Day-by-Day / March 9, 1805

March 9, 1805

Grand Hidatsa Chief Le Borgne

Fort Mandan, ND The Grand Chief of the Hidatsas pays his first visit to Fort Mandan. He is given gifts and Lewis demonstrates the air gun. York is the first black man ever seen by the chief.

The Fearsome Chief One Eye[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Grand Hidatsa Chief Le Borgne

on my return found the Manitarree [Hidatsa] 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 . . . . 2 guns were fired for this Great man
William Clark

Inspecting Canoe Camp

walked up to See the Party that is makeing Perogues, about 5 miles above this . . . . found them nearly finished, the timber verry bad
—William Clark

Curiosity about York

In the course of the conversation, the chief observed that some foolish young men of his nation bad told him there was a person among us who was quite black, and he wished to know if it could be true. We assured him that it was true, and sent for York: the Borgne was very much surprised at his appearance, examined him closely, and spit on his finger and rubbed the skin in order to wash off the paint; nor was it until the negro uncovered his head, and showed his short hair, that the Borgne eould [sic] be persuaded that he was not a painted white man.
Nicholas Biddle[2]Nicholas Biddle, History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark . . . (Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1814), 1:163.

Le Borgne’s Opinion

North West Company Trader wrote about his time with the Hidatsa and Chief Le Borgne, summarizing the latter’s statements about the Lewis and Clark Expedition:

After haranguing the Indians and explaining to them the purport of his expedition to the Westward, several of them accepted clothing— but notwithstanding they could not be reconciled to like these strangers as they called them:— “Had these Whites come amongst us, Said the Chiefs, with charitable views they would have loaded their Great Boat with necessaries. It is true they have ammunition but they prefer throwing it away idly than sparing a shot of it to a poor Mandane.” The Indians admired the air Gun as it could discharge forty shots out of one load— but they dreaded the magic of the owners. “Had I these White warriors in the upper plains, said the Gros Ventres Chief, my young men on horseback would soon do for them, as they would do for so many wolves— for, continued he, there are only two sensible men among them—the worker of iron, and the mender of Guns.”
Charles McKenzie[3]W. Raymond Wood and Thomas D. Thiessen, Early Fur Trade on the Northern Plains: Canadian Traders among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians, 1738–1818 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985), 232.

 

Weather Diary

State of Ther. at sun symbol rise Weather wind at sun symbol rise State of Thermt. at 4 OClock Weather at 4 Ock Wind at 4 OClock State of the River
2 [above 0] cloudy N. 18 [above 0] fair N W rise 2 in.

wind hard all day. visited by the Birn the great Chief of the Big bellies
Meriwether Lewis[4]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column and spelled out some of the abbreviations.

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 Nicholas Biddle, History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark . . . (Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1814), 1:163.
3 W. Raymond Wood and Thomas D. Thiessen, Early Fur Trade on the Northern Plains: Canadian Traders among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians, 1738–1818 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1985), 232.
4 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “Day of Month 1805” column and spelled out some of the abbreviations.

Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail

The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Logo: Lewis and Clark.travel

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.