Missouri River near Boonville area — John Ordway: June 19, 1804

we passed a beautiful large prarie on the North Side, high Rich
1 The Pawnee nation consisted of four principal tribes or divisions. The
Pawnee proper, probably the division here alluded to, resided upon the Platte
River, thirty leagues above its mouth. Instead of “four Frenchman,” Floyd
has the party consist of three Frenchmen and one negro.
2 A bluff, according to Clark, called the Snake Bluff from the number of
snakes about this place. Clark records, also, a rather remarkable story, told
by Drewyer, of an encounter with a snake which made “Goubeling noises like a
turkey.” Snake Creek is identified by Cones with modern YYakcnda Creek
in Carroll County.
a Whitehouse speaks of the settlement as “little Zoe [Sioux] prarie.” Clark
gives an account of two Indian village sites here, and Cones identified them with
modem Malta Bend in Saline County. No explanation of Ordwav’s name
Lapero has been found.
1804] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 87
Bottom on South Side we passed Tabbo Creek1 on South Side,
we saw pleanty of goos Berries & Ros Berries on the banks, we
passed a bad place of Rocks, the water so Swift that we were
obledged to hole the Boat by a Rope, we Camped on South Side
opposite a pond, which was ‘near to where we camped The
Musquetoes are verry troublesome. Got Musquetoes bears2
from Cap4 Lewis to sleep in.