Canoe Camp on Clearwater River — John Ordway: September 26, 1805
The party set out, crossed a creek (modern Oro Fino Creek) and forded the Kooskooskee River where the water reached the horses' bellies, then continued down the south side through a narrow plain of pitch pine. They made camp at the junction of the North and South forks of the Clearwater, building a pen around the officers' lodge for baggage. Several men fell ill from the sudden change in diet, water, and climate, and Captain Clark dosed them with Rush's Pills. Local Native people arrived with horses, rafts, and a canoe.
oClock we Set out and proceeded on down the River crossed a
creek,4 then crossed the River at a shole place the water to the
horses belleys. we proceeded on down the South Side on a
narrow plain thinly covd with pitch pine timber.5 made a pen
round the officers lodge to put the baggage in. a number of the
natives come down with us with droves of horses, some came
down the N° fork with a Small raft, who had been some distance
a fishing and bring down wood &C. Several of the party Sick
with a relax by a Sudden change of diet and water as well as the
1 At night, Gass naively records, “Captain Clarke gave all the sick a dose
of Rush’s Pills to see what effect that would have.”
2 The party had been descending the valley of modern Jim Ford Creek,
an eastern tributary of the Kooskooskee. Coues locates the camp for the
day on the latter river a mile or so above modern Oro Fino Creek.
3 The North or Chopunnish Fork of the Kooskooskee River.
4 Modern Oro Fino Creek.
5 The camp was at the junction of North and South forks of the Clearwater.
Here the party remained until October 7, engaged in constructing canoes in
which to descend the Columbia. Because of this the name Canoe Camp was
given to the place.
292 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 27
change of climate also. Several Indians came down in a small
canoe & Camped near us.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
O'clock we set out and proceeded on down the river, crossed a creek, then crossed the river at a shoal place, the water up to the horses' bellies. We proceeded on down the south side on a narrow plain thinly covered with pitch pine timber. We made a pen around the officers' lodge to put the baggage in. A number of the natives came down with us with droves of horses; some came down the north fork with a small raft, who had been some distance fishing and bringing down wood, etc. Several of the party were sick with a looseness brought on by a sudden change of diet and water, as well as the change of climate also. Several Indians came down in a small canoe and camped near us.
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