ast word from the explorers until their return in September,
1806. During all that long interval, the adventurers were not heard of
in the States. No wonder that croakers declared that the little party
had been cut off to perish miserably in the pathless woods that cover
the heart of the continent.

But they set out on the long journey with light hearts. In his journal,
whose spelling and punctuation are not always models for the faithful
imitation of school-boys, Captain Lewis set down this observation:--

"Our vessels consisted of six small canoes, and two large perogues. This
little fleet altho' not quite so respectable as those of Columbus or
Capt. Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those
deservedly famed adventurers ever beheld theirs; and I dare say with
quite as much anxiety for their safety and preservation. We were now
about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on
which the foot of civilized man had never trodden; the good or evil
it had in store for us was for experiment yet to determine, and these
little vessels contained every article by which we were to expect to
subsist or defend ourselves. However as the state of mind in which we
are, generally gives the colouring to events, when the imagination is
suffered to wander into futurity, the picture which now presented itself
to me was a most pleasing one. Entertaining as I do the most confident
hope of succeeding in a voyage which had formed a darling project of
mine for the last ten years, I could but esteem this moment of our
departure as among the most happy of my life."

The barge sent down the river to St. Louis was in command of Corporal
Wharfington; and with him were six private soldiers, two French
voyageurs, Joseph Gravelines (pilot and interpreter), and Brave Raven, a
Ricara (or Arikara) chief who was to be escorted to Washington to visit
the President. The party was also intrusted with sundry gifts for the
President, among them being natural history specimens, living and dead,
and a number of Indian articles which would be objects of curiosity in
Washington.

The long voyage of the main party began on the 8th of April, 1805, early
passing the mouth of the Big Knife River, one of the five considerable
streams that fall into the Missouri from the westward in this region;
the other streams are the Owl, the Grand, the Cannonball, and the Heart.
The large town of Stanton, Mercer County, North Dakota, is now