University of Virginia Library

XXXIV. XXXIV

LEWIS TO JEFFERSON

XXXIV. [From original MS. in Bureau of Rolls—Jefferson Papers, series 2, vol. 51, doc. 104.]

Dear Sir: I reached this place on the 28th. Ult., it being necessary
to take in a further supply of provisions here, and finding my men much
fatiegued with the labour to which they had been subjected in descending
the river, I determined to recruit them by giving them a short
respite of a few days; having now obtained the distance of five hundred
miles. on the evening of the 1st. inst. I again dispatched my boat with
Orders to meet me at the Big Bone lick, to which place I shall pass by
land it being distant from hence only seventeen miles while by water
it is fifty three, a distance that will require my boat in the present state
of the water near three days to attain.

The late researches of Dr William Goforth[1] of this place at that
Lick has made it a place of more interesting enquiry than formerly, I
shall therefore seize the present moment to visit it, and set out early
tomorrow morning for that purpose.

Dr. Goforth in the begining of May last with a view to obtain a
complete skeleton of the Mammoth, sunk a pitt 30 feet square and
eleven feet in debth in a moist part of the Big Bone Lick, from which
he obtained a large number of specimens of the bones of this anamal,
tho' generally in a very imperfect and mutilated state; he also obtained
from the same pitt several grinders of the anamal, generally supposed
to be an Elephant from their affinity to the teeth of that anamal, these
last are very perfect; a part of this collection of bones, the Dr. has in
his possession at this place and has been so obliging as to favour me with

an examinetion of them; the other part of the Drs. collection is yet at
the Lick, these he informs me are much more perfect than those he
shewed me particularly the upper portion of a head, and some other
specimens which had been obtained from a small pitt, sunk in a dryer
part of the Lick by a young [man] to whom, in his absence he had
confided the prosecution of his researches; among these specimens the
Dr. also mentioned a tusk of an immence size, the dementions of which
he could not furnish me with, not having yet seen it, but from the
information of his assistant, states it's weight at 180 lbs.; this tusk is
said to be in a good state of preservation. The Dr. informed me that
he had been interdicted by the Agent of Mr. David Ross of Virginia
(the proprietor of the Lick) from removing these bones, as he was also
from the further prosecution of his researches; he is much chagrined
at this occurrence, and seems very anxious that some measures should
be taken by which to induce Mr. Ross to suffer him to prosecute his
enquiries. The Doctr. presented me with two handsome specimens, the
one a grinder of the Elaphant, the other, that of the Mammoth, the
former weighs ten and ½ pounds, the latter I have not weighed, from
the circumstances of its roots being attached to a lump of clay, without
seperating from which, it's weight could not be accurately ascertained;
I concluded it would be better to forward it in it's present state, as the
clay will not only guard this part of the tooth from injury in transporting
it, but will at the same time furnish a good specimen of the earth
of which the lick is formed. Dr. Goforth was so good as to grant me
his permission to take from those bones now at the Lick the large tusk
before noticed, and any other bones that are to be found among his
collection at that place: Capt. Findley who accompanys me to the
Lick says he is well acquainted with the Agent of Mr. Ross, and thinks
he can obtain his permission also for the same purpose; should I
succeed you may expect to recieve through Mr. Trist,[2] this large tusk
together with the two grinders before mentioned, and such other
specimines as I may be enabled to procure, and which, I may think
worthy your acceptance.

All the bones, which I observed in the possession of Dr. Goforth
appear to be those of the Mammoth, accept only the Elephant-like
griners; the most remarkable among them was a portion of the lower
or larger part of a tusk, measuring one foot ten inches in circumpherence

and five feet eight inches in length, the Dr. informed me when
he first obtained it, it was upwards of six feet in length and weighed one
hundred pounds; the greates circumpherence of the tusks of Mr. Peale's
skeleton I believe is not more than one foot six ½ inches. As the
anatomy of the Mammoth has already been so well ascertained by the
skeleton in the possession of Mr. Peal (the upper portion of the head
excepted) I confined my enquiries mearly to a search for this part of
the skeleton, and for such specimens of the tusks as would enable me
to deside a question which appears not yet fully to have been satisfyed
(viz) Whether the flat or sythe-shaped tusks so frequently found
in the same bed with the acknowledged tusks of the Mammoth are the
tusks of that anamal, or a different one?

