Lewis/Clark descending Missouri/Yellowstone to reunion — John Ordway: August 4, 1806
Ordway and Willard set out early in a small canoe to hunt, killing a deer and a large silvery grizzly bear during the day. Traveling on by moonlight to catch up with the main party, they were swept around 11 p.m. into a dangerous patch of sawyers (submerged trees). A limb snagged Willard from the stern, but he clung on while Ordway steered the canoe through to shore. Willard tied his clothes to a small makeshift raft and swam through safely. They reunited with the party, who had killed a rattlesnake and an elk. Hunters Colter and Collins remained absent.
lins did not join us last night. I and willard went on eairly
with a Small canoe to hunt we procd on Some distance and hunted
in Some of the bottoms and killed a deer and procd on towards
evening we killed a large white or grizzly bear nearly of a Silver
Grey, we then procd on in the evening by moon light as the party
was a head about 11 oClock at night we found ourselves in a
thick place of Sawyers as the corrent drawed us in and we had
no chance to git out of them So we run about half way through
and the Stern run under a limb of a tree and caught willard who
was in the Stern and drew him out as the current was verry
rapid, he held by the limb I being in the bow of the canoe took
my oar and hailed the bow first one way and the other So as to
clear the Sawyers and run through Safe and paddled the canoe to
Shore and ran up the Shore opposite willard & he called to me if
everry thing was Safe I told him yes but he could not hear me
as the water roared past the Sawyers, he told me he had made a
little raft of 2 Small Sticks he caught floating and tyed them to-
gether, and tyed his cloathes on them and would Swim down
through this difficult place and I run down and took out the
canoe and took him in as he Swam through Safe we procd a Short
distance farther and came to the Camp of the party.3 they had
killed a rattle Snake and an Elk to day but the two hunters Colter
& Colling has not joined us yet.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Collins did not join us last night. Willard and I went on early with a small canoe to hunt. We proceeded on some distance and hunted in some of the bottoms and killed a deer, and proceeded on towards evening. We killed a large white or grizzly bear, nearly of a silver grey. We then proceeded on in the evening by moonlight, as the party was ahead.
About 11 o'clock at night we found ourselves in a thick place of sawyers, as the current drew us in and we had no chance to get out of them. So we ran about halfway through, and the stern ran under the limb of a tree and caught Willard, who was in the stern, and drew him out, as the current was very rapid. He held onto the limb. I, being in the bow of the canoe, took my oar and hauled the bow first one way and then the other so as to clear the sawyers, and ran through safe and paddled the canoe to shore. I ran up the shore opposite Willard, and he called to me to ask if everything was safe. I told him yes, but he could not hear me, as the water roared past the sawyers. He told me he had made a little raft of 2 small sticks he caught floating and tied them together, and tied his clothes on them, and would swim down through this difficult place. I ran down and took out the canoe and took him in as he swam through safe.
We proceeded a short distance farther and came to the camp of the party. They had killed a rattlesnake and an elk today, but the two hunters Colter and Collins have not joined us yet.
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