December 26, 1833
The night was bright and windy. In the morning, foggy sky; strong, cold, icy northwest wind. At seven thirty, 12°F [−11.1°C]. The wind drove the snow on the prairie into the air and clouded the atmosphere. At nine o’clock there was a rainbow in the east amidst the gray snow clouds with a sundog in the center, quite far from the actual sun.
This morning I got letters ready. The packet to Mr. Gebhard contained letters to my brothers and sisters (all of them), to Councilor Berenstein, Mr. de S. Hilaire, Mr. Treviranus, Goldfuss, to Mr. von Schweinitz, Pastor Seidel, Mr. Krumbhaar, Mr. Gebhard, and Mr. Thomas Say. At twelve noon, cold despite much sunshine; the wind [was] the same. At twelve thirty, 14°F [−10°C]. Síh-Sä joyously brought to our room the new ornaments, which he had bought from a [member of the] Káua-Karakáchka, and in addition, a few more bone joints, which he wanted to attach to the pendants [adorning] the hair by his temples. He had gotten a white eagle feather, an eagle wing with red and blue cloth, and a pair of rather plain leggins. The latter were decorated with blue rassade. The newly purchased Mandan society wanted to dance here in the fort, but they felt [it was] too cold in this weather. I brought Kipp a big pack of letters for Europe and America; he will lock up [the letters] and send [them] down the river tomorrow. The day was windy and cold; the evening also, but very clear; the moon tonight was almost full. The night was [——].