In preparation for the journey, Meriwether Lewis wrote a list of necessary items to be taken. Due to Lewis's spelling, some of the words may not look familiar to you; please sound them out phonetically to understand them. See //media.nara.gov/media/images/19/29/19-2831a.gif for a look at the manuscript version of the Indian gifts.
Mathematical
Instruments
| 1
| Hadley's Quadrant
|
| 1
| Mariner's Compas & 2 pole chain
|
| 1
| Sett of plotting instruments
|
| 3
| Thermometers
|
| 1
| Cheap portable Microscope
|
| 1
| Pocket Compass
|
| 1
| brass Scale one foot in length
|
| 6
| Magnetic needles in small straight silver or brass cases opening on the side with hinges.
|
| 1
| Instrument for measuring made of tape with feet & inches mark'd on it,...
|
| 2
| Hydrometers
|
| 1
| Theodolite
|
| 1
| Sett of planespheres
|
| 2
| Artificial Horizons
|
| 1
| Patent log
|
| 6
| papers of Ink powder
|
| 4
| Metal Pens brass or silver
|
| 1
| Set of Small Slates & pencils
|
| 2
| Creyons
|
|
| Sealing wax one bundle
|
| 1
| Miller's edition of Lineus in 2 Vol:
|
|
| Books
|
|
| Maps
|
|
| Charts
|
|
| Blank Vocabularies
|
|
| Writing paper
|
| 1
| Pair large brass money scales with two setts of weights.
|
Arms & Accoutrements
| 15
| Rifle
|
| 15
| Powder Horns & pouches complete
|
| 15
| Pairs of Bullet Moulds
|
| 15
| do. Of Wipers or Gun worms
|
| 15
| Ball Screws
|
| 24
| Pipe Tomahawks
|
| 24
| large knives
|
|
| Extra parts of Locks & tools for repairing arms
|
| 15
| Gun Slings
|
| 500
| best Flints
|
Ammunition
| 200
| Lbs. Best rifle powder
|
| 400
| lbs. Lead
|
Clothing
| 15
| 3 pt. Blankets
|
| 15
| Watch Coats with Hoods & belts
|
| 15
| Woolen Overalls
|
| 15
| Rifle Frocks of waterproof Cloth if possible
|
| 30
| Pairs of Socks or half Stockings
|
| 20
| Fatigue Frocks or hinting shirts
|
| 30
| Shirts of Strong linnen
|
| 30
| yds. Common flannel.
|
Camp Equipage
| 6
| Copper kettles (1 of 5 Gallons, 1 of 3, 2 of 2, & 2 of 1)
|
| 35
| falling Axes.
|
| 4
| Drawing Knives, short & strong
|
| 2
| Augers of the patent kind.
|
| 1
| Small permanent Vice
|
| 1
| Hand Vice
|
| 36
| Gimblets assorted
|
| 24
| Files do.
|
| 12
| Chisels do.
|
| 10
| Nails do.
|
| 2
| Steel plate hand saws
|
| 2
| Vials of Phosforus
|
| 1
| do. Of Phosforus made of allum & sugar
|
| 4
| Groce fishing Hooks assorted
|
| 12
| Bunches of Drum Line
|
| 2
| Foot Adzes
|
| 12
| Bunches of Small cord
|
| 2
| Pick Axes
|
| 3
| Coils of rope
|
| 2
| Spades
|
| 12
| Bunches Small fishing line assorted
|
| 1
| lb. Turkey or Oil Stone
|
| 1
| Iron Mill for Grinding Corn
|
| 20
| yds. Oil linnen for wrapping & securing Articles
|
| 10
| yds do. do. Of thicker quality for covering and lining boxes. &c
|
| 40
| yds Do. Do. To form two half faced Tents or Shelters.
|
| 4
| Tin blowing Trumpets
|
| 2
| hand or spiral spring Steelyards
|
| 20
| yds Strong Oznaburgs
|
| 24
| Iron Spoons
|
| 24
| Pint Tin Cups (without handles)
|
| 30
| Steels for striking or making fire
|
| 100
| Flints for do. do. do.
|
| 2
| Frows
|
| 6
| Saddlers large Needles
|
| 6
| Do. Large Awls
|
|
| Muscatoe Curtains
|
| 2
| patent chamber lamps & wicks
|
| 15
| Oil Cloth Bags for securing provision
|
| 1
| Sea Grass Hammock
|
Provisions and Means of Subsistence
| 150
| lbs. Portable Soup.
|
| 3
| bushels of Allum or Rock Salt
|
|
| Spicies assorted
|
| 6
| Kegs of 5 Gallons each making 30 Gallons of rectified spirits such as is used for the Indian trade
|
| 6
| Kegs bound with iron Hoops
|
Indian Presents
| 5
| lbs. White Wampum
|
| 5
| lbs. White Glass Beads mostly small
|
| 20
| lbs. Red Do. Do. Assorted
|
| 5
| lbs. Yellow or Orange Do. Do. Assorted
|
| 30
| Calico Shirts
|
| 12
| Pieces of East India muslin Hanckerchiefs striped or check'd with brilliant Colours.
