Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 3, 1805

off about 7 oClock, & proceeded on. Saw the Standing water
froze over the Ice froze to oar poles as we poled where the sun
Shined on us. a hard white frost last night, the ground covered
with Snow, the wind rose high from the W. about one o. C.
Cap1 Clark Came to us where we halted to dine had killed an
Elk, as he had been by land Since morning this place where he
killed the Elk is in a bottom covered with c. w. timber, we found
a goose nest a little below this on some drift wood, we took 3
eggs out of it. one man went along the bank of the River a fiew
minutes and killed a beaver, we have Sawn Great Sign of beaver
for several days but more this day than usal. the wind verry
high & cold, we proceeded on. Saw a nomber of buffaloe on the
ridges and in the plains, passed large bottoms of timber, & plains
on each side but no high hills, passed a creek on the s. s. Came
20 miles and Camped in a bottom on the N. S. after dark, had
passed a large creek on the N. S. which is two thousand miles
from the mouth of the M. 2000 ml8 creek.2
1 In Sheridan County, fifteen miles below the mouth of Poplar River.
2 Ordway confuses (he two streams passed during the day. The north-
side stream, to which the name Porcupine River was given, is modern
Poplar River. It rises in Saskatchewan and Hows across Sheridan County.
The south-side stream was given the name Two Thousand Mile Creek, from its
supposed distance above the mouth of the Missouri. It is modern Red Water
Creek, in Dawson County, joining the Missouri about two miles above the mouth
of Poplar River. Today’s camp was in Sheridan County, 3£ miles above the
mouth of Poplar River. By the M. R. C. map measurements Two Thousand
Mile Creek is 1,() miles above the mouth of the Missouri.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 207