Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: September 30, 1804

wind from the E. passed a willow Island N. S. passd a large
Bottom covered with Timber on N. S. Barron hills on S. S.
See an Indian on S. S. Spoke to him. found it was one of those
we Saw at village below, he told us that the other band was
comming on, and wished us to Stop, we told him we could not
Stop neither did we wish to see them, passed a handsom Bottom
prarie on N. S. a bottom covered with Timber on S. S. proceeded
on 10 miles at 10 oClock we discovered a large nomber of Indians
1 Eleven and one-half miles above Bad River.
2 The Arikara tribe of Indians. The village was at the mouth of a stream
which the explorers named No Timber Creek. Coues identifies it as modern
Chantier Creek, Stanley County.
3 In Stanley County, 3£ miles above the mouth of Chantier Creek,
144 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Oct. 1
on a hill S. Side comming down towards the river a head of [us]
we halted on a Sand bar, took breakfast, the Indians assembled
on S. Shore [and] hoisted a white flag, we then took down our
red flag, directly after they hoisted another. We then took them
to be our friends, the weather being cool, cloudy a mist of rain
our officers Gave Each man of the party a draghm. we then hoisted
our Sails & Sailed up to where the Indians was assembled about
200 of them on the Bank of the River S. S. had put up one or 2
lodges which was white, we ankered out opposite to them about
100 yards. Spoke to them to know what they wanted, they Sayed
they wanted us to come on Shore and eat with them & Smoak,
for they were our friends &.C. our Capts told them our reason was
that we had been ill treated by the band below, and that we would
not Stop but we were friends to them & would Send them Some
tobacco for a token that he had taken them by the hand. And
then we Should go on to the RickRees where we Should halt
again, we then Sent them Some tobacco & C. hoisted Sail pro-
ceeded on passed a creek on S. S. passd a bottom covered with
Timber on N. S. passd an Island & large Sand bars on S. Side,
the old Teton chief remained with us in order to go to the R.
Rees nation. We passed a large quantity of Grass in the Bottom of
Small Timber on N. Side, proceeded on till about 4 oClock
put to Shore in order to take Some fire wood on board, when we
put off the Stern of our Barge got fast. She Swang round in the
Stream the wind being So hard from E. that [it] caused the
waves to run high the Boat got in the trough & She Rocked verry
much before we could git hir Strait we hoisted Sail and came
Strait. Sailed verry fast, the Indian chief we had on board was
verry fraid. he Said he thought our Boat was a medicine £ he
would go no further with us. we then put him to Shore our
Captains Gave him a Blanket. Some tobacco a knife and Some
other Small articles, he then Set of[f] to return to his Band. We
Sailed on verry fast, came 24 miles this day. Camped on a Sand
bar on N. S.1