Much is known of the expeditions of Lewis and Clark, who explored the territory west of the Mississippi River under the commission of President Thomas Jefferson in 1804. Their tedious journals tell of their daily struggles as they made their way up the Missouri River in search of the sea way through to the Pacific. For over 2 years they worked their way across the plains and the Rocky Mountains establishing relations with the Indians, learning their culture, and cataloging plant and animal life. It was only recently though, that another journal was found belonging to Meriwether Lewis' younger brother, Louis, that sheds new light on what occurred. Here are a few brief excerpts:
Day 1: I'm going. Try to stop me!
Day 2: I managed to follow them all day without being spotted. I'm just as good an explorer as Meriwether is. He makes me sick.
Day 4: I finished off the last of the food I brought along. I thought I had plenty, but I'm hungry doing all this canoeing by myself...up river... I think I pulled a shoulder muscle.
Day 8: He still hasn't spotted me! This is incredible! I've been following his barge maybe 300 yards back for days and he doesn't even know it. Fish again tonight.
Day 12: I passed his barge early in the evening as the sun went down. It was fairly dark so his party really couldn't see it was me. I made jeering faces for the sheer pleasure of it and gave them the thumbs down... with both hands! I'd be 100 yards ahead by now if I hadn't tipped the canoe whilst mooning them.
Day 22: I snuk to thir campp this evenin as they sleepet and took sum whisky and leftover dear they had cookked. I wus only on the other side of the hill... they never knew. Hehehehe ... I'm so clever I amazze mysolf. I'm gonna rest now...
Day 24: OH! They managed to get a full day ahead of me yesterday.
Day 32: Been over a month and we've gone about 200 miles I would estimate. I hope we're almost there.
Day 54: I'm so lonely. I befriended
a small furry creature and he has been with me the past few days. I call
him "Furry". He listens to me as I talk and sing to myself in an effort
not to go mad from the loneliness.
He is my best friend.
Day 62: I had to eat Furry today... I ran out of ammunition and couldn't hunt. I'll fish tomorrow.
Day 87: What a horrendously dreadful
ordeal! Where to begin except to say... I've been found out! It all
began 4 days ago. I was watching my brother and his party as they
made contact with the Mandan Indians. Meriwether, being his usual
charismatic, charming self won them over easily to my general loathing.
What appeared to be a banquet in his honor followed in the evening.
I stayed in the distance and watched. But as the aroma of their roasted
buffalo wafted before me I found myself creeping closer and closer... like
a salamander on my belly. As usual I hadn't eaten much and hunger
had overcome me. Lost in my thoughts of eating heartily I dropped
my guard. I was unaware I had been spotted until I felt a sharp object
poking me in the back. Two Mandans had found me. I tried offering
them tokens of friendship in an effort to send them on their way.
Instead they took all my belongings and lead me back to camp. I can
still hear my "dear" Meriwether's voice shouting, "For God's sakes Louis
what are you doing here?!?" I then had the pleasure of telling him
I had followed him for months unbeknownst to his superior knowledge.
Unfortunately the Mandan mistook my shouts for threats against their new
beloved friend and I was bound and hung from a low branch where I spent
the night between the horses. Most unpleasant. Meriwether managed
to convince them the following day to release me, but before nightfall
I was once again hanging from the tree. Apparently trying to get the chief's
daughter drunk was a no no. As we left camp 3 days later Meriwether insisted
I travel with him. I am very unhappy and planning my next move.
Day 96: For the past 5 days
I have been consumed by thoughts of how to reach the Pacific before my
brother and gain the accolades and glory from my President and countrymen.
Yet not having a particularly keen sense of direction, no supplies, and
a general lack of ambition, any plan seemed destined for failure.
Then a startling revelation. Tonight whilst Meriwether slept I obtained
his maps which he has been so meticulously drawing. I was astonished
to discover that we had thousands of miles to go! According to his
calculations we still had perhaps a year or maybe two left! I was
dumbfounded. And at that precise moment I knew what I had to
do... GET MYSELF OUT OF THIS INSANE EXPEDITION!
Day 101: I can't believe how lost I am. I'm attempting to retrace my steps but I messed up someplace.
Day 122: Lost lost lost.
Day 146: Fish again tonight.
Day 206: I thought I saw Furry today.
Day 212: A poem by Louis Lewis
There once was a dandy named
Louis
Who went on a half-cocked
god-forsaken expedition in some god-forsaken endless wooded
nightmare like some half-witted
brainless .......
Day 2: Are we home yet Daddy? I
smell banana pudding!
There were tales that Louis was
spotted a year later by fur traders just 2 miles from St. Louis although
he likely never knew how close he had come. His journal was recovered in
1992 in the Mojave Desert, California.
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