Departure from Fort Mandan, Missouri River — John Ordway: April 11, 1805

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.