[Clark, March 1, 1805]
 March 1st Friday 1805
 a fine Day I am ingaged in Copying a map, men building perogus, makeing
 Ropes, Burning Coal, Hanging up meat & makeing battle axes for Corn
 
 
 [Clark, March 2, 1805]
 2nd of March 1805 Satturday
 a fine Day the river brake up in places all engaged about Something Mr.
 La Rocque a Clerk of the N W Company visit us, he has latterly returned
 from the Establishments on the Assinniboin River with Merchindize to
 tarade with Indians--Mr. L informs us the N, W. & X Y Companies have
 joined, & the head of the N W. Co. is Dead Mr. McTavish of Monteral,-
 visted by the Coal & Several Indians
 
 
 [Clark, March 3, 1805]
 3rd of March Sunday 1805
 a fine Day wind from the W, a large flock of Ducks pass up the
 Rivervisited by the black Cat, Chief of the Mandans 2d Cheif and a Big
 Belley, they Stayed but a Short time we informed those Chiefs of the
 news recved from the Ricaras, all hands employd
 
 
 [Clark, March 4, 1805]
 Fort Mandan
 4th March Monday 1805
 a Cloudy morning wind from the N W the after part of the day Clear,
 visited by the Black Cat & Big White, who brought a Small present of
 meat, an Engage of the N W Co. Came for a horse, and requested in the
 name of the woman of the princapal of his Department Some Silk of three
 Colours, which we furnished-. The Assinniboins who visited the Mandans
 a fiew Days ago returned and attempted to take horses of the Minetarres
 & were fired on by them
 
 
 [Clark, March 5, 1805]
 5th March Tuesday 1805
 A fine Day Themometer at 40° abo 0. Several Indians visit us to day one
 frenchman cross to join a Indian the two pass through by Land to the
 Ricaras with a Letter to Mr. Tabbow
 
 
 [Clark, March 6, 1805]
 6th of March Wednesday 1805
 a Cloudy morning & Smokey all Day from the burning of the plains, which
 was Set on fire by the Minetarries for an early crop of Grass as an
 endusement for the Buffalow to feed on--the horses which was Stolen
 Some time ago by the Assinniboins from the minetarries were returned
 yesterday--visited by Oh-harh or the Little fox 2d Chief of the lower
 Village of the Me ne tar ries--one man Shannon Cut his foot with the
 ads in working at a perogue, George & Graviline go to the Village, the
 river rise a little to day-
 
 
 [Clark, March 7, 1805]
 7th of March Thursday 1805
 a little Cloudy and windey N E. the Coal visited us with a Sick child,
 to whome I gave Some of rushes Pills--Shabounar returned this evening
 from the Gross Vintres & informed that all the nation had returned from
 the hunting--he our menetarre interpeter had received a present from
 Mr. Chaboilleiz of the N. W. Company of the following articles 3 Brace
 of Cloath 1 Brace of Scarlet a par Corduroy Overalls 1 Vests 1 Brace
 Blu Cloth 1 Brace red or Scarlet with 3 bars, 200 balls & Powder, 2
 bracs Tobacco, 3 Knives.
 
 
 [Clark, March 8, 1805]
 8th of March Friday 1805
 a fair morning Cold and windey, wind from the East, visited by the
 Greesey head & a Riarca to day, those men gave Some account of the
 Indians near the rockey mountains
 a young Indian same nation & Differnt Village Stole the Doughter of the
 Black man, he went to his Village took his horse & returned & took away
 his doughter
 
 
 [Clark, March 9, 1805]
 on the 9th of March we were Visited by the Grand Chief of the
 Minetarres, to whome we gave a medal & Some Cloths & a flag. Sent a
 French Man & a Indian with a letter to Mr. Tabboe informing them the
 Ricarras of the desire the Mandans had to See them &. &.
 
