Snake River rapids, near Lewiston — John Ordway: October 14, 1805
Traveling with a northwest wind on a swift current, the party navigated several rocky rapids. Around noon, two canoes briefly grounded without damage. After dining and continuing about eight miles, Ordway's canoe struck a rock at the head of an island and filled with water. The crew stood stranded on the rock until another canoe assisted them. Most baggage was recovered, but two men's bedding, a tomahawk, a small copper kettle, and other items were lost. They camped on an island at an abandoned native fishery, taking some dried salmon. One man killed eight ducks.
N. W. we Set out as usal and proceeded on the current rapid,
about noon we came to a bad rockey rapid where 2 canoes ran fast
on a rock but we got off without Injury. Small Island on the Lard
Side of the rapids we halted just below to dine, then proceeded
on about 8 miles then came to another bad rapid at the head of an
Island, the canoe I had charge of ran fast on a rock in the middle
of the river and turned [word illegible] the rock, we attempeted
to git hir off but the waves dashed over hir So that She filled
with water, we held hir untill one of the other canoes was un-
loaded and came to our assistance considerable of the baggage
washed overboard, but the most of it was taken up below when
the canoe got lightned She went of[f] of a sudden & left myself
and three more standing on the rock half leg deep in the rapid
water, untill a canoe came to our assistance, we got the most of
the baggage to Shore two mens bedding lost one tommahawk,
and some other Small articles a Small copper kittle &C. we
Camped on an Island Stard Side at an old fishery where the na-
tives had dryed Sammon burryed their wood covred over it. we
1 The camp was in Whitman County just below the mouth of Alkali Flat
Creek and at the head of Texas Rapids.
I”u canon Creek, in Columbia County, was passed on the left and Palouse
River, OB the boundary between Whitman and Franklin counties on the right.
The latter stream is much the larger and more important of the two. The
camp was in franklin County, thirteen miles below the mouth of Palouse River.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 299
took some for our use &C.1 one of the men killed 8 ducks the
country continues barron and broken in places &C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Northwest. We set out as usual and proceeded on, the current rapid. About noon we came to a bad rocky rapid where 2 canoes ran fast on a rock, but we got off without injury. There was a small island on the Larboard side of the rapids. We halted just below to dine, then proceeded on about 8 miles and then came to another bad rapid at the head of an island. The canoe I had charge of ran fast on a rock in the middle of the river and turned [word illegible] the rock. We attempted to get her off, but the waves dashed over her so that she filled with water. We held her until one of the other canoes was unloaded and came to our assistance. A considerable amount of the baggage washed overboard, but most of it was picked up below. When the canoe got lightened, she went off all of a sudden and left myself and three others standing on the rock, half leg deep in the rapid water, until a canoe came to our assistance. We got most of the baggage to shore. Two men's bedding was lost, along with one tomahawk and some other small articles, including a small copper kettle, etc.
We camped on an island on the Starboard side at an old fishery where the natives had dried salmon and buried their wood, covering it over. We took some for our use, etc. One of the men killed 8 ducks. The country continues barren and broken in places, etc.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
