Missouri River near Platte River mouth — John Ordway: July 18, 1804

gentle Breeze from the S.E. by S. a fair morning, we proceded
on along this prarie passed Several Islands, the current of the
River Runs 50′ fathom in 41 seconds, their is but little timber
on either Side of the River, except the Islands and points which
are low wet & covered with lofty towering Cotton wood Mulbery
Elm &.C. &.C. we passed hill praries and a place in a high bank
1 Modern Sun Island, located about midway between Peru and Brownsville,
Nebr.
2 Clark notes passing an island called by the French “chauve” (bald); hence
he named the adjoining prairie “Ball pated Prarie.” On Nicollet’s map Bald
Island is shown in the northwestern corner of Atchison County in the state
of Missouri. Both the Missouri and the Nishnabolna have changed their
courses since Lewis and Clark’s time. Cones stales (I, 17) that the Nishna-
bolna nowhere approaches the Missouri so closely as Ordway here indicates;
yet a map of Atchison County before me, published in 1882, shows the Nish-
nabolna emptying into an old cut-off of the Missouri surrounding the Bald
Island of Nicollet’s map and Clark’s Bald Pated Prairie, some twenty-live
miles above the present moutb of the stream.
3 In northwestern Atchison County, Mo., not far from the Iowa line.
1804] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 99
where Some appearence of Iron oar where the Bank Sliped in to
the River about 200 feet high, we camped on the South Side of
the Missouris.1 towards night we Saw an Indian dog on the
Bank of the River, which appeared to have been lost. Drewyer
joined us with 2 Deer this evening.