was left upon them of the considerateness and friendly attitude of their new masters. At this period (August 19), the Expedition lost by death, after a few days' illness, one of its non-commissioned officers, Sergeant Charles Floyd, in memory of whom a stream that flowed into the Upper Missouri close by which the sergeant died was named. His vacant post was filled by a popular member from the rank and file of the expeditionary corps, Patrick Gass, who got his triple stripes by the votes of his comrades. This democratic mode of filling a vacancy was creditable to the tact of the commanders of the Expedition, and conducive to the engendering of a healthy esprit de corps among its members. The circumstance indicates the hearty good feeling that pervaded all ranks, so far on in the journey, as it also manifests their loyal interest in the objects of the Expedition and their common desire that it should be abundantly successful.

CHAPTER III

AMONG THE SIOUX

By the close of August, the country of the great Sioux nation was entered upon, now South Dakota, and intercourse was had with several of its warlike tribes, including first the Yanktons, and afterwards the Mandans, Tetons, Minnetarees, and Ricara. The Yankton-Sioux, about one thousand strong, were found inhabiting Bon Homme Island and the country around the Yankton, or Dakota, River, other lodges of the tribe being found on the banks of the Des Moines and the Sioux Rivers. Only with the ugly-tempered and rascally Tetons did the Expedition have any trouble; with the others, relations were made pleasant by the exercise of tact, and by the presents distributed to their chief men at the palavers that ensued. In the intercourse of the white explorers with the Yanktons, Lewis and Clark were aided by the friendly offices of Pierre Dorion, an intelligent halfbreed, whom they met on the Missouri on his way to St. Louis, and whom they were successful in inducing to return to the lodges of the Yankton-Sioux, to act as interpreter and intermediary with the tribe. He it was who guided the messengers of the Expedition to the chief village of the Yanktons, for the purpose of calling them into coun

cil. Here they were amicably received, and had set before them, for their refreshment and as an evidence of their friendly disposition, a tempting dish of roast dog! In return, the Yanktons were rewarded with presents of tobacco, together with some highly appreciated cooking utensils.

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The conference with the Yanktons occurred on the last day of August, under an oak tree near by the lodges of the tribe, and from the top of which the Stars and Stripes" had been given to the breeze. Here the pipe of peace was smoked, and before the harangue began the Indians' head chief was presented with sundry gifts, including a richly laced uniform of the United States artillery, with cocked hat and red feather. This brought to his feet the native chieftain, Weucha, or "Shake Hand," who, after some reference to Captain Lewis's opening speech of counsel and instruction, thus addressed the white leaders of the party:

"I see before me my Great Father's two sons. You see me and the rest of our chiefs and warriors We are very poor; we have neither powder, nor ball, nor knives; and our women and children at the village have no clothes. I wish that as my brothers have given me a flag and a medal, they would give something to those poor people, or let them stop and trade with the first boat which comes up the river. I will bring the chiefs of the Pawnees and Mahas (Omahas) together and make peace between them; but it is better that I should do it than my Great Father's sons, for they will listen to me more readily. I will also take some chiefs to your country in the

Spring; but before that time I cannot leave home. I went formerly to the English, and they gave me a medal and some clothes; when I went to the Spanish they gave me a medal, but nothing to keep it from my skin; but now you give me a medal and clothes. But still we are poor; and I wish, brothers, that you would give us something for our squaws."

Other chiefs of the tribe spoke briefly, endorsing the poverty of the band as set forth by the head chief, and their need of many things to relieve their distress, including powder and ball, and a supply of their Great Father's milk-an euphemism for ardent spirits! From the Lewis and Clark "Journal" we further learn that the Yanktons promised to make peace with the Ottoes and Missouris, the only nations with whom they were then at war. From the same source, we also learn of other matters which engaged the attention of the scientific members of the Expedition in the region, chiefly in respect to the animal life of the district, including "burrowing squirrels," as the prairie-dog, or, more properly, the marmot, was then termed; together with "barking squirrels," mule-deer, antelopes, etc. Besides these animals noted and reported in the journal of the explorers, mention is also made of fossil remains being met with of fish, reptiles and other life belonging to early geological periods, in addition to the ever-present and actively troublesome mosquito. The mule-deer spoken of as being found in the vicinity were afterwards discovered to be of the rather rare species of black-tailed deer, with noticeably long ears.

In the Journal of Captain Clark, we are given an

account, in his curiously misspelled English, of an encounter, about the end of September, with the villanous Tetons, whose lodges the Expedition had now come to in their passage up the Missouri. The leaders of the tribe, in accordance with custom, had been invited to a friendly conference with the whites, and they and some of their people were afterwards asked to inspect at close quarters the Expedition's chief vessel. What followed is thus narrated by Clark, prefaced by some little detail of the meeting with the Tetons:

"On the morning of September 25th, relates the Journal, we raised a flagstaff and an awning, under which we assembled, with all the party parading under arms. The chiefs and warriors from the camps two miles up the river met us, about fifty or sixty in number, and after smoking we delivered them a speech; but as our interpreter, M. Dorion, had been left with the Yanktons, we were obliged to make use of a Frenchman who could not speak fluently, and therefore we curtailed our harangue. After this we went through the ceremony of acknowledging the chiefs, by giving to the grand chief a medal, a flag of the United States, a laced uniform coat, a cocked hat and feather; to the two other chiefs, a medal and some small presents; and to two warriors of consideration, certificates. The name of the great chief is Untongasabau, or Black Buffalo; the second, Tortohango, or the Partisan; the third, Tartongawaka, or Buffalo Medicine; the name of one of the warriors was Wawzinggo; that of the second, Matocoquepa, or Second Bear. We then invited the