Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 15, 1805
After breakfast, the party pushed into the mountains, traveling between high rock cliffs rising 300 to 400 feet above the river. They retrieved four deer skins Captain Lewis had left at the mountain entrance, navigated several bad rapids, and caught numerous trout in the eddies. They passed a creek on the starboard side and saw Lewis's earlier campsite from the previous month. Captain Clark narrowly avoided a rattlesnake bite while fishing and killed several snakes. The interpreter's wife gathered serviceberries. They camped on a narrow plain near cottonwoods and old Indian camps.
Set out after breakfast and entered the Mountains, high clifts
of rocks on each side near the River. S[t]eep up from the River
1 Sixteen miles by water, four miles by land, above the mouth of Black
Tail Deer Creek.
2 Modern Rattlesnake Creek. Coues.
3 Fourteen miles by water, 65 miles by land. Lewis places the camp four
land miles below the mouth of Grasshopper Creek. Coues notes that there
is much inaccuracy in the distances given by the explorers in this portion of
their route; but the topographical features are clearly described.
266 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Aug. 16
on L. Side 3 or 400 feet. Saw and took on board 4 deer Skins
which Cap1 Lewis had left at the entrence of the Mountains, we
passed Several bad rapids, caught a nomber of Trout in the
Eddy below the rapids, now the river more Shallow, passed
high clifts of rocks. & rough knobs &. C. about 2 oClock we
passed the mouth of a creek on the Stard Side 10 y^ wide & 3
feet 3 Inch deep, at the mouth. 2 hunters on a head a hunting,
we Saw where Cap* Lewis Camped the 10 ult. Some of the high
knobs are covred with grass, a fiew Scattering pine trees on them,
the River crooked Shallow and rapid. Some deep holes where we
caught a nomber of Trout. Cap1 Clark was near being bit by a
rattle Snake which was between his legs as he was fishing, on the
shore, he Shot and killed 2 or 3 others this day. our Intrepters wife
found and gethered a fine persel of servis berrys we came [blank in
Ms.] miles1 this day & Camped on L. Side at a narrow plain near
a grove of cotton trees. Several old Indian Camps here &. C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Set out after breakfast and entered the Mountains, with high cliffs of rocks on each side near the river, steep up from the river on the left side, 3 or 400 feet. We saw and took on board 4 deer skins which Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) had left at the entrance of the Mountains. We passed several bad rapids and caught a number of trout in the eddy below the rapids. Now the river is more shallow. We passed high cliffs of rocks and rough knobs, etc. About 2 o'clock we passed the mouth of a creek on the starboard side, 10 yards wide and 3 feet 3 inches deep at the mouth. Two hunters were ahead hunting. We saw where Capt Lewis camped the 10th of last month. Some of the high knobs are covered with grass, with a few scattered pine trees on them. The river is crooked, shallow, and rapid, with some deep holes where we caught a number of trout. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) was nearly bitten by a rattlesnake which was between his legs as he was fishing on the shore; he shot and killed 2 or 3 others this day. Our interpreter's wife found and gathered a fine parcel of serviceberries. We came [blank in Ms.] miles this day and camped on the left side at a narrow plain near a grove of cottonwood trees. There were several old Indian camps here, etc.
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