Camp Fortunate / Shoshone contact — John Ordway: August 16, 1805
A cold morning at 47°F delayed the party until after breakfast. They pushed up the shallow, swift river, often hauling the large canoes by hand. Captain Clark, the interpreter Charbonneau, and his wife Sacagawea walked ashore and gathered a pailful of exceptional serviceberries, shared with the crew at a noon dinner stop they named Serviceberry Valley. A hunter killed a large buck, and bald and gray eagles were seen. Two hunters reported the river forks about six miles ahead. The group struggled over a rocky rapid and camped on a treeless bottom, boiling venison over willow sticks.
the Thurmometer Stood at 47° the water so cold that we delayed
until after we took breakfast. One hunter out this morning. 2
hunters Stayed out last night, we proceeded on as usal. passed
a handsom Spring run on L. Side Some timber on it. we find
the current Swift [and] the river Shallow we are oblidged to hall
the large canoes the most of the time. Cap1 Clark our Intrepter
& wife walked on Shore and found a great quantity of Servis
berrys the largest & best I ever saw. they gethered a pale full
&. C. Gave them out to the party at noon where we halted to
dine at a grove of cotton trees on L. Side. Saw a nomber of bald
& grey Eagles &. C. our hunter who went out this morning killed
a verry large buck, the bottoms on the River narrow we name
this place Servis berry valley, the 2 hunters who Stayed out
last night joined us here and informed us that the River forks again
only about 6 miles by land from this & that each fork was Shallow.
2 hunters sent on to the forks to hunt we proceeded on passed
up Sholes & rapids towards evening we passed up a verry bad
rockey rapid which was difficult to pass over, we were oblidged
to waid and hale the canoes over the large rocks &. C. we passed
a fine Spring on S. Side and a run on L. Side2 high clifts of rocks
& hills on each Side found pleanty of currents on the banks.
1 Seven miles by land. The camp was at the mouth of a small run, three
miles above Grasshopper Creek. Coues gives its name as Gallagher’s Creek.
2 Now called Clark Caflon Creek. The springs mentioned by Ordway are
shown on some modern maps.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 267
the water not So Swift above the bad rapid, we Came [blank in
Ms.] miles1 and Camped on a narrow bottom on L. Side no
timber, we gethered small willow Sticks only to boil our vension.
the beaver verry pleanty &. C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The thermometer stood at 47°. The water was so cold that we delayed until after we took breakfast. One hunter went out this morning. Two hunters stayed out last night. We proceeded on as usual. We passed a handsome spring run on the left side with some timber on it. We find the current swift and the river shallow; we are obliged to haul the large canoes most of the time. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark), our interpreter, and his wife walked on shore and found a great quantity of serviceberries, the largest and best I ever saw. They gathered a pail full, etc., and gave them out to the party at noon where we halted to dine at a grove of cottonwood trees on the left side. We saw a number of bald and grey eagles, etc. Our hunter who went out this morning killed a very large buck. The bottoms on the river are narrow. We name this place Serviceberry Valley.
The two hunters who stayed out last night joined us here and informed us that the river forks again only about 6 miles by land from this, and that each fork was shallow. Two hunters were sent on to the forks to hunt. We proceeded on, passing up shoals and rapids. Towards evening we passed up a very bad rocky rapid which was difficult to pass over. We were obliged to wade and haul the canoes over the large rocks, etc. We passed a fine spring on the south side and a run on the left side, with high cliffs of rocks and hills on each side. We found plenty of currants on the banks. The water was not so swift above the bad rapid. We came [blank in MS.] miles and camped on a narrow bottom on the left side with no timber. We gathered small willow sticks only, to boil our venison. The beaver are very plenty, etc.
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