With Regard To Game In General, We Have Observed
That Wild Animals Are Usually Found In The Greatest Numbers In The Country
Lying Between Two Nations At War."
They were now well into the Sioux territory, and on the thirtieth
of August they had an encounter with a party of Indians.
About twenty
persons were seen on the west side of the river, proceeding along a height
opposite the voyagers. Just as these were observed, another band,
numbering eighty or ninety, came out of the woods nearer the shore.
As they had a hostile appearance, the party in the canoes made preparations
to receive them; they were suspected to be Teton-Sioux, although they
might be Yanktons, Pawnees, or Omahas. The journal adds: -
"In order, however, to ascertain who they were, without risk
to the party, Captain Clark crossed, with three persons
who could speak different Indian languages, to a sand-bar
near the opposite side, in hopes of conversing with them.
Eight young men soon met him on the sand-bar, but none of them could
understand either the Pawnee or Maha interpreter. They were then
addressed in the Sioux language, and answered that they were Tetons,
of the band headed by Black Buffaloe, Tahtackasabah. This was
the same who had attempted to stop us in 1804; and being
now less anxious about offending so mischievous a tribe,
Captain Clark told them that they had been deaf to our councils,
had ill-treated us two years ago, and had abused all the whites
who had since visited them.
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