What's Inside
Set out from the Mississippi in May 1804, this log tracks a government-funded trek across unmapped territory to the Pacific. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark maintain a granular record of everything they encounter, from the 'fine, quaker colour' of a bird's wing to the exact number of elk killed for dinner. The entries shift between diplomatic summits with various nations, geological musings on soft sand cliffs, and the daily misery of being wet, cold, and hungry. It is a log of logistics, documenting how a small party traded their last handkerchiefs for horses and navigated river swells that threatened to crush their canoes between two-hundred-foot trees.
Works & figures
- War-cha pa
A brave man of a Teton nation participating in local councils. (in “part of their nation had not arrived, & would arrive to night and”)
- Comowol
A native figure who interacts with the party during high winds. (in “part of the rivers of this country. they are the same size colours and”)
- Broken arm
A leader who receives medicinal eye water for his people. (in “part; that this had Satisfied the blood of the deceased friends and”)
- Bratten
An expedition member treated with flannel and volatile liniment for back pain. (in “part of the rivers of this country. they are the same size colours and”)
- Drewyer
A primary hunter and scout responsible for procuring venison and elk. (in “part of the feast. the fellow was so uneasy that he left me the horse”)
What it's really about
- Resource Scarcity
- Trading final handkerchiefs and robes for survival supplies.
- Natural Observation
- Documenting wing joints, whale skeletons, and soil composition.
Why it's memorable
- Starving men eating raw deer entrails immediately after a successful hunt.
- An improvised medicine of wine, camphor, and soap for a disabled soldier.
Where to start
Start with the entries from May 1804 to witness the initial optimism and heavy boat loads before the terrain and weather begin their work.
For your book club
- The stark contrast between clinical bird descriptions and the chaos of a broken anchor.
- How the expedition's 'stock of merchandise' dictated their diplomatic success or failure.