John Ordway: September 20, 1805
Starving and weak after finishing their last scraps of Indian peas and bear's oil, the party pressed on with sore-footed horses. They came upon a note from Captain Clark along with horse meat he had left for them, since his hunters had killed only a pheasant or two. After eating, they continued along a difficult ridge road choked with logs, where wasps stung the horses. A horse carrying Captain Lewis's winter clothes and merchandise had strayed the day before, so two men turned back to search. They traveled 14 miles, finding water only after dark.
handful or 2 of Indian peas and a little bears oil which we brought
with us we finished the last morcil of it and proceeded on half
Starved and very weak, our horses feet gitting Sore, came a
Short distance and found a line which Cap1 Clark had left with the
meat of a horse which they found in the woods and killed for our
1 Sherman Peak.
‘-‘ “When this discovery was made there was as much joy and rejoicing among
the corps, as happens among passengers at sen. who have experienced a dan-
gerous and protracted voyage, when they first discover land on the long looked
for coast.” (lass. Wheeler identifies this plain as the Kamas prairie plateau
beyond the Kooskooskee or Clearwater.
3 This creek had been reached the day before by Clark and his party of hunt-
ers, who named it “Ilungcry Creek.” According to Wheeler il is a stream, at
presenl unnamed, flowing south, southeast, and south again into Kooskooskee
River.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 289
use as they had killed nothing but 1 or 2 pheasants after they
left us. we took the meat and proceeded on a Short distance fur-
ther one horse Strayed from us yesterday with a pair of port
Mantons [portmanteaus] with Some Marchandize and Cap*
Lewises winter cloths & C. 2 men went back to hunt for him. we
proceeded on along a ridge where we had a bad road which was
filled with logs, our horses got stung by the wasps, we came on
untill after dark before we found any water, came 14 miles this
day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
...a handful or two of Indian peas and a little bear's oil which we had brought with us. We finished the last morsel of it and proceeded on, half starved and very weak, our horses' feet getting sore. We came a short distance and found a line which Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) had left with the meat of a horse which they had found in the woods and killed for our use, as they had killed nothing but one or two pheasants after they left us.
We took the meat and proceeded on a short distance further. One horse strayed from us yesterday with a pair of portmanteaus containing some merchandise and Capt Lewises (Capt. Lewis's) winter clothes, etc. Two men went back to hunt for him. We proceeded on along a ridge where we had a bad road which was filled with logs. Our horses got stung by the wasps. We came on until after dark before we found any water. We came 14 miles this day.
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