=Source.=--The Journal of the French explorer, the Sieur de La
Vérendrye, describing an expedition to the Missouri in 1738-9.
Printed in the _Report on Canadian Archives_, 1889.
On the 20th, the whole village set out on the march to go the
seventeen leagues where the meeting-place for the Mandans had been
chosen; every day they entertained us with the tale that the whites
we were going to see were Frenchmen like ourselves, who said they
were our descendants. All they told us gave us good hope of making
a discovery which would deserve attention. Mr. de la Marque and I
made plans along the road from what they were telling us, believing
that to be true, from which we had to deduct much. I observed to
Mr. de la Marque the good order in which the Assiniboines march to
prevent surprise, marching always on the prairies, the hill-sides
and valleys from the first mountain, which did not make them
fatigued by mounting and descending often in their march during
the day. There are magnificent plains of three or four leagues.
The march of the Assiniboines, especially when they are numerous,
is in three columns, having skirmishers in front, with a good rear
guard; the old and lame march in the middle, forming the central
column. I kept all the French together as much as possible. If the
skirmishers discover herds of cattle on the road, as often happens,
they raise a cry which is soon returned by the rear guard, and all
the most active men in the columns join the vanguard to hem in the
cattle, of which they secure a number, and each takes what flesh
he wants. Since that stops the march, the vanguard marks out the
encampment which is not to be passed; the women and dogs carry all
the baggage, the men are burdened only with their arms; they make
the dogs even carry wood to make the fires, being often obliged
to encamp in the open prairie, from which the clumps of wood may
be at a great distance. On the morning of the 28th, we arrived at
the place selected for the meeting with the Mandans, who arrived
towards evening--a chief with thirty men and the four Assiniboines.
The chief having from the top of a height considered the extent of
our village, which appeared of a good size, I had him brought to
the hut where I was, where a place had been prepared to receive
him on one side of it. He came and placed himself near me; one of
his people then, on his part, presented me with a gift of Indian
corn in the ear, and of their tobacco in rolls, which is not good,
as they do not know how to cure it like us. It is very like ours,
with this difference, that it is not cultivated and is cut green,
everything being turned to account, the stalks and the leaves
together. I gave him some of mine, which he thought very good.
I acknowledged that I was surprised, expecting to see different
people from the other Indians, especially after the account given
me. There is no difference from the Assiniboines....
I marched in good order to the fort, into which I entered on the
3rd of December at four in the afternoon, escorted by all the
French and Assiniboines. We were led into the hut of the head
chief. It was certainly large, but not enough to hold all who
wished to enter. The crowd was so great that they crushed one
another, Assiniboines and Mandans. There was only the place where
we were, Mr. de la Marque, his brother and my children, free of
them. I asked that the crowd should retire, to leave our Frenchmen
clear, and to put their baggage in a place of safety, telling them
they had all time to see us. Everyone was put out, but I had been
too late. The bag of goods had been stolen, in which were all my
presents, through the fault of one of the hired men, in whose
care I had placed it before reaching the fort. He had unloaded on
entering the hut without looking out for the bag, which he had put
beside him in the great crowd. I felt rather confounded, my box
lost, my bag of presents, which was very necessary for the place,
and there were upwards of 300 livres inside. The Assiniboines
seemed greatly annoyed and at once made a strict but useless
search. Their fort is full of caves, well suited for concealment.
The chief of the Mandans appeared to be greatly moved at my loss,
and said for my consolation that there were many rascals among
them. He would do his utmost to discover something about it. Had I
accepted the offer of the Assiniboines I might have had it found
in a little time by force, but I preferred to lose it and to make
peace about everything, as I wanted to spend a part of the winter
with them to get a knowledge of the more distant country....
... The Assiniboines did not yet speak of leaving, although they
had purchased all they were able to do, such as painted ox-robes,
deerskin, dressed buck skin, and ornamented furs and feathers,
painted feathers, and peltry, wrought garters, circlets for the
head, girdles. These people dress leather better than any of the
other nations, and work in furs and feathers very tastefully,
which the Assiniboines are not capable of doing. They are cunning
traders, cheating the Assiniboines of all they may possess, such
as muskets, powder, balls, kettles, axes, knives or awls. Seeing
the great consumption of food daily by the Assiniboines, and afraid
that it would not last long, they set afloat a rumour that the
Sioux were near and that several of their hunters had noticed them.
The Assiniboines fell into the trap and made up their minds quickly
to decamp, not wishing to be obliged to fight.