2 February: About morning, strong wind out of the west, temperatures warm, no frost. At seven thirty, 37 1/2°F [3.1°C] (5 1/2°F above freezing). Since 5 December (for 59 days) our indoor thermometer has always been below the freezing point in the morning. The sun appeared friendly; the weather turned glorious. Thirteen of Mr. Kipp’s chickens had died because of the cold.

The Indians told us that during the night, two Assiniboines came across the river and near their village. Mr. Bodmer went to Dipäuch’s lodge to draw. Dreidoppel [went] to the prairie hills to hunt, looking for white rabbits. He found one [Page 3:144] not far from the fort and wounded it; he followed it very far, but the shot had not harmed it. At eleven forty-five, 42°F [5.6°C]. Significant thaw; there was already much water on the river. Many Indians came into the fort, among them Máhchsi-Karéhde, Mató-Chihä́, and many others. They shot a number of buffalo and will move out again in the morning to look for them. The wind turned around more toward the south-southwest hora 2, blowing moderately strong. Today is Sunday. The people did not go [out] for firewood, but we needed very little now. In the afternoon the wind became very strong and raw.

One of the sleds sent to Picotte returned; it had broken down because they had to occasionally travel over sand and soil. They met the buffalo-hunting Mandans, who stopped them so that they would not chase the game away.

Charbonneau came back from the Hidatsas, from whom the Assiniboines had stolen one three horses last night. One hundred fifty Hidatsas saddled up to pursue and kill the thieves. In the afternoon and in the evening, [a] very strong wind, dark, warm. The night was stormy and warm; before daybreak the moon was small in the sky; it was rapidly waning.