432 Life of Audubon. 



" Early in the spring of 1837 the steamer Assiniboine 

 aiTived at Fort Clark, with several cases of small-pox on 

 board. There an Indian stole a blanket belonging to a 

 watchman on the boat^ who was then at the point of death, 

 and took it away to sow the seeds of this disease among 

 his tribe, which caused his own death and the death of 

 thousands of his nation. When it was known that he 

 had taken it, a benevolent person on the boat went to one 

 of the chiefs, told him the fatal consequences which would 

 follow, and offered to give a new blanket and a reward 

 besides if he would have it returned ; but suspicion, fear, 

 or shame prevented the man from giving it up, and the 

 pestilence broke out and began to spread among the 

 Mandans at first, to which nation the thief belonged. 



*' Most of the Indians were distant eighty miles at 

 that time killing buffaloes and preparing their winter food ; 

 and the whites sent an express begging them not to re- 

 turn to their villages, and telling them what would be the 

 fatal consequences. The Indians sent back word that 

 their corn was suffering to be worked, and that they would 

 return and face the danger, which they thought was fab- 

 ulous. Word was again sent them that certaiii destruc- 

 tion would attend their return j but it was all in vain, come 

 back they would, and come back they did, and the plague 

 began in its most malignant form, their habits and im- 

 proper food making them a ready prey, and a few hours 

 sometimes terminating the loathsome disease by death. 



" The Mandans were enraged because at first it was 

 confined to them, and they supposed the whites had 

 caused it, and saved themselves and the Ricarees from 

 the pestilence j and they threatened the lives of all the 

 former, supposing they had a medicine to prevent it, 

 which they would not give them. But by-and-by Rica 

 rees and whites died also ; the disease increased ii> 

 malignity — hundreds died daily, and their bodies were 



