Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 16, 1805

from the West the fore part of last night, a clear morning, all
hands took the canoes up over the rapids, then came back and
took over the large perogue about 1 mile then halted to wait the
arival of Cap* Lewis their being another rapid near above which
was impossable for loaded craft to pass, we caught considerable
quantity of Small flat Scale fish while we lay here, about 12
oClock Cap* Lewis and his men joined us. Cap* Lewis had been
about 15 miles up the River above the 1st rapid, or Shoot, and
[reported] that the falls continue all that distance in 5 different
Shoots, the highest about 50 feet perpinticular, & Shoots &
brakers all the way between each other. Cap* Lewis & men had
killed Some fat buffalow and dryed the best of the fat meat for us.
they caught a great many fine fish like our Sammon trout, they
had dryed a considerable quantity of them for us also. Cap*
Lewis concluded that the Lard. Side would be the best for us to
carry our baggage through the plains above the falls as that is
the smoothest Side we crossed over to the Lard Side & unloaded
the canoes & crossed the[m] back to the Stard Side & hailed them
up the rapid about 1 mile empty, then crossed them back again
So that we could take them in the mouth of a Small River1
which puts in close under the next Shoot or fall, then we could
have a more convenient place to take them up the bank, on the
Smoth plains, opposite to the mouth of this little River on the
N. Side of the Missourie is a beautiful Sulpher or mineral Spring
which falls out of the Side hills, it has a Strong taste of Sulpher.
we we drink of it freely, in the bottoms is a great quantity of flax
growing all in blue blossoms &. C.