March 3, 1834

In the morning, beautiful, bright, warm weather. At daybreak, only 31°F [−0.6°C] (that is 1°F frost [below freezing]). Soon the sun brightly appeared. At seven thirty, 34°F [1.1°C]. Wind south, slight at first; at nine o’clock, very strong and raw. Bodmer went with Síh-Chidä to Ruhptare, where the Meníss-Óchatä were dancing. The great soldat of the fort, Dipäuch, came to me and put down a whole bundle of knives and an ax. He said that I should go to Kipp and talk with him. There I found out that [Dipäuch planned to] perform a medicine procedure with his pipe and wished to collect presents for this purpose. I gave him a knife, and he was much pleased.

Mató-Tópe is soldier of the fort today; he came for a moment and smoked while we were all sitting in our seats. At twelve o’clock, 47°F [8.3°C]. The wind [was] strong and raw out of the southwest hora 5. Where the wind did not reach, it was pleasant and warm, even though [there was] no sun to be seen at noon. Kipp had a discussion with the soldiers (Indians) of the fort, among whom was Dipäuch, who was very eager for knowledge and liked to talk about all scientific matters. Kipp asserted to them that the earth is round, which they tried to refute in several ways. Dipäuch smirked pityingly, [and] Beróck-Itaïnú laughed aloud at the simple-mindedness of the waschís. Only two were of the opinion that the white men would likely know better, since they understood so much. In the afternoon the sky became completely overcast, [but] despite that it continued to thaw. Bodmer returned and brought a beautiful male Fringilla linaria with a very red breast but a little too much riddled with shot. In the evening Mató-Tópe explained the drawings he had made of his heroic achievements. The evening was warm; the sky dark [and] overcast; wind [out of the] west, rather strong.

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Journal Location: Fort Clark

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