Prairie dog village near present-day Chamberlain — John Ordway: September 8, 1804

eairly the wind from the S. E. we proceeded on under a gentle
breeze passed the mouth of a Small creek on S. S.4 Some
thin Timber close along each Side of the river the hills are near
the river on boath Sides. & are verry Broken &. C. we passed
an Island N. S. halted on S. S.to dine. G. Drewyer joined us who
went the evening before, had killed a Buck Elk & a faun Elk & a
faun Deer & caught 2 large Beaver, likewise one prarie dog Cap*
Clark went out this morning to walk on N. S. we passed a
Trading house piched in on the Same Side ab° where the cap4
went out in a handsome Timbered Bottom, which had been
built in 1796.5 we proceeded on past Several Islands, late in
the afternoon we Saw Several Buffelow Swimming the river,
1 In Charles Mix County, S. Dak., near the 962 mile point of the river.
2 “On the south side we found a scaffold of meat neatly dried. This had
been left by one of our men.” Gass.
3 This is a conspicuous landmark, now known as The Tower, in Boyd County,
Nebr., near the 968 mile point of the Missouri. Four miles farther on, at the
forty-third parallel of latitude, the river ceases to form the boundary between
Nebraska and South Dakota, and enters the latter state.
♦Modern Randall Creek, in Gregory County, S. Dak. At its mouth is
the site of Fort Randall.
5 “the house of Troodo.” Clark. Concerning him see ante, 18
128 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 9
Cap* Lewis went out with Some of the party on S. S. in a grove
of Timber & killed 2 Buffelow Shot at one of them several
times in the river he being wounded Swam a Shore again & they
Shot him down at the edge of the water, we proceeded on about
1 mile & camped on the lower point of a handsome Timbered
Island.1 on which we saw large gangs of Buffelow. Cap* Clark
joined us after dark, had killed 1 faun Deer 3 turkies & a Squirril.
he informed us that he Travelled over a raged and mountanious
Country without water & riseing 5 or 600 feet, where these hills
had been lately burned over by the natives.