When Charbonneau and Sacagawea see Lewis and the Lemhi Shoshones, a joyous reunion begins. Cameahwait is given a medal, uniform coat, shirt, and other gifts, and he promises the use of his horses to carry the expedition’s baggage across the Continental Divide. Using a 4-language translation chain, the captains are told that the Salmon River is not navigable.
From Monticello, Thomas Jefferson asks his house master in Washington City to preserve the skins and furs sent from Fort Mandan last spring.
Sacagawea and Cameahwait, sister and brother
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
A Fortunate Reunion
A Joyous Reunion
Generated from an interpretive sign at Clark’s Reservoir.
the meeting of those people was really affecting, particularly between Sah cah-gar-we-ah and an Indian woman, who had been taken prisoner at the same time with her, and who had afterwards escaped from the Minnetares [Hidatsas] and rejoined her nation
—Meriwether Lewis
Fortunate Camp
We now formed our camp just below the junction of the forks on the Lard. side in a level smooth bottom covered with a fine terf of green swoard. here we unloaded our canoes and arranged our baggage on shore
—Meriwether Lewis
Fortunate Camp, “Where we laid up our canoes”
36″ x 66″ oil on canvas
© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.
The translation chain depicted above went from the captains (English) to François Labiche (French) to Charbonneau (Hidatsa) to Sacagawea (Shoshone) to Cameahwait, and back.
Objects of Admiration
very article about us appeared to excite astonishment in ther minds; the appearance of the men, their arms, the canoes, our manner of working them, the back [black] man york and the segacity of my dog [Seaman] were equally objects of admiration. I also shot my air-gun which was so perfectly incomprehensible that they immediately denominated it the great medicine.
—Meriwether Lewis
Gifts for Horses
the Chief Said they would let us have the use of their horses & promised to assist us over as much as lay in their power. So they gave them out considerable of different kinds of marchandize. gave the chief a meddel made another chief & gave him a meddle also. gave the head chief a uniform coat & Shirt & arm bands &C &C.
—John Ordway
An Impossible Passage
we made a number of inquires of those people about the Columbia River the Countrey game &c. The account they gave us was verry unfavourable, that the River abounded in emence falls
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the Thermometer at rise
Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. 42 [above 0] fair N. E. 76 [above 0] fair S W —Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Preserving the Specimens
Monticello Aug. 17. 05
Dear Sir
The barrel, boxes, & cases from Baltimore mentioned in your letter contain skins, furs, horns, bones, seeds, vases, & some other articles. being apprehensive that the skins & furs may be suffering, I would wish you to take them out, have them well dried & brushed, and then done up close in strong linen to keep the worm-fly out. as I do not know in which packages they are, it will be necessary for you to open them all, & take out the skins & furs, leaving every thing else in their cases. the cases had better first be placed in my cabinet where they will remain safe without being nailed up again, if merely closed so as to keep out rats & mice.[3]Thomas Jefferson to Etienne Lemaire, Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-2258 [from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson]; also in Letters of the Lewis … Continue reading
