Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 15, 1805

out at the usal hour & proceeded on passed through the rapidest
water I ever saw any craft taken through, passed high bluffs &
clifts on each Side, at noon we halted at the mouth of a Small
River on the Lard Side, which we named Strawberry River3 as
their is a Great many vines about it. it is a handsom rapid Stream.
Small bottoms of cotton timber on it. 2 hunters went a Short
distance up the branch & killed 2 Deer, wild or choke cherrys
Goose berrys & yallow currents abound in these bottoms, the
afternoon verry warm we proceeded on passed redish bluffs
on each side of the River, & clifts of blackish rocks in some
places, passed over some rapids where the waves came over the
canoe which I was in and I expected everry moment to have filled,
in the evening we came to a bad rapid which we concluded to
camp below it all night as we would be too late gitting through.
So we Camped on the Stard. Side4 one man Sent up to the falls
for Cap1 Lewis &. C. the wood Scarse. we Came 12 miles to day
by exerting ourselves as much as possable with the towing line to
the best advantage.
1 In Chouteau County, seven miles, by Clark’s measurements, above Fort
Benton.
2 In Chouteau County, seven miles below the mouth of Highwood Creek.
3 So named in the journals of Gass and Whitehouse, but Shields Creek (after
a member of the expedition) according to Clark. It is modern Highwood Creek,
which enters the Missouri from the south twenty-five miles above Fort Benton.
4 Five and three-fourths miles above Highwood Creek.
232 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [June 16