[Clark, July 23, 1806]
Speech for Yellowstone Indians Children. The Great Spirit has given a fair and bright day for us to meet together in his View that he may inspect us in this all we say and do.
Children I take you all by the hand as the children of your Great father the President of the U. States of America who is the great chief of all the white people towards the riseing sun.
Children This Great Chief who is Benevolent, just, wise & bountifull has sent me and one other of his chiefs (who is at this time in the country of the Blackfoot Indians) to all his read children on the Missourei and its waters quite to the great lake of the West where the land ends and the sun sets on the face of the great water, to know their wants and inform him of them on our return.
Children We have been to the great lake of the west and are now on our return to my country. I have seen all my read children quite to that great lake and talked with them, and taken them by the hand in the name of their great father the Great Chief of all the white people.
Children We did not see the ____ or the nations to the North. I have come across over high mountains and bad road to this river to see the ____ Natn. I have come down the river from the foot of the great snowey mountain to see you, and have looked in every detection for you, without seeing you untill now
Children I heard from some of your people ____ nights past by my horses who complained to me of your people haveing taken 24 of their cummerads.
Children The object of my comeing to see you is not to do you injurey but to do you good the Great Chief of all the white people who has more goods at his command than could be piled up in the circle of your camp, wishing that all his read children should be happy has sent me here to know your wants that he may supply them.
Children Your great father the Chief of the white people intends to build a house and fill it with such things as you may want and exchange with you for your skins & furs at a very low price. & has derected me to enquire of you, at what place would be most convenient for to build this house. and what articles you are in want of that he might send them imediately on my return