Sunday, 23d.  The weather was fine and warm like that of yesterday:  we were again visited by crowds of Indians of all descriptions, who came either to trade or from mere curiosity.  Among the rest Kogahami, the Little Raven, brought his wife and son loaded with corn, and she then entertained us with a favourite Mandan dish, a mixture of pumpkins, beans, corn, and chokecherries with the stones, all boiled together in a kettle, and forming a composition by no means unpalatable.

Monday, 24th.  The day continued warm and pleasant, and the number of visitors became troublesome.  As a present to three of the chiefs, we divided a fillet of sheepskin which we brought for spunging into three pieces each of two inches in width; they were delighted at the gift, which they deemed of equal value with a fine horse.  We this day completed our fort, and the next morning being Christmas,

Tuesday, 25th, we were awaked before day by a discharge of three platoons from the party.  We had told the Indians not to visit us as it was one of our great medicine days; so that the men remained at home and amused themselves in various ways, particularly with dancing in which they take great pleasure.  The American flag was hoisted for the first time in the fort; the best provisions we had were brought out, and this, with a little brandy, enabled them to pass the day in great festivity.

Wednesday, 26th.  The weather is again temperate, but no Indians have come to see us.  One of the northwest traders who came down to request the aid of our Minnetaree interpreter, informs us that a party of Minnetarees who had gone in pursuit of the Assiniboins who lately stole their horses had just returned.  As is their custom, they came back in small detachments, the last of which brought home eight horses which they had captured or stolen from an Assiniboin camp on Mouse river.

Thursday, 27th.  A little fine snow fell this morning and the air was colder than yesterday, with a high northwest wind.  We were fortunate enough to have among our men a good blacksmith, whom we set to work to make a variety of articles; his operations seemed to surprise the Indians who came to see us, but nothing could equal their astonishment at the bellows, which they considered as a very great medicine.  Having heretofore promised a more particular account of the Sioux, the following may serve as a general outline of their history: 

Almost the whole of that vast tract of country comprised between the Mississippi, the Red River of Lake Winnepeg, the Saskaskawan, and the Missouri, is loosely occupied by a great nation whose primitive name is Darcota, but who are called Sioux by the French, Sues by the English.  Their original seats were on the Mississippi, but they have gradually spread themselves abroad and become subdivided into numerous tribes.  Of these, what may be considered as the Darcotas are the Mindawarcarton, or Minowakanton, known to the French by the name of