Calumet Bluff, meeting with Yankton Sioux — John Ordway: September 1, 1804
The expedition retrieved a forgotten tin kettle for Dorion, returning it across the river along with two fish, then continued upstream under a light southwest breeze. They passed a chalk bluff with abundant plums and the White Bear Cliff, a roughly 70-foot formation pocked with deep holes. Drouillard went hunting and killed a buck elk, which was loaded aboard. The party camped on a timbered island to jerk the meat. Captains Lewis and Clark crossed the river hoping to see a reported beaver pond and large lodge, but had already passed it and returned without finding it.
[Dorion] called from the other Shore that they had forgot their tin
kittle last evening, the pearogue crossed Brought him to the
Boat for his kittle we found it & gave it to him, & 2 fish with it,
we proceeded on under an unsteady Breeze from S. W. passed a
chalk Bluff on N. S. where we found pleanty of fine plumbs, little
above is a white clift called the den of the White Bear,2 we see
large holes in the clift which appeared to go Deep into the clift;
this clift is about 70 feet high on the top is ragged round knobs
& praries all praries on Boath Sides of the river, Some Timber
in the vallies, Cottonwood Elm oak &.C. & on the Islands which is
covered with Small cottonwood Timber &.C. G. Drewyer went
out hunting on N. S. he returned in a Short time had killed a
fine Buck Elk; it was all put on board the pearogue, we then pro-
ceeded on past Bottom praries to the lower point of a large & well
1 Calumet Bluff according to Clark’s journal (August 28); still so called.
2 Still called White Bear Cliff; it is in Yankton County, about ten miles
above the city of Yankton.
124 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 2
Timbered Island where we Camped on N. S.1 & jurked our Elk,
Cap* Lewis and Cap* Clark went across the river where they was
Informed that their was a Deep pond where their is a large Beaver
house & about 3 hundred Beaver or more, as they amagine in the
pond. The Captains had a curiousity to See the pond & Beaver
house; or Cabbin; they returned in the evening, but did not See the
pond nor did not Go to it for we had passed it some distance, N.B.
we passed in the course of this day a large Island between the two
Bluffs covered with timber above the White Bear clift we passed
two Islands in Sight of each other the last of which is verry large
from the Calumet Bluffs covered with young Timber also, the
high lands approach the river & in Some places touch on each
Side of the Missouri.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
[Dorion] called from the other shore that they had forgotten their tin kettle last evening. The pirogue crossed and brought him to the boat for his kettle. We found it and gave it to him, along with 2 fish. We proceeded on under an unsteady breeze from the S.W., and passed a chalk bluff on the N. side where we found plenty of fine plums. A little above is a white cliff called the Den of the White Bear. We saw large holes in the cliff which appeared to go deep into it. This cliff is about 70 feet high; on the top are ragged round knobs and prairies. There are prairies on both sides of the river, with some timber in the valleys—cottonwood, elm, oak, etc.—and on the islands, which are covered with small cottonwood timber, etc. G. Drewyer (Drouillard) went out hunting on the N. side. He returned in a short time, having killed a fine buck elk. It was all put on board the pirogue. We then proceeded on past bottom prairies to the lower point of a large and well-timbered island, where we camped on the N. side and jerked our elk.
Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) went across the river, where they were informed that there was a deep pond in which there was a large beaver house and about 300 beavers or more, as the people imagine, in the pond. The captains had a curiosity to see the pond and beaver house, or cabin. They returned in the evening, but did not see the pond, nor did they go to it, for we had passed it some distance back.
N.B. In the course of this day we passed a large island between the two bluffs, covered with timber. Above the White Bear Cliff we passed two islands in sight of each other, the last of which is very large; from the Calumet Bluffs it is also covered with young timber. The highlands approach the river and in some places touch it on each side of the Missouri.
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