August 22. We crossed Milk River five miles from camp, and took a cut off to the south. We made our camp, after moving nineteen and a half miles, a quarter of a mile from the river, in the vicinity of a very heavy growth of cottonwood, there being a high bluff between us and the river. As usual, the evening was spent in considering the question of the proposed Blackfoot council, and in examining the work of the parties, and preparing for the work ahead. We passed through large herds of buffalo to-day.
August 23. We left camp late in consequence of the oxen straying, and about a mile from camp crossed Milk River. The order to walk some miles each day has been carefully observed, and the effect was to be seen upon our animals. On reaching our camping-ground, we found a deputation of Gros Ventres, consisting of seven of their chiefs, five of whom were accompanied by their wives. Among these was the Eagle Chief and his son, White Eagle, and the Little Soldier. The wife of the son of Eagle Chief was a very pretty woman. Her name was the White Antelope. They welcomed us in the most cordial manner, and were dignified in their deportment, which was marked by the strictest propriety. We were invited to visit their camp, about thirty miles farther on. After smoking and talking for some time, lunch was served up about dusk, consisting of coffee, rice, etc., after which they made us presents of horses, giving one to myself and two to Mr. Culbertson, to whom they seemed to be much attached. There was a large tent put up for their accommodation, and supper was provided about ten o’clock.
As my health had now been rapidly improving for some days, I determined to push ahead as rapidly as possible with two advance parties in order to examine the approaches to the mountains. Accordingly I organized two parties, under Lieutenant Grover and Mr. Lander, for the above purpose. To Mr. Lander I assigned four and to Lieutenant Grover five members of the party. Each was provided with reserve horses, and with fifty days’ rations of flour, sugar, and coffee. These arrangements delayed me, so that on the following morning,
August 24, I got off somewhat late, and was obliged to go into camp seven and a half miles this side of the Indian camp. Our Indian friends were again with us to-night, and we treated them with bread and coffee.
I learned to-day that a feud has lately broken out between the Gros Ventres and the Blackfoot tribes. A Gros Ventre was married to a Blackfoot woman. Traveling along, he was attacked, killed, and a fleet horse of his stolen. His wife was with him at the time, and the assassin proposed that she should marry him, go northward, and the Gros Ventres would never learn of the death of one of their tribe. She assented. He gave her the slow animal, upon which he had ridden himself, mounting the fast horse, which had been taken from her murdered husband. They soon arrived at water; she went off to get some, and on her return pressed him to go, as the water was very good. He did so, leaving his horse with the squaw. After he had gone some two or three hundred yards she mounted the fast steed, and, pursuing a contrary direction, joined the tribe of her deceased husband, and gave such information as would lead to the revenge of his untimely death. I find these Indians determined to revenge this outrage, and they are now fitting out war parties for the purpose of cutting off straggling Blackfeet, and stealing their horses.
August 25. Took an early breakfast, making to-day twenty-two and a half miles, when we reached the camp of Gros Ventres on the bank of Milk River, at half past three o’clock. This camp consisted of three hundred lodges, at least one thousand horses, and over two thousand Indians. We were soon waited on by others of the tribe, dressed in their finest costumes, among whom I would name the Cloudy Robe, who presented me with a horse; the Eagle, Big Top, the Discoverer or Ball in the Nose, the Man who goes on Horseback, the White Tail Deer, the Running Fisher, the Two Elks, the Wolf Talker, the Bear’s Coat, White Bear, the Clay Pipestem Carrier, the Old Horse, the Sitting Squaw, the Little White Calf. Accompanied by the gentlemen of the party, I visited their camp and the lodges of the principal chiefs, at all of which we were treated with the utmost kindness and hospitality. They first received us in a large lodge prepared for the occasion, some twenty-five feet in diameter, within which some sixty were seated. We here smoked, drank, and ate, talked some time, and then visited the lodges. I was much struck with the prominent characteristics of this tribe. Polygamy is universal; several of the chiefs above named having four, five, and even six wives, one of whom is the especial favorite and mistress of the household. The husband will appropriate any of them to purposes of prostitution when he can profit by so doing. They are filthy in the extreme in their habits, many of the women actually eating the vermin out of each other’s heads, and out of the robes in which they sleep. Being improvident, it is always feast or famine. Returned to camp about eight o’clock, and fixed the next day for a council.
August 26. The Pembina train arrived shortly after breakfast, and the main train about noon. The necessary preparations were made for the feast, and about one o’clock the Indians were seated around in squads of twenty or thirty to the number of two hundred. Before the feast the Indians seemed to be in high glee, passing the time in singing their songs, accompanying them with rattles made of the hoofs of antelopes strung very fancifully upon a piece of wood about a foot long, with which they marked time.
Shortly after the feast was over we had a council, at which the chiefs and many of the principal men were present. Mr. Culbertson acted as interpreter. When I first commenced talking with them, I found they were deeply enraged against the Blackfeet for the cause alluded to in the journal of the 24th; that they were determined to wage war against that tribe. I determined to put an end to this, and at once made a proposition to them to settle with that tribe on their delivery of the offender, or making a suitable reparation. I then explained the folly of going to war; how much they would suffer from it and how little was to be gained; that it was the desire of the Great Father that all his children should be at peace with each other; that while war parties of both tribes were scouring the country, the road was dangerous to the whites who should go there; and it was my duty to demand that they should not so act as to endanger the life of a single man of my own party, or any white man who should hereafter travel through this region.
I then proceeded to explain the objects of the expedition in passing through their country. I wished to make a treaty of peace between the Gros Ventres, Blackfeet, Piegans, and Bloods, and between these and the Indians west of the mountains who resort to the plains of the Missouri to hunt the buffalo. I then proceeded to explain the advantages which would arise to the Indians from entering into such a treaty, and receiving from the government directly what they now get from other Indians. They would then obtain goods, provisions, etc., in the way of annuities; could keep their horses, instead of being obliged to go with their horses and purchase of other Indians at an increased price, what the liberality and benevolence of the Great Father, in his fostering care over his children, would at once freely and abundantly supply them. “Think well of the matter. Suspend for the present your difficulty with the Blackfoot Indians. Let some of your chiefs come with me to Fort Benton, and we will try to settle the difficulty between the tribes. If it cannot be settled there, let it be referred to a commissioner sent here by the Great Father, who will settle all your differences at a council of the tribes to be held next year, where the grievances of both parties will be fully heard. But I must insist on the safe conduct of every white man through this country.”
They then held a consultation with their braves and principal men. In about an hour we met again. They assented to every proposition made. Some of their chiefs consented to accompany me to Fort Benton, and the whole tribe announced their willingness to wait until some time next year, and refer their difficulties to such a council. We continued the talk for some time, after which the Indians were invited to come over to the camp of the main party and witness the firing of the howitzer, which seemed to give them much pleasure. About five o’clock we made a distribution of the presents and provisions designed for this tribe, consisting of blankets, shirts, calico, knives, beads, paint, powder, shot, tobacco, hard bread, etc. They received them with the greatest satisfaction; no grumbling or envy was manifested. They continued about our camp, loitering, smoking, and talking, all the afternoon and evening.