Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 11, 1805
The party traveled 21 miles up the Missouri on a very warm day with a gentle south breeze that allowed the large pirogues to sail well. Hunters caught beaver and killed geese and a deer, while accompanying Frenchmen also trapped beaver and shot a goose. The men passed barren hills to the south and timbered bottoms to the north, sometimes wading in the low river and working nearly naked. Near sunset they spotted a group of Indians with horses, believed to be Gros Ventres returning from a corn-trading trip, and camped in a cottonwood bottom.
light, one of the party caught a beaver in a trap which he Set
last night, the frenchmen killed a Goos & caught one beaver,
proceeded on. one of the party went on Shore in the bottom. N. S.
came to the crafts at breakfast, had killed & brought in a deer
we passed bare barron hills on S. S. & a bottom covered with
timber on the N. S. one of the party killed 2 Geese, we halted
and dined about 2 oClock at a bottom on the N. S. we had a
Gentle breeze from the South So that the large perogues Sailed
verrey well, the day verry warm. Some of the men worked
naked, only a breech cloth, the River being low we have to
waid at Some places, proceeded on verry well about Sunset we
Saw a nomber of Indians on S. S. they had Some horses, we
supposed them to be the Grossvauntars who had been up the
River to Some other nation after corn, we camped on a hand-
son only six miles above this stream. On this basis of reckoning the camp was
about midway between Fort Stevenson and Fort Berthold.
1 The Frenchmen were from the Mandan villages, and had set out a few
days in advance of the exploring expedition, thinking to take advantage of the
protection which it afforded against the Assiniboin, who sometimes trapped
on the Missouri. Lewis supposes this to have been the first “essay of a beaver
hunter of any description on this river”; a supposition the correctness of which
may well be doubted.
2 “very near the subsequent site of Fort Berthold.” Coues.
194 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [April 12
some bottom1 covered with Strait tall cottonwood timber N. S.
came this day 21 Miles.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
At daylight, one of the party caught a beaver in a trap which he had set last night. The Frenchmen killed a goose and caught one beaver. We proceeded on. One of the party went on shore in the bottom on the north side. He came to the crafts at breakfast, having killed and brought in a deer. We passed bare barren hills on the south side and a bottom covered with timber on the north side. One of the party killed 2 geese. We halted and dined about 2 o'clock at a bottom on the north side. We had a gentle breeze from the south, so that the large pirogues sailed very well. The day was very warm. Some of the men worked naked, with only a breech cloth. The river being low, we have to wade at some places. We proceeded on very well. About sunset we saw a number of Indians on the south side. They had some horses. We supposed them to be the Grossvauntars (Gros Ventres), who had been up the river to some other nation after corn. We camped on a handsome bottom covered with straight tall cottonwood timber on the north side. We came this day 21 miles.
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