NARRATIVE OF 1853. 95 
matter. Suspend for the present your difficulty with the Blackfeet Indians. Let some of your 
principal men come with me to Fort Benton and we will try to settle the difficulty between the 
tribes. If it cannot be settled there let it be referred to a commissioner appointed or sent 
here by the Good Father at Washington, who will settle all your differences at a council of the 
tribes to be held next year, where the grievances of both parties will be fully heard. But I 
must insist, as before stated, on a safe conduct of every white man through this country.” 
I again advised a peace between all of them, and soon after, the first meeting broke up, with- 
out any answer to my propositions or suggestions. 
They then held a consultation with their braves, warriors, and principal men. In about an 
hour we again met. They assented to every proposition made. Some of their chiefs con- 
sented to accompany me to Fort Benton, and the whole tribe announced their willingness to 
wait until some time next year and refer their difficulties to such a council as was spoken of, to 
be held at such a place as should be hereafter designated. We continued the talk for some 
time, after which the Indians were invited to come over to the camp of the main party and 
witness the firing of the howitzer, which seemed to give them much pleasure, my explanation 
creating in their minds much surprise. The Indians around camp behave with great propriety. 
I have not yet heard of the smallest article being missed, although they are seated around 
everywhere, and many loose articles are lying about. 
They express great friendship for the whites, and evince the kindest feeling to our men. 
About 5 o’clock we made a distribution of the presents and provisions designed for this tribe, 
consisting of blankets, shirts, calico, knives, beads, paint, powder, shot, tobacco, hard bread, 
&c.—(See sketch.) They received them with the greatest satisfaction; no grumbling or envy 
was manifested among them. They continued about our camp, loitering, — and 
talking all the afternoon and evening. 
The comet spoken of a day or two ago appeared to-night, shining most brilliantly in the 
northwestern portion of the heavens, and the aurora borealis presented a beautiful appearance. 
At 9 o'clock I caused three more rounds of the howitzer to be fired. 
The camp of yesterday and to-day we have named Camp Armstrong, in honor of Robert 
Armstrong, esq., editor of the Daily Union. 
In the course of the day I was much gratified with the proposition: ‘made by Lieutenant 
Grover, for a party to remain at Fort Benton and cross the Rocky mountains in the worst 
winter month, say January, with a dog train, to ascertain the depth of snow, and such other 
facts in regard to the crossing when the greatest obstacles are presented. He volunteered to 
take charge of the service with six men. 
August 21.—Busy this morning in endeavoring to effect the purchase and exchange of horses 
with the Indians. We secured several very good horses in place of six very indifferent mules, 
which could not possibly have been used before reaching Fort Benton, and some of them not 
for months. Several members of the expedition bought horses for clothing, guns, &c., their 
private property, thus relieving for the use of the expedition their present riding animals. By 
the distribution of presents and provisions, and consumption at camp, we lightened our loads 
some 2,000 weight, apart from the issues to the detached parties, and have received some 
eleven or twelve serviceable animals in place of unserviceable ones, besides some four new 
