Missouri River near Big Bend — John Ordway: September 20, 1804
The expedition set off early under a gentle east breeze, passing an island, Prickly Pear Creek, and timbered bottoms while rounding the Big Bend, covering about 27 miles. Captain Clark walked across the point, while Captain Lewis and R. Fields hunted on shore, returning with a male and female goat and a long-tailed deer; the skins and bones were saved to send back east. Around 1 a.m., the sandbar campsite began collapsing into the swift current, forcing the party to reboard and relocate a mile downstream under clear moonlight.
on with the horse across a bend in order to hunt — we Set off
eairly proceeded on under a gentle Breeze from the E. passed
an Is1 on N. S. passd the m° of a creek on S. S. named prickly
pair creek2 passd a bottom (& long bend point) covered with
thin Timber. Cap* Clark walked on Shore across the point — we
proceeded on passed a handsome Bottom covered with Timber
on S. S. where we halted [and] took dinner. Cap* Lewis & R. Fields
walked out to hunt We Sailed along Round the Big Bend about
27 miles passd 2 Islands & Several Sand bars & a Saltish Sand
run on N. S. & camped on a Sand bar on N. S. the Captains &
the men who had been with them returned to the Boat had killed
1 he Goat one She Goat & 1 long tailed Deer. We Saved the
Skins of the Goats and the Bones in order to Send back to the
States next Spring. The She Goats have verry little horns, but
are a handsome animal — about 1 oClock at night the Sand bar
where we lay was falling in verry fast the current Swift, we
ware obledged to git on board as soon as possable & proceed on
about a mile & made over to S. S. where we Camped again the
moon Shined pleasant all night, we passed a black Bluff on S. S.
where their is Some Salt peter on the Stones &.C.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
On with the horse across a bend in order to hunt. We set off early and proceeded on under a gentle breeze from the east. Passed an island on the north side. Passed the mouth of a creek on the south side named Prickly Pear Creek. Passed a bottom (and long bend point) covered with thin timber. Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) walked on shore across the point. We proceeded on and passed a handsome bottom covered with timber on the south side, where we halted and took dinner. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and R. Fields walked out to hunt.
We sailed along around the Big Bend about 27 miles, passed 2 islands and several sandbars and a saltish sand run on the north side, and camped on a sandbar on the north side. The Captains and the men who had been with them returned to the boat, having killed 1 he-goat, one she-goat, and 1 long-tailed deer. We saved the skins of the goats and the bones in order to send back to the States next spring. The she-goats have very little horns, but are a handsome animal.
About 1 o'clock at night the sandbar where we lay was falling in very fast and the current was swift. We were obliged to get on board as soon as possible and proceed on about a mile, and made over to the south side, where we camped again. The moon shined pleasant all night. We passed a black bluff on the south side where there is some saltpeter on the stones, etc.
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