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