The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-07-23
TOUR TO THE WEST.
d kfer 'sa Captain IioisvetSer Lez,is 10 tie PREF
dsaf Of TIE Unite! Sfa.es
FoRr MANDAN, April 18th, 1905.


o certain articles, hich have 10 Won fran
this place among other articles you will obfrve by
reference to the invoice CO, fpecmens of earths, fats
minerals, and 60 fpecinens of plants; thefe are ac.
companied by their REFLECTIVE labels, exprsine the
days on which they were obtained the piac.s s,Ler
fount, and alto, their virtues and properties whe.
known; By means of thefe labels, reference may be
made to the chart of the Miiouri. forwarded TO the
Secretary of War; which the rncanpment of
each day has been carefully marked thus the places
which thefe fpecimcns have been obtained NAV be
eaily pointed and again found ihoud any of them
prove valuable to the community on further inveti-
CATION.
You will herewith alto receive part of Captain
Clark private journal, the other part YOU will find
ineloied in eparitc tin box. This Journal will ferve
to give you the daily details Of our prcgre and tranf
actions.
ihall diiratch canoe with three, perhaps four
perons, from the extreme navigabIe point on the Milf
fouri or the portage between this river and the Co.
inmbia river, either may firft happeh by the re-
turn OF this canoe fhall fend you my Journal and
fone one or two Of the beft kept by my men. Thave
fent journal kept by of the fergeans to Captain
Stoddert at Fort Lewis, in order as much as poible
to multiply the chances of iaving fome,hing, We have
encouraged our men TO keep journals, and feven Of
them do 10; to whom in this relpee we give every
afiftance in ovr power.
i have tranimt.ed to the Secretary at War every
information relative to the Geography of the country
poflefs together with view of the Indian nations
containing information relative to them, on ,hoie
points with which conceived it important the go
vernment fhould be informed l,e.tS
BY reference to the muiter rolls forwarded to the
War Department. you will fee the Gate of the party
in addition which we have two Interpreters, one
negro man fervant to Captain Clarke and Indian
women, wife to Of the Interpreters, and Maudan
man, whom we take with view to renore peace be-
RVS he's he Indian
hood, amounting in total with oufelves to 80 perfons
by means of the Interpreters and Indians we fall be
enabled probably converie with all the Indians we
tha meet the Nio,iii. have ioi .ards, TO the
Secretary at War, my public accounts rendered up to
the preient day ; they have been much longer de-
layed than had any idea that they would have been
when departed from the Illinois bur this DELAY
under the circumstances which was compelled to at
has been unavoidable. The provifion perogue and
her crew could not have been dlfmcd in time TO have
returned TO St Louis, lat fall without evidently in
my opinion hazardipg the fate of the nterprile in
which am engaged, and therefore did not helitate
to prefer the cenure that may have incurred, by the
detention of thee papers, to that of rquing i'll any
cegree the inccefs Of the expedition. The detention
o thee papers has been fource of ferrous quic, &
anxiety to me, and ;he recollection of your particular
charge upon that fubje9, has made it itIl more pog
nant. am fully aware Of the Inconvenience which
mutt have ariiep to the War Department from the
want OF thefe vouchers previous the laf feion Of
Congrefs; but how to avert j, was out of my power
to deviie. From this place fhall fend the Barge
and crew early tomorrow morning, with orders to
proceed as exPedtouily Poilibe St. Louis, by
her we fend diipaches, which truit will get fe
to hand her crew coniiifs of able bodied men,
well armed and provided with uficen mt Rock of pro-
viions to lat them St. Louis; have but little
doubt they will be fired by the Sioux as, but they
have pledged themfsves usthat they will yield
while there is man of them living. Our baggage is
all embarked board6 fnall Canoes & two perogues
we 'ail fet out at the fame that we dpatch
the barge ono perhaps both Of thefe perogues w.
fha'i leave az the falls Of the NIour; from whepce
we intend continuing VOYAGE in the canoes and
perogue OF Mins, the frame of which was prepared at
fiarPers Ferry. This perogue is now 10 a fituation
tnat VIII enable us TO prepare it in the coufe Of few
hours; as Our vefe!s are row fnia and the current
OF the river more moderate, calculate on TRAVELLING
70 or IS miles FER day, far the fails of the Milf
iourI beyond this point, ,he tri range of rocky
mountains 'ituated about 100 miles farther any calcu-
ianon with reipect TO daily progrefs, can be sI
more than bare conjecture. The creumitance of the
Snake Indians Poileag large ioks of horles is much
IN our favor as by Of hores the tanportation
oil our baggage will be rendered eaIy and expeditions
over land from the AIifIouri to the Columbia river
Should this river not prove navgabe where we fri
meet with it, Our pfeient intention is continue cur
MAJ gu V'H the river, unit! II becomes 10, the
Pacific Ocean. The map which has been forwarded
to the Secretary at War, will give you the idea we
entertain OF the connection between hee rivers which
has been formed from the corresponding tefiimony of
number oi Indians, who have vited that country
and who have been feparately and carefully examined
on that iuet, we therefore think il Untitled to fome
degree OF confidence Since arrival az this place
we have iubii;ted principally on meat; with which
our guns have fupplied amply, and have thue been
OF lat fr tnN.t fH. u
comfortable proportion of pork aud -four, which we
had intended for he difficult parts Of our VOYAGE
IT Indian information he credited the van ouan
titles of game with which the country aboun6s
through which we are to paf leaves us bnt little to
spPrehend from the want Of food. We do no, caIcu
late on completing voyage within the prefer, wear
~; expect to reach the Pacific Ocean and return \.
tar as the head of the M!Gour or perhaps TO this
place before winter. You may therefors expea me- 10
meet you dt Monticello, in September IsO6 On orr
return we fhsI probably pafs down Yellow Stone RI
yer, which from Indian information, waters one of
the farrell portions Of our continent. can freiee no
material or probable obGruaion to our progrer and
entertain therefore the moi fanguine hopes of COM
Plete iucce(s. As TO myelf, Individually, never en-
joyed better health, than have fince we commenced
our voyage. My meitiInabie friend and companion
Captain Clark, Ia, a!lo t8oyed gooI health general
"; at this monreh' every individual Of the partV Is
IN good health and excellent fpirts zeaouy attached
- the enterprile, and anxious proceed nor Whit
per OF dcontent, or nurrrer is 10 be heard arnonp
them, but al in union a with the most perf4 bar
mouy. With Grch Mon I haze .var,,