Missouri River near White River — John Ordway: September 13, 1804
The expedition traveled past high hills, bottom prairies, and black bluffs, noting wild grapevines heavy with ripe fruit and a stream of alum and copperas water. Rain fell and mosquitoes were troublesome. Drouillard's traps yielded four beaver overnight. Ordway, Sergeant Pryor, and Shannon went ashore to gather plums, which were not yet ripe, and Shannon shot a porcupine that the group ate for supper. A willow island and sandbars kept them from rejoining the boat, which camped separately in a cottonwood grove on the north side.
passed high hills on N. S. & a Bottom prarie. Some part covered
with Timber [and] Grape vines covered with ripe grapes. pasd a
black Bluff on S. S. & Broken hills & a run of allum & copperass
water. Some Musquetoes, rainy. G. Drewyer caught 4 Beaver
in his Traps last night, myself Serg* Pryor & Shannon walked
on Shore S. S. in order to get some plumbs in a bottom prarie. we
found pleanty but they were not quite ripe. Shannon killed a
porcupine, we could not git to the Boat for a willow Island
which was between & Sand bars &. C. N. B. the Boat passd Sev-
eral Is*18 & camped on N. S. we Camped in a grove of cotton-
wood Timber. Eat one porcupine for Supper, the Musquetoes
Troubled us verry much. passd a range of black Bluffs on S. S.
&. c.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We passed high hills on the north side and a bottom prairie. Some parts were covered with timber and grape vines covered with ripe grapes. We passed a black bluff on the south side and broken hills and a run of alum and copperas water. There were some mosquitoes, and it was rainy. G. Drewyer (Drouillard) caught 4 beaver in his traps last night. Myself, Sergeant Pryor, and Shannon walked on shore on the south side in order to get some plums in a bottom prairie. We found plenty, but they were not quite ripe. Shannon killed a porcupine. We could not get to the boat because of a willow island which was between us and sand bars, etc.
N.B. The boat passed several islands and camped on the north side. We camped in a grove of cottonwood timber. We ate one porcupine for supper. The mosquitoes troubled us very much. We passed a range of black bluffs on the south side, etc.
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