Great Falls of the Missouri — John Ordway: June 17, 1805

takeing the canoes up the little River. 6 men employed making
Small low waggons for the purpose of hailing the canoes, Goods
& baggage through the plains by the falls. Cap* Clark and five
men went to Survey and measure the distance &. C. to the head of
the falls to where we could take the water again. 2 hunters out in
order to git Elk Skins to cover or bottom our Iron boat2 when
1 Which they named Portage Creek. It is modern Belt Creek, on the bound-
ary between Chouteau and Cascade counties.
2 In preparation for such a contingency Lewis had had made for him at the
United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry the irim frame of a boat, which was
to be completed by covering it with skins. On trial, however, as we shall
shortly see, the device proved impracticable, and Lewis was reluctantly com-
pelled to abandon it.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 233
we git ab° the falls, as we will Stand in need of it, as we leave
our largest craft at this place, the timber is verry scarse about
the falls, the buffalow pleanty. in the evening we got the canoes
up the Small River about If miles to the falls of it of about 4 feet
prepinticular. we had some difficulty in gitting them up the
rapids to this place one canoe turned over, was near hurting
the 2 men in hir. Several others filled with water hailing them up
Such Steep rapids, but we got them all up Safe to this falls of the
little River, and carried them out on a level, turned them on one
Side to dry &. C.