 
 [Clark, March 9, 1805]
 9th of March Satturday 1805
 a Cloudy Cold and windey morning wind from the North--walked up to See
 the Party that is makeing Perogues, about 5 miles above this, the wind
 hard and Cold on my way up I met The Main Chief of the Manitarres with
 four Indians on Thier way to See us, I requested him to proceed on to
 the fort where he would find Capt. Lewis I should be there my Self in
 corse of a fiew hours, Sent the interpeter back with him and proceeded
 on my Self to the Canoes found them nearly finished, the timber verry
 bad, after visiting all the perogues where I found a number of Indans I
 wind to the upper mandan Village & Smoked a pipe the greatest mark of
 friendship and attention with the Chief and returned on my return found
 the Manitarree Chief about Setting out on his return to his village,
 having recieved of Captain M. Lewis a medel Gorget armbans, a Flag
 Shirt, Scarlet &c. &c. &c. for which he was much pleased Those Things
 were given in place of Sundery articles Sent to him which he Sais he
 did not receive 2 guns were fired for this Great man
 
 
 [Clark, March 10, 1805]
 10th of March Sunday 1805.
 a Cold winday Day. we are visited by the Black mockersons, Chief of the
 2d Manetarre Village and the Chief of the Shoeman Village or Mah ha ha
 V. those Chiefs Stayed all day and the latter all night and gave us
 many Strang accounts of his nation &c this Little tribe or band of
 Menitaraies Call themselves Ah-nah-haway or people whose village is on
 the hill. nation formerleyed lived about 30 miles below this but beeing
 oppressed by the Asinniboins & Sous were Compelled to move 5 miles the
 Minitaries, where, the Assinniboins Killed the most of. them those
 remaining built a village verry near to the Minitarries at the mouth of
 Knife R where they now live and Can raise about 50 men, they are
 intermixed with the Mandans & Minatariers--the Manclans formerly lived
 in 6 large villages at and above the mouth of Chischeter or Heart River
 five Villages on the West Side & two on the East one of those Villages
 on the East Side of the Missouri & the larges was intirely Cut off by
 the Sioux & the greater part of the others and the Small Pox reduced
 the others.
 
 
 [Clark, March 11, 1805]
 Fort Mandan
 11th of March Monday 1805
 A Cloudy Cold windey day, Some Snow in the latter part of the day, we
 deturmin to have two other Perogues made for us to transport our
 Provisions &c.
 We have every reason to believe that our Menetarre interpeter, (whome
 we intended to take with his wife, as an interpeter through his wife to
 the Snake Indians of which nation She is) has been Corupted by the ____
 Companeys &c. Some explenation has taken place which Clearly proves to
 us the fact, we give him to night to reflect and deturmin whether or
 not he intends to go with us under the regulations Stated.
 
 
 [Clark, March 12, 1805]
 12th a fine day Some Snow last night our Interpeter Shabonah, detumins
 on not proceeding with us as an interpeter under the terms mentioned
 yesterday he will not agree to work let our Situation be what it may
 not Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when
 he pleases, also have the disposial of as much provisions as he Chuses
 to Carrye.
 in admissable and we Suffer him to be off the engagement which was only
 virbal wind N W
 
 
 [Clark, March 13, 1805]
 13th of March Wednesday 1805
 a fine day visited by Mr. Mckinsey one of the Clerks of the N W
 Companey, the river riseing a little--maney Inds. here to day all
 anxiety for war axes the Smiths have not an hour of Idle time to Spear
 wind S W
 
 
 [Clark, March 14, 1805]
 14th March Thursday 1805. a fine day Set all hands to Shelling Corn &c.
 Mr. McKinsey leave us to day maney Indians as usial. wind west river
 Still riseing
 
 
 [Clark, March 15, 1805]
 15th of March Friday 1805
 a fine day I put out all the goods & Parch meal Clothing &c to Sun, a
 number of Indians here to day They make maney remarks respecting our
 goods &c. Set Some men about Hulling Corn &c.
 
