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Show xll I Life of Cll]Jla in Lewis. with t.he Indja.n character, customs, ancl JH'inciplcs; habitu .. ated to the huntiug lite; guat·dc<l. by exact ousc .. va ~ion of the vegetables and animals of his own eoun< r·y. against losing time in the description of objects ah·eatly possessed; honf'st, disintet·estctl, liberal, or sound umh-rshmuing, and a fifldity to truth so scrupulous, that whatcv<.'l' he shoulcl t'C]lOl't would be as certain as if seen by oul'sclves; "ith all tiJcsc qualiiications, as if selected and implanted by nat urc in one. bocly for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the entCJ·prise to him. To fill up the measm·c desired, be wanted nothing but a greater familiarity with the techni<. ·.al language of tlac natural sciences. and readiness in the astronomical observations necessary fot· the g'·og•·aphy of bis route. 'J'o arquirc these he rcpair·ed immt'diatcly to Philadelphia, and plact·d hi;nsclf under the tutorage of the distinguished pr·ofessot•s of chat place, who with a zeal aml emulation, cnldndled by an ardent devotion to scienee, communicated to him f1·ecly the information requisite for the purposes of th t' jont·ncy. \Vhile attending too, at Laneas~ tcr, the fabdcation of the arms with which he chose that his men should be pr·ovidcd, he had the benefit of daily communication with ~fr . .A.ndt•cw Ellicot, whose cxpct·icnce in astronomical obse•·vation, and practice of it in the woods, enabled him to ap1wise captain Lewis or the wants and difficulties he would encounter, and of the substitutes ami resources offered by a woodlaml and uninhabited counta·y. Deeming it nccrssary he shoulcl have some pea•son with him of known competence to the cliJ•c•ction of the enterprise, in the event of accident to himself. he pr·oposed 'Villiam Clarke, brother of general George Rogrrs Clarkr. who was approved, and, with th~1t view, received a commission of captain. In April, 1803, a dt·aught of his instr·uetions was sent to captain Lewis, and on the twentieth of June they were sigtt· ed in tho followin~ form: Lift of Captain Lewis. :xiii "To l\fcriwethcr Lewis, esquit·e, captain of tl1e first regiment of iol'a.nt•·y of the Unitecl States of Arnet·ica: h Your' situation as secl·etary or the l•resident of the United States, has made yon acquainted with the objects of my uonfidcntial mrssagc ol' Jannaa·y 18, 180:->. to the legislature; you have seen tlw act the_y passed, which, though c: xpl'f'~~c'l in genet·al tcr·ms, was meanl to sanction tho~c ohjccts, and you arc appointed to c;ur·y them into execution. " Instruments fot· as<.H.·t·tuining. IJy cclest ial observations, the g(•ogt·aphy or thl' <~ountry llu·ough which you will pass, ha' e been already pt•ovicled.. J .. ight a ~· tich-s fut' hal'tc•· and presents among the Indians, arms for your· attendant , say foa· f'r·om ten to twelve men, boats. tents, and othc1· tt·a.vcl· ling apparatus, with ammuui tion. medicine. su t•gieal instt·umcnts, and provisions. you will have prepared. with su(•h aid5 as the sect·etary at war can yield in his depar·tmcnt; and f1·om him also you will r·eceive authority t.o engagt· among our troops, by voluntar·y agreement, the number ol' attendants abovementioned; over whom you, as their commanding officer, are invested with all the powers the laws give in such a case. "As your movements, while within the limits of the United States- will be better dit·ected by occasional com;uuni- ' eations, adapted to ciJ·cumstances as t1aey arise, they will not IJe noticed hca·e. What follows will respect yout· pl'Oceedings after your clcpal'ture from the Unilcd States. '' You1· uaission has been communicated to the ministers here ft'om France, Spain, and Gt·cat Dt·itain, and tht·ough them to theh· govcl'nments; and such assurances gi,·cn them as to its objects, as we trust will satisfy them. The country of Louisiana having been ceded by Spain to F1·ancc, the passport you have from the minister of F•·ance, the rrprcscntativc of thf' pr·esent sovcrrign of the country. will lJe a lll'Otection with all its subjects; and that from the minister of England will entitle you to tlw fril'ndl~ ~1id of auy lraders of that allegiance with whom you may haj,pen to meet. |