John Ordway: September 4, 1805
On a frosty morning with mountains blanketed in snow, the party waited until about 8 a.m. to thaw their frozen sails by the fire before setting out. They climbed to the dividing ridge, suffering from cold with little to eat but parched corn, then descended through pine and balsam fir, killing a dozen grouse and a deer. In the valley they encountered a large Flathead Indian encampment of about 40 lodges with hundreds of horses. The Flatheads welcomed them warmly with white skin robes, food, and smoking, and spoke a distinctive lisping language.
the ground covred with frost our mockasons froze the moun-
tains covred with snow. 2 mountain Sheep Seen by one of the
men who was a hunting the horses, we delayed untill about 8
oClock A. M. then thoughed our Sailes by the fire to cover the
loads and set out. ascended the mountain on to the dividing
ridge and followed it some time, the Snow over our mockasons
in places, we had nothing but a little pearchedcorntoeat the air
on the mountains verry chilley and cold, our fingers aked with
the cold proceeded on descended the mountain down a rough
way passed through a large thicket of pine and balsom fer
1 The day’s route was up Fish Creek. The camp was in the vicinity of the
town of Gibbonsville.
2 The route of this and the following day is somewhat obscure, and it seems
hopeless for one not familiar with the locality to seek to elucidate it. Wheeler
seems lii be the best authority on the subject. In general it may be said that
the party on these two days made its way from the upper portion of Fish Creek
across the Hitter Hoot Mountains to a stream draining into Hitter Hoot River.
Coucs makes this slre:mi Ross Fork of the Hitter Hoot, while Wheeler supposes
1 1 to have been Camp Creek, an affluenl of Hoss Fork. In any event, in pass-
in.” from Fish Creek to this stream, the party had reentered Montana.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 281
timber, in which we killed a dozen partridges or fessents. went
down in to a valley on a branch running about a north course and
halted, our hunter killed a deer on which we dined, our guide
and the young Indian who accompanied him eat the verry guts of
of the deer. Saw fresh sign of Indians, proceeded on down this
valley towards evening we arived at a large encampment of the
flat head nation of Indians about 40 lodges and I Suppose about
30 persons, and they have between 4 or 5 hundred horses now
feeding in the plains at our view and they look like tollarable good
horses the most of them, they received us in a friendly manner,
when our officers went to their lodges they gave them each a white
robe of dressed skins, and spread them over their Shoulders and
put their arms around our necks instead of Shakeing hands as that
is their way they appeared glad to see us. they smoaked with
us, then gave us a pleanty Such as they had to eat, which was
only Servis berrys and cherries pounded and dryed in Small
cakes. Some roots of different kinds, our officers told them that
we would speak to them tomorrow and told them who we were
and what our business is and where we are going &. C. these
natives are well dressed, descent looking Indians, light com-
plectioned. they are dressed in mo. Sheep leather Deer & buffalow
robes &C. they have the most curious language of any we have
seen before, they talk as though they lisped or have a bur on their
tongue, we suppose that they are the welch Indians if their is
any Such from the language, they have feather lodges to live in
Some other Skins among them, they tell us that they or Some of
them have Seen bearded men towards the ocean, but they cannot
give us any accurate accoun of the ocean, but we have 4 mountains
to cross to go where they saw white men which was on a river as
we suppose the Columbian River, came [blank in Ms.] miles to
day and pitched our Camp near the creek on the right of the
Indian lodges.1 considerable of large pitch pine timber in this
valley our hunter killed another deer this evening.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
The ground was covered with frost, our moccasins were frozen, and the mountains were covered with snow. Two mountain sheep were seen by one of the men who was hunting the horses. We delayed until about 8 o'clock A.M., then thawed our saddles by the fire to cover the loads, and set out. We ascended the mountain onto the dividing ridge and followed it for some time, the snow over our moccasins in places. We had nothing but a little parched corn to eat. The air on the mountains was very chilly and cold, and our fingers ached with the cold. We proceeded on, descending the mountain down a rough way, and passed through a large thicket of pine and balsam fir timber, in which we killed a dozen partridges or pheasants.
We went down into a valley on a branch running about a north course and halted. Our hunter killed a deer, on which we dined. Our guide and the young Indian who accompanied him ate the very guts of the deer. We saw fresh signs of Indians and proceeded on down this valley. Towards evening we arrived at a large encampment of the Flathead nation of Indians, about 40 lodges and I suppose about 30 persons, and they have between 4 or 5 hundred horses now feeding in the plains in our view. They look like tolerably good horses, most of them. They received us in a friendly manner. When our officers went to their lodges, they gave them each a white robe of dressed skins, and spread them over their shoulders and put their arms around our necks instead of shaking hands, as that is their way. They appeared glad to see us. They smoked with us, then gave us plenty of such as they had to eat, which was only serviceberries and cherries pounded and dried in small cakes, and some roots of different kinds.
Our officers told them that we would speak to them tomorrow, and told them who we were and what our business is and where we are going, etc. These natives are well dressed, decent-looking Indians, light-complexioned. They are dressed in mountain sheep leather, deer and buffalo robes, etc. They have the most curious language of any we have seen before. They talk as though they lisped or have a burr on their tongue. We suppose that they are the Welsh Indians, if there is any such, judging from the language. They have feather lodges to live in, and some other skins among them. They tell us that they, or some of them, have seen bearded men towards the ocean, but they cannot give us any accurate account of the ocean. We have 4 mountains to cross to go where they saw white men, which was on a river we suppose to be the Columbian River. We came [blank in Ms.] miles today and pitched our camp near the creek on the right of the Indian lodges. There is a considerable amount of large pitch pine timber in this valley. Our hunter killed another deer this evening.
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