Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-01-30 00:00:00, page 1

^ VIRGINIA ARGUS
..... - -_ _ _ _ 4 .
T' TEAR.] ^__ A fAi-E PR“Sa MAINTAINS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE. /* [No lyjjr ^ '■IIW
RICH-'IOSTD .• —Printed (on Toesdays and Fridvyi > bn <* \ if Tffr p? «• i -2 \ ~ "
____ _ &t >VTI,> By * v * Je,L* i n To, JjNioa, Painter to t<ie Cckiconvyealt^.
[/? r Dollars Per Ann in—Paid in Advance.] TUESDAY ** A *r TT A z> v* «n _ir.
- - • J _ l - Is & o DAT JANUARY 30, 1810. [12 t-2 Cents Sin?!*)
fiitFjoiottt price Current*
(COTRRKCTZD VVkekly.]
CASH.'
D. c
7oha off* * • • • 5 5(
Wheat, rieso, - . 11*
Flour, sutcr-hnc% . • 6 5c
Flour, fine* - - - 6 OC
.. OC
Ijirmb, pet ton* m - 270 Oc
?rorj, - - - 110 OC
- 00 1C
Whiskey - - - 00 8C
EXT liter FROM A
% JOURNAL.
O'* a voyage from St. Louis, Louisia.
na, to the Mandaa Village, under
taken by the St. Louis Missouri Fur
Company, for the purpose of cmi
ducthgShehekehthe Mandan Ch ef
to hh nation, an.I to establish tra
ding houses on the head waters ol
the Missouri; bv Dr. Thomas, Sur
geon to the party,
■ * %
-On leaving the Platt we take leave
of the exuberance of vegetation, a bro
ken country, a sandv soil, coarse short
grass a dearth of timber, and in fact
nothi* g to console the view but what
Providence has kindly favored man,
viz. IlufTaloe and Deer, whose abun
dance Iced and clothe the wrecthed
m ’wanderers of these sterile regions.
F om the river Platt to the Maha
vill go about 250 miles, we experien
ced crood weather: on our wav w<*
pas eil the old loway village now de
serted, and had a view of the Council
Bluff, here Lewis and Clark held a
talic with the Paunies. on their ascen
ding the river, this hill or bluff is on
t'. j south side, about 50 feet high with
out stone to support it from the daily
wash.ngs and undermining from the
current below; 'from its top the river
and surroundiug country can be view
f d as far as the eye cjin reach ; a few
miles from the ’bluff, the riveptakpsa
northerly direction for several miles
and meanders abruptly to the south,
although we ascended twenty miles
that day we were not more tnan 500
yards from.the spot we had encamp
ed the evehing before; at the com
tnencsuuntol this bend near the river,
on the south side, we observed thi
hill on which the great Mah.i chiel
lies interred; thfl Alahas frequently
visit his grave, and pay hi/n those ho
nors only due to the Deity, his tomb
is constantly covered with presents be
lieving his spirit to rest on the sum
mit ot ihe hillr empowered with the
means o; dispensing good to his peo
ple.
On the 11th of August, we arrived
at the village of the last mentioned
people, it is situate on a prairie on thi
south "ide, four miles from the riv-r
resembling at a distance the s ick
yard of an extensive farmer, havinc
their hu4- in the form of a cone, about
15 feet high, their council house is
built in the centre, large enough tc
oi Hpiic pieces of limner covereu witn
earth. Here wc were presented with
the first dish of dog meat—it is es
teemed delicate, and none partake ol
it but ill >se who n they wish to honor.
These people are very filthy in the:i
dress and food, toe former consist o!
skins, and the latter of the flesh ol
the animats of that country, with corn
pumpkins, he. They had a skirmish
with the Soucx a few days before wi
arrived, in which they lost several o
their warrior* y this nation contain*
only four or five hundred men abletc
bear arms, and are in danger of being
exterminated by he Soucx who boas'
of their being able to muster 150(*>
ii'en; these latter people reside on the
north side of the Missouri, exte idmg
from the neighborhood of the ilichi
ree« to t‘ ■ Misr/iss’opi and the Vortl
Western L’lk^s. On our arrivd Sne^
hekeh expressed a wi»h to visit th<
vdl «g**, being invited by the princip
chiefs, having one on an elegant an
full dress suit of regimentals with hi
horse covered with tne most show*
ornament* s« t out accomp -nied bi
thirty Muha chiefs' on hors^ha^k, ii
tlnir best dress; the while Ratio
wrre lost in astonishment at the s den
did . guru ot the hi and an so inu uil su
*1 *a
peri or to any thing their chiefs coul I j
display; before dinner a council was
h-td with Mr. Choute m for the pur
pose of requesting a trader to resi lu
among them and to beg presents, in
• which the Mandl.i preserved the dig*
| nicy of a superior; indeed Shehekeh’s
manners would grace any circle he
> t»ok great pains to copy the manners
» of the first characters of the Uni
i ted States whom he was acquainted
with.
