John Ordway: April 18, 1805
The party set out early after trappers caught a single beaver shared awkwardly between two traps and two owners, sparking a dispute over ownership. Traveling between high hills, they spotted buffalo, elk, and many bald eagles, with one man climbing to a nest to retrieve two eggs. Hunters killed several geese, an elk, and a deer, the latter shot by Captain Clark while walking ashore. Strong northwest winds halted the canoes for about three hours. They covered roughly 15 miles along the crooked river and camped in a cottonwood and ash elm bottom.
off eairly. Some of the men who Set traps for beaver last night
they caught only one beaver & that in 2 traps by one hind foot
and one fore foot, they [it] belonged to 2 owners, they had
Some difference which had the best rite to it. proceeded on a
Short distance one of the men killed a goose in the river, the
wind from the West, proceeded on passed high hills on each side
of the River. Saw a gang of buffaloe on the hills on S. S. and a
gang of Elk in a handsom [bottom] covered with c. w. timber on
the N. S. one of the men wounded one of them another man
killed another goose. The wind Shifted in to the N. W. and
blew hard against us. Saw a nomber of bald Eagles in Sd bottom
1 In McKenzie County, probably above the mouth of Beaver Creek. White
Earth River, in Mountrail County, was passed during the day.
198 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [April 19
one of them had a nest in a low tree one of the men clumb up
and got 2 Eggs (all there was.) The wind rose so high that we
could not go with the cannoes without filling them with water,
detained us about 3 hours, one man killed another goose Scan-
non b. out.1 we then proceeded on. Cap* Clark who walked
on Shore killed one Elk and one deer which we halted & took
them on board, came about 15 miles to day and camped at a
bottom covered with cottonwood and arsh Elm also timber on
N. S. the river has been verry crooked and bearing towards the
South the most of the day. the Game is gitting pleantyier every
day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Off early. Some of the men set traps for beaver last night, but they caught only one beaver, and that in two traps — by one hind foot and one fore foot. It belonged to two owners, and they had some difference about which had the best right to it. We proceeded on a short distance, and one of the men killed a goose in the river. The wind was from the west. We proceeded on, passing high hills on each side of the river. We saw a herd of buffalo on the hills on the south side, and a herd of elk in a handsome bottom covered with cottonwood timber on the north side. One of the men wounded one of them, and another man killed another goose. The wind shifted into the northwest and blew hard against us. We saw a number of bald eagles in the said bottom. One of them had a nest in a low tree, and one of the men climbed up and got two eggs (all that were there).
The wind rose so high that we could not go with the canoes without filling them with water. It detained us about three hours. One man killed another goose. Scannon (Seaman) was out. We then proceeded on. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark), who walked on shore, killed one elk and one deer, which we halted and took on board. We came about 15 miles today and camped at a bottom covered with cottonwood and ash elm, with timber also on the north side. The river has been very crooked and bearing toward the south most of the day. The game is getting plentier every day.
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