Final Entry

Spring, 1808

Dear Mr. Jefferson,

The journey was the Corps at its best. The journey was America at its best. The journey was teamwork at its best. When Captain Lewis and Captain Clark set out to gather a team of men to accomplish a feat never been done before they picked the right men. We all have our set of unique skills, but the are only useful in a team of many, all with the same goal. To reach the Western Ocean and discover creatures and plants never recorded before. We set out not knowing what was ahead prepared for anything, but it wasn't the amount of rum we had or the amount of rifles we obtained. It was the solid spirit of our men. The rock hard backbone that drove us through the mud and into the snow.

ps. For my weekly labors, discoveries...for all my endeavors have brought to this expedition, I believe I should be paid the grade of an -A.

The Taste of Salt

November 7, 1805

Finally. The Ocian is in my view, as large as a man could imagine. Tears of joy streamed down my face as i hugged the sand and the rocks. For once i wasn't bothered by the unpleasant weather. After enjoying the surroundings, i came to my senses and congratulated the captains and my fellow crew. I was truely amazed when i was told how long we had traveled 4,142 miles. 4,142 miles! I would never even imagened! Well we are here, amnd happier then ever.

Red Cedar

September, 1805

As i walk along the Lolo Trail, i noticed the beautiful trees around.  One of them is the Red Cedar.  The Red Cedar is very tall tree with a tapering trunk.  Similar to the Fir it has a conical crown of short, spreading branches drooping at ends.  The needles have a very unique and aromatic smell.  The tree grows up to 175 ft making it monstrous among the foliage.  Some Indians we have seen have carved statues out of the wood.

Miserable

September 16, 1805

I sit here on a log soaking wet from vicious hail and unforgiving rain.  My feet are aching from days of travel.  I counted my tenth blister this morning, it popped and stained my moccasins rose bud red.  My belly is empty crying for any sort of edible substance.  We killed our second colt.  Our spirits are very low.  The steep mountainsides are taking a toll on the horses.  A couple had fallen at least twenty feet, ruining the supplies and leaving the rider with minor injuries.  We finally had to split up in search of game to feed our hungry bellies.

Subalpine Fir

September 15, 1805

Another common tree we are seeing in these dense forests is the Subalpine Fir.  It is the most common member of the Fir family.  It is a very monstrous tree from my measurement it ranged from 50-100 feet, towering over everything else.  Rows of horizontal branches starting nearly from the base.  Dense clusters of pointy needles point up at the top of the tree making almost and arrow.  The bark of the tree is browsed by deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and moose.  

The Mountains

August 29, 1805

I have faced many perils on this journey, but i fear that my experiences have not prepared me for the deadly mountains we are about to face.  Ever since our departure i have feared the mountains.  I have tried to drive the fear away from me but it has always comes back, like a stubborn animal.  I tried to smother the thought of the harsh conditions, but when ever they were mentioned, the flame would ignite and  i would be engulfed by worrisome.  I hate the bitter cold when all plant are dead and withered away by the frost.  I need life, plants flourishing, an array of colors to enjoy.  I trust our guide, Old Toby to get us through safely and quickly.  Our horse will provide us quick transportation of gear and men.  They may also provide food when times get tough.

Rocky Mountain Maple

August 20, 1805

The Rocky Mountain Maple is one of the most common trees we are finding along the river it grows every where especially through the canyons and on mountain slopes.  I first recorded it along the Lemhi River on August 13, 1805.  It is a relatively small tree, growing up to 30 feet at my best estimate.  The leaves are a beautiful arrange of colors; orange, red, and yellow.  It reminds me of Falls back East.  The tree has a short slender trunk with upright branches.  I have felt no hairs on the bark.

Lewis Monkeyflower

August 12, 1805

During our cross through the Lemhi Pass I stumbled upon a new flower.  It was beautiful in appearance and had the visual aspects of a monkey thus the name Lewis Monkeyflower.  From my measurement the plant grows 1-3 feet in length.  The flowers are a vivid purple they are trumpet shaped growing 1.3-2 inches long.  Growing from the stem are leaves 1-4 inches in length.

Water Birch

August 3, 1805

While walking along the Jefferson River I discovered a new member of the Birch family, the Water Birch.  It is a tree/shrub that thrives at the banks of rivers and tree thus the name Water Birch.  Multiple trunks protrude up to 25 feet in length.  The bark on the tree is dark red ranging to black.  Oval shaped leaves grow from the short branches along with tiny yellow flowers when flowering.