 
 [Lewis, March 16, 1805]
 March 16th, 1804.
 Mr. Gurrow a Frenchman who has lived many years with the Ricares &
 Mandans shewed us the process used by those Indians to make beads. the
 discovery of this art these nations are said to have derived from the
 Snake
 Indians who have been taken prisoners by the Ricaras. the art is kept a
 secret by the Indians among themselves and is yet known to but few of
 them.
 the Prosess is as follows,--Take glass of as many different colours as
 you think proper, then pound it as fine as possible puting each colour
 in a seperate vessel. wash the pounded glass in several waters throwing
 off the water at each washing. continue this opperation as long as the
 pounded glass stains or colours the water which is poured off and the
 residium is then prepared for uce. You then provide an earthen pot of
 convenient size say of three gallons which will stand the fire; a
 platter also of the same materials sufficiently small to be admitted in
 the mouth of the pot or jar. the pot has a nitch in it's edge through
 which to watch the beads when in blast. You then provide some well
 seasoned clay with a propertion of sand sufficient to prevent it's
 becoming very hard when exposed to the heat. this clay must be tempered
 with water untill it is about the consistency of common doe. of this
 clay you then prepare, a sufficient number of little sticks of the size
 you wish the hole through the bead, which you do by roling the clay on
 the palm of the hand with your finger. this done put those sticks of
 clay on the platter and espose them to a red heat for a few minutes
 when you take them off and suffer them to cool. the pot is also heated
 to cles it perfectly of any filth it may contain. small balls of clay
 are also mad of about an ounce weight which serve each as a pedestal
 for a bead. these while soft ar distributed over the face of the
 platter at such distance from each other as to prevent the beads from
 touching. some little wooden paddles are now provided from three to
 four inches in length sharpened or brought to a point at the extremity
 of the handle. with this paddle you place in the palm of the hand as
 much of the wet pounded glass as is necessary to make the bead of the
 size you wish it. it is then arranged with the paddle in an oblong
 form, laying one of those little stick of clay crosswise over it; the
 pounded glass by means of the paddle is then roped in cilindrical form
 arround the stick of clay and gently roled by motion of the hand
 backwards an forwards until you get it as regular and smooth as you
 conveniently can. if you wish to introduce any other colour you now
 purforate the surface of the bead with the pointed end of your little
 paddle and fill up the cavity with other pounded glass of the colour
 you wish forming the whole as regular as you can. a hole is now made in
 the center of the little pedestals of clay with the handle of your
 shovel sufficiently large to admit the end of the stick of clay arround
 which the bead is formed. the beads are then arranged perpindicularly
 on their pedestals and little distance above them supported by the
 little sticks of clay to which they are attatched in the manner before
 mentioned. Thus arranged the platter is deposited on burning coals or
 hot embers and the pot reversed with the apparture in it's edge turned
 towards coverd the whole. dry wood pretty much doated _; is then plased
 arron the pot in sush manner as compleatly to cover it is then set on
 fire and the opperator must shortly after begin to watch his beads
 through the apparture of the pot lest they should be distroyed by being
 over heated. he suffers the beads to acquire a deep red heat from which
 when it passes in a small degree to a pailer or whitish red, or he
 discovers that the beads begin to become pointed at their upper
 extremities he removes the fire from about the pot and suffers the
 whole to cool gradually. the pot is then removed and the beads taken
 out. the clay which fills the hollow of the beads is picked out with an
 awl or nedle, the bead is then fit for uce. The Indians are extreemly
 fond of the large beads formed by this process. they use them as
 pendants to their years, or hair and sometimes wear them about their
 necks.
 
 
 [Clark, March 16, 1805]
 16th of March Satturday 1805
 a Cloudy day wind from the S. E one Indian much displeased with
 whitehouse for Strikeing his hand when eating with a Spoon for
 behaveing badly. Mr. Garrow Shew'd us the way the ricaras made their
 large Beeds
 
 
 [Clark, March 17, 1805]
 17th of March Sunday a windey Day attempted to air our goods &. Mr.
 Chabonah Sent a french man of our party that he was Sorry for the
 foolissh part he had acted and if we pleased he would accompany us
 agreeabley to the terms we had perposed and doe every thing we wished
 him to doe &c. &c. he had requested me Some thro our French inturpeter
 two days ago to excuse his Simplicity and take him into the cirvise,
 after he had taken his things across the River we called him in and
 Spoke to him on the Subject, he agreed to our terms and we agreed that
 he might go on with us &c &c. but fiew Indians here to day; the river
 riseing a little and Severall places open.
 
