first across the continent-第2节

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rson's　private　secretary　for　two　years　and　was；　of　course；　familiar　with　the　President's　plans　and　expectations　as　these　regarded　the　wonder…land　which　Lewis　was　to　enter。　It　is　pleasant　to　quote　here　Mr。　Jefferson's　words　concerning　Captain　Lewis。　　In　a　memoir　of　that　distinguished　young　officer；　written　after　his　death；　Jefferson　said：　　〃Of　courage　undaunted；　possessing　a　firmness　and　perseverance　of　purpose　which　nothing　but　impossibilities　could　divert　from　its　direction；　careful　as　a　father　of　those　committed　to　his　charge；　yet　steady　in　the　maintenance　of　order　and　discipline；　intimate　with　the　Indian　character；　customs　and　principles；　habituated　to　the　hunting　life；　guarded；　by　exact　observation　of　the　vegetables　and　animals　of　his　own　country；　against　losing　time　in　the　description　of　objects　already　possessed；　honest；　disinterested；　liberal；　of　sound　understanding；　and　a　fidelity　to　truth　so　scrupulous　that　whatever　he　should　report　would　be　as　certain　as　if　seen　by　ourselveswith　all　these　qualifications；　as　if　selected　and　implanted　by　nature　in　one　body　for　this　express　purpose；　I　could　have　no　hesitation　in　confiding　the　enterprise　to　him。〃

Before　we　have　finished　the　story　of　Meriwether　Lewis　and　his　companions；　we　shall　see　that　this　high　praise　of　the　youthful　commander　was　well　deserved。

For　a　coadjutor　and　comrade　Captain　Lewis　chose　William　Clark；＇1＇　also　a　native　of　Virginia；　and　then　about　thirty…three　years　old。　　Clark；　like　Lewis；　held　a　commission　in　the　military　service　of　the　United　States；　and　his　appointment　as　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　expedition　with　which　his　name　and　that　of　Lewis　will　ever　be　associated；　made　the　two　men　equal　in　rank。　Exactly　how　there　could　be　two　captains　commanding　the　same　expedition；　both　of　the　same　military　and　actual　rank；　without　jar　or　quarrel；　we　cannot　understand；　but　it　is　certain　that　the　two　young　men　got　on　together　harmoniously；　and　no　hint　or　suspicion　of　any　serious　disagreement　between　the　two　captains　during　their　long　and　arduous　service　has　come　down　to　us　from　those　distant　days。


＇1＇　It　is　a　little　singular　that　Captain　Clark's　name　has　been　so　persistently　misspelled　by　historians　and　biographers。　Even　in　most　of　the　published　versions　of　the　story　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition；　the　name　of　one　of　the　captains　is　spelled　Clarke。　　Clark's　own　signature；　of　which　many　are　in　existence；　is　without　the　final　and　superfluous　vowel；　and　the　family　name；　for　generations　past；　does　not　show　it。


As　finally　organized；　the　expedition　was　made　up　of　the　two　captains　（Lewis　and　Clark）　and　twenty…six　men。　　These　were　nine　young　men　from　Kentucky；　who　were　used　to　life　on　the　frontier　among　Indians；　fourteen　soldiers　of　the　United　States　Army；　selected　from　many　who　eagerly　volunteered　their　services；　two　French　voyageurs；　or　watermen；　one　of　whom　was　an　interpreter　of　Indian　language；　and　the　other　a　hunter；　and　one　black　man；　a　servant　of　Captain　Clark。　　All　these；　except　the　negro　servant；　were　regularly　enlisted　as　privates　in　the　military　service　of　the　United　States　during　the　expedition；　and　three　of　them　were　by　the　captains　appointed　sergeants。　In　addition　to　this　force；　nine　voyageurs　and　a　corporal　and　six　private　soldiers　were　detailed　to　act　as　guides　and　assistants　until　the　explorers　should　reach　the　country　of　the　Mandan　Indians；　a　region　lying　around　the　spot　where　is　now　situated　the　flourishing　city　of　Bismarck；　the　capital　of　North　Dakota。　　It　was　expected　that　if　hostile　Indians　should　attack　the　explorers　anywhere　within　the　limits　of　the　little…known　parts　through　which　they　were　to　make　their　way；　such　attacks　were　more　likely　to　be　made　below　the　Mandan　country　than　elsewhere。

The　duties　of　the　explorers　were　numerous　and　important。　　They　were　to　explore　as　thoroughly　as　possible　the　country　through　which　they　were　to　pass；　making　such　observations　of　latitude　and　longitude　as　would　be　needed　when　maps　of　the　region　should　be　prepared　by　the　War　Department；　observing　the　trade；　commerce；　tribal　relations；　manners　and　customs；　language；　traditions；　and　monuments；　habits　and　industrial　pursuits；　diseases　and　laws　of　the　Indian　nations　with　whom　they　might　come　in　contact；　note　the　floral；　mineral；　and　animal　characteristics　of　the　country；　and；　above　all；　to　report　whatever　might　be　of　interest　to　citizens　who　might　thereafter　be　desirous　of　opening　trade　relations　with　those　wild　tribes　of　which　almost　nothing　was　then　distinctly　known。

