December 12, 1804 (Recorded temperature 38° below 0°)

 " I line my gloves and have a cap made of the Skin of the lynx (or wild cat of the North) the fur near 3 inches long  a Indian of the Shoe* nation came with the half of a Cabra **  koka ***or antilope which he killed near the Fort, great numbers of those animnals are near our fort but the weather is So cold that we do not think it prudent to turn out to hunt in Such Cold weather".

Shoe* nation- One of the many names for the Awaxawi Hidatsas.

Cabra ** - Pronghorn

koka ***- Roughly the Mandan designation for pronghorn

 " find it impossible to make an Observation with an arteficial Horrison".

December 14, 1804

 " we were visited by large number of Mandans".

December 15, 1804

"although the day was cold & stormy we saw several of the chiefs and warries were out at a play... they had flattish rings made out of clay stone & two men had Sticks abt. 4 feet long with 2 short peaces across the fore end of it, and neathing on the other end, in such a manner that they would slide some distance  they had a place fixed across their green... which was smothe as a house flour  they had a battery fixed for the rings to stop against.  two men would run at a time with each stick & one carried a ring.  they run abt. half way and then slide their sticks after the ring.  they had marks made for the game but I do not understand how they count the game*."    Ordway

game*- The Mandan hoop and pole game.

December 16, 1804

 Mr. Henny* delivers a letter from Mr. Charles Chaboillez, a agent for the Northwest Company on the Assiniboine River, to Lewis & Clark:  " Mr. C., in his letter expressed a great anxiety to serve us in anything in his power".

 Mr. Henny*- Hugh Henny was another employee of the North West Company.

December 17, 1804  (Recorded temperature 45° below 0°)

Mr. Henny overnights at Fort Mandan & in the morning reviews maps with Lewis and Clark :  "We found Mr. Henny a Verry intelligent Man from whome we obtained some scethes of the Countrey between the Mississippi & Missouri, and some sketches from him which he had obtained from the Indins to the West of this place".

December 18, 1804

After receiving word from Indian Chiefs that buffalo were in the area, seven men were dispatched out into the plains; only to return as the weather was too cold.  Meanwhile Clark utilizes the additional information gained from Mr. Henny:  " I imploy my self makeing a Small Map of Connextion".