 
 [Clark, March 18, 1805]
 18th of March 1805 a cold cloudy Day wind from the N. I pack up all the
 merchindize into 8 packs equally devided So as to have Something of
 every thing in each Canoe & perogue I am informed of a Party of
 Christanoes & assinniboins being killed by the Sioux, 50 in Number near
 the Estableishments on the assinniboin R. a fiew days ago (the effect
 of Mr. Cammeron, revenge on the Chipaway for Killing 3 of his men) Mr.
 Tousent Chabono, Enlisted as an Interpreter this evening, I am not well
 to day.
 
 
 [Clark, March 19, 1805]
 19th of March 1805 Cold windey Day Cloudy Some little Snow last night
 Visited to Day by the big white & Little Crow, also a man & his wife
 with a Sick Child, I administer for the child I am told that two
 parties are gorn to war from the Big bellies and one other party going
 to war Shortly.
 
 
 [Clark, March 20, 1805]
 I visited the Mandans on the 20th & have the canoes taken to the River,
 ready to Decend to the fort when the River Clears,
 
 
 [Clark, March 20, 1805]
 Fort Mandan
 20th March Wednesday 1805.
 I with all the men which could be Speared from the Fort went to Canoes,
 there I found a number of Indians the men carried 4 to the River about
 11/2 miles thro the Bottom, I visited the Chief of the Mandans in the
 Course of the Day and Smoked a pipe with himself and Several old men.
 cloudy wind hard from N.
 
 
 [Clark, March 21, 1805]
 I return on the 21st and on my return I passed on the points of the
 high hills S. S. where I saw an emence quantity of Pumice Stone, and
 evident marks of the hills being on fire I collected some Pumice Stone,
 burnt Stone & hard earth and put them into a furnace, the hard earth
 melted and glazed the other two a part of which i, e, the Hard Clay
 became a Pumice-Stone, I also collected a Plant the root of which is a
 Cure for the Bite of a mad dog & Snake which I shall Send--Mr. Haney (I
 think it grows in the Blue R Barrens) the Indians make large Beeds of
 Different Colours-
 
 
 [Clark, March 21, 1805]
 21st March Thursday 1805
 a Cloudy Day Some snow, the men Carried the remaining the 2 remained
 Canoes to the River, all except 3 left to take care & complete the
 Canoes, returned to the fort with their baggage, on my return to day to
 the Fort I came on the points of the high hills, Saw an emence quantity
 of Pumice Stone on the Sides & foot of the hills and emence beds of
 Pumice Stone near the Tops of the hills with evident marks of the Hill
 haveing once been on fire, I collected Some the differnt i e Stone
 Pumice Stone & a hard earth and put them into a furnace the hard earth
 melted and glazed the others two and the hard Clay became a pumice
 Stone Glazed. I collected Some plants &c.
 
 
 [Clark, March 22, 1805]
 22nd of March 1805 Visited by the 2nd Chief of the Grand Village of the
 Minetarrees to whome we gave a medal & Some Clothes acknowledging him
 as a 2d Chief, he Delayed all night, & Saw the men Dance, which is
 common amusement with the men he returned the 23rd with Mr. La Rocque &
 McKinsey two of the N W. Companys Clerks--Some few Drops of rain this
 evening for the first time this Winter visited by many Indians to day
 
 
 [Clark, March 22, 1805]
 March 22, 1805
 23rd of March Friday 1805 a Cloudy Day visited by Mrs. Lack McKinsey &
 the 2d Chief of the Bigbellies, the white wolf and many other
 Menataries, we gave a Medal Some Clothes and wampoms to the 2 Chief and
 Delivered a Speach, which they all appeared well pleased with in The
 evening the men Danced Mr. Jessomme displeased
 
 
 [Clark, March 24, 1805]
 24th of March Satturday 1805
 after Brackfast Mr. La Rocke and Mr. McKinsey and the Chiefs & men of
 the Minetarras leave us--Soon after we were visited by a Brother of the
 Burnia who gave us a Vocabulary of his Language--the Coal & many other
 Mandans also visit us to Day. a find Day in the fore part in the
 evening a little rain & the first this winter
 