! On th.e 13th we left the village and
a few miles up met with three So.iex.
) informed us that a party of their
nation were waiting for us about 80
miles up the riven Twelve miles
further we passed Floyd’s river, cal
led after one of the followers of Lew
is aid Clark, who was buried on an
eminence in its neighborhood; the
Indians had mounted a flag over his
grave; on our way we passed several
; banks of coal and chalk.
On the 18th, we arrived at the Yaru
tanSj a branch of the Spuex, containing
300 lodges ; their huts were pi *ced on
the north bank, and were saluted in
tne following manner: 50 warriors
arranged themselves on the shore, and
discharged their pieces loaded with
bull into the water at the bows of the
barges; having brought too near the
short, the officers landed and were
carried to the council house bv six In
dians in Buffalos robes ; in tne coun
cil their demands .were si njUr to th
AI aba’s ; they were given to under
stand that no trader coul 1 be left with
them and that thev could hive no
presents; menace took the plac’e of
supplication ; the principal chief ad
dressed the gtmleiMbn in nearly th
following words: “ The Missouri h is
always ran muddy water which occi
sions the white people’s refusirig out
demands, that if it was made to run
blood, they would lie adhered to.”
.The commander of the expedition in
formed them that the goods did not be
long to th=ir great fat.icr, that they
were the sole property of those iodivU
Iwal3 who were present; that thev were
is able to protect themselves as wil
ling to cultivate the friendship of the
Soue.’C. * I'iie gentlemen conceiving it
their interest, established a traduig
house here; during o ir stay the chiefs
had stationed 6 men to'guard the bir
ges from pillage. These people subsist
errirety on the 13 iffaloe, except some
’imes a dog; they resemble the Arabs,
having no fize! place of residence
lollowing the BuiFaloe as the seasons
change, without an/ wish or desire to
raise corn or vegetables ; they hunt on
horseback ar ned with bows and shirt
gu is; they have -their nation parcelled
out in tribes, viz. Yantans, Titons,
Chians, Punkas, &c.' —.whether
they acknowledge these appellations I
i n not positive, but rather thin* they
received them from those traders who
have been in t ie habit of visiting the n ;(
tney are the terr >r and in fact the j
lordly masters of all their neighbors,!
claiming tribute (present.;) fr)m all
he other tribes; their dress consist}
•f tne skins or thi hlk, Tlnfi-,
lor- and Heaver, handsomely decorated!
with porcupine quills. As they re n lin
but a short perio l in one pi tee they,
nave very little bag jag-, a few kettles,'
meir arms and clothing are prcpir;d'
in s nail hup 11 -s su ficien ly large for a !
l og to drag along b i sled ; these an-)
i nals are of the wolf bree l and kn >w
»y instinct when tne oan l is in notion, i
on stripping the huts which are co
vered With skins 'tilwy set up a most
, piteous ho ad, and endeavor to escape
their intended labor by hiding from
heir owners.
On the 20th we sat out and on the
i next day passed the Puika river on
1 the north aide •, a band *t the S.tu rx,
; called the Punkas, resort to th s river
‘o hunt, a few miles above the Luka
ton or running water puts in with the
greatest Velocity ; this river is abou1
; 150 yards wide at its mouth, being
navigable a considerable (list vice for
i i nail tradingboats ; here we met w th
jvcral blufTt of coal, chalk, pig nents,
si »te# Sc;. See. and for the lira? time
observed the goit, pr*rie dog*, and a
number of magpies.
On trie ‘2 jth, we arrived at an en
m npment of the Tito 1t, another ban 1J
>f the Sou ex, » nounti.jg to 10 > 1> Iges,
vhere the s i tie tr msactio is took pi,ire
1 is at the Y titansr promised them s.j
r*d< r who w n I ;ft at Fort I. lisel on
, Jedai island,a lew d-tj s journey above
the village, n ar White River, a gen
tie stream which puts in on the soutl
side about 150 yards wide at its con
fluence with the Missouri. A fe w mile
further we got into the great bene
which performs a circuit of 40 or 5<
mies, and approaches within 2 mile
if the £o nmenceinent of the circle i
forms. From this place to the Rich
aree villages wc had a bride wind Iron
the right quarter, which enableius tt
use the sails ev ry day ; we passed se
veral important rivers and brook
which to us were na meless, except tht
«...hien on the south side, on wsiich :
branch of the Sou x called Chiens re
side; it is upwards of 200 yards widt
at th j mouth.
