Missouri River near Cheyenne River — John Ordway: September 30, 1804
Traveling with an east wind, the party passed timbered bottoms and barren hills along the Missouri. They encountered a Teton Sioux who urged them to wait for another band, but they refused. Around 10 a.m. they spotted about 200 Indians gathered on the south shore under a white flag. The captains declined to come ashore, citing mistreatment by the band below, but sent tobacco as a token of friendship. The old Teton chief traveled with them briefly but, frightened when strong winds rocked the boat, asked to be put ashore with gifts. They made 24 miles and camped on a sandbar.
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
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Wind from the east. We passed a willow island on the north side, and passed a large bottom covered with timber on the north side, with barren hills on the south side. We saw an Indian on the south side and spoke to him. We found he was one of those we saw at the village below. He told us that the other band was coming on, and wished us to stop. We told him we could not stop, neither did we wish to see them. We passed a handsome bottom prairie on the north side and a bottom covered with timber on the south side. We proceeded on 10 miles. At 10 o'clock we discovered a large number of Indians on a hill on the south side, coming down toward the river ahead of us.
We halted on a sandbar and took breakfast. The Indians assembled on the south shore and hoisted a white flag. We then took down our red flag, and directly after they hoisted another. We then took them to be our friends. The weather being cool and cloudy, with a mist of rain, our officers gave each man of the party a dram. We then hoisted our sails and sailed up to where the Indians were assembled, about 200 of them on the bank of the river on the south side. They had put up one or two lodges which were white. We anchored out opposite to them, about 100 yards away. We spoke to them to know what they wanted. They said they wanted us to come on shore and eat with them and smoke, for they were our friends, etc. Our captains 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 and would send them some tobacco as a token that he had taken them by the hand. And then we should go on to the Rickrees (Arikaras), where we should halt again. We then sent them some tobacco, etc., hoisted sail, and proceeded on.
We passed a creek on the south side, passed a bottom covered with timber on the north side, and passed an island and large sandbars on the south side. The old Teton chief remained with us in order to go to the Rickree nation. We passed a large quantity of grass in the bottom of small timber on the north side. We proceeded on till about 4 o'clock, then put to shore in order to take some firewood on board. When we put off, the stern of our barge got fast. She swung around in the stream, the wind being so hard from the east that it caused the waves to run high. The boat got in the trough and she rocked very much before we could get her straight. We hoisted sail and came straight. We sailed very fast.
The Indian chief we had on board was very afraid. He said he thought our boat was a medicine and 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 off to return to his band. We sailed on very fast, and came 24 miles this day. We camped on a sandbar on the north side.
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