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　river　as　far　as　the　Mandan　nation；　for　the　purpose　of　trading；　they　were　more　secure　with　a　large　party　of　white　men　than　they　would　be　if　left　to　themselves。



Chapter　XXVI

The　End　of　a　Long　Journey

The　reunited　party　now　set　out　for　the　lower　river　and　proceeded　rapidly　down…stream；　favored　with　a　good　wind。　　They　made　eighty…six　miles　on　the　first　day；　passing　the　mouth　of　the　Little　Missouri　early　in　the　forenoon；　and　camping　at　Miry　River；　on　the　northeast　side　of　the　Missouri。　　On　the　second　day　they　arrived　at　the　principal　village　of　the　Minnetarees；　where　they　were　received　with　cordial　welcome　by　their　old　friends。　The　explorers　fired　their　blunderbuss　several　times　by　way　of　salute；　and　the　Indian　chiefs　expressed　their　satisfaction　at　the　safe　return　of　the　white　men。　　One　of　the　Minnetaree　chiefs；　however；　wept　bitterly　at　the　sight　of　the　whites；　and　it　was　explained　by　his　friends　that　their　coming　reminded　him　of　the　death　of　his　son；　who　had　been　lately　killed　by　the　Blackfoot　Indians。

Arriving　at　the　village　of　the　Mandans；　of　which　Black　Cat　was　the　chief；　a　council　was　called；　and　the　chiefs　of　the　expedition　endeavored　to　persuade　some　of　the　leading　men　of　the　tribe　to　accompany　them　to　Washington　to　see　〃the　Great　Father。〃　　Black　Cat　expressed　his　strong　desire　to　visit　the　United　States　and　see　the　Great　Father；　but　he　was　afraid　of　the　Sioux；　their　ancient　enemies；　through　whose　territory　they　must　pass　on　their　way　down　to　the　white　man's　country。　This　chief；　it　will　be　recollected；　was　given　a　flag　and　a　medal　by　the　two　captains　when　they　passed　up　the　river　on　their　way　to　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　the　Pacific　coast。　The　flag　was　now　brought　on　and　hoisted　on　the　lodge　of　Black　Cat。　　On　that　occasion；　also；　the　commanders　of　the　expedition　had　given　the　Indians　a　number　of　useful　articles；　among　them　being　a　portable　corn…mill。　But　the　Indians　had　other　uses　for　metal；　and　they　had　taken　the　mill　apart　and　used　the　iron　for　the　purpose　of　making　barbs　for　their　arrows。　From　the　Omahas；　who　were　located　here；　the　white　men　received　a　present　of　as　much　corn　as　three　men　could　carry。　Black　Cat　also　gave　them　a　dozen　bushels　of　corn。

Their　days　of　starvation　and　famine　were　over。　　They　were　next　visited　by　Le　Borgne；　better　known　as　One…eye；　the　head　chief　of　all　the　Minnetarees；　to　whom　Lewis　and　Clark　also　extended　an　invitation　to　go　to　Washington　to　see　the　Great　Father。　　The　journal　says：

〃Le　Borgne　began　by　declaring　that　he　much　desired　to　visit　his　Great　Father；　but　that　the　Sioux　would　certainly　kill　any　of　the　Mandans　who　should　attempt　to　go　down　the　river。　They　were　bad　people；　and　would　not　listen　to　any　advice。　When　he　saw　us　last；　we　had　told　him　that　we　had　made　peace　with　all　the　nations　below；　yet　the　Sioux　had　since　killed　eight　of　his　tribe；　and　stolen　a　number　of　their　horses。　The　Ricaras　too　had　stolen　their　horses；　and　in　the　contest　his　people　had　killed　two　of　the　Ricaras。　　Yet　in　spite　of　these　dispositions　he　had　always　had　his　ears　open　to　our　counsels；　and　had　actually　made　a　peace　with　the　Chayennes　and　the　Indians　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　He　concluded　by　saying；　that　however　disposed　they　were　to　visit　the　United　States；　the　fear　of　the　Sioux　would　prevent　them　from　going　with　us。〃

The　truth　was　that　One…eye　had　no　notion　of　going　to　Washington；　he　was　afraid　of　nobody；　and　his　plea　of　possible　danger　among　the　Sioux　was　mere　nonsense　to　deceive　the　white　men。　Captain　Clark　visited　the　village　of　Black　Cat；　and　that　worthy　savage　made　the　same　excuse　that　Le　Borgne　（One…eye）　had　already　put　forth；　he　was　afraid　of　the　Sioux。　　The　journal　adds：

〃Captain　Clark　then　spoke　to　the　chiefs　and　warriors　of　the　village。　He　told　them　of　his　anxiety　that　some　of　them　should　see　their　Great　Father；　hear　his　good　words；　and　receive　his　gifts；　and　requested　them　to　fix　on　some　confidential　chief　who　might　accompany　us。　To　this　they　made　the　same　objections　as　before；　till　at　length　a　young　man　offered　to　go；　and　the　warriors　all　assented　to　it。　But　the　character　of　this　man　was　known　to　be　bad；　and　one　of　the　party　with　Captain　Clark　informed　him　that　at　the　moment　he　＇this　Indian＇　had　in　his　possession　a　knife　which　he　had　stolen。　Captain　Clark　therefore　told　the　chief　of　this　theft；　and　ordered　the　knife　to　be　given　up。　　This　was　done　with　a　poor　apology　for　having　it　in　his　possession；　and　Captain　Clark　then　reproached　the　chiefs　for　wishing　to　send　such　a　fellow　to　see　and　hear　so　distinguished　a　person　as　their　Great　Father。　　They　all　hung　down　their　heads　for　some　time；　till　Black　Cat　apologized　by　saying　that　the　danger　was　such　that　they　were　afraid　of　sending　any　one　of　their　chiefs；　as　they　considered　his　loss　almost　inevitable。〃

Although　there　was　so　much　reluctance　on　the　part　of　the　Indians　to　leave　their　roving　life；　even　for　a　few　months；　there　were　some　white　men　among　the　explorers　who　were　willing　to　give　up　their　home　in　〃the　States。〃　　The　journal　says：

〃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　the