Missouri River near Jefferson City area — John Ordway: June 14, 1804
On a foggy but fair day, the expedition passed a small prairie on the north side of the Missouri River and struggled against very strong currents. Around 11 a.m., they encountered two canoes carrying four Frenchmen loaded with peltry, returning to St. Charles after two years of hunting among the Pawnee. The traders stayed with the party until 3 p.m. before continuing on. The expedition then passed high ground known as the Snake Hills, crossed Snake Creek, and made camp on the north side of the river.
River, foggy but fair day we passed a handsome Small prarie
on North Side of the River, verry hard water, about noon we
1 All the journalists of the expedition labor over this name. The modern
form of the name is Chariton, borne by a town and county in addition to the
two rivers, Big and Little Chariton.
2 This was Pierre Dorion. For a characterization of him see Coues, I, 21.
For an account of his connection with the exploring expedition see post, 122,
note 1.
3 Grand River, still so called, rises near the Missouri-Iowa boundary, and
runs in a southeasterly direction, draining a large portion of northwestern
Missouri.
86 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 15
met 2 canoes loaded with peltry, four Frenchman bound to S*
Charles, came from the Pannee1 nation, where they had been
hunting for 2 years, they came to us about 11 oClock A. M.
left us at 3 O.C. P.M. we proceeded on passed high Land on
the N. Side called Snake hills of the River,2 then we passed
Snake Creek on the N. Side of Missouri, we camped on N. Side.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
River, a foggy but fair day. We passed a handsome small prairie on the north side of the river, with very hard water. About noon we met 2 canoes loaded with pelts, four Frenchmen bound for St. Charles, coming from the Pannee (Pawnee) nation, where they had been hunting for 2 years. They came to us about 11 o'clock A.M. and left us at 3 o'clock P.M. We proceeded on, passed high land on the north side called Snake Hills of the River, then we passed Snake Creek on the north side of the Missouri. We camped on the north side.
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