Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 13, 1805
The party set out at sunrise after the men trapped two beaver and a fish overnight. They caught up with French trappers who had taken seven beaver. Aided by a southerly breeze, they passed a creek and timbered bottomland. In the afternoon, three pronghorn antelope tried to scramble up a steep bank, then swam the river; the men shot two. They spotted a herd of elk and camped on the north side after traveling about 22 miles. A goose nest in a tree held one egg.
men caught 2 beaver and one fish last night at Sun rise we Set
1 In McLean County, about \ miles below the mouth of the Little Mis-
souri.
2 The Little Missouri flows almost due north across the southern half of
western North Dakota; it then turns sharply to the east, in which direction
it flows to its junction with the Missouri. On the M. R. C. map the mouth
of the Little Missouri is shown seventy-seven miles above the site of Fort
Mandan.
8 This discovery was probably deemed noteworthy because of the fact.
recorded by Lewis the day before, that the expedition had now arrived in the
alkali country. “Many of the springs which How from the base of the river
hills are so strongly impregnated with this substance that the water is extremely
unpleasant to the taste and has a purgative effect.” Lewis, April 11.
* The expedition had been skirting the famous Dakota “Bad Lands,” through
the heart of which the Little Missouri Hows.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 195
off and proceeded on over took the frenchmen who came on
yesterday trapping, they had caught Seven beaver last night,
a handsom timbred bottom on the South Side passed a creek1
on the N. S. proceeded on under a fine breeze of wind from the
South, in the afternoon we Saw three Goats under a Steep bank
on N. S. the[y] attempted to git up the bank Several times
&. C. one of the men Shot at them they then took in to the
River & Swam across. Some of the men on s. s. Shot 2 of them,
proceeded on passed a high Stoney bank on the S. S. Saw a
gang of Elk on a plain near a a bottom of wood on the N. S.
Camped [on] the N. S. at a handsome plain.2 came 22| miles
to day. Saw a Goose nest on a tree one man clomb it found
only 1 egg.
From this not consulted, mem.3
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The men caught 2 beaver and one fish last night. At sunrise we set off and proceeded on. We overtook the Frenchmen who came on yesterday trapping; they had caught seven beaver last night. There was a handsome timbered bottom on the south side. Passed a creek on the north side. Proceeded on under a fine breeze of wind from the south.
In the afternoon we saw three goats under a steep bank on the north side. They attempted to get up the bank several times, etc. One of the men shot at them; they then took into the river and swam across. Some of the men on the south side shot 2 of them. Proceeded on, passed a high stony bank on the south side. Saw a gang of elk on a plain near a bottom of wood on the north side. Camped on the north side at a handsome plain. Came 22½ miles today. Saw a goose nest on a tree; one man climbed it and found only 1 egg.
From this not consulted, mem.
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