 
 [Clark, March 25, 1805]
 25th of March Sunday 1805
 a Cloudy morning wind from the N E the after part of the Day fair,
 Several Indians visit us today, prepareing to Set out on our journey
 Saw Swans & wild Gees flying N E this evening
 
 
 [Clark, March 25, 1805]
 March 25, 1805
 26h The ice broke up in Several places in the evenig broke away and was
 nearly takeing off our new Canoes river rise a little
 
 
 [Clark, March 26, 1805]
 26th of March Monday 1805
 a find Day wind S. W. but fiew Inds visit us to day the Ice haveing
 broken up in Several places, The ice began to brake away this evening
 and was near distroying our Canoes as they wer decnding to the fort,
 river rose only 9 Inches to day prepareing to Depart
 
 
 [Clark, March 27, 1805]
 27th of March Tuesday 1805
 The river choked up with ice opposit to us and broke away in the
 evening raised only 1/2 Inch all employed prepareing to Set out
 
 
 [Clark, March 28, 1805]
 28th had all the Canoes, the Perogus corked pitchd & lined cover the
 Cotton Wood, which is win Shaken (the Mandans feed their horses on the
 cotton wood Sticks in places of corn).
 
 
 [Clark, March 28, 1805]
 28th of March Friday 1805
 a windey Blustering Day wind S W ice running the river Blocked up in
 view for the Space of 4 hours and gave way leaveing great quantity of
 ice on the Shallow Sand bars. had all the canoes corked pitched &
 tirred in and on the cracks and windshake which is universially in the
 Cotton wood
 
 
 [Clark, March 28, 1805]
 March 28, 1805
 25th the ice Stoped running owing to Some obstickle above all
 prepareing to Set out but few Indians visit us to day they are watching
 to catch the floating Buffalow which brake through the ice in Crossing,
 those people are fond of those animals tainted and Catch great numbers
 every Spring
 
 
 [Clark, March 29, 1805]
 29th of March Satturday 1805
 The ice has Stoped running owing to Som obstickle above, repare the
 Boat & Perogues, and prepareing to Set out but few Indians visit us to
 day they are now attending on the river bank to Catch the floating
 Buffalow
 
 
 [Clark, March 30, 1805]
 30th of March. The Ice is passing in great quantites, river ran a
 little,
 The Plains are on fire on both Sides of the river it is common for the
 indians to Set those Plains on fire near their village for the
 advantage of
 early Grass for the hors & as an inducement to the Buffalow to visit
 them
 
 
 [Clark, March 30, 1805]
 30th of March Sunday 1805
 The obstickle broke away above & the ice came dow in great quantites
 the river rose 13 inches the last 24 hours I observed extrodanary
 dexterity of the Indians in jumping from one Cake of ice to another,
 for the purpose of Catching the buffalow as they float down maney of
 the Cakes of ice which they pass over are not two feet Square. The
 Plains are on fire in view of the fort on both Sides of the River, it
 is Said to be common for the Indians to burn the Plains near their
 villages every Spring for the benifit of ther horse, and to induce the
 Buffalow to come near to them.
 
 
 [Clark, March 31, 1805]
 31 h of March Monday 1805 Cloudy Several gangus of Ducks and Gees pass
 up not much ice floating. All the party in high Spirits, but fiew
 nights pass without a Dance they are helth. except the-vn.--which is
 common with the Indians and have been communicated to many of our party
 at this place--those favores bieng easy acquired. all Tranquille
 
 
 [Clark, March 31, 1805]
 31t of March Monday 1805
 Cloudy Day Seven Gangs of Gees and Ducks pass up the river--but a Small
 portion of ice floating down to day--but fiew Inds visit us to day all
 the party in high Spirits they pass but fiew nights without amuseing
 themselves danceing possessing perfect harmony and good understanding
 towards each other Generally healthy except venerials complains which
 is verry Commion amongst the natives and the men Catch it from them