74 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [ BULL, 77 
boin, set out from the village of the latter to visit the Mandan, 
who lived many leagues distant. Lia Verendrye, the leader of the 
expedition, wrote: “I observed to M. de la Marque the good order 
in which the Assiniboins march to prevent surprise, marching always 
on the prairies, the hillsides and valleys from the first. mountain, 
which did not make them fatigued by mounting and descending 
often in their march during the day. There are magnificent plains 
of three or four leagues. The march of the Assiniboins, especially 
when they are numerous, is in three columns, having skirmishers in 
front, with a good rear guard, the old and lame march in the middle, 
forming the central column . . . If the skirmishers discovered herds 
of cattle on the road, as often happens. they raise a cry which is 
soon returned by the rear guard, and all the most active men in 
the columns join the vanguard to hem in the cattle, of which they 
secure a number, and each takes what flesh he wants. Since that 
stops the march, the vanguard marks out the encampment which 
is not to be passed; the women and dogs carry all the baggage, the 
men are burdened only with their arms; they make the dogs even 
carry wood to make the fires, being often obliged to encamp in the 
open prairie, from which the clumps of wood may be at a great dis- 
tance.” (La Verendrye, (1), p. 13.) 
The Assiniboin appear to have possessed a great fondness for 
visiting other tribes, and many narratives of journeys in the upper 
Missouri Valley contain references to meeting with such parties. 
The size of the Assiniboin camps was often mentioned by the early 
writers. Thus Tanner wrote: “ When we came from the Little Sas- 
kawjawun into the Assinneboin river, we came to the rapids, where 
was a village of one hundred and fifty lodges of Assinneboins, and 
some Crees.” (James, (2), p. 57.) This was a century ago, when 
the villages retained their primitive appearance, and so it is to be 
regretted that no detailed description was prepared of this large 
group of skin-covered tipis. 
The two associated tribes extended their wanderings to the south- 
ward, reaching the Missouri, a large gathering of the allies being en- 
countered by Lewis and Clark at the Mandan towns in November, 
1804. In their journal, on November 14, appears this entry: “The 
river rose last night half an inch, and is now filled with floating ice. 
This morning was cloudy with some snow: about seventy lodges of 
Assiniboins and some Knistenaux are at the Mandan village, and this 
being the day of adoption and exchange of property between them 
all, it is accompanied by a dance, which prevents our seeing more 
than two Indians to-day: these Knistenaux are a band of Chippeways 
whose language they speak; they live on the Assiniboin and Sas- 
kashawan rivers, and are about two hundred and forty men. . .” 
