263 VOYAGE DOWN THE MISSOURI. 



A lew miles above Fort Clark is the Mantlan village. The Mandans are the finest Indians in 

 America. They number about two hundred now, the tribe having been reduced a few years 

 ago to eighteen souls by the smallpox. Scarcely one who was attacked recovered; and such 

 was their desperation, that often when one was satisfied that the disease was upon him, he would 

 throw himself into the river from the high bluff on which the village stands, in order to escape 

 the agonies of that dreadful and loathsome disease. 



We passed the mouth of Knife river: on the plain above was fought, in the autumn of 1S37, 

 between the Assiniboins and Gros Ventres, one of the most bloody battles in the annals of In 

 dian warfare. The Assiniboins, numbering four or five hundred, led by &quot; The Left-Handed,&quot; 

 the greatest chief they ever had, attacked the Gros Ventres, and, after a long and desperate bat 

 tle, were defeated, leaving seventy-five of their best warriors dead upon the field. Some of those 

 who escaped came to Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone. Mr. Culbertson describes 

 them as terribly cut up and mangled. The Gros Ventres suffered but slightly in comparison 

 with their enemies. 



October 12. Left the Ree village at an early hour, and continued the voyage till noon, when we 

 were compelled by the wind to lie by till evening. The country is on fire in every direction, 

 and the dense smoke with which the atmosphere is filled produces a very injurious effect upon 

 the eyes. 



October 13. Fortunately there was no wind to-day, and we made a fine run down the river, 

 passing three encampments of Dacotahs. At the first, a very large one, several hundred warriors 

 were collected on both sides of the river, completely commanding the passage. As we ap 

 proached, the chief hailed us and ordered us to land. Around him stood a hundred grim war 

 riors with guns, and bows and arrows, ready to enforce his orders. Disobedience would have 

 brought down a shower of destructive missiles. There was no questioning the mandate of the 

 royal savage. Discretion here was manifestly the better part of valor ; so, pride yielded to pru 

 dence, and the Blackfoot was brought to shore. 



The Indians were somewhat saucy and peremptory, as if presuming upon our weakness, but 

 offered no insult; only demanding a supply of tobacco. I told the chief that we had not come 

 from a tobacco country, but had crossed the Rocky mountains, and seen thousands of Indians, all 

 of whom expected something, but that I would divide my little remaining stock with them. As 

 they seemed bent on mischief, I thought it best to end the interview. As the boat left the shore, 

 an arrow was discharged at the pilot from behind a clump of bushes. It fell short of its aim, and 

 penetrated deeply the timber of the boat. The fellow who fired it being concealed, prevented 

 the rifles of my men from reaching him. This was probably fortunate, as, had we killed the 

 assassin, it would have undoubtedly brought a useless conflict, perhaps fatal to us, and, at any 

 rate, exposed us to perpetual annoyance from this powerful tribe in our further course down the 

 river. A fine old Indian, seeing the serious turn things seemed to be taking, came running 

 down to the river, swam out to the boat, and wanted to accompany us through the Dacotah 

 country, in order to tell his people that they must offer no impediment to our voyage. He ex 

 pressed a great deal of indignation against the Indian who had shot his arrow at us; said he 

 had a &quot;bad heart,&quot; and would not be upheld by the brave of the tribe. Our volunteer friend 

 was faithful to his professions, as, at the next encampment we encountered, we were treated 

 with perfect civility by the tribe. Soon after sunset we reached the main encampment, situated 

 on the left bank of the river upon a commanding bluffj one hundred feet high. The sides and 

 top of the hill were covered with Indians, to the number of three hundred warriors. As we 

 reached the landing our friendly chief told them what had happened above ; that we were in 

 much hurry to get on our way ; I had only stopped there to give them a little tobacco. They 

 listened in silence to the old chief, and suffered us to proceed without molestation or insult. 

 These Sioux hold the white man s power in a good deal of contempt, and are sadly in need of 

 a lesson. We kept on all night, in order to get out of the way of these dangerous fellows. For- 



