About eleven o'clock, however, the wind became very high and
a storm of rain came on, which lasted for two hours, accompanied with
sharp lightning and loud peals of thunder.
"The party rose, next day, very wet, and proceeded to a sand-bar below
the entrance of Whiteearth River. Just above this place the Indians,
apparently within seven, or eight days past, had been digging a root
which they employ in making a kind of soup. Having fixed their tents,
the men were employed in dressing skins and hunting. They shot a number
of deer; but only two of them were fat, owing probably to the great
quantities of mosquitoes which annoy them while feeding."
On the eleventh of August the Clark party came up with the two white
traders from Illinois, of whom we have already made mention as having
been met by the Lewis party on their way down the river. These were the
first white men they had seen (except themselves) since they parted with
the three French trappers, near the Little Missouri, in April, 1805,
From them the wayworn voyagers received the latest news from the United
States. From them they also had some unfavorable tidings. The journal
says:--
"These men had met the boat which we had despatched from Fort Mandan,
on board of which, they were told, was a Ricara chief on his way to
Washington; and also another party of Yankton chiefs, accompanying Mr.
Durion on a visit of the same kind. We were sorry to learn that the
Mandans and Minnetarees were at war with the Ricaras, and had killed two
of them.
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