Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-07-19

be most interested. The complete
story Of their onward march ana u
more detailed account II their ascent
up the river to the Mandan villages
would be impossible In a newspaper
article. So it will be necessary 10
contlne the article o closely 10
the Mandan village, which the party
from Bismarck has visited.
Reached Village in October.
All who are familiar with the story.
Of Lewis and clark will remember
that the explorers reached the VIZ
lagos of the Mandans and Mlnneta'
rees by the last Of October, ana De,
ing warned by the approaching co'o
weather they prepared to take up WIN
fer quarters. Their first care was
TO find a suitable place for building
ioe cabins and Notifications. WIN
this work the men were engaged untli
November 20, when Fort Mandan was
completed and occupied.
To Establish Confidence.
| Meanwhile, the officers had sought
to extend acquaintance among the III.
dams, and to establish confidence ana
bring them into touch with the new
conditions of government. So far as
the pledges We're concerned they were
fairly successful: the Indians receiV'
ed them Hospitality.
A Powerful Nation.
The Mandans had once been a. pow
erful nation. living in numerous WI
lagos down the river; but continued
wars with the Sioux, coupled with the.
sad ayage of the smallpox, had re-
duced them to an insignificant num-
Der, and compelled them to move out
Of easy reach Of their strongest enc
mics. When Lewis and Clark came
upon them, they formed only a tritiing
Souvenir of their past @% grandeur.
They had then but two, villages lat
this remote site, where they lived IN
a precarious, hand-to-mouth fashion.
having no allies but a small force OF
MinatareeS nearby. at. Co.,. -
one.Eyed Old Despot.
But fate had managed the matter
yerv we'll, no doubt, in depriving
these people of effective. strength in
war; for at this time the head Chief
of the Minataree villages was man,
who, given opportunity, would have
made the river run red with the blood
of his enemies. This was LIE Borgne'
a one-eyed old despot, of surprising
cruelty and sbloodthirstiness, whose
very name, even in his present posi-
ton, would compel a SILVER OF appre-
hension. A chief such as he, at the
head of forces. matched to his Zero.
c:ous desires, would have changed
the history of the upper Missouri.
Given to SIau9htering.
AS it was, he spent most of his vii
famous instincts for his W private
anusement-occasionally slaughter
ing one of his warriors who had CIV
en- him ~displeasure, or butcherlng a
couple of his wives whose society
had grown irksome; and between
times he leered with his solitary evil
eye upon the traders, continuing ways
for getting whisky with which to bait
his passions. =
Effected a Treaty.
Lewis and Clark succeeded direct
!ly in effecting a treaty of peace be.
tween the Mandans and Ricaras, and
among other small tribes of the re-
gion round about; but they were pow
erless in trying ft0 reconcile these
people to the Sioux, who were the
bogie.men of the plains, and Il II
Quoted themselves in every affair OF
peace or war with the arrogance Oh
incontestable power. Not death It.
self could extinguish the hatred thai
was felt for them by the weaker
tribes, compelled to skulk and trem-
BILE.
Visit From Two Squaws. |
Early in March the officers recelv'
ed A. visit from two squaWs who had
been taken prisoners by the Mandans,
many years before, in a war with the
Snake Indians of the Rocky noun
tains. One of these squaws was am
ed Sacajawea, the Bird Woman. she