|
| 12
| Red Silk Hanckerchiefs
|
| 144
| Small cheap looking Glasses
|
| 100
| Burning Glasses
|
| 4
| Vials of Phosforus
|
| 288
| Steels for striking fire
|
| 144
| Small cheap Scizors
|
| 20
| Pair large Do.
|
| 12
| Groces Needles Assorted No. 1 to 8 Common points
|
| 12
| Groces Do. Assorted with points for sewing leather
|
| 288
| Common brass thimbles - part W. office
|
| 10
| lbs. Sewing Thread assorted
|
| 24
| Hanks Sewing Silk
|
| 8
| lbs. Red Lead
|
| 2
| lbs. Vermillion - at War Office
|
| 288
| Knives Small such as are generally used for the Indian trade, with fix'd blades & handles inlaid with brass
|
| 36
| Large knives
|
| 36
| Pipe Tomahawks - at H. Ferry
|
| 12
| lbs. Brass wire Assorted
|
| 12
| lbs. Iron do. Do. generally large
|
| 6
| Belts of narrow Ribbons colours assorted
|
| 50
| lbs. Spun Tobacco.
|
| 20
| Small falling axes to be obtained in Tennessee
|
| 40
| fish Griggs such as the Indians use with a single barbed point - at Harper's ferry
|
| 3
| Groce fishing Hooks assorted
|
| 3
| Groce Mockerson awls assorted
|
| 50
| lbs. Powder secured in a Keg covered with oil Cloth
|
| 24
| Belts of Worsted feiret or Gartering Colours brilliant and Assorted
|
| 15
| Sheets of Copper Cut into strips of an inch in width & a foot long
|
| 20
| Sheets of Tin
|
| 12
| lbs. Strips of Sheet iron 1 In. wide 1 foot long
|
| 1
| Pc. Red Cloth second quality
|
| 1
| Nest of 8 or 9 small copper kettles
|
| 100
| Block-tin rings cheap kind ornamented with Colour'd Glass or Mock-Stone
|
| 2
| Groces of brass Curtain Rings & sufficently large for the Finger
|
| 1
| Groce Cast Iron Combs
|
| 18
| Cheap brass Combs
|
| 24
| Blankets.
|
| 12
| Arm Bands Silver at War Office
|
| 12
| Wrist do. do. Do.
|
| 36
| Ear Trinkets Do. Part do.
|
| 6
| Groces Drops of Do. Part Do.
|
| 4
| doz Rings for Fingers of do.
|
| 4
| Groces Broaches of do.
|
| 12
| Small Medals do.
|
Means of Transportation
| 1
| Keeled Boat light strong at least 60 feet in length her burthen equal to 8 Tons
|
| 1
| Iron frame of Canoe 40 feet long
|
| 1
| Large Wooden Canoe
|
| 12
| Spikes for Setting-Poles
|
| 4
| Boat Hooks & points Complete
|
| 2
| Chains & Pad-Locks for confining the Boat & Canoes &c.
|
Medicine
| 15
| lbs. Best powder's Bark
|
| 10
| lbs. Epsom or Glauber Salts
|
| 4
| oz. Calomel
|
| 12
| oz. Opium
|
| _
| oz. Tarter emetic
|
| 8
| oz. Borax
|
| 4
| oz. Powder'd Ipecacuana
|
| 8
| oz. Powder Jalap
|
| 8
| oz. Powdered Rhubarb
|
| 6
| Best lancets
|
| 2
| oz. White Vitriol
|
| 4
| oz. Lacteaum Saturni
|
| 4
| Pewter Penis syringes
|
| 1
| Flour of Sulphur
|
| 3
| Clyster pipes
|
| 4
| oz. Turlingtons Balsam
|
| 2
| lbs. Yellow Bascilicum
|
| 2
| Sticks of Symple Diachylon
|
| 1
| lb. Blistering Ointments
|
| 2
| lbs. Nitre
|
| 2
| lbs. Coperas
|
Materials for making up the Various Articles into portable Packs
| 30
| Sheep skins taken off the Animal as perfectly whole as possible, without being split on the belly as usual and dress'd only with lime to free them from the wool; or otherwise about the same quantity of Oil Cloth bags well painted
|
|
| Raw hide for pack strings
|
|
| Dress'd letter for Hoppus-Straps
|
|
| Other packing
|
|
|
|
Do.= ditto
&c. = etcetera
Oznaburgs = strong cloth
Worsted feiret [ferret] = woven wool tape, used for embellishment and trade
Hoppus = might possible refer to an Indian term for knapsack
List copied from: Jackson, Donald, ed., Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: with Related Documents 1783 - 1854, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1978, pages 69-74.