On the 12th Sen*, we arrived at th<
villages of the Richarees, who appear
el much darrmed anil refuse J t > c mu
to council on that day or at all unles:
ho»*s»/e* were exchanged.
Having agreed with the 11 ;es for a
exchange of hostage?, their fears wert
somewhat allayed, and a frien lly inter
course took, place. * I n the council theji
vere a iked why they had a* acked the
P arty on the firmer exueditio-i
under the command of Lie it. Pr or:
hev replied that they were informe !
ay a Frenchman wh » resides with
them, that the goods an 1 barges were
-ent to them by their great, lather thr
^re^i lent of the U-. States as presents,
that Lieut. Prior only gave the n me
lals, w'oich th**y a: first accepted, bal
m discovering that the goods were dc
■ aiiied thev sta mped upon the medals
>na aaacuea tne boats ; these circum
stances tog:fh:r with the solicitations
of the aforesai 1 Frenchman to fire on
hhe white people was the cause of the
inhappy misunderstanding.
The comm mder of the expedition
M-. Pierre Chouteau, demanded the
French man, he was informed, that hi
! ved with a tribe of thruir nations call
ed Scions, abo it 50 miles s >utht thai
ue was m rrr^d and had a family; or
•Ir. Chouteau’s insisting on having
lim delivered up they agreed to send
i party of their young men to accompa
ny Mr. C’s detachment to the villag
—however, w%hen tne party was pre
oared to set out, they refused to sen !
their escort: so the affair was aban
loned for the present.
SVe foun l that the Richarees and
'•landaus w-re at peace, a party of the
latter were on a visit at tne village, whr
were much pleased to see their coun
trymen, (^Shehelceh) return safe. I
rhe council, the Rees demands were
ii nilar to the Soucx, they exoresse.!
extreme sorrow at the recoil *crion of
their diffrrehces with Lisur. Prior, 8s
their profuse hospitality in giving corn
and m at, evinced their satisfaction ai
the return of a friendly intercourse
Fwo of the orincipal Souex Chiefi
having accompanied us to the villages
also made peace with the Rees—how
ev-r the l itter expressed their senti
nents very freely of the Sou :x ; thej
said they only ca ne to bsg present
an 1 s n >k.e for horses—that they wo ale
p>r\v little attention to their engage
ments, and that they would break thi
treaty when opportunity offered:—
Shehelceh appeared perfectly at h > ne
he hau led the calu net round the coian
cil roo n with all the gravitv of an a >ori
gin al Statesman an 1 VV irri >r.
rhe Richaree towns are built on ;
ban Is i.ne prairie, on the south side, a
bout 500 yarJs aptrt, having a snaal
river between, which puts into th
Missouri; their lodges are built some
what similar to the Mahas, with th<
addition of having a cover* l en ranc<
of C, 10, or 15 yards ; the/ appear t<
live much more comfortable than am
>1 the ot.Uer^tribes, having their hut
livid :d into chanbcrs with a neatnes
in their construction which we ha
not witnessed before ; tbeir corn field
which harder the Missouri are wcl
fenced and better cultivated than nam
f ar ms on the frontiers of the U. States
Corn, Pu npkms, Simians, Beans, Peas
Melon*, and a v irietv of o her vegeta
bles are raised in abundance. Tobac
co is not for got ton, this plant is mac
attended to, so m ich so as to form
considerable article of their trade.
The »i -es believe in the existenc
>f a Supreme Being ; they alsobeliev
in the e xist nee of an evil spirit whor
they worship, in order to be on g >o
■cr ns wit i him. as they conceive h
Was po wer to spoil their hums and de<
troy their corn an 1 veg-tables. t\
I .noa£ the multitude of domestic deiti
- I shall Mention two kinds—a number
1 of Buffalo© heads are fixed on poles in
• cl'*se and regular order, fantastically
*fpunted and decorated with feathers,
1 the other consists at a box filled with
) small bones, burtons^ beads, burnt fea*
i thers^c a variety of other trash, which
is generally ia possession of their con
“ jurerand doctor, he visits the sick,
1 performs a number of fantises, such
• its swallowing knives and arrows, blow
• ing on and rubbing the patient,* while
this is performing the miraculous box
is' hung over th^ sick ; should his ef
i forts fail in restoring the patient, he is
carr ed to the margin of the river in
view of the Buffaloe heads, where
stones are heated and a place erecicd
over the n to lav the diseased, he is
then covered with Buffaloe skins or
olankets, an 1 a steam created b} thr »w«
i ing water on the hut stones^. a viol;nt
perspiration is s ton produce d, in
which state he is throw i into the river ;
this is their last trial, which if n >teffi.