Leafy Thistle

July 23, 1805

Today at the Beautiful Three forks we found a new spiky plant that I named the leafy thistle.  This plant will most likely become another pain we will have to face in the journey ahead.  Just stepping on one plant will result in multiple thorns in one's moccasins.  The plant has a beautiful pink flower that grown around 5-6 cm in length, but don't get fooled by its beauty.  Along the leaves and stem our tiny pricks which cause great discomfort when stepped on.  The Leafy Thistle grows wildly and appears to be unwanted by other plants.

White Squaw Currant

June 18, 1805

Today at the magnificent Great Falls we discovered a new shrub and named it the White Squaw Currant.  The plant has small fan shaped leaves that are accompanied by small white trumpet shaped flowers.  It has red berries which I am not sure are edible.  I noticed that it had a musky odor when I crushed it between my hands.  From my measurements it appeared to be approximately 5 feet tall.

Hail!

June 23, 1805

I hate hail!  I hate it!  Its terrible.  Little tiny ice pellets falling from the sky every wear you go, there's no escaping it. It like there's a bunch of people up in the sky dumbing musket balls on you 24/7.  I cant sleep, I cant work, I cant function.  The hail has slowed our progress down tremendously and I hope these constant storms will not endanger the expedition.

Tansy

June 6, 1805

The tansy is a unique plant, not the typical daisy you would find in a meadow.  We came upon it along the Teton River.  It is ugly nor beautiful but different in its very own way.  The plant has a very thin and long stem with leaves 4-8 inches long.  The stem leads up to a cluster of yellow button shape flowers that almost make a small dome over they pant.  It grows up to 2-3 feet in length.  

Fragile Prickly Pear

May 20, 1805

This plant has been giving the crew pain on a stem.  We get back to camp and pull the thorns out of our worn moccasins.  The plant grows in a large low-lying clump of spiny jointed stems that are impossible to avoid when walking through the prairie.  The plant is deadly but beautiful with flowers that vary from light pink to orange.  From my measurements the plant is approximately 8-10 inches tall and 1-3 feet wide.

Grizzzzzzzlies

April 29, 1805

I rarely describe any animal because it is not what I set out to do, but I am compelled to write about the Grizzly Bear.  It is one of the most interesting creatures I have encountered on this journey.  I have only heard the Grizzly described as a ferocious man-eater.  That is as tall as a tree and wide as the river itself, but I was very wrong.  The crew killed its first bear just bellow Big Muddy Creek or Martha's River.  It had dark brown white tipped fur that glistened in the sunlight.   It had massive paws that were about 4 inches in length.  It appeared to slouch over with its head low before we killed it, but it was about 4 feet tall when measured.  From head to tail the bear was about 6 feet long.  From observing a mother with her cubs, from a safe distance, I could tell that they were caring family to there own kin, but very protective when around another bear. 

Purple Coneflower

April 7, 1805

I found a new flower today while I was exploring around the fort.  I named it the Purple Coneflower.  It has a tall 18-24 inch harry stem that leads up to a dark bristley copper shaded cone shape center.  Protruding from the center are long soft pinkish/purplish peddles which droop down.  The plant has long and pointy leaves covered with stiff hairs that feel rough to he touch.

New Members

February 12, 1805

We have acquired a new boatman, a frenchman named Toussaint Charbonneau.  From my first encounter with him I can already tell he is going to have trouble with the captains.  He is loud, obnoxious, and snores a lot when he sleeps, and from what I've seen he is a terrible boatman.  But it is not him who I am interested in, it is his Indian wife Sacagawea.  We call her Bird Woman.  She has extensive knowledge of the lands ahead, and a certain calmness in her that will be useful in challenging situations.  I was surprised to discover that she was pregnant after she announced it in camp.  Some men doubted that she should come with us on our long journey ahead, I agreed with them at the time.  Bird Women went into labor yesterday.  There was great excitement in camp knowing that a new member was on the way.  It was a long and painstaking birth.  The Captains were hard at work tending for BW.  Finally someone suggested we give her some rattlesnake tail to hasten the birth.  She was fed the concoction and  I was told ten minutes later the baby had arrived.  We named the boy Jean Baptiste Charboneau, but we all call him Pomp.

Trading with the Mandans

January 12, 1805

The Mandan have been very hospitable as we waited out the long winter.  We had a relatively warm stay gathering around the fear huddled in our fur coats that we had obtained from the Mandan.  Trading was a regular part of life in the Corps.  It was sometimes the only way to survive in this harsh winter.  John Shield has been hard at work as the only blacksmith.  He has spent hours working up a sweat in the forge repairing tools, guns, and battle axes.  We finally had to charge the Indians food to get repairs, which worked out nicely.  Captains Lewis is also making a prophet as a doctor caring to the needs of ill Indians.  

