December 23, 1833
Early in the morning, bright, clear sky, cold. At seven thirty, 10°F [−12.2°C], wind light, east. The forests were covered with hoarfrost. The snow was frozen hard. Much steam rose from the river. The common ravens came very close to the fort to look for food on the embankment. Few wolves were to be seen in the vicinity—they have been frightened away somewhat. Dreidoppel was on the other side of the river but did not see much in the forest, only prairie hens, which are very shy. He shot a Fringilla linaria with a beautiful red breast. At twelve thirty, 22 1/2°F [−5.3°C]. The sun was shining in a very friendly way; it was cold and calm.
At twelve thirty we suddenly heard the beating of drums. A crowd of Indians came into the fort with fourteen men at the head, one with a drum, another with a chichikué. They [were going] to perform a medicine dance in the upper village. They looked eccentric. Their hair was worn in long, flat braids that hung down from the top of their heads equally on all sides and completely covered their faces. It looked strange when the steam of their breath flew out between the hair braids. On their heads, they all wore [several] individual feathers of eagle owls or ravens and [other] predatory birds, each [feather] with a thick, white down plume at the tip. One [man] had a [full,] beautiful fan of white feathers on his head with colored horsehair [attached] at the tip of each feather. 
They kept their robes tightly closed and held a bow-lance in their hands, partially decorated with feathers, colored cloth, and glass beads. Otherwise, they were dressed as usual, but elegantly and neatly. Some had foxtails at their feet. They beat the drum, stood in a circle, and grunted at times like buffalo. The whole group came from Ruhptare, and [they] were on their way to the other village, [taking] this opportunity to come into the fort. They were thrown a lot of tobacco, and they kept on going, took off their wigs, and the river ice [became] covered with individual groups of Indians. Today we saw very beautifully adorned men in full, excellent dress, wearing at the back of their heads red and black or white and black eagle feathers. 
Many of them wore a long ornament of porcupine [quill embroidery], perhaps a hand’s breadth wide, of the most beautiful colors, on the long, thick hair at the back of their heads. Unfortunately, these ornaments are very expensive, or [they] will not part with them at all. The medicine dancers had scarcely left (they were sent away quickly because they came at an inconvenient time) when the largest (physically) of the Mandans, Máhchsi-Karéhde, appeared [and] wanted to have himself drawn. We had asked him a short time ago [to do this], but he had not been in favor of it at the time. The work began right away.
I learned that the Dacotas had stolen thirty-seven horses from the Mandans those a few days ago. A boy brought a beautiful, fire-colored troupial (Icterus [——] Karéhde (‘an’ as in French [sic]) this afternoon; its feet were missing, however. He demanded a knife for it, which I did not give [him]. Belhumeur bought a white weasel for one dollar for me today. At this time there were many of these little animals being caught. Dreidoppel dragged and then took his position at the creek, where two schähä́ckäs immediately followed his tracks. Four other schähä́ckäs soon came down from the hills, but it turned dusk and too cold. The tall Mandan and two other men stayed until evening and looked at the drawings; one of them made witty remarks. In the evening some Indians from Ruhptare had a fight with the cook, from whom they had taken a piece of meat. They say this village has the worst inhabitants. Night light and chilly.
