In the morning, July 7th, the rapidity of the water obliged us to draw the boat along with ropes.  At six and three quarter miles, we came to a sandbar, at a point opposite a fine rich prairie on the north, called St. Michael’s.  The prairies of this neighbourhood have the appearance of distinct farms, divided by narrow strips of woodland, which follow the borders of the small runs leading to the river.  Above this, about a mile, is a cliff of yellow clay on the north.  At four o’clock we passed a narrow part of the channel, where the water is confined within a bed of two hundred yards wide, the current running directly against the southern bank with no sand on the north to confine it or break its force.  We made fourteen miles, and halted on the north, after which we had a violent gust about seven o’clock.  One of the hunters saw in a pond to the north which we passed yesterday a number of young swans.  We saw a large rat, and killed a wolf.  Another of our men had a stroke of the sun; he was bled, and took a preparation of nitre which relieved him considerably.

July 8.  We set out early, and soon passed a small creek on the north, which we called Ordway’s creek, from our sergeant of that name who had been sent on shore with the horses, and went up it.  On the same side are three small islands, one of which is the Little Nodawa, and a large island called the Great Nodawa* extending more than five miles, and containing seven or eight thousand acres of high good land, rarely overflowed, and one of the largest islands of the Missouri.  It is separated from the northern shore by a small channel of from forty-five to eighty yards wide, up which we passed, and found near the western extremity of the island the mouth of the river Nodawa.  This river persues nearly a southern course, is navigable for boats to some distance, and about seventy yards wide above the mouth, though not so wide immediately there, as the mud from the Missouri contracts its channel.  At twelve and a quarter miles, we encamped on the north side, near the head of Nodawa island, and opposite a smaller one in the middle of the river.  Five of the men were this day sick with violent headache.  The river continues to fall.

July 9th.  We passed the island opposite to which we last night encamped, and saw near the head of it a creek falling in from a pond on the north, to which we gave the name of Pike pond, from the numbers of that animal which some of our party saw from the shore.  The wind changed at eight from N.E. to S.W. and brought rain.  At six miles we passed the mouth of Monter’s creek on the south, and two miles above a few cabins, where one of our party had encamped with some Frenchmen about two years ago.  Further on we passed an island on the north, opposite some cliffs on the south side, near which Loup or Wolf river falls into the Missouri.  This river is about sixty yards wide, it heads near the same sources as the Kanzas, and is navigable for boats, at some distance up.  At fourteen miles we encamped on the south side.