John Ordway: November 2, 1804
The party scouted a wooded bottom downriver and selected a site for winter quarters near an old Indian camp in a grove of large cottonwoods. While Captain Lewis took a pirogue upriver to the first Mandan village to trade for corn, returning with 10 or 12 bushels, the rest of the men dropped downstream, pitched tents, and began felling timber. They laid the foundation for one row of four 14-foot-square huts, planning a matching second row, and intended to split cottonwood puncheons for roofing. One French hand was discharged.
Some men down the Bottom to look for a place to Build our huts,
they Returned Shortly had found a Good place a Short distance
down where the[re] was an Indian camp in a grove of large cotton-
wood Timber. Sevral Indians at sd camp Cap* Lewis & Several
of the party went in a pearogue up to the 1st village of the Mandans
in order to Git corn, we droped down a Short distance farther
to a body & Bottom of large Timber where we commenced falling
Timber, and fixing a camp close by the place where we intend for
to build.1 pitched our tents & laid the foundation of one line of
our huts, which consisted of 4 Rooms 14 feet Square, the other
line will be the Same2 Cap* Lewis retorned. brought us 10 or
12 bushels of Good corn, we find the cottonwood Timber will
Split Tollorable well, and as their is no other building timber in
this bottom we expect to Split punchin to cover the huts with
one of our french hands is discharged & gone down the river.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Some men went down the bottom to look for a place to build our huts. They returned shortly, having found a good place a short distance down where there was an Indian camp in a grove of large cottonwood timber. Several Indians were at said camp. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and several of the party went in a pirogue up to the first village of the Mandans in order to get corn. We dropped down a short distance farther to a body and bottom of large timber, where we commenced falling timber and fixing a camp close by the place where we intend to build.
We pitched our tents and laid the foundation of one line of our huts, which consisted of 4 rooms, 14 feet square; the other line will be the same. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) returned. He brought us 10 or 12 bushels of good corn. We find the cottonwood timber will split tolerably well, and as there is no other building timber in this bottom, we expect to split puncheons to cover the huts with. One of our French hands is discharged and gone down the river.
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