The　list　of　articles　with　which　the　explorers　were　provided；　to　aid　them　in　establishing　peaceful　relations　with　the　Indians；　might　amuse　traders　of　the　present　day。　　But　in　those　primitive　times；　and　among　peoples　entirely　ignorant　of　the　white　man's　riches　and　resources；　coats　richly　laced　with　gilt　braid；　red　trousers；　medals；　flags；　knives；　colored　handkerchiefs；　paints；　small　looking…glasses；　beads　and　tomahawks　were　believed　to　be　so　attractive　to　the　simple…minded　red　man　that　he　would　gladly　do　much　and　give　much　of　his　own　to　win　such　prizes。　Of　these　fine　things　there　were　fourteen　large　bales　and　one　box。　The　stores　of　the　expedition　were　clothing；　working　tools；　fire…arms；　food　supplies；　powder；　ball；　lead　for　bullets；　and　flints　for　the　guns　then　in　use；　the　old…fashioned　flint…lock　rifle　and　musket　being　still　in　vogue　in　our　country；　for　all　of　this　was　at　the　beginning　of　the　present　century。

As　the　party　was　to　begin　their　long　journey　by　ascending　the　Missouri　River；　their　means　of　travel　were　provided　in　three　boats。　The　largest；　a　keel…boat；　fifty…five　feet　long　and　drawing　three　feet　of　water；　carried　a　big　square　sail　and　twenty…two　seats　for　oarsmen。　　On　board　this　craft　was　a　small　swivel　gun。　The　other　two　boats　were　of　that　variety　of　open　craft　known　as　pirogue；　a　craft　shaped　like　a　flat…iron；　square…sterned；　flat…bottomed；　roomy；　of　light　draft；　and　usually　provided　with　four　oars　and　a　square　sail　which　could　be　used　when　the　wind　was　aft；　and　which　also　served　as　a　tent；　or　night　shelter；　on　shore。　Two　horses；　for　hunting　or　other　occasional　service；　were　led　along　the　banks　of　the　river。

As　we　have　seen；　President　Jefferson；　whose　master　mind　organized　and　devised　this　expedition；　had　dwelt　longingly　on　the　prospect　of　crossing　the　continent　from　the　headwaters　of　the　Missouri　to　the　headwaters　of　the　then　newly…discovered　Columbia。　　The　route　thus　explored　was　more　difficult　than　that　which　was　later　travelled　by　the　first　emigrants　across　the　continent　to　California。　　That　route　lies　up　the　Platte　River；　through　what　is　known　as　the　South　Pass　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　by　Great　Salt　Lake　and　down　the　valley　of　the　Humboldt　into　California；　crossing　the　Sierra　Nevada　at　any　one　of　several　points　leading　into　the　valley　of　the　Sacramento。　　The　route；　which　was　opened　by　the　gold…seekers；　was　followed　by　the　first　railroads　built　across　the　continent。　　The　route　that　lay　so　firmly　in　Jefferson's　mind；　and　which　was　followed　up　with　incredible　hardships　by　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition；　has　since　been　traversed　by　two　railroads；　built　after　the　first　transcontinental　rails　were　laid。　If　Jefferson　had　desired　to　find　the　shortest　and　most　feasible　route　across　the　continent；　he　would　have　pointed　to　the　South　Pass　and　Utah　basin　trails。　　But　these　would　have　led　the　explorers　into　California；　then　and　long　afterwards　a　Spanish　possession。　The　entire　line　finally　traced　over　the　Great　Divide　lay　within　the　territory　of　the　United　States。

But　it　must　be　remembered　that　while　the　expedition　was　being　organized；　the　vast　Territory　of　Louisiana　was　as　yet　a　French　possession。　　Before　the　party　were　brought　together　and　their　supplies　collected；　the　territory　passed　under　the　jurisdiction　of　the　United　States。　　Nevertheless；　that　jurisdiction　was　not　immediately　acknowledged　by　the　officials　who；　up　to　that　time；　had　been　the　representatives　of　the　French　and　Spanish　governments。　Part　of　the　territory　was　transferred　from　Spain　to　France　and　then　from　France　to　the　United　States。　　It　was　intended　that　the　exploring　party　should　pass　the　winter　of　1803…4　in　St。　Louis；　then　a　mere　village　which　had　been　commonly　known　as　Pain　Court。　　But　the　Spanish　governor　of　the　province　had　not　been　officially　told　that　the　country　had　been　transferred　to　the　United　States；　and；　after　the　Spanish　manner；　he　forbade　the　passage　of　the　Americans　through　his　jurisdiction。　In　those　days　communication　between　frontier　posts　and　points　lying　far　to　the　eastward　of　the　Mississippi　was　very　difficult；　it　required　six　weeks　to　carry　the　mails　between　New　York；　Philadelphia；　and　Washington　to　St。　Louis；　and　this　was　the　reason　why　a　treaty；　ratified　in　July；　was　not　officially　heard　of　in　St。　Louis　as　late　as　December　of　that　year。　The　explorers；　shut　out　of　Spanish　territory；　recrossed　the　Mississippi　and　wintered　at　the　mouth　of　Wood　River；　just　above　St。　Louis；　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　great　river；　in　United　States　territory。　As　a　matter　of　record；　it　may　be　said　here　that　the　actual　transfer　of　the　lower　part　of　the　territorycommonly　known　as　Orleanstook　place　at　New　Orleans；　December　20；　1803；　and　the　transfer　of　the　upper　part　was　effected　at　St。　Louis；　March　10；　1804；　before　the　Lewi