The History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: Volume 2 [Facsimile] [Paperback]

Merriwether Lewis (Author), William Clark (Author), Elliott Coues (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1979

Volume 2 of the classic edition of Lewis and Clark's day-by-day journals that later became the basis for U.S. claims to Oregon and the West. Accurate and invaluable geographical, botanical, biological, meteorological, and anthropological material. Complete 1893 edition, edited by Elliott Coues from Biddle's authorized 1814 history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Facsimile of 1893 ed edition (June 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486212696
• ISBN-13: 978-0486212692
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Neither rain nor snow can slow the Expedition, July 31, 2000

By 

Michael Green "mrclay2000" (OKLAHOMA CITY, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: Volume 2 (Paperback)

The narrative picks up in June 1805, after a night of rain "but it cleared off and became a fine day." By the end of that year when the expedition next wintered near modern day Astoria, OR, the expedition would face rains almost constantly, having a dozen or so dry days all winter, and of those only half provided sunshine.

This year is the most difficult of the expedition (or rather the period covered by this volume). The team meets its greatest hardships, not least of which is choosing the best overland route when the Missouri is no longer navigable. The correct choice (and the correct choice was made) is vital to preserving the goodwill of the men and the success of the expedition. Grizzly bears continue to harass the men (many hunters are treed), the mosquitoes become horribly bothersome, and when game becomes scarce, they trade for horses, sometimes killing the colts for food; elsewhere they trade to feed upon dogs, at first a meat loathsome to the men, but after adaptation and long usage, it becomes a favorite food, as the expedition trades for that article particularly. Many times plant roots and dried fish served as the only food for days on end, which made the men sick, who were so drenched with rain (they built their winter cabins in the rain), that many were too sick to participate in the necessary subsistence.

Here Sacajawea and her husband are saved from drowning by the vigilance of Captain Clark.

This volume provides many instances of bighorn and behavior, pronghorn antelope and behavior, and of course grizzly bears. This wonderful volume of harrowing escapes, exciting scenes of the endurance of man, and the wonderful rewards from severe hardships ends in March 1806, just before the expedition evacuates Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast.

A wonderful read for early American exploration, and an excellent resource for the American wilderness at the beginning of the 19th century.