■ cacious, the torm‘nrors ceise and the
wretched being is left to his fate.
i he wo ne i are rather handsomer
than otherwise, they are treated in
t e same manner as a nong the o'her
tribes, all the labors of the field, pre
paring food, dressing skins and fur,
nuking clothes for their brutal naster*
fall to their lot: they bu*’ th;ir wives
an 1 consider the n as beasts of bur len :
the men occupy their time in hunting,
smokimr. and the c r»f th r»!i* Krira»o
The company left a s nail boat with
gio ls to exchange for horses with
these people.
On the 14th of September w- left the
Rees i »r the Mriclii villages, h iving ;
succentiian of chaining ** earlier; I went
on alio'e in s-veru’ place ; the only ap.
pearance of fertdi'y is online! to tha
! »\v grounds along the banks of the river :
>n the hills which in many nlaces approach
hyLI,,re' 1 observed in several places the
remans of volcanic matter—pumice i
man 1 in abundance, generally <jf a brown
and purple cilor. About h *lf w^y be
•ween tbs Rees and \Iandans the wit h
oca** is first seen—from information which
I received from ihe h inters, he is double
lie si*- of the black bear and extremely
ferocious, being the despotic tyrant of the
pla ns and forest.
On the 2js*f ff. arrived at the firs
•laouan village —this tribe had separated
Irom the nation and had removed 30 miles
town the river; Sh-hekeh prevailed on
tnem to return and become friends; here
*e discovered that he was onlv the chier
of one village, where we next day arrived
-O.i our ap iroach a salute was fired from
the barges and answered by the villages
m raising'the American flag. The bar.
‘*e‘ were soon crowedd with the natives
mutual congratulations took place*
I he gentlemen being invited to dine by
Shehekeh's bmthe" we fiuod a plent ful
supply of good provisions ; the larlie i had
prepared a larax stew of meat, corn an >
vegetables, and our feast was se tson-d b
• gc mine hospitality. In the afternoon w
prepared to visit the upper towns ; an ele
■|gant horse was p esenterl to th *ir travel
l led chief, who had put on his ful dres?
* uniform suit; his horse was not lorg >tten
I / —he rliinli*./) _ut_ ..... .. j
■ 1 # * S w'” 'r '•« I 1491b III Ul WS
. sing him m sc»rlet, and gold heed h >in.
; ings. with a h.ghly mounted bridle an.
. sa*ddle ; thus equipped we set out, accom
• | r*anied by 30 o. 40 of the natives on horse
\ back—ithe singulati y of our recep ion is
worthy of no ice ; having rode io the ceo«
tre of the village we remained some tim:
, before we were invited to enter the house
1 of the chief; I wis informed it was Ih;
• custom on all occasions to stand in the
’ most public place and wait the invitation
• of some of the chiefs, otherwise it would
- be considered a gross violation of eti
. queue to enter the dwelling of any o!
. these people without a formal invitation
, Sliehekeh’s conduct amused us very
. much, his splendid uniform and hor>
furniture, his fine figure, his anxiety t
a p near to advantage, with the contras
. 'vhea compared with his brother chiefs
who appeared i wutient for the present.
’ ,Tbicb they expected to receive from her,
I These articles he received from the A
r merican government, and had renderer
. him hi hit opinion the greatest man ii
, hi* country; it was expected hy his pro
- »le that he would b- vcy liberal in th<
. hstributioi of some of his valuables
1 however, their hopes were vain—Shehe.
a ‘-ch wa* a* anxious io retain his proper.
/« as they were to receive it—mnrm i
^ '.ook ihe plice of mir h, and on our de
lariure from the village his popularity
1 was on the (h clme.
