Building Fort Mandan — John Ordway: November 1, 1804
With cool northwest winds easing in the afternoon, the party set off downriver around 3 p.m. to scout a suitable site for winter quarters, though the shallow water caused them to strike sandbars. Captain Lewis, Ordway, and several others stopped at the first Mandan village to obtain corn. The head chief said the corn was not yet ready and asked them to return the next day, but hosted them with three kinds of food. The Mandans proved friendly and well-provisioned. The group continued about two miles downstream and camped in a timbered bottom on the north side of the Missouri.
from the N. W. cool, at 3 oClock P. M. we Set off to return a
Short distance down the River in order to find a Good place for
winter quarters, the wind abated. But the River So Shallow the
[that] we Struck the Sand bars. Cap1 Lewis myself and Several
more of the party halted at the l8t village of the Mandens in order
to git Some corn, the head chief told us that they had not Got
the corn ready. But if we would come tomorrow they [w]ould have
it ready, they Gave us 3 kinds of victuls to eat which was verry
Good, they were verry friendly &. C. they live verry well.
1 Nevertheless they proceeded, before long, to demolish it in order to procure
iron with which to barb their arrows. Henry, who saw the remains of it two
years later, records that, unable to break up or aflix to any weapon the largest
piece, they had provided it with a wooden handle and employed it to pound
marrowbones with in order to extract the .urease. Cones, New Light on the
Early History of the Greater Northwest (New York, 1897), I, 329.
1804] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 161
have pleanty of corn Beans Squashes meat &.C. Cap* Lewis told
the chief that he would come again tomorrow, then we went on
ab* 2 miles down to a Bottom covered with Timber, where we
Camped on the N. Side ofthe Missouris River.
CHAPTER VI
At Fort Mandan, November 2, 1804 — April 6, 1805
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From the northwest, cool. At 3 o'clock P.M. we set off to return a short distance down the river in order to find a good place for winter quarters. The wind died down, but the river was so shallow that we struck the sandbars. Capt. Lewis, myself, and several more of the party halted at the first village of the Mandans in order to get some corn. The head chief told us that they had not got the corn ready, but if we would come tomorrow they would have it ready. They gave us three kinds of food to eat which was very good. They were very friendly, etc. They live very well, having plenty of corn, beans, squashes, meat, etc. Capt. Lewis told the chief that he would come again tomorrow. Then we went on about 2 miles down to a bottom covered with timber, where we camped on the north side of the Missouri River.
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