24 February: At daybreak, −27°F [−32.8°C]. At seven thirty, when the sun was shining brightly, −11°F [−23.9°C]. West wind. Weather fairly calm [and] very cold. During the night the horses smashed in a [window]pane in Kipp’s room, so it was very cold [in] there at breakfast. Later he pasted paper over the opening. In our room everything had frozen—even the ink—and our blankets and robes [were] covered with hoarfrost. The Indians who came into the fort had their hair and eyelashes covered with hoarfrost and ice. We had fresh meat again this morning, but our sugar will run out soon—then we will have to drink molasses with [our] coffee. The wind turned more toward the southwest. The sun rose brightly. Mató-Tópe visited us. About noon it was not unpleasant where the wind did not blow. Several Indians, including Mató-Tópe, sat all morning in our room. Besides the three deaf-mute siblings,M14The fourth and oldest brother is not mute. He is Bull's Neck (Beróck-Itaïnú). there is another deaf-mute child in Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch who belongs to Old Bear, or l’Ours Fou. Spotted Arm came about noon. His hair was encrusted white [with ice].

The whole hill [bluff?] of Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch was covered with people. The women carried and dragged loads. Children slid down the smoothly frozen snow surface on their robes; others sat six or more at a time on a small Indian sled and [slid] down. Many Indian women came up from the forest village. Everywhere on the prairie, individual horses were scattered on the frozen snowy surface looking for food—which was very sparse and had to be scraped out from under the snow. At twelve o’clock, 6 1/2°F [−14.2°C]. Wind from the west hora 5 south, not strong. The midday sun [was] very dazzling. Dreidoppel finished his wooden snow goggles.

About noon, Kiäsax, the Piegan who had traveled with us to Fort Union and then returned [to Fort Clark] again by steamboat, visited us for the first time. We told him much and showed him the Piegan portraits, which he found very entertaining. Then other Indians came; in short, our room was full all day long. Panthuxe will go beaver hunting with Jonquá. I ordered antelope and other animals [Page 3:153]from him. In the afternoon Kiäsax begged for [gun] powder and tobacco. I gave him a little of each. The black [- faced] deaf-mute brought me the machtóhpka, the gopher with large cheek-pouches. The evening was calm, moonlit, [and] very cold. At nine o’clock, −14°F [−25.6°C]. The smoke rose straight up. But [the calm] did not last long, and the wind began to blow from the northwest.