University of Virginia Library

L. L

LEWIS TO HIS MOTHER

L. [Original MS. is in possession of the oldest living representative of Meriwether Lewis's family,
C. Harper Anderson, of Ivy Depot, Virginia. The following is from his transcript thereof, which
has evidently been modernized in several particulars.]

Dear Mother:—I arrived at this place on the 27th. of Oct. last,
with party under my command destined to the Pacific Ocean, by way of
the Missouri and Columbia rivers. The near approach of winter, the
low state of the water and the known scarcity of timber which exists
on the Missouri for many hundred miles above the Mandans, together
with many other considerations equally important, determined my friend
and companion Capt. Clark and myself to fortify ourselves and remain
for the winter in the neighborhood of the Mandans, Minetares and
Ahwaharways, who are the most friendly and well disposed savages that
we have yet met with. Accordingly we sought and found a convenient
situation for our purposes a few miles below the villages of these people
on the north side of the river in an extensive and well timbered bottom,
where we commenced the erection of our houses on the 2d. of
Nov. and completed them so far as to put ourselves under shelter on
the 21st. of the same month, by which time the season wore the aspect
of winter. Having completed our fortify [cation] early in Dec. we
called it Fort Mandan, in honor of our friendly neighbors. So far we
have experienced more difficulties from the navigation of the Missouri
than danger from the savages. The difficulties which oppose themselves
to the navigation of this immense river arise from the rapidity
of its currents, its falling banks, sand bars and timber which remains
wholly or partially concealed in its bed, usually called by the navigators
of the Missouri, and the Mississippi "sawyer "or "planter," one of
these difficulties the navigator never ceases to contend with from the
entrance of the Missouri to this place; and in innumerable instances
most of these obstructions are at the same instant combined to oppose