R.I.P. Sergeant Floyd

August 21, 1804

Captain Clark and Captain Lewis had been hard at work, caring for Sergeant Floyd's ailments.  It started as a simple stomach pain, but as the journey progressed he worsened.  We did not have proper medicine and Rush's Thunderbolts didn't having an effect.  I fear the worst, and I hope he will fare well.  I was wrong.  Sergeant Floyd died August 20, 1804.  They say he died a violent death.  We buried him on a bluff overlooking the missouri.  He had a formal military burial.  Captain Lewis read from the bible and marked the grave.  He blamed himself for the death.  We voted for a new sergeant and moved on.

Four-Wing Saltbush

September 21, 1804

The Four-Wing Saltbush was on of the most interesting plant we have found today on the Big Bend.  It appeared to grow in many ways; compact and rounded, sprawling and low, or open-branched and treelike.  The plant has greenish purplish leaves that grow in small clusters on the bush.  Its height ranges from 6ft to even 15ft.

Aromatic Aster

September 21, 1804

We found a new flower today at the big bend on the Missouri River.  It has a sweet smell and I was surprised by its design.  The stem of the flower is  about 20 inches.  It has narrow peddles which meet at the canter, a yellow ball of pollen.  I counted around 30 peddles.  The peddles and stem  have small hairs that feel rough at the touch.

Lewis 'n Clark

Captain Lewis and Captain Clark are similar and different in many ways.  They both were muscular and around around six feet tall.  The men are great friends and they complement each other on about everything.  Captain Clark is a better boatman, and Captain Lewis is a better navigator of the two. Captain Clark is a better mapmaker, he is always at the bow of the boat maping the landscape.  Captain Lewis is a better botanist and biologist, he is collecting samples wherever we go.  Captain Clark is comfortable with company and enjoys a good laugh.  Captain Lewis is a man of few words, he only speaks when he needs to.

Our Boats

We are taking two canoe like boats that are called pirogues.  They carry men and supplies.  Our mothership the 55 foot keelboat witch could be towed, pulled from the shore, poled, our sailed.  It carries most of our supplies, making it the most important asset of our trip.  The keelboat is not as versatile as the other two pirogues.  We have already had trouble with sandbars, logs, and even overhanging branches.  It has been a pain getting this boat upriver.  A good day we would make it ten miles up river, but on bad days we may only make a mile.

My Crew

Amanda is a cook, plays the piano, clarinet, drums, xylophone, is an exceptional artist, is a hard worker, and is a brave rafter.  On our trip she hopes to discover new recipes, fashion, and art.

Brian is a great sailor and knows his way around any boat.  He will also cook or eat anything.  He hopes to collect instruments and maybe some recipes.

Clay can read a map and is good with a compass.  He says he is a great story teller and that his stories will boost the morale of our group.  Clay loves to make people laugh.

Quinn has many talents and interests.  He is a great cook and can whip up some delicious meals on the trip.  Quinn always has a sense of direction.  He likes to hike and enjoy the outdoors.

Alex loves to cook, is good with kids , loves to meet new people, and is always the first to ask "are we there yet?"

Jake has a natural sense of direction, knows how to survive in unfamiliar places.  He is a great swimmer and he also knows how to tame a horse.

Ryan is very creative and has a different perspective on things.  He would like to bring back memories.

Morgan is a good cook and handles very well with children.

Andrew is an expert negotiator.  He can easily sway Natives to trade us their goods along the trip.  He wishes to learn from the Natives a we head west.

Gabe is an inspired poet.

Evy is a good actor and plays the violin.  She is interested in making up stories and mythology.

Sammie is a talker, which may prove to be useful on the trip. 

Dear Captain John,

I would to apply as an outdoorsman, an all around explorer.  I have extensive knowledge various plants.  I can specify and categorize what berries or roots you can eat or can't.  I know how to steer a kayak down a river efficiently and safely.  I am a certified sailor (meaning I can command a sixteen foot sailboat alone)  by the Santa Barbara Sailing Center.  I am strong and fit, meaning I wont perish in the harsh conditions we will face.  I am a good problem solver.  I can also identify places to go and places to avoid on a map.  

During the expedition I hope to learn more from the natives of the land.  I think they will be the best people to learn from considering the way they live.  I will record my findings in a journal.

Austin