in　1804；　a　very　obvious　change　has　taken　place　in　the　current　and　appearance　of　the　Missouri。　　In　places　where　at　that　time　there　were　sandbars；　the　current　of　the　river　now　passes；　and　the　former　channel　of　the　river　is　in　turn　a　bank　of　sand。　Sandbars　then　naked　are　now　covered　with　willows　several　feet　high；　the　entrance　of　some　of　the　creeks　and　rivers　has　changed　in　consequence　of　the　quantity　of　mud　thrown　into　them；　and　in　some　of　the　bottoms　are　layers　of　mud　eight　inches　in　depth。〃

The　streams　that　flow　into　the　Missouri　and　Mississippi　from　the　westward　are　notoriously　fickle　and　changeable。　　Within　a　very　few　years；　some　of　them　have　changed　their　course　so　that　farms　are　divided　into　two　parts；　or　are　nearly　wiped　out　by　the　wandering　streams。　In　at　least　one　instance；　artful　men　have　tried　to　steal　part　of　a　State　by　changing　the　boundary　line　along　the　bed　of　the　river；　making　the　stream　flow　many　miles　across　a　tract　around　which　it　formerly　meandered。　On　this　boundary　line　between　the　Sioux　and　their　upper　neighbors；　the　party　met　a　band　of　Cheyennes　and　another　of　Ricaras；　or　Arikaras。　　They　held　a　palaver　with　these　Indians　and　reproached　the　Ricara　chief；　who　was　called　Gray…eyes；　with　having　engaged　in　hostilities　with　the　Sioux；　notwithstanding　the　promises　made　when　the　white　men　were　here　before。　To　this　Gray…eyes　made　an　animated　reply：

〃He　declared　that　the　Ricaras　were　willing　to　follow　the　counsels　we　had　given　them；　but　a　few　of　their　bad　young　men　would　not　live　in　peace；　but　had　joined　the　Sioux　and　thus　embroiled　them　with　the　Mandans。　　These　young　men　had；　however；　been　driven　out　of　the　villages；　and　as　the　Ricaras　were　now　separated　from　the　Sioux；　who　were　a　bad　people　and　the　cause　of　all　their　misfortunes；　they　now　desired　to　be　at　peace　with　the　Mandans；　and　would　receive　them　with　kindness　and　friendship。　Several　of　the　chiefs；　he　said；　were　desirous　of　visiting　their　Great　Father；　but　as　the　chief　who　went　to　the　United　States　last　summer　had　not　returned；　and　they　had　some　fears　for　his　safety；　on　account　of　the　Sioux；　they　did　not　wish　to　leave　home　until　they　heard　of　him。　　With　regard　to　himself；　he　would　continue　with　his　nation；　to　see　that　they　followed　our　advice。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃After　smoking　for　some　time；　Captain　Clark　gave　a　small　medal　to　the　Chayenne　chief；　and　explained　at　the　same　time　the　meaning　of　it。　He　seemed　alarmed　at　this　present；　and　sent　for　a　robe　and　a　quantity　of　buffalo…meat；　which　he　gave　to　Captain　Clark；　and　requested　him　to　take　back　the　medal；　for　he　knew　that　all　white　people　were　‘medicine；'　and　was　afraid　of　the　medal；　or　of　anything　else　which　the　white　people　gave　to　the　Indians。　　Captain　Clark　then　repeated　his　intention　in　giving　the　medal；　which　was　the　medicine　his　great　father　had　directed　him　to　deliver　to　all　chiefs　who　listened　to　his　word　and。　followed　his　counsels；　and　that　as　he　＇the　chief＇　had　done　so；　the　medal　was　given　as　a　proof　that　we　believed　him　sincere。　He　now　appeared　satisfied　and　received　the　medal；　in　return　for　which　he　gave　double　the　quantity　of　buffalo…meat　he　had　offered　before。　He　seemed　now　quite　reconciled　to　the　whites；　and　requested　that　some　traders　might　be　sent　among　the　Chayennes；　who　lived；　he　said；　in　a　country　full　of　beaver；　but　did　not　understand　well　how　to　catch　them；　and　were　discouraged　from　it　by　having　no　sale　for　them　when　caught。　Captain　Clark　promised　that　they　should　be　soon　supplied　with　goods　and　taught　the　best　mode　of　catching　beaver。

〃Big　White；　the　chief　of　the　Mandans；　now　addressed　them　at　some　length；　explaining　the　pacific　intentions　of　his　nation；　the　Chayennes　observed　that　both　the　Ricaras　and　Mandans　seemed　to　be　in　fault；　but　at　the　end　of　the　council　the　Mandan　chief　was　treated　with　great　civility；　and　the　greatest　harmony　prevailed　among　them。　The　great　chief；　however；　informed　us　that　none　of　the　Ricaras　could　be　prevailed　on　to　go　with　us　till　the　return　of　the　other　chief；　and　that　the　Chayennes　were　a　wild　people；　afraid　to　go。　He　invited　Captain　Clark　to　his　house；　and　gave　him　two　carrots　of　tobacco；　two　beaver…skins；　and　a　trencher　of　boiled　corn　and　beans。　It　is　the　custom　of　all　the　nations　on　the　Missouri　to　offer　to　every　white　man　food　and　refreshment　when　he　first　enters　their　tents。〃

Resuming　their　voyage；　the　party　reached　Tyler's　River；　where　they　camped；　on　the　twenty…seventh　of　August。　　This　stream　is　now　known　as　Medicine　River；　from　Medicine　Hill；　a　conspicuous　landmark　rising　at　a　little　distance　from　the　Missouri。　　The　voyagers　were　now　near　the　lower　portion　of　what　is　now　known　as　South　Dakota；　and　they　camped　in　territory　embraced　in　the　county　of　Presho。　　Here　they　were　forced　to　send　out　their　hunters；　their　stock　of　meat　was　nearly　exhausted。　　The　hunters　returned　empty…handed。

〃After　a　hunt　of　three　hours　they　reported　that　no　game　was　to　be　found　in　the　bottoms；　the　grass　having　been　laid　flat　by　the　immense　number　of　buffaloes　which　recently　passed　over　it；　and；　that　they　saw　only　a　few　buffalo　bulls；　which　they　did　not　kill；　as　they　were　quite　unfit　for　use。　Near　this　place　we　observed；　however；　the　first　signs　of　the　wild　turkey；　not　long　afterward　we