his progress or threaten his destruction. To these we may also add a
fifth, and not much less inconsiderable difficulty—the turbed quality of
the water—which renders it impracticable to discover any obstruction,
even to the depth of a single inch. Such is the velocity of the current
at all seasons of the year, from the entrance of the Missouri to the
mouth of the great river Platte, that it is impossible to resist its force
by means of oars or poles in the main channel of the river; the eddies
which therefore generally exist on one side or the other of the river, are
sought by the navigators, but these are almost universally encumbered
with concealed timber, or within reach of the falling banks, but notwithstanding,
are usually preferable to that of passing along the edges of the
sand bars, over which the water, tho' shallow, runs with such violence
that if your vessel happens to touch the sand, or is by any accident
turned sidewise to the current, it is driven on the bar and overset in an
instant, generally destroyed, and always attented with the loss of the
cargo. The base of the river banks being composed of a fine light
sand, is easily removed by the water. It happens when this capricious
and violent currents set against its banks, which are usually covered with
heavy timber, it quickly undermines them, sometimes to the depth of 40
or 50 paces, and several miles in length. The banks being unable to
support themselves longer tumble into the river with tremendous force,
destroying everything within their reach. The timber thus precipitated
into the water with large masses of earth about their roots are seen drifting
with the stream, their points above the water, while the roots, more
heavy, are dragged along the bottom until they become firmly fixed in
the quick sand, which forms the bed of the river, where they remain for
many years, forming an irregular tho' dangerous chevaux-de-frise to
oppose the navigator. This immense river, so far as we have yet ascended,
waters one of the fairest portions of the globe, nor do I believe
there is in the universe a similar extent of country equally fertile, well
watered, and intersected by such a number of navigable streams. The
country as high up the river as the mouth of the river Platte, a distance
of 630 miles, is generally well timbered. At some little distance above
this river the open or prairie country commences. With respect to this
open country, I have been agreeably disappointed. From previous information
I had been led to believe that it was barren, sterile and sandy;
but, on the contrary, I found it fertile in the extreme, the soil being
from one to twenty feet in depth, consisting of a fine black loam, intermixed
with a sufficient quantity of sand only to induce a luxuriant
growth of grass and other vegetable productions, particularly such as are
not liable to be much injured, or wholly destroyed by the ravages of the
fire. It is also generally level, yet well watered, in short, there can
exist no other objection to it, except that of the want of timber, which
is truly a very serious one. This want of timber is by no means attributable
to a deficiency in the soil to produce it, but owes its origin to
the ravages of the fires, which the natives kindle in these plains at all
seasons of the year. The country on both sides of the river, except
some of its bottom lands, for an immense distance is one continued open
plain, in which no timber is to be seen except a few detatched and scattered
copse, and clumps of trees, which, from their moist situation, or
the steep declivities of hills, are sheltered from the effects of fire. The
general aspect of the country is level so far as the perception of the
spectator will enable him to determine, but from the rapidity of the
Missouri, it must be considerably elevated, as it passes to the N. West;
it is broken only on the borders of the water courses. Game is very
abundant, and seems to increase as we progress—our prospect of
starving is therefore consequently small. On the lower portion of the
Missouri, from its junction with the Mississippi to the entrance of the
Osage river we met with some deer, bear and turkeys. From thence
to the Kancez river the deer were more abundant. A great number of
black bear, some turkeys, geese, swan and ducks. From thence to the
mouth of the great river Platte an immense quantity of deer, some bear,
elk, turkeys, geese, swan and ducks. From thence to the river S[ioux]
some bear, a great number of elks, the bear disappeared almost entirely,
some turkeys, geese, swan and ducks. From thence to the mouth of
the White river vast herds of buffalo, elk and some deer, and a greater
quantity of turkeys than we had before seen, a circumstance which I
did not much expect in a country so destitute of timber. Hence to
Fort Mandan the buffalo, elk and deer increase in quantity, with the
addition of the cabie [cabra], as they are generally called by the French
engages, which is a creature about the size of a small deer. Its flesh is
deliciously flavored. The ice in the Missouri has now nearly disappeared.
I shall set out on my voyage in the course of a few days. I
can foresee no material obstruction to our progress and feel the most
perfect confidence that we shall reach the Pacific ocean this summer.
For myself, individually, I enjoy better health than I have since I commenced
my voyage. The party are now in fine health and excellent
spirits, are attached to the enterprise and anxious to proceed. Not a
whisper of discontent or murmur is to be heard among them. With
such men I feel every confidence necessary to insure success. The
party, with Capt. Clark and myself, consists of thirty-one white persons,
one negro man, and two Indians. The Indians in this neighborhood
[assert] that the Missouri is navigable nearly to its source, and that
from a navigable part of the river, at a distance not exceeding a half a
days march, there is a large river running from south to north along the
western base of the Rocky Mountains, but as their war excursions have
not extended far beyond this point, they can give no account of the
discharge or source of this river. We believe this stream to be the
principal South Fork of the Columbia river, and if so, we shall probably
find but little difficulty in passing to the ocean. We have subsisted
this winter on meat principally, with which our guns have furnished us
an ample supply, and have, by that means, reserved a sufficient stock
of the provisions we brought with us from the Illinois to guard us
against accidental want during the voyage of the present year. You
may expect me in Albemarle about the last of next Sept.—twelve
months. I request that you will give yourself no uneasiness with respect
to my fate, for I assure you that I feel myself perfectly as safe as
I should do in Albemarle, and the only difference between three or
four thousand miles and 130 is that I can not have the pleasure of seeing
you as often as I did while at Washington.

I must request of you before I conclude this letter, to send John
Marks[1] to the college of Williamsburgh as soon as it shall be thought
that his education has been sufficiently advanced to fit him for that seminary;
for you may rest assured that as you regard his future prosperity
you had better make any sacrifice of his property than suffer his education
to remain neglected or incomplete. Give my love to my brothers
and sisters and all my neighbors and friends, and rest assured yourself
of the most devoted filial affection of yours,