Tuesday 15.  The morning is much warmer than yesterday, and the snow begins to melt, though the wind after being for some time from the S.E. suddenly shifted to N.W.  Between twelve and three o’clock A.M. there was a total eclipse of the moon, from which we obtained a part of the observation necessary for ascertaining the longitude.

We were visited by four of the most distinguished men of the Minnetarees, to whom we showed marked attentions, as we knew that they had been taught to entertain strong prejudices against us; these we succeeded so well in removing, that when in the morning,

Wednesday 16, about thirty Mandans, among whom six were chiefs came to see us, the Minnetarees reproached them with their falsehoods, declaring that they were bad men and ought to hide themselves.  They had told the Minnetarees that we would kill them if they came to the fort, yet on the contrary they had spent a night there and been treated with kindness by the whites, who had smoked with them and danced for their amusement.  Kagohami visited us and brought us a little corn, and soon afterwards one of the first war chiefs of the Minnetarees came accompanied by his squaw, a handsome woman, whom he was desirous we should use during the night.  He favoured us with a more acceptable present, a draft of the Missouri in his manner, and informed us of his intention to go to war in the spring against the Snake Indians; we advised him to reflect seriously before he committed the peace of his nation to the hazards of war; to look back on the numerous nations whom war has destroyed, that if he wished his nation to be happy he should cultivate peace and intercourse with all his neighbours, by which means they would procure more horses, increase in numbers, and that if he went to war he would displease his great father the president, and forfeit his protection.  We added that we had spoken thus to all the tribes whom we had met, that they had all opened their ears, and that the president would compel those who did not voluntarily listen to his advice.  Although a young man of only twenty-six years of age, this discourse seemed to strike him.  He observed that if it would be displeasing to us he would not go to war, since he had horses enough, and that he would advise all the nation to remain at home, until we had seen the Snake Indians, and discovered whether their intentions were pacific.  The party who went down with the horses for the man who was frostbitten returned, and we are glad to find his complaint not serious.

Thursday 17.  The day was very windy from the north; the morning clear and cold, the thermometer at sunrise being at 0:  we had several Indians with us.

Friday 18.  The weather is fine and moderate.  Messrs. Laroche and M’Kenzie, two of the N.W. company’s traders, visited us with some of the Minnetarees.  In the afternoon two of our hunters returned, having killed four wolves and a blaireau.

Saturday 19.  Another cloudy day.  The two traders set out on their return, and we sent two men with the horses thirty miles below to the hunting camp.