21 February: In the night (toward morning) it became very cold. Early in the morning, [there was a] cloudy horizon, haze, some fog, and hoarfrost on the forests. At eight o’clock, −2 3/4°F [−19.3°C]. Wind light but very cold out of the west. For the first time in a long time, the ink froze in the room today, and I had to thaw it. The horses were in the open yard all night long in this cold, and in the morning, their backs were covered with frozen snow and ice like blankets. The dogs made beds for themselves in the hard frozen snow and lay curled up in them.

The old Hidatsa chief Kíhrapä-Süpischä́ was still present this morning. He is one of the most respected men of his nation, a famous partisan and warrior. His robe was painted with all his heroic feats: how many horses he had stolen, how many times he had been partisan, how many scalps he had brought home from [raids], how many enemies he had killed, and so on. I bought it from him for a new white robe that cost me 5 dollars in the fort’s store.

The view of the land was very raw today, winterlike, everything white, frozen solid, hoarfrost; few people and animals were moving. At twelve thirty, 7 1/3°F [−13.7°C]. Wind northwest. Máhchsi-Karéhde and five Hidatsas came into the fort. The latter ate in Kipp’s room. There was a woman with them who had been scalped. She had healed very well; the scalp that was cut off was only [a] small [piece]. They soon came to us and wanted to see the drawings, which we allowed. About three o’clock much snow fell; the wind had turned around toward the north, [and] it was therefore cold. Dreidoppel had completed [preparing] his fox. The evening was clear, calm, rather cold; the wind [was from the] west. The night turned very cold with the same wind.