Fort Mandan, North Dakota — John Ordway: November 6, 1804
The night was mostly clear, followed by a clear morning. Around 9 a.m. it clouded over and turned cold, looking likely to snow by 11 a.m. The French interpreter who had joined the expedition from the Arikara villages, along with several other Frenchmen, set off downriver in a pirogue. These men had been hired at St. Louis primarily as boatmen and were not considered permanent members of the expedition heading west.
Greater part of last night4 a clear morning, about 9 oC it
clouded up cold lookfed] likely for Snow at 11 o. C. our french
man who came with us from the R. A. Rees5 as an Intreperter
1 “Mr Jessomme with his Squar & children came down to live, as Inter-
preter.” Clark. This was Rene Jessaume, a French-Canadian who had long
resided in this section. The explorers had first encountered him on October
27, and the. leaders had engaged his services in the capacity of interpreter.
He was employed by them throughout the ensuing winter of 1804-5; later,
upon the return of the exploring party, he accompanied the Mandan chief to
Washington. The various travelers who write of Jessaume unite in giving
him a malodorous reputation. See ante, Introduction, 21; Wheeler, I,
204; Early Western Travels, V, 156; and “Extracts from Capt. McKay’s Journal,”
in Wis. Hist. Soc, Proc, 1915.
2 Baptiste Le Page, who was enlisted to take the place of John Newman who
had been discharged as a deserter. Le Page continued with the expedition until
its conclusion at St. Louis in September, 1806.
3 These men were not regarded as regular members of the permanent expedi-
tion. They had been engaged at St. Louis to accompany the party to the first
winter camp, chiefly in the capacity of boatmen.
4 Due to a display of the northern lights or aurora borealis.
5 Joseph Gravelines, the trader whom the party found among the Ankara on
October 7. Clark called him “an honest, discrete man and an excellent boat-
man.” He was employed by the two captains to conduct a party of Ankara
164 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Nov. 7
and Several of our french have Set off to descend the River in a
pearogue [Ms. too worn to read last line of page]
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Greater part of last night a clear morning. About 9 o'clock it clouded up cold, looked likely for snow. At 11 o'clock our Frenchman who came with us from the R. A. Rees as an interpreter and several of our French have set off to descend the river in a pirogue.
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