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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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July 8, 1804
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July 8, 1804

[Clark] [1]

 

8th of July Sunday    Set out early this morning, the Sick man [Frazer] much better, Serjt. Oddeway was waiting at a Creek [2] on the S. S. below an Island, passed (1) two Island on the S. S. and came to at the upper point, G Drewyer went out    R. Fields & Guterich [Goodrich], five men Sick to day with a violent Head ake &c. and Several with Boils, we appoint a Cook to each mess to take Charge of the Provisions.    in Serjt. Pryor's = Collens    in Sjt. Ordway's Werner    in Sergt. Floyd's Thompson,    The french men Killed a young Deer on the Bank, (2) passed up a narrow Channel of about 80 to 100 yds wide about 5 miles to the mouth of Nadawa River [3] which coms in to this channel from the N W. and is abt. 70 yards wide at its mouth [blank] feet Deep and has a jentle Current, Perogues can navagate this river near its head, which is between the Missourie & the Grand River, passed up the gut ¾ of a mile to the river at the head of the 〈river〉 Island & camped [4]    opposit the head of this Island is another nearest the 〈Larboard Shore,〉 Middle R    this Island Nadawa is the largest I have Seen, formed by a Channel washing into the Nadawa river.—    "8 or 10000 acrs"

Course Distance & Reffurcs. 8th July
N. 28° E   1 me. on the L pt.    a Sand bar
N. 10° W.   1 ½ to the Lower point of a Island on the S. S.
N 25° W.   3 Me. to a pt. on the L. S.    passed the Isd. & one
on the side (1)
N. 56 W.   1 ½ ms. to the Lower point of an Island (2) S 30 W.
up the Chanl.
West—      ¼ mile on Left of the Island
S 10° W.      ¼ Me. to a pt. on S. Shore.
N. 25° W.      ¼ me. to Pt on Isld
N. 40° W.      ¼ me. to the bend on S. S.
N. 70 W      ½ me. to a bend on the S. S.
S 70 W      ¼ me. to a bend in the Island.
N 82 W      ½ me. to a    do    in Isld.
N 42 W.      [¼?] me. to a    do    do S. Side—
S 50 W      ½ me. to    do    in do
    8 ¼ [5]  
  10 [6]  
N. 65 W      ¼ me. to a bend on Isld
N. 18 W      ¼ me. to a bend S. S.
N 38 W      ½ me. to a bend S S
S. 20° W      ½ me. to a pt    a Isd. opsd. the Nadawa R
  11 ¼  
S 15° W      ¼ to a bend of Isd.
S 80 W      ¼ to the head of Isle
       ½  
  12  
59    22 [7]
25    41
13–41

[Clark]

July the 8th Sunday 1804
 

Set out early    passed a Small Creek on the S. S. and two (1) Small Islands on the S. S.    five men Sick to day with a violent head ake &c.    we made Some arrangements as to provisions & Messes, came to for Dinner at the lower point of a very large Island Situated near the S. S.    after a delay of two hours we passed a narrow channel of 45 to 80 yds wide five miles to the mouth of (3) Nádăwă River, [8] This river Coms in from the North and is navagable for Perogues Some distance.    it is about 70 yards wide a little above the mouth, at the mouth not So side, the mud of the Gut running out of the Missourie is thrown and Settles in the mouth half a mile higher up    this Channel or gut is the upper point of the Said Island, This Island is Called Nadawa, & is the largest I have Seen in the river, containing 7 or 8000 acres of Land Seldom over flowed    we Camped at the head of this Island on the S. S.    opposit the head or our Camp is a Small Island near the middle of the river, river Still falling.    our flank party did not join us this evening

Course Distance & Refrs. July 8th
N. 28° E   1 me. on L. pt.—    a Sand bar
N 10 W   1 ½ ms. to Low: pt. of Little Nadawa Isd. S. S.
N. 25 W.   3 me. to a pt. on an L. S.    passd. 2 Isds. (1)
N. 56 W.   1 ½ ms. to L. pts of Big Nadawa Isd. (2)
West—      ¼ me. on the left of the Island
S. 10° W      ¼ me to pt. on the S. S.
N. 25 W      ¼ mes. to pts. on the Island
N 40 W      ¼ me. to a bend on the S. S.
N. 70 W      ½ me. to    do    do    do    S.S.
S. 70 W      ¼ me. to    do    do    do    Island
N 82 W      ½ me. to    do    do    do    do
N. 42 W      ½ ms. to    do    do    do    S. S.
S. 50 W      ½ me. to    do    do    do    Island
N 60 W      ¼ me. to    do    do    do    do
N 18 W      ¼ me. to    do    do    do    S.S.
N 38 W      ½ me. to    do    do    do    S. S.
S 20 W      ½ me. to    do    do    do    at the Mo. of Nadawa (3)
S 15 W      ¼ me. to    do    do    do    Island
S 80 W      ¼ me. to    do    on S. S. opsd. the head of Isd.
  12 ¼  

[Lewis]

Detachment Orders
Nadawa Island July 8th 1804.— [9]
 

