Missouri River near Porcupine River — John Ordway: May 5, 1805
The expedition traveled about 16 miles, aided by an east wind that allowed considerable sailing. A hunter rejoined the party at breakfast with two buffalo calves, and the group passed timbered bottoms and large plains on the north side teeming with buffalo and white geese. The officers issued a half gill of spirits at the dinner stop. Joseph Fields's illness worsened, and a collapsing bank nearly swamped Ordway's canoe. Captain Clark and several men killed a very large old grizzly bear while it swam the river, measured and dressed it, and rendered about six gallons of grease. Another elk was killed and a second bear sighted.
proceeded on one hunter who stay[ed] on the S. S. all night came
to us at breakfast time, had killed two buffaloe Calfs which we
took on board, we proceeded on. passed bottoms of timber on
each Side, passed a large handsom plains on the N. S. where we
saw a great nomber of buffaloe and white geese, we halted for to
dine about 2 o. C. on the S. S. at a bottom of timber where we
saw buffaloe and Goats our officers gave the party a half a Gill
of ardent Spirits. Jo. Fields who was taken sick yesterday is some
worse to day. jest as I went [to] set off with the canoe the bank
fell in & all most filled it. we directly took out the Sand & bailed
out the water and proceeded on towards evening Cap* Clark
and Several more of the party killed a verry large bair which the
natives and the french tradors call white but all of the kind that
we have seen is of a light brown only owing to the climate as we
suppose, we shot him as he was Swimming the River.3 the place
where he dyed was Shallow or perhaps he would have Sunk to the
bottom, with the assistance of Several men was got on board a
perogue and took him to the Shore on N. S. and dressed it after
taking the measure of him. he was verry old the tushes most
wore out as well as his claws, the measure of the brown bair is as
follows round the head is 3 feet 5 Inches, do the neck 3 feet
11 Inches do the breast 5 feet 10| Inches, do the middle of
the arm 1 foot 11 Inches, the length from the nose to the extremity
of the hind toe is 8 feet 1 Inches, the length of tallons better
than four feet [inches], we found a cat fish in him which he had
eat. we Camped and rendered out about 6 gallons of the greese
1 Shown on the M. R. C. map as Antelope Creek.
1 In the vicinity of Chelsea, Sheridan County.
3 “it was a most tremendious looking animal and extreemly hard to kill.”
Clark.
208 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [May 6
of the brown bair. he was judged to weigh about 4 hundred after
[being] dressed, one of the party went out and killed an Elk, and
Saw another brown bair. we Came 16 miles to day before we
killed the brown bair. we Sailed considerable in the course of the
day with an East wind.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Proceeded on. One hunter who stayed on the south side all night came to us at breakfast time, having killed two buffalo calves which we took on board. We proceeded on, passing bottoms of timber on each side, and passed a large handsome plain on the north side where we saw a great number of buffalo and white geese. We halted to dine about 2 o'clock on the south side at a bottom of timber where we saw buffalo and goats. Our officers gave the party a half gill of ardent spirits. Jo. Fields, who was taken sick yesterday, is somewhat worse today. Just as I went to set off with the canoe, the bank fell in and almost filled it. We directly took out the sand and bailed out the water and proceeded on.
Toward evening Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) and several more of the party killed a very large bear which the natives and the French traders call white, but all of the kind that we have seen is of a light brown color only, owing to the climate, as we suppose. We shot him as he was swimming the river. The place where he died was shallow, or perhaps he would have sunk to the bottom. With the assistance of several men, he was got on board a pirogue and taken to the shore on the north side, and dressed after taking his measurements. He was very old, the tushes most worn out, as well as his claws. The measurements of the brown bear are as follows: round the head, 3 feet 5 inches; round the neck, 3 feet 11 inches; round the breast, 5 feet 10½ inches; round the middle of the arm, 1 foot 11 inches; the length from the nose to the extremity of the hind toe, 8 feet 1 inch; the length of talons, better than four inches. We found a catfish in him which he had eaten.
We camped and rendered out about 6 gallons of grease from the brown bear. He was judged to weigh about 4 hundred after being dressed. One of the party went out and killed an elk, and saw another brown bear. We came 16 miles today before we killed the brown bear. We sailed considerably in the course of the day with an east wind.
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