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ruly　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　landed　in　the　Big　Bend；　and　killed　a　fine　fat　elk；　on　which　we　feasted。　　Toward　night　we　heard　the　bellowing　of　buffalo　bulls　on　the　lower　island　of　the　Big　Bend。　　We　pursued　this　agreeable　sound；　and　after　killing　some　of　the　cows；　camped　on　the　island；　forty…five　miles　from　the　camp　of　last　night。〃　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。

〃Setting　out　at　ten　o'clock　the　next　morning；　at　a　short　distance　they　passed　the　mouth　of　White　River；　the　water　of　which　was　nearly　of　the　color　of　milk。　As　they　were　much　occupied　with　hunting；　they　made　but　twenty　miles。　The　buffalo；〃　says　the　journal；　〃were　now　so　numerous；　that　from　an　eminence　we　discovered　more　than　we　had　ever　seen　before　at　one　time；　and　though　it　was　impossible　accurately　to　calculate　their　number；　they　darkened　the　whole　plain；　and　could　not　have　been；　we　were　convinced；　less　than　twenty　thousand。　　With　regard　to　game　in　general；　we　have　observed　that　wild　animals　are　usually　found　in　the　greatest　numbers　in　the　country　lying　between　two　nations　at　war。〃

They　were　now　well　into　the　Sioux　territory；　and　on　the　thirtieth　of　August　they　had　an　encounter　with　a　party　of　Indians。　　About　twenty　persons　were　seen　on　the　west　side　of　the　river；　proceeding　along　a　height　opposite　the　voyagers。　　Just　as　these　were　observed；　another　band；　numbering　eighty　or　ninety；　came　out　of　the　woods　nearer　the　shore。　As　they　had　a　hostile　appearance；　the　party　in　the　canoes　made　preparations　to　receive　them；　they　were　suspected　to　be　Teton…Sioux；　although　they　might　be　Yanktons；　Pawnees；　or　Omahas。　　The　journal　adds：

〃In　order；　however；　to　ascertain　who　they　were；　without　risk　to　the　party；　Captain　Clark　crossed；　with　three　persons　who　could　speak　different　Indian　languages；　to　a　sand…bar　near　the　opposite　side；　in　hopes　of　conversing　with　them。　Eight　young　men　soon　met　him　on　the　sand…bar；　but　none　of　them　could　understand　either　the　Pawnee　or　Maha　interpreter。　　They　were　then　addressed　in　the　Sioux　language；　and　answered　that　they　were　Tetons；　of　the　band　headed　by　Black　Buffaloe；　Tahtackasabah。　　This　was　the　same　who　had　attempted　to　stop　us　in　1804；　and　being