Day-by-Day / October 14, 1805

October 14, 1805

'Ship Rock'

Burr Canyon, WA After passing a ‘ship rock’ Ordway‘s canoe gets stuck on a rock and fills with water. They stop for the day and begin drying wet items. Vial leaves Santa Fe with orders to prevent the Lewis and Clark Expedition from succeeding.

A Duck for Dinner[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading

Ship Rock

passed a remarkable rock verry large and resembling the hill [hull] of a Ship Situated on a Lard point at Some distance from the assending Countrey
William Clark

Canoe Wreck

the canoe I had charge of ran fast on a rock in the middle of the river and turned across the rock. we attempeted to git hir off but the waves dashed over hir So that She filled with water. we held hir untill one of the other canoes was unloaded and came to our assistance considerable of the baggage washed overboard, but the most of it was taken up below when the canoe got lightned She went of[f] of a sudden & left myself and three more Standing on the rock half leg deep in the rapid water untill a canoe came to our assistance.
John Ordway

Counting Their Losses

We saved some part of that Canoes loading & lost a small brass kettle, Buffalo robes, blanketts, Spoons shot pouches & powder horns, dressed Elk Skins, a bag of Root bread &ca
Joseph Whitehouse

 

Drying Out

toed our canoe on Shore after takeing out all the Stores &c. we Could & put them out to dry on the Island on which we found Some wood which was covered with Stones, this is the Parts of an Indian house, which we used for fire wood, by the wish of our two Chiefs— Those Chees, one of them was in the Canoe, Swam in & Saved Some property, The Inds. have buried fish on this Isld. which we are Cautious not to touch.
—William Clark

Weather Diary

Day of the month Wind State of the Weather
14th S. W. fair

Note from the 7th to the 16th octr. we were decending Kooskooske [Clearwater] & Lewises [Snake] river
—William Clark[2]Some abbreviations have been spelled out.

Vial Leaves Santa Fe, Again

14 The 14th of October I left this capital with 50 men, including to carbineers, Juan Lucero and Franco. Garcia, besides five Frenchman. I traveled as far as the pueblo de Pouvoque [Pojoaque]. I traveled about [5 leagues]
—Pedro Vial[3]Guerra y Marina, leg. 1787–1807, exp. 15 (Library of Congress copy) in Noel M. Loomis and Abraham P. Nasatir, Pedro Vial and the Roads to Sante Fe (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1967), 433.

 

Notes

Notes
1 Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio.
2 Some abbreviations have been spelled out.
3 Guerra y Marina, leg. 1787–1807, exp. 15 (Library of Congress copy) in Noel M. Loomis and Abraham P. Nasatir, Pedro Vial and the Roads to Sante Fe (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1967), 433.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.