Great Falls Portage — John Ordway: June 27, 1805
The party continued upriver, with hunters taking a goose and beaver early on. After breakfast under a cedar tree, Captain Lewis, Sergeant Gass, Drouillard, and interpreter Charbonneau set off overland for several days to search for Indians. Captain Clark shot a mountain sheep across the river, providing a hearty dinner. The group navigated swift currents and rapids, nearly losing a canoe when its towline broke. They passed tall rocky cliffs, pine-covered hills, ripening chokecherries, and saw a white bear. Hunters killed five deer, and the party camped after about 13 miles in a cottonwood bottom.
usal, and proceeded on. Some of the hunters killed a goose and
a beaver, about 8 oClock A. M. we halted took breakfast under
a handsom ceeder tree on S. Side. Cap1 Lewis, Serg1 Gass, G.
Drewyer and our Intrepter Sharbonoe Set out to go on by land
4 or 5 days expecting to find Some Indians, we proceeded on the
current Swift, we find currents of different kinds as usal, and
wild or choak cherries which are now gitting ripe, the hills begin
to git higher and more pine timber on them, and ceeder along the
River, we passed clifts of rocks about 500 feet from the Surface
of the water, considerable of pine timber along the sides of the
hills. Saw Some timber or trees along the Shores, resembling
ceeder which Some call juniper wood, about noon Cap* Clark
killed a Mountain Sheep out of a flock on the Side of a redish hill
or clifts on L. Side he shot it across the River and the rest of the
flock ran up the clifts which was nearly Steep, the one killed roled
down some distance when it fell, we got it and dined hearty on
it. we proceeded on. passed over a bad rapid at the upper end of
an Island jest above high rough clifts of rocks, the towing line of
the Captains canoe broke in the pitch of the rapid and the canoe
was near turning over nocking again the rocks, little further up
passed a creek or large Spring run,2 which came in on L. S. and
ran rapid, came to a large valley which Cap1 Clark had seen be-
fore when he came up a fiew days ago. passed large bottoms cov-
ered with timber, on each side of the River. Saw a white bear,
took on board 2 Elk which Cap1 Lewis had killed and left for us.
the hunters killed in these bottoms 5 deer this evening, passed
the mouth of a large creek3 on the Stard Side and a Spring, came
1 Just above a small run which Coues identifies as modern Antelope
Creek. It empties into Jefferson River near the boundary of Madison, Jeffer-
son, and Gallatin counties.
2 Named in honor of Frazier. one of the members of the expedition. Now
called South Boulder Creek, in northern Madison County.
J Boulder River, in Jefferson County.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 257
13| miles and Camped on the Lard Side in a bottom of cotton tim-
ber.1 high hills on each side, and Saw the mountain2 a Short
distance to the South of us.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
As usual, and proceeded on. Some of the hunters killed a goose and a beaver. About 8 o'clock A.M. we halted and took breakfast under a handsome cedar tree on the south side. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis), Sergt Gass (Sgt. Gass), G. Drewyer (Drouillard), and our interpreter Sharbonoe (Charbonneau) set out to go on by land for 4 or 5 days, expecting to find some Indians. We proceeded on, the current swift. We find currents of different kinds as usual, and wild or choke cherries which are now getting ripe. The hills begin to get higher and have more pine timber on them, and cedar along the river. We passed cliffs of rocks about 500 feet from the surface of the water, with considerable pine timber along the sides of the hills. Saw some timber or trees along the shores resembling cedar, which some call juniper wood.
About noon Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) killed a mountain sheep out of a flock on the side of a reddish hill or cliffs on the larboard side. He shot it across the river, and the rest of the flock ran up the cliffs, which were nearly steep. The one killed rolled down some distance when it fell. We got it and dined heartily on it. We proceeded on, and passed over a bad rapid at the upper end of an island just above high rough cliffs of rocks. The towing line of the Captain's canoe broke in the pitch of the rapid, and the canoe was near turning over, knocking again the rocks. A little further up we passed a creek or large spring run, which came in on the larboard side and ran rapid. Came to a large valley which Capt Clark had seen before when he came up a few days ago. Passed large bottoms covered with timber on each side of the river. Saw a white bear. Took on board 2 elk which Capt Lewis had killed and left for us. The hunters killed in these bottoms 5 deer this evening. Passed the mouth of a large creek on the starboard side and a spring. Came 13 1/2 miles and camped on the larboard side in a bottom of cottonwood timber. High hills on each side, and saw the mountain a short distance to the south of us.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
