John Ordway: July 21, 1804
Setting out at sunrise with a gentle southerly breeze, the party made good progress past several islands and timbered highlands containing cemented rock, limestone, and springs. Around 1 o'clock they reached the mouth of the Platte River on the south side, noting its strong current, sandbars, and roughly three-quarter-mile width; a French boatman reported the river spreads up to three miles wide upstream. After battling a hard northwest wind, they passed Papillion Creek and camped on the south bank, where the horse party rejoined them with four deer.
out at Sun rise under a gentle Breese from the South or S. E. We
1 “a little below Nebraska City.” Coues. The Iowa-Missouri boundary
was passed during the day.
2 There are numerous islands in the stretch of the river immediately above
and below Nebraska City. The names given by Ordway do not appear on
modern maps. Nicollet’s map shows Upper and Lower Oven Islands.
3 Two or three miles below the mouth of Weeping Water Creek, in the vicinity
of Nebraska City.
4 Shown on Perrin du Lac’s Carte Du Missouri I’An 1802 as ‘Teau qui pleure”;
on modern maps as Weeping Water Creek.
5 About midway between the northern and southern boundaries of Cass
County, Nebr.
100 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [July 22
proceded on verry well, passed Several Islands &. C. Some high
lands covered with Timber in this hill is semented rock & lime-
stone some fine Springs &. C. we arived at the mouth of the
platte River1 S. S. about 1 oClock this River Runs out and forms
Several large Sand bars thrown out by their is Some high hand-
some praries about this River, the Piatt River, the Rapidity of
the River Piatt which is much greater than that of the Missouris,
its width at the mouth across the bars is about f of a mile, higher
up we are told by one of our French Rowman that he was 2 years
up or on this River and that it does not rise four feet but Spreads
open 3 miles at Some places, we proceeded on round a large Sand
bar S. S. a hard wind from N. W. we put Relow past the last
mentioned Sand bar we passed a creek on S. S. called pappeo2
R. praries in p* between the Missouris & the Great R. Piatt but
flat Subject to overflow. Some large cotten wood Timber but
thin on the point, we Camped on the South Side of the River, a
prairie on the N. Side of the Missouris the party who were with
the Horses joined us with four Deer.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Out at sunrise under a gentle breeze from the south or southeast. We proceeded on very well, passed several islands, etc. Some high lands covered with timber; in this hill is cemented rock and limestone, some fine springs, etc. We arrived at the mouth of the Platte River on the south side about 1 o'clock. This river runs out and forms several large sandbars thrown out by it. There are some high, handsome prairies about this river, the Platt River. The rapidity of the River Platt is much greater than that of the Missouri; its width at the mouth across the bars is about three-quarters of a mile. Higher up, we are told by one of our French rowmen that he was two years up or on this river, and that it does not rise four feet but spreads open three miles in some places.
We proceeded on round a large sandbar on the south side. A hard wind from the northwest. We put below past the last-mentioned sandbar. We passed a creek on the south side called Pappeo (Pappio) River. Prairies in part between the Missouri and the Great River Platt, but flat and subject to overflow. Some large cottonwood timber, but thin on the point. We camped on the south side of the river, a prairie on the north side of the Missouri. The party who were with the horses joined us with four deer.
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