nd of fruits: returning with the grapes they had gathered,
their countrymen were so pleased with the taste of them that the whole
nation resolved to leave their dull residence for the charms of the
upper region; men, women and children ascended by means of the vine; but
when about half the nation had reached the surface of the earth, a
corpulent woman who was clambering up the vine broke it with her weight,
and closed upon herself and the rest of the nation the light of the sun.
Those who were left on earth made a village below where we saw the nine
villages; and when the Mandans die they expect to return to the original
seats of their forefathers; the good reaching the ancient village by
means of the lake, which the burden of the sins of the wicked will not
enable them to cross.

Wednesday 5. The morning was cold and disagreeable, the wind from the
southeast accompanied with snow: in the evening there was snow again and
the wind shifted to the northeast: we were visited by several Indians
with a present of pumpkins, and by two of the traders of the northwest
company.

Thursday 6. The wind was violent from the north northwest with some
snow, the air keen and cold. At eight o'clock A.M. the thermometer stood
at ten degrees above 0, and the river rose an inch and a half in the
course of the day.

Friday, December 7. The wind still continued from the northwest and the
day is very cold: Shahaka the chief of the lower village came to apprise
us that the buffaloe were near, and that his people were waiting for us
to join them in the chase: captain Clark with fifteen men went out and
found the Indians engaged in killing the buffaloe, the hunters mounted
on horseback and armed with bows and arrows encircle the herd, and
gradually drive them into a plain or an open place fit for the movements
of horse; they then ride in among them, and singling out a buffaloe, a
female being preferred, go as close as possible and wound her with
arrows till they think they have given the mortal stroke; when they
pursue another till the quiver is exhausted: if, which rarely happens,
the wounded buffaloe attacks the hunter, he evades his blow by the
agility of his horse which is trained for the combat with great
dexterity. When they have killed the requisite number they collect their
game, and the squaws and attendants come up from the rear and skin and
dress the animals. Captain Clarke killed ten buffaloe, of which five
only were brought to the