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Our merchindize is reduced to a mear handfull, and our Comfort, dureing our return next year, much depends on it, it is therefore almost unnecessary to add that it is much reduced The nativs in this neighbourhood are excessively fond of Smokeing tobacco. in the act of Smokeing they appear to Swallow it as they draw it from the pipe, and for maney draughts together you will not perceive the Smoke they take from the pipe, in the Same manner they inhale it in their longs untill they become Surcharged with the vapour when they puff it out to a great distance through their norstils and mouth; I have no doubt that tobacco Smoked in this manner becomes much more intoxicating, and that they do possess themselves of all its virtues to the fullest extent; they frequently give us Sounding proofs of its createing a dismorallity of order in the abdomen, nor are those light matters thought indelicate in either Sex, but all take the liberty of obeying the dicktates of nature without reserve.
McClellin informed us that he was on reather a speculative expedition to the confines of New Spain, with the view to entroduce a trade with those people. his plan is to proceede up this river to the Entcrance of the river platt there to form an establishment from which to trade partially with the Panas & Ottoes, to form an acquaintance with the Panias and provail Some of their principal Chiefs to accompany him to Santa Fee where he will appear in a stile calculated to atract the Spanish government in that quarter and through the influence of a handsome present he expects to be promited to exchange his merchindize for Silver & gold of which those people abound. he has a kind of introductory Speach from Govr.
I sleped in house of the 2d Chief and they had not any thing except fish to eate and no wood for fire. those people have a number of buffalow robes. They have great number of Skimming nets Several parcels of merchindize was laid by for which they told me they would bring horses.
Finding that those people gave no provisions to day we deturmined to purchase with our Small articles of merchindize, accord we purchased all we could, Such as roots dried, in bread, & in ther raw State, Berris of red Haws & Fish and in the evening Set out and proceeded on to the 2d Village 2 miles dist. where we also purchased a few articles all amounting to as much as our weak horses Could Carry to the river Capt.
Potts who was with them is an indifferent Swimer, it was with dificuelty he made the land. they lost three blankets and a Blanket Cappo and their pittance of Merchindize. in our bear State of Clothing this was a Serious loss. I Sent Serjt. Pryor and a party over in the Indian Canoe in order to raise and Secure ours but the debth of the water and the Strength of the Current baffled every effort.
My object is to precure as many Skins as possible for the purpose of purchaseing Corn and Beans of the Mandans. as we have now no article of Merchindize nor horses to purchase with, our only resort is S kins which those people were very fond the winter we were Stationed near them. after dark Sergt. Pryor returned with his Saddlebeggs &c. they were much further up than he expected.
The Kil a mox although they possessed large quantities of this blubber and oil were so prenurious that they disposed of it with great reluctiance and in Small quantities only; insomuch that my utmost exertion aided by the party with the Small Stock of merchindize I had taken with me were not able to precure more blubber than about 300 wt. and a fiew gallons of oil; Small as this Stock is I prise it highly; and thank providence for directing the whale to us; and think him much more kind to us than he was to jonah, having Sent this monster to be Swallowed by us in Sted of Swallowing of us as jonah's did.
we were oblige to dispence with two of our kitties in order to acquire two of the horses purchasd. to day. we have now only one Small kittle to a mess of 8 men. These people are very fathless in Contracts; they frequently reive the merchindize in exchange for their horses and after Some hours insist on Some additional article being given them or revoke the exchange.
We encamped on the lower Side of this Creek a little distance from two Lodges of the Chopunnish nation haveing traviled 201/2 miles to day one of those Lodges Contained 8 families, the other was much the largest we have yet seen. it is 156 feet long and about 15 feet wide built of mats and Straw, in the form of the roof of a house haveing a number of Small dores on each Side, is closed at the ends and without divisions in the intermediate Space. this lodge at least 30 families. their fires are kindled in a row in the Center of the Lodge and about 10 feet assunder. all the Lodges of these people are formed in this manner. we arrived here extreemly hungary and much fatigued, but no articles of merchindize in our possession would induce them to let us have any article of Provisions except a Small quantity of bread of Cows and some of those roots dryed.
I urged the necessity of their going on with us as it would be the means of hastening those Supples of Merchindize which would be Sent to their Country and exchanged as before mentioned for a moderate price in Pelteries and furs &c. the great Chief of the Menetaras Spoke, he Said he wished to go down and See his great father very much, but that the Scioux were in the road and would most certainly kill him or any others who Should go down they were bad people and would not listen to any thing which was told them. when he Saw us last we told him that we had made peace with all the nations below, Since that time the Seioux had killed 8 of their people and Stole a number of their horses. he Said that he had opened his ears and followed our Councils, he had made peace with the Chyennes and rocky mountains indians, and repieted the same objecctions as mentioned. that he went to war against none and was willing to receive all nations as friends. he Said that the Ricaras had Stolen from his people a number of horses at different times and his people had killed 2 Ricaras. if the Sieoux were at peace with them and Could be depended on he as also other Chiefs of the villages would be glad to go and See their great father, but as they were all afraid of the Sieoux they Should not go down &c.
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