November 22.  The morning was fine, and the day warm.  We purchased from the Mandans a quantity of corn of a mixed colour, which they dug up in ears from holes made near the front of their lodges, in which it is buried during the winter:  this morning the sentinel informed us that an Indian was about to kill his wife near the fort; we went down to the house of our interpreter where we found the parties, and after forbidding any violence, inquired into the cause of his intending to commit such as atrocity.  It appeared that some days ago a quarrel had taken place between him and his wife, in consequence of which she had taken refuge in the house where the two squaws of our interpreter lived:  by running away she forfeited her life, which might have been lawfully taken by the husband.  About two days ago she had returned to the village, but the same evening came back to the fort much beaten and stabbed in three places, and the husband now came for the purpose of completing his revenge.  He observed that he had lent her to one of our serjeants for a night, and that if he wanted her he would give her to him altogether:  we gave him a few presents and tried to persuade him to take his wife home; the grand chief too happened to arrive at the same moment, and reproached him with his violence, till at length they went off together, but by no means in a state of much apparent love.

November 23.  Again we had a fair and warm day, with the wind from the southeast:  the river is now at a stand having risen four inches in the whole.

November 24.  The wind continued from the same quarter and the weather was warm:  we were occupied in finishing our huts and making a large rope of elk-skin to draw our boat on the bank.

Sunday, November 25.  The weather is still fine, warm and pleasant, and the river falls one inch and a half.  Captain Lewis went on an excursion to the villages accompanied by eight men.  A Minnetaree chief, the first who has visited us, came down to the fort:  his name was Waukerassa, but as both the interpreters had gone with captain Lewis we were obliged to confine our civilities to some presents with which he was much pleased:  we now completed our huts, and fortunately too, for the next day,

Monday, November 26, before daylight the wind shifted to the northwest, and blew very hard, with cloudy weather and a keen cold air, which confined us much and prevented us from working:  the night continued very cold, and,

Tuesday 27, the weather cloudy, the wind continuing from the northwest and the river crowded with floating ice.  Captain Lewis returned with two chiefs Mahnotah, an Ahnahaway, and Minnessurraree a Minnetaree, and a third warrior:  they explained to us that the reason of their not having come to see us, was that the Mandans had told them that we meant to combine with the Sioux and cut them off in the course of the winter:  a suspicion increased by the strength of the fort, and the circumstance of our interpreters