13 March: In the morning, bright sky, sunshine. The wind abated; it was [out of the] west. At seven thirty, 33°F [0.6°C]. Two of Picotte’s men went back downriver with letters. About eight o’clock, the sky clouded over, the sun disappeared, [and] the wind [became] raw and strong and turned more toward the northwest. Snow buntings (Emberiza nivalis) appeared near the fort. Today we had fresh meat for breakfast, an exceptional rarity, [and] even a few eggs, because the chickens had begun to lay [again]. With this [we had] weak, watery, honey [-sweetened] coffee.M19Sumptuous breakfast Péhriska-Rúhpa came early to have himself drawn. His toilette took at least an hour. The ground was not frozen anywhere this morning, but the thaw was not rapid, because there was no sunshine. Many Indian women went to the forest [on the] opposite [riverbank] for wood. Our sleds still travel down the ice several times daily to fetch wood. At noon, nice, bright weather. At twelve thirty, 41°F [5°C]. The wind [was] moderately strong out of the southwest, not very cold. Mató-Tópe visited us; [he] left after lunch, and Dreidoppel [went] hunting. In the afternoon there was drawing again. The homely wife of Péhriska-Rúhpa appeared; [she] sat at our fire, stuck [there] like a burr. Few Indians came to the fort now. Most of them had gone buffalo hunting and would not likely return before the end of March. Síh-Chidä came in the afternoon.

Today we saw the first ducks winging up the Missouri, without doubt Anas boschas fera. The evening was rather warm and pleasant, windless, and the sun was still shining at sundown. Near Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch, all the young people had gathered next to the village to play. There were also adults among them who fired several gunshots. Dreidoppel returned from his walk. He was in the hills and saw no living thing; here we can expect only rabbits, or at most a wolf or a fox. The evening was calm, nice, starlit, [with] only a little frost. In the evening we drank tea with sugar in place of our daily honey, which did our stomachs much good.