In order to insure a prudent and regular use of all provisions issued to the crew of the Batteaux in future, as also to provide for the equal distribution of the same among the individuals of the several messes, The Commanding Officers Do appoint the following persons to recieve, cook, and take charges of the provisions which may from time to time be issued to their respective messes, (viz) John B. Thompson to Sergt. Floyd's mess, William Warner to Sergt. Ordway's mess, and John Collins to Sergt. Pryor's Mess.—    These Superintendants of Provision, are held immediately responsible to the commanding Officers for a judicious consumption of the provision which they recieve; they are to cook the same for their several messes in due time, and in such manner as is most wholesome and best calculated to afford the greatest proportion of nutriment; in their mode of cooking they are to exercise their own judgment; they shall 〈point〉 allso point out what part, and what proportion of the mess provisions are to be consumed at each stated meal (i. e.) morning, noon and night; nor is any man at any time to take or consume any part of the mess provisions without the privity, knowledge and consent of the Superintendant. The superintendant is also held responsible for all the cooking eutensels of his mess.    in consideration of the duties imposed by this order on Thompson, Warner, and Collins, they will in future be exempt from guard duty, tho' they will still be held on the royster for that duty, and their regular tour—shall be performed by some one of their rispective messes; they are exempted also from pitching the tents of the mess, collecting firewood, and forks poles &c. for cooking and drying such fresh meat as may be furnished them; those duties are to be also performed by the other members of the mess.—

M. Lewis
Wm. Clark

[Lewis]

(Point of observation No. 18.)
Sunday July the 8th 1804. [10]
 

On the Starboard shore immediately below an high bluff situated ¼ of a mile below the lower point of Nadawa Island.

Observed Meridian altd. of ☉'s L. L. with Octant by the back observtn.    39° 18' —".

Latitide by this observation 39° 39' 22.7"

[Ordway]

 

Sunday July 8th 1804.    we Set out eairly this morning    I came on board about 8 oClock    proceeded on along the North Side of an Island called Nodaway Island.    high well timbered land on the North Side, passed a Creek near the upper end of this long Island called Nodaway Creek or River    we Camped on the North Side of the Missouris, the Hunters killed one Deer to day but did not Join us at night,

[Floyd]

 

Sunday July 8th    Set out at Sun Rise    Rain Last night with wind from the E.    passed some Good Land to day and High    passed a Creek on the N. Side    it Cam in Back of Islad    it is a Bout 70 Yards wide    Called Nadawa Creek    the Land is Good and well timbrerd    Camt on the N. Side

[Gass]

 

Sunday 8th.    We were under way this morning before day light. The river here is crooked and narrow. At one we came to a large island, with only a small stream on the north side which we went up. A large creek called Nadowa flows in from the north; and on this side we encamped.

[Whitehouse]

 

Sunday 8th    the wind rose before we started and blew fair with us    Saild. Chiefly for the space of Eight hours    we Came to Small River Calld little Nan doughe,—    In Indian tounge, Inglish little woody River, [11] it lieing in latude 39D 39M 22S 7/100    an lsland to the S.S    On Our W.S. a bear apeared but Could not be Shot Made his alopement    we Got to the River Nandouie    Roed. 15 Miles    Incamd. at the head of a large Island—

Sunday July 8th    This morning we embark'd early with a fair wind, and sail'd for 8 hours, when we came to a small River called Little Nan doughe, in the Indian language, which is in english little wood River, it lying by observation taken by Captains Lewis & Clark in Latitude 39° 39' 22 7/100 North.    there is an Island lying on the South side of the River, & on the So. West side, a bear was seen & being pursued by one of our hands, it made its escape, we proceeded on, and arrived at the River Nandoucee, and encamped at the head of a large Island, the distance we came this day being 15 Miles.—

1. This July 8 entry is written over the following address, indicating that the sheet was earlier used as an envelope, probably by Lewis: Captn Wm Clark    River Dubois    Pryor. (back)
2. If Nicollet's identification in 1839 is correct, this is apparently Mace Creek, reaching the Missouri near Amazonia, Andrew County, Missouri; Nicollet labels it "Ordway's Creek (L. & Cl.) or Nadoway [Set?] Creek." Ordway says that the captains named it after him, and Biddle also uses his name. No extant expedition map shows that name or the stream itself, which may have appeared on one of the missing route maps of the lower Missouri. Coues (HLC), 1:41 ; Nicollet (MMR), 375; MRC map 18. (back)
3. The Nodaway River today forms the boundary between Holt and Andrew counties, Missouri, on the lower part of its course. Nicollet remarks on the changes in the group of islands above Ordway's Creek, and the mouth of the Nodaway may also have shifted subsequently, altering the shape and location of Nodaway Island and rendering the smaller islands indistinguishable from the bottomlands. The name is apparently an Algonquian term applied to enemy tribes, metaphorically "snakes." Fenton, 320; Coues (HLC), 1:41 n. 88; Stewart (APN), 330; Nicollet (MMR), 375; MRC map 18. (back)
4. Near the present mouth of the Nodaway and the town of Nodaway, in Andrew County. Nodaway Island was still on the map near the end of the century. MRC map 18. (back)
5. Clark here reached the bottom of the page, added to get a subtotal of mileage, and continued the July 8 courses and distances in the right margin, at right angles to the rest of the writing. Here again he ran out of space and had to repeat the last two courses and the final mileage total above the rest of the marginal column. (back)
6. This figure does not match the above subtotal because Clark, apparently to save space, had placed two courses on the same line for four lines, giving him another column of mileages totaling 1¾ miles, which he added to the 8¼ miles in the main column. There are discrepancies between this material and the figures in Codex A. (back)
7. In this problem at the lower righthand corner of the page, Clark is apparently working with minutes and seconds. His subtraction appears to be wrong and the answer ought to be 33–41. Presumably he was trying to figure latitude or longitude. (back)
8. Diacritical marks often appear over Indian words in the notebook journals from this point on. They may be Biddle's. (back)
9. From the Orderly Book; in Lewis's hand except for Clark's signature. (back)
10. Lewis's observation from Codex O. (back)
11. Only Whitehouse gives this explanation of the name of the Nodaway River, the boundary between Holt and Andrew counties, Missouri; see note at Clark's entry for an alternative interpretation. (back)
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