With regard to the first of these enquiries I was unsuccessful, finding
only one mutilated specimen of the upper portion of the head, the
frontal bone of which was entirely decayed; I was therefore unable to
form any just idea of it's shape; as to the second, I was more fortunate,
obtaining many specimens of both the acknowledged Mammoth tusks,
as well as those of the flat tusks, both in a sound and an imperfect
state; these I compared with attention; but before I proceed to express
an opinion with respect to the homogeniallogy of these tusks I will give
a short description of these specimens, in order Sir, that you may from
thence draw your own inferences, and make your own deductions.

The tusks of the Mammoth were conical, much Curved and also
spiral or twisted; the fragments of whatever portion of the tusk were
homologus to the same part of a complete tusk; when by decay the end
of a section of any large part of the tusk was observed, the ends of the
broken lateral stratas of the lamina, formed a number of circular rings,
each imbracing and inclosing the other from the center to the circumpherence
of the tusk, these rings howver, were of unequal thicknesses;
when perfect the lamina assumes a yellowish white or cream
colour, in it's decayed state it resembles white chalk, both in colour and
consistance (see No. 2 specm. inclosed); the surface of the tusk sometimes
assumes partially a black colour which from it's resemblance to
the Buffalo Horn might on a slite examineation be taken for a similar
substance, but on a more minute investigation it appears to be ivory, or
the common lamina of the tusk, which, has acquired that colour from
some cause, most probably, from the properties of the clay in which
they had been so long deposited, this black Ivory (No. 2) is rarely
more than two lines in thickness, gradually loossing it's hue inwards,
untill it becomes the common colour of the tusk.

The flat or sythe-like tusks assumed a great variety of figures, tho'

uniformily curved; one was flat on both sides, near the large end of
the tusk, where it was connected with the head; this was rendered
conspicuous from the conic concavity common to this part, as well of
the Mammoth, as these tusks at the larger end; and so much was it
flatened, that this end of the tusk was left in a forked shape, while the
smaller end assumed the curved, and connic shape, and was also spiral,
as is that of the Mammoth: several were flated unequally on both sides
near the small extremity of the tusk, the larger end being conical, curved,
and spiral; while others were flat on one side only throughout the whole
extent of the tusk; the lamina of these tusks, whether perfect, decayed
or assuming the horn-like appearance, is the same substance precisely of
the Mammoth tusk; in every instance where the tusk is flatened the
circular rings of lamina are perfect when the diameter of those rings do
not exceed the thickness of the tusk, which last I found unequal in the
different specimens; and when the rings of lamina exceed the thickness
of the tusk they are broken, but still we find the corresponding parts
of these broken rings, attatched to either side of the perfect one, and
succeeding each other throughout the whole width of the tusk; thus
presenting the exact figure of the Mammoth's tusk reduced to a flat
surface on both sides by being grownd down.

I also observed that several bones that were in a good state of
preservation, appeared to have been woarn away in the same manner, or
from the same cause, which had flattened the tusks, particularly a large
grinder of the Mammoth which struck my attention, it was unconnected
with the jawbone; one third of the volume, of this tooth seemed to
have been woarn away, as if reduced on one side by being grown down
to a plane surface; the enamel of the fractured edge appeared to have
given way equally with the bone of the tooth and presented a smooth
surface; no part of this tooth shewed any sharp fracture which, might
induce a belief that it was reduced to it's present shape by a violent or
sudden stroke.

