March 8, 1805

"a fair morning Cold and windey, wind from the east, visitied by the Greesey head & a Riarca to day, those men gave some account of the Indians near the rockey mountains." 

March 9, 1805

"a Cloudy Cold and Windey morning  wind from the North - walked up to see the Party that is makeing Perogues, about 5 miles above this.  on my way up I met the The Borge* Main Chief of the Manitarres with four Indians on their way to see us, I requested him to proceed on to the fort where he would find Capt. Lewis  I should be there my self in corse of a fiew hours,  Sent the interpeter back with him and proceeded on my self to the Canoes  found them nearly finished, the timber verry bad, after visiting all the perogues where I found a number of Indians I wind to the upper mandan Village and smoked a pipe the greatest mark of friendship and attention with the Chief and returned on my return found the Manitarree Chief about Setting out on his return to his village." 

The Borge* Main Chief - Le Borgne, or One Eye, was easily the most notorious chief - among whites- on the upper Missouri at this period.  He was les than cordial to Lewis and Clark but was far more favorable toward the British traders.

March 10, 1805

"a cloudy day.  we are visited by the Black mockersons, Chief of the 2nd Manetarre Village and the Chief of the Shoeman Village or Mah ha ha.  those Chiefs stayed all day and the latter all night and gave us many strang accounts of his nation & this little tribe or band of Menitaraies Call themselves Ah-nah-ha- way or people whose village is on the hill (Mahhaha the village)  nation formerleyed lived about 30 miles below this but beeing oppressed by the Asinniboins & Sous were compelled to move near 5 miles the Minitaries, where the Assiniboins killed the most of them  those remaing built a village verry near to the Minitarries at the mouth of Knife River where they now live*."

live*- If Clark's statement means that they moved to a spot five miles belwo the Knife River, then this would be the Mahhaha Site, within present Fort Clark, North Dakota. 

March 11, 1805

"Some Snow in the latter part of the day, we deturmin to have two more Perogues made for us to transport our Provisions.  We have every reason to believe that our Menetarre interpeter, (whome we intended to take with his wife, as an interpeter through his wife to the Snake Indians of which nation she is) has been Corupted by the Companeys*  Some explenation has taken place which Clearly proves to us the fact, we give him to night to reflect and deturmin whether or not he intends to go with us under the regulations stated."
 

Companeys*- The captains may have assumed that the Hudson's Bay and North West companies wished to sabotage their expedition in the interests of securing the Indian trade to themselves.  To this they attributed Charbonneau's decision to quit (Read March 12, 1805)


March 12, 1805

"our Interpeter Shabonah, detumins on not procceding with us as an interpeter under the terms mentioned yesterday  he will not agree to work let our situation be what it may not Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when he pleases, also have the disposal of as much provisions as he Chuses to Carrye. 
in admissable and we suffer him to be off the engagement which was only virbal*."


virbal* - Ordway notes on March 14 that Charbonneau "has pitched a lodge outside of the Garrison and moved out,"  and that Gravelines had been hired in his place, whether for the journey of only while they were at Fort Mandan is not indicated.

March 13, 1805

"visited by Mr. McKinsey one of the Clerks of the NW Company, maney Inds. here today all anxiety for war axes  the Smiths have not an hour of Idle time."


March 14, 1805

"Set al hands to Shelling Corn.  Mr McKinsey leave us today."