Yellowstone-Missouri confluence — John Ordway: April 28, 1805
The party caught a large beaver overnight and set off early with a gentle southeast wind allowing some sailing. They passed whitish bluffs and rough hills with cottonwood bottoms, spotting large flocks of antelope and several dead ones likely killed by wolves. Captain Clark and the interpreter walked the south shore, where Clark killed a deer and a goose. In the evening, the men spotted a black bear swimming the river and wounded it, but lost it in thick bushes. They camped in a cottonwood bottom after traveling 24 miles.
caught a large beaver last night, we Set off eairly. the wind had
Shifted to S. E. and blew gently So that we Sailed Some part of
the time, proceeded on passed high bluffs on N. S. of a whiteish
coulor rough hills and knobs on each side. Some Smoth bottoms
of cottonwood on each Side of the River. Saw large flocks of
Cabberrie or antilope which is a Species of the Goat kind, on the
Sides of the hills on S. S. Saw Some dead on the edge of the
river, which I suppose the wolves had killed. Cap* Clark and our
Intrepter walked on Shore on the S. S. we proceeded on untill
ab* 3 oClock. came to where Cap* Clark had made a fire, we
then halted to dine in a bottom above high bluffs on s. s. Cap*
Clark had killed one Deer & a goose, he Saw Several bair pro-
ceeded on towards evening we Saw a large black bair Swimming
the River we went on Shore to head him & hopes to kill him.
1 On the later site of Fort Union; also on, or very near, the boundary between
North Dakota and Montana.
204 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [April 29
one man Shot & wounded it but it ran in to thick bushes So that
we could not find it. Some of the party Saw Several more bair
on the hills, on S. S. the bluffs make neare the river all this day
and are verry Steep in some places & other places high & rough
Some of which are White Stone and Clay, others are of a redish
coulour, nearly like brick, we Camped in a handsom bottom of
c. w. timber on N. S.1 high steep bluffs on s. s. Came 24
miles this day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Caught a large beaver last night. We set off early. The wind had shifted to S.E. and blew gently, so that we sailed some part of the time. Proceeded on, passed high bluffs on the north side of a whitish color, rough hills and knobs on each side. Some smooth bottoms of cottonwood on each side of the river. Saw large flocks of cabberrie (cabri) or antelope, which is a species of the goat kind, on the sides of the hills on the south side. Saw some dead on the edge of the river, which I suppose the wolves had killed. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) and our interpreter walked on shore on the south side. We proceeded on until about 3 o'clock, came to where Capt Clark had made a fire. We then halted to dine in a bottom above high bluffs on the south side. Capt Clark had killed one deer and a goose. He saw several bear.
Proceeded on towards evening. We saw a large black bear swimming the river. We went on shore to head him off and hoped to kill him. One man shot and wounded it, but it ran into thick bushes so that we could not find it. Some of the party saw several more bear on the hills on the south side. The bluffs come near the river all this day and are very steep in some places, and in other places high and rough. Some of them are white stone and clay, others are of a reddish color, nearly like brick. We camped in a handsome bottom of cottonwood timber on the north side, with high steep bluffs on the south side. Came 24 miles this day.
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