now confined within twenty yards, and is not very rapid, discharging mud
with a small proportion of sand: here as in every bend of the river, we
again observe the red berries resembling currants, which we mentioned
before. Two miles above the Wetawhoo, and on the same side, is a small
river called Maropa by the Indians; it is twenty yards in width, but so
dammed up by mud that the stream creeps through a channel of not more
than an inch in diameter, and discharges no sand. One mile further we
reached an island close to the southern shore, from which it is
separated by a deep channel of sixty yards. About half way a number of
Ricara Indians came out to see us. We stopped and took a Frenchman on
board, who accompanied us past the island to our camp on the north side
of the river, which is at the distance of twelve miles from that of
yesterday. Captain Lewis then returned with four of the party to see the
village; it is situated in the centre of the island, near the southern
shore, under the foot of some high, bald, uneven hills, and contains
about sixty lodges. The island itself is three miles long, and covered
with fields in which the Indians raise corn, beans, and potatoes.
Several Frenchmen living among these Indians as interpreters, or
traders, came back with captain Lewis, and particularly a Mr.
Gravelines, a man who has acquired the language. On setting out we had a
low prairie covered with timber on the north, and on the south
highlands, but at the mouth of the Wetawhoo the southern country
changes, and a low timbered plain extends along the south, while the
north has a ridge of barren hills during the rest of the day's course.

Tuesday, 9th. The wind was so cold and high last night and during all
the day, that we could not assemble the Indians in council; but some of
the party went to the village. We received the visits of the three
principal chiefs with many others, to whom we gave some tobacco, and
told them that we would speak to them to-morrow. The names of these