s, 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.
Tuesday 10th. We proceeded on by a prairie on the upper side of Wolf
river, and at four miles passed a creek fifteen yards wide on the south,
called Pape's creek after a Spaniard of that name, who killed himself
there. At six miles we dined on an island called by the French Isle de
Salomon, or Solomon's island, opposite to which on the south is a
beautiful plain covered with grass, intermixed with wild rye and a kind
of wild potatoe. After making ten miles we stopped for the night on the
northern side, opposite a cliff of yellow clay. The river has neither
risen nor fallen to day. On the north the low land is very extensive,
and covered with vines; on the south, the
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