A few milm above tbe upper village
d the principal trad ng houss was built, an
’he hunting parties amonn’ing in all t
I- |<n men, set out fo- the thre
lo-ks of the Missouri. Inf rmi’ion wa
;9 receded here that the Blackfoat Iniian
i
who reside at the foot of the consta t*»
were ho3tile, that the British h id facm*.
ries ail over the coun ry, and had impel,
led them to cut off Mr Manuel Lina's
party | one of the survivors of the u nn ?
of Coulter, who had accompanied Lew s
»nd Clatk, says, that he in company w*«/i
another, was fired on by th;>e Indiana,
that his companion (who made resist*
ance) was killed, his canoe, clothing,
turj, traps and arms taken from him, and
when expelling to receive the late of hi*
comrade he was ordered to ruiofi*ai(a3t
as possible, which he c ildlv comp ied/
vitlj— ■ d^orviog o le of their young nisi*
lollowii^at full aperd armed with a
sp-ar, he pushed on to some distance*
endeavoring to save his life—in a fer.*
minutes the savage was r.e»r enough In
I pitch his spear, which he poisned, afctk
threw wi h a ich violence as to b*eak di*
hanili and miss the object. Coulter be
came the a .sailanf, turn 'd on the Indars
4 *d pa. hi u o death w.th the bmleu
| spear; naked and tired he crep1 to ari.
ver where he hid in a Beavei’s darn‘tom
t ie band win had followed to revjigu
the dea‘h of their com >anion ; hieing
observed he departure of the enemy hi
lelt ,he river and Caine to the Gross Vtn*
tre, a tribe of hs Man 1.in, u jour.ie, of
■nos djys, wthiu; even moeejsom to,
»»o:e6\ him from ihc prickly p ar, w licit
covered the c iun;ry, sub fisting on such.
berries as B.ov deuce threw in his way*
O i our return to the Ues village, we
found ttn the *S »• x had killed some nf
their people,„wh en th y unaccountably
b! mej u, f ir-.and bei ig privately infer.
(Ufa ;h(*V it, Pii'lp I ns mis. hi#»f
.n the nigh , ordering th* men to sleep
>n baa'd ; unfortunately, two of the haods,
one of the name of \ iron Whitneys a no.
'ive >f -fa .sacno setts’ went in o ,hi vil.
uge, corra'y to order, and was left he.
bind. We arrived at St. Louis in 40
lays from the Company’* trading house,
shove the Grasi Ventre, without any o.
I Uier accident.
Mr Seybe-t (from Philadelphia,) on
Tuesday, the 9th instant, delivered a nar.
*oua speech against the report of the c :.m»
nit ee of foreign rcla ion*—We n<» ice it,
at this time, only for the parpo*e of iR.ro*
lacing the following extract, to shew the
relative imoortance of our trade with C.
Britain and the re -.tof Euope —merely
>remi*ing that Mr S. considered the bill aa
calculated to lead to war with one ur both
of he belligerents — in which case iie svas
for select ng his enemy.—'Ii It. Ev. Puat.
*l If we are to <*d>;>t a preference in fa
vor of one or o her of the b dligeren ■*,
since they will not afi\ upm fair p.'inci*
pea themselves, it is proper that ws
should take a fsir view of the American
commerce carried on with Great lintain,
and that wi h the continent of Europe- 1c
is of moment to deie m nt. winch of th*
two is the most advantageous to the U.
States This ca • only be answered, by
taking a correct view of ih: ex ent and
importance of each,as sh ill be d -.n >o s tra.
ted b/ a reference to the amount of ou
exports and imports ’o and from each of
those countries. We will n >w proceed to
his inves igstion-.it shall be founded up.
m the olTic.al reports of the Sucre ary of
■•he Treaiury. 1 will take the calculi.ion*
for ihree years-1802, 1803 and 1804.”
fn he year 1802 domestic produce wa*
xported to Europe tu the am >u *t of
C3 n r 1 o a a a/x
Foreign articles exported
same year 35,775 OOO
Total amoujt^pr exports
from the U|(B. for 1802 7 ,9 5 5 00J
In the year 1801, domestic articles ure.e
exported f'om th; U.u.ed States am >«it.
I® ft 42,135,000
Foreign articles exported
same year 13 595 00">
lo’al amounts of exports •
for 1803 55 729 000
Amoun* of domestic articles exporter!
from th; United ‘States to li i • pe to 18»4,
ft 41.470 OOP
Foreign articles exported
same year SG,310,000
- Total exports for 1884 77,70'.i,0)P
I Of our domestic articles its ’he ve.tr 1
, Cm. li. received in amount ft 190**04}
.Foreign articles 4.910,*48
. Amount total for IgOJ, re.
ceived by G. Bumim ?1,<**.5.<591
In 1803, site receive J of d>m;-i c »>•:<•
cles S 3 5 *7 90#
Foreign l,,M,t73i
Total for 1833 SS.369,o7t *.
In 1804, she received i?ou\;»iic
19 340 VI r‘
Fore:jn
Total fur 1804