Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 15, 1805

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.