Columbia near The Dalles, trading for horses — John Ordway: April 12, 1806
The party worked to portage their canoes and baggage past a 1.5-mile rapid. While moving a large canoe with Captain Lewis, it broke loose and rode the rough waves down the rapids. The men then hauled all the baggage up in four loads each, finishing by evening and camping at the head of the portage on the Washington shore. Since local natives refused to sell their canoes, the officers redistributed the baggage and men among the four remaining canoes. Several natives visited camp, including a woman who claimed in Clatsop she had slept with white traders.
party except a guard went with Cap* Lewis to take up the other
large canoe, we got it under way verry well but She took a
Swing on us and broke away and rid the high waves down the
rapids, then all hands went at packing the baggage past the
portage which is 1£ miles. carried it all up at 4 loads a peace
towards evening got everry thing to the head of the portage
and Campd for the night.2 our officers finding that the natives
do not incline to sell their canoes so they divided the baggage &
men among the 4 canoes a number of the natives visited us.
one of the Squaws told us in the Clatsop tongue that She had
Slept with the white tradors &C.
1 They also stole Lewis’ dog (which was recovered), and in general conducted
themselves in such insolent fashion that there was imminent danger of a com-
bat between them and the white men. Lewis adopted a policy of vigilant
firmness toward them, while at the same time he sought to avoid bloodshed,
“our men seem well disposed to kill a few of them,” he writes, “we keep our-
selvea perfectly on our guard.”
2 On the Washington shore, opposite the camp of Oct. 30, 1805.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 341
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The party, except for a guard, went with Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) to bring up the other large canoe. We got it underway very well, but it took a swing on us, broke away, and rode the high waves down the rapids. Then all hands went to packing the baggage past the portage, which is 1¾ miles. We carried it all up in 4 loads apiece. Toward evening we got everything to the head of the portage and camped for the night.
Our officers, finding that the natives do not incline to sell their canoes, divided the baggage and men among the 4 canoes. A number of the natives visited us. One of the squaws told us in the Clatsop tongue that she had slept with the white traders, etc.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
