John Ordway: April 7, 1805

Intrepter and them that went with him returned brought with
them 4 of the RickaRee Savages. 2 of them Chiefs, they In-
formed us that only 10 of their nation had come up to the Man-
danes villages to treat & Smoak a peace pipe with them &.C.
they brought a letter from MrTabbo who lives with [the] R.Ree to
our officers with news that 3 of the Souix chiefs was going down
on the Big barge to see their Great father and that Some of the
Rick a Ree chiefs was going also, one of our hunters went out
at 11 oclock and killed a deer, we set three of Sd Rick Rees chiefs
across the River, the other one being lame Stayed in order to
go down to his nation in the Barge.
About 5 oClock we all went on board fired the Swivel and Set
off on our journey.1 at the Same time the barge Set off for
1 The reflections of the members of the little party at this juncture, as record-
ed by Captain Lewis are worthy of notice. “Our vessels consisted,” he writes,
“of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This little fleet altho’ not quite
so rispectable as those of Columbus or Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us
with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld
theirs; and I dare say with quite as much anxiety for their safety and preserva-
tion, we were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles
in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden; the good or
evil it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these little
vessells contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend
ourselves, however, as the state of mind in which we are, generally gives the
colouring to events, when the immagination is suffered to wander into futurity,
the picture which now presented itself to me was a most pleasing one. enter-
talin]ing as I do, the most confident hope of succeeding in a voyage which had
formed a da[r]ling project of mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem
this moment of my departure as among the most happy of my life. The party
are in excellent health and sporits, zealously attached to the enterprise, and
anxious to proceed; not a whisper <>f murmur or discontent to be heard among
them, but all act in unison, and with the most perfict harmony.”
190
SERGEANT ORD WAY’S JOURNAL 191
S4 Louis 2 frenchmen1 in a perogue in company with them, they
took down the letters and all the writings which was necessary to
go back to the States also Some curious animals such as Goat
Skins & horns, a barking Squerrell Some Mountain Rams horns
a prarie hen & badgers Some birds cauled magpies & a nomber of
other curious things too tedious to mention &.C. we took with
us 2 large perogues and 6 small ones which we had loaded with pro-
visions, Indian Goods, ammunition &.C. we went on verry well
with a hard head wind about 4 mIs & Camped opposite the 1st vil-
lage of Mandans on N. S. wind high from N. W. the greater
part of the night their is 30 of of the party which continues to
Go on.2 their was 10 which went down in the barge, but only
two who had engaged for the route.3