The boats sail several miles up the Missouri. Later in the day, they must clear the channel of driftwood and then tow the boats up it. Two privates take the horses by land, and at camp near the mouth of the Crooked River in present Missouri, Lewis issues mosquito netting.
German polymath Alexander von Humboldt—returning from his Mexican and Cuban expedition—writes to Secretary of State James Madisonn seeking funding for another expedition.
Lining the Boat
© Michael Haynes, https://www.mhaynesart.com. Used with permission.
Traveling by Horse
proceeded on passed two large Islands on the S. S. leaving J. Shields and one man [John Collins] to go by land with the horses
—William Clark
Towing the Boat
passed Several Islands & Sand bars to day at the head of one we were obliged to cleare away Driftwood to pass
in passing Some hard water round a Point of rocks on the L. S. we were obliged to take out the roape & Draw up the Boat for ½ a mile
—William Clark
Mosquito Nets
The Musquetoes are verry troublesome. we Got Musquetoes bears [mosquito netting] from Capt Lewis to sleep in
—John Ordway
Alexander von Humboldt’s Request
[Philadelphia, c. 19 June 1804]
Monsieur [James Madison],
It seems to me that I will see this beautiful country again in a few years. The route from the Missouri to the shores of the Pacific Ocean will then already be open. The lakes, Canada, and the immense basin that stretches from Pittsburgh to the mountains seen by Fidler offer a vast field for geological research. With some assistance from Your Government, a great and beautiful work could be done there.
Humboldt.[1]“Alexander von Humboldt to James Madison, [ca. 19] June 1804,” Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-07-02-0352 accessed 5 Dec 2025. Translated … Continue reading
From Philadelphia, Humboldt was escorted by Charles Willson Peale to see President Jefferson in Washington City. There, he supplied abundant information about New Spain (Mexico). His proposed American expedition never came to fruition, but from his detailed notes, he was able to publish many volumes on the natural history of Hispanic America. So much so, Charles Darwin would call him “the greatest scientific traveler who ever lived”.[2]Paul H. Barrett and Alain F. Corcos, “A Letter from Alexander Humboldt to Charles Darwin.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 27 (1972):161.
For Fidler’s contributions to the fur trade and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, see Peter Fidler.
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Notes
| ↑1 | “Alexander von Humboldt to James Madison, [ca. 19] June 1804,” Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-07-02-0352 accessed 5 Dec 2025. Translated from the original French by Google Translate. |
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| ↑2 | Paul H. Barrett and Alain F. Corcos, “A Letter from Alexander Humboldt to Charles Darwin.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 27 (1972):161. |
