 |
 |
Peek Inside...Entries For August 3:
1804:
Captain Clark (current)
1805:
1806:
Captain Clark:
August 3, 1804
| << Previous Entry (8/2/1804) | (8/5/1804) Next Entry >> |
Made up a small present for those people in proportion to their consequence; also a package with a medal to accompany a speech for the grand chief. After breakfast, we collected those Indians under an awning of our mainsail. In presence of our party, paraded, and delivered a long speech to them, expressive of our journey, the wishes of our government, some advice to them, and directions how they were to conduct themselves. The principal chief for the nation being absent, we sent him the speech, flag, medal, and some clothes. After hearing what they had to say, delivered a medal of second grade to one for the Otos and one for the Missouris, and presented four medals of a third grade to the inferior chiefs - two for each tribe. Those two parts of nations, Otos and Missouris, now residing together are about 250 men, the Otos composing 2/3 and the Missouris 1/3 part.
Those chiefs all delivered a speech, acknowledging their approbation to the speech and promising to pursue the advice and directions given them, that they were happy to find that they had fathers which might be depended on, &c.
We gave them a canister of powder and a bottle of whiskey, and delivered a few presents to the whole, after giving a breech cloth some paint, gartering, and a medal to those we made chiefs. After Captain Lewis's shooting the air gun a few shots (which astonished those natives), we set out, and proceeded on five miles, on a direct line past a point on the S.S. and around a large sand bar on the L.S., and camped on the upper point. The mosquitoes excessively troublesome this evening. Great appearance of wind and rain to the N.W. We prepare to receive it. The man Liberte whom we sent for the Otos has not come up. He left the Otos' town one day before the Indians. This man has either tired his horse, or lost himself in the plains. Some Indians are to hunt for him.
Reprinted by permission of the American Studies Programs at the University of Virginia.
The complete text can also be downloaded for printing from their website.