Finding that the upper part of a tusk was flattened which shape it
could not have acquired during the existence of the living anamal, it
being that part of the tusk which by bone or cartilage must have been
united with the head; that in every case where the same specimen
united both the character of the Mammoth and flat tusk, that portion
resembleing the Mammoth tusk was in all respects it's prototipe; that
the tusk of the Mammoth is well defined, and that it's characteristics
strongly mark it; that the lamina of both the flat and the conic tusks,
are invariably the same in similar states of preservation; and that in all
instances where the tusk is flattened the lateral lamina shews evedent

marks of violence, I can therefore have no remaining doubt of these flat
or sythe-like tusks being the tusks of the Mammoth; and from the appearance
of the flatten grinder of the Mammoth before noticed, I am
strongly disposed to believe that these flat tusks of the Mammoth have
acquired that shape in consequence of the sand and gravel passing over
them for a great length of time caused by a runing stream or agitated
water.

The Elephants teeth which I saw in the possession of Dr. Goforth
weigh from four to eleven pounds, and appear to me to precisely
resemble a specimen of these teeth which I saw in the possession of
Dr. Wister of Philadelphia and which if my recollection serves me, Dr.
Wister informed me was found in S. Carolina: the Dr. has since
assured me, that from a comparison of this specimen with the plates
representing the teeth of the Asiatic Elephat contained in the late Vol.
of the British philosophical transactions, that he is perfectly convinced
that it is the tooth of the Asiatic Elephant or an anamal very much
resembling it. Relative to these teeth it may not be unworthy of
remark, that so far as I have been able to inform myself, they are never
found adjacent to the bones of any anamal of their comparative size
except those of the Mammoth; or such as from their affinity to that
anamal have always been admitted to be the bones of the Mammoth.
These teeth are never found attatched to the bones of the jaw; and notwithstanding
the high state of preservation in which those Elephant's
teeth are found, that no other pat of it's fraim should yet have been
discovered is America. From the shape and termination of both
extremities of these grinders they each appear to have completely filled
it's respective jaw-bone.

Not any of the bones or tusks which I saw were petrifyed, either
preserving their primitive states of bone or ivory; or when decayed, the
former desolving into earth, intermixed with scales of the harder of
more indessoluble parts of the bone, while the latter assumed the
appearance of pure white chalk.

I would thank you to forward me some of the Vaxcine matter, as I
have reason to believe from seeveral experiments made with what I have,
that it has lost it's virtue.

Conner, the interpretter I had calculated on engaging, has declined;
however I do not feel much disappointment at this occurrence, being
well assured that a suitable person of that description can be procured at
St. Louis.

So soon Sir, as you deem it expedient to promulge the late treaty,
between the United States and France I would be much obliged by your

directing an official copy of it to be furnished me, as I think it probable
that the present inhabitants of Louisiana, from such an evidence of
their having become the Citizens of the United States, would feel it
their interest and would more readily yeald any information of which
they may be possessed relative to the country than they would be disposed
to do, while there is any doubt remaining on that subject.

As this Session of Congress has commenced earlyer than usual, and
as from a variety of incidental circumstances my progress has been unexpectedly
delayed, and feeling as I do in the most anxious manner a
wish to keep them in a good humour on the subject of the expedicion in
which I am engaged, I have concluded to make a tour this winter on
horseback of some hundred miles through the most interesting portion
of the country adjoining my winter establishment; perhaps it may be
up the Canceze River and towards Santafee, at all events it will bee on
the South side of the Missouri. Should I find that Mr. Clark can with
propiety also leave the party, I will prevail upon him also to undertake
a similar excurtion through some other portion of the country; by this
means I hope and am pursuaded that by the middle of February or 1st.
of March I shall be enabled to procure and forward to you such information
relative to that Country, which, if it dose not produce a conviction
of the utility of this project, will at least procure the further
toleration of the expedition.

It will be better to forward all letters and papers for me in future to
Cahokia.

The water still continues lower in the Ohio than it was ever known.

I am with every sentiment of gratitude and respect, Your, Obt. Servt.