15 March: In the morning, bright with sunshine; [there was] very little frost—perhaps none at all. At seven thirty, 37°F [2.8°C]. Wind southwest, moderately strong but already on the increase early. Our meat was completely gone. We breakfasted on coffee with honey. Luckily, each one of us received two fresh eggs and indigestible cornbread with them. About nine o’clock the wind turned toward the west and blew fairly briskly; wherever [the wind] did not get to, the weather was very pleasant. The Indian youths played around the fort. They have a woven [netted] disk that they throw or roll and [then] thrust or throw a stick through it. Whoever hits the right spot or gets closest wins. This game is called wáh-gachi-uḯhka (‘ch’ velar). Péhriska-Rúhpa came late today; he was drawn with the large feather bonnet. Mató-Tópe came and told us there were many buffalo near the Hidatsa villages. He suggested to Péhriska-Rúhpa [that] they should go there to hunt. We gave him buckshot to shoot other game that is expected to be there, too.

When his sitting was completed, [Péhriska-Rúhpa] took off the huge feather bonnet and the colored strips of cloth on his back to put them away. But before he did this, he rubbed them several times upward on each side of his head—a precautionary measure, or medicine. [The two men] then both sat down at the fire and smoked. However, Mató-Tópe first looked around to see if everyone was seated; if [even] one person is not sitting, he does not smoke. At twelve o’clock, 51°F [10.6°C]. Wind northwest. Noon and afternoon very pleasant. We had nothing to eat for lunch but corn boiled in water and cornbread, [since] the meat had been consumed. Kipp, who does not like to eat corn, remained hungry. The evening was calm, [with a] nice, bright sky. Mató-Tópe took leave of us. Still almost no frost at nine o’clock.

Ducks were seen again in the afternoon on the water in the village cornfields, but when they found nothing but ice there, they left.