Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 16, 1805
After a clear morning following west winds the previous night, the men hauled canoes and the large pirogue over a rapid, pausing because another impassable rapid lay ahead. They caught small flat-scaled fish while waiting. Around noon, Captain Lewis returned from scouting about 15 miles upriver, reporting five separate falls, the highest roughly 50 feet, with continuous shoots between them. Lewis brought dried buffalo fat and salmon-trout-like fish. He decided the larboard side offered the smoothest portage route. The crew shifted canoes accordingly. Nearby they noted a sulfur spring and bottoms full of blue-blossomed flax.
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.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
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 pirogue about 1 mile, then halted to wait the arrival of Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis), there being another rapid near above which was impossible for loaded craft to pass. We caught a considerable quantity of small flat-scale fish while we lay here. About 12 o'clock Capt Lewis and his men joined us. Capt Lewis had been about 15 miles up the river above the 1st rapid, or chute, and reported that the falls continue all that distance in 5 different chutes, the highest about 50 feet perpendicular, and chutes and breakers all the way between each other. Capt Lewis and his men had killed some fat buffalo and dried the best of the fat meat for us. They caught a great many fine fish like our salmon trout; they had dried a considerable quantity of them for us also.
Capt Lewis concluded that the larboard 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 larboard side and unloaded the canoes, and crossed them back to the starboard side and hauled them up the rapid about 1 mile empty, then crossed them back again so that we could take them into the mouth of a small river which puts in close under the next chute or fall. Then we could have a more convenient place to take them up the bank, onto the smooth plains. Opposite to the mouth of this little river, on the north side of the Missouri, is a beautiful sulphur or mineral spring which falls out of the side hills; it has a strong taste of sulphur. We drink of it freely. In the bottoms is a great quantity of flax growing, all in blue blossoms, etc.
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