Missouri River near Little Missouri — John Ordway: April 14, 1805
The party traveled 16 miles up the Missouri under a gentle southerly wind. A trapped otter escaped overnight, breaking the chain. Hunters shot a muskrat, and Fraser killed a buffalo from a herd spotted in the valleys, taking the best meat aboard. They dined near barren hills on the south side, passed bottomlands of cottonwood timber, and named a 15-yard-wide tributary Charbonneau's River after their interpreter, who had explored it. Captain Lewis killed an elk that evening. They camped in a cottonwood bottom on the north side, joined by a stray Indian dog.
one of our men Set a trap for a beaver last night, & caught a
large otter that broke the trap chain & got a way. we Saw where
it had dragged it along the beach, but could not find it. proceeded
on one man Shot a musk rat which was Swimming in the river,
passed a bottom on s. s. Saw a buff aloe feeding in a holler,
but we did not Stop to kill it. passed bottoms on each Side of the
River covered with c. w. timber, halted about 2 oclock to dine at
Some barron hills on the S. S. of the River. Some of the men
Saw a gang of buffaloe in the vallies back a little from the river
Fraser killed one of them by Shooting [it] sev1 times (musket)
& took the best of the meat on board, the wind gentle from the
South. Sailed the most part of the afternoon, passed a creek or
Small river on the s s Side about 15 yards wide at the mouth &
Several Small runs which run from under verry high rough raged
hills which are barron and broken. Some Small ceeder on the
sides of Sd hills. A high mountain back of the hills S. S. Camped
on the N. S. of the river in a beautiful bottom covered with thin
cottonwood timber came 16 miles to day. camped at a point on
1 “which we called onion creek from the quantity of wild onions which grow
in the plains on its borders.” Lewis. It is “Rising Water or Pride Creek”
of the M. R. C. map.
2 In western McLean County about two miles above the mouth of modern
Shell Creek.
s This entry is written in red ink, by another hand than Ordway’s. Pre-
sumably it is the notation made by Biddle to indicate the point at which he
ceased the use of Ordway’s journal. The Biddle narrative thus far amply
confirms the editor’s statement that he found Ordwav “very useful.”
196 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [April 15
N. S.1 N. B. the above mentioned small River which we
passed this afternoon on the S. S. is named after our Intr Char-
bonae river2 as he has been to the head of it which is further up
the Missourie Than any white man has been. Cap* Lewis killed
an Elk this evening, an Indian dog came to us this morning &
continues along with us.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
One of our men set a trap for a beaver last night, and caught a large otter that broke the trap chain and got away. We saw where it had dragged it along the beach, but could not find it. Proceeded on. One man shot a muskrat which was swimming in the river. Passed a bottom on the south side. Saw a buffalo feeding in a hollow, but we did not stop to kill it. Passed bottoms on each side of the river covered with cottonwood timber. Halted about 2 o'clock to dine at some barren hills on the south side of the river. Some of the men saw a herd of buffalo in the valleys back a little from the river. Fraser killed one of them by shooting it several times with a musket, and took the best of the meat on board.
The wind gentle from the south. Sailed the most part of the afternoon. Passed a creek or small river on the south side about 15 yards wide at the mouth, and several small runs which run from under very high, rough, ragged hills which are barren and broken. Some small cedar on the sides of said hills. A high mountain back of the hills on the south side. Camped on the north side of the river in a beautiful bottom covered with thin cottonwood timber. Came 16 miles today. Camped at a point on the north side.
N.B. The above-mentioned small river which we passed this afternoon on the south side is named after our interpreter, Charbonneau River, as he has been to the head of it, which is further up the Missouri than any white man has been. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) killed an elk this evening. An Indian dog came to us this morning and continues along with us.
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