Missouri River near Heart River, approaching Mandan — John Ordway: October 24, 1804
The expedition traveled past a wooded bottomland on the north side of the Missouri River, noting fine oak and cottonwood timber. Around noon they stopped at an island where they encountered a Mandan hunting camp. The Mandan chief traveling with the party spoke with the local chief, explaining the expedition's purpose. The hunters were accompanied by attractive women. At 2 p.m. the group continued on, passing an island formed where the river had cut across a former ten-mile bend. They camped on the north side, where four Mandans briefly visited before departing.
on passed a Bottom on N. S. covered with fine Timber Such
as oak & large Cottonwood, &. C. 12 o. C. we halted at an Is1
on N. S. where we found a hunting camp of the Mandan Nation of
Indians, the chief we had on board Spoke to the chief of this party
1 Modern Heart River, which joins the Missouri a short distance below and
across the river from the city of Bismarck.
2 At or near the site of the town of Mandan.
3 Coues locates the camp near Sanger, Oliver County. Wheeler (I, 192),
on the other hand, locates it near Washburn.
4 Probably Ordway intended to write “Rabbit Berries”; “called by the French
graisse de bufile or buffalo-fat.” Biddle.
158 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 25
[and] told them our business & they had Some handsome women
with them, at 2 o. C. we proceeded on passed the Is1 where the
River cut [four or five words of Ms. too worn to read] which for-
merly used to be 10 miles Round by its cutting across forms the
Is1 Camped on the N. S.1 4 of the natives came to our camp
but did not remain with us but a Short time.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We passed a bottom on the north side covered with fine timber such as oak and large cottonwood, etc. At 12 o'clock we halted at an island on the north side, where we found a hunting camp of the Mandan Nation of Indians. The chief we had on board spoke to the chief of this party and told them our business, and they had some handsome women with them.
At 2 o'clock we proceeded on, and passed the island where the river cut [four or five words of manuscript too worn to read], which formerly used to be 10 miles round, but by its cutting across forms the island. We camped on the north side. Four of the natives came to our camp, but did not remain with us for more than a short time.
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