Volume 1

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350 LEWIS AND CLARK UNDER FIRE.
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Bellies pretended to say that these ornaments conveyed
bad medicine to them and their children. They are exceedingly
superstitious, and, therefore, supposed they could
not better dispose of those articles
than by giving them to
the natives with whom they frequently warred, in hope the
ill-luck would be conveyed to them. They were disgusted
at the high-sounding language the American captains
bestowed upon themselves and their own nation, wishing
to impress the Indians with an idea that they were great
warriors, and a powerful people who, if
exasperated, could
crush all the nations of the earth, etc. This manner of proceeding
did not agree with these haughty savages, who
have too high an opinion of themselves to entertain the
least idea of acknowledging any race to be their superiors.
If the United States ever attempt to reduce the Big Bellies
by force, they will meet with more resistance than they
may be now aware of." The Mandanes are more tractable,
and appear well inclined toward the United States.
We found it dangerous whilst in this village to stir out of
the hut without a good stout cudgel to keep off the dogs
they were so numerous and savage as sometimes to defy
the brandishing of our clubs, so that we were actually
obliged to engage with them. Another disagreeable circumstance
is the crowd of children of both sexes, who follow
us. They make very free, and are very impertinent,
insist upon examining our clothes, buttons, watch, chain
indeed, everything that strikes their fancy ;
and if a good
lookout is not kept, they pick our pockets. Therefore, it is
necessary for a person to be constantly upon his guard
against the equally troublesome children and dogs. Every
young man of 20 years joins the crowd to pester us during
our walk, and never gives over the pursuit until we enter a
hut. At the Mandanes' we were not incommoded in this
manner ; they have no dogs to annoy strangers, and the
children are not so impertinent. They have not the same
occasion for dogs as the Big Bellies, being a stationary
*'
This paragraph I cite verbatim in L. and C, p. 1191.