1893.] "^" [Coucs. 



he wrote the whole work himself, nowhere following the actual words of 

 the explorers themselves in his main text, though using tabular statistical 

 matter literally in his Appendix. Had he done otherwise the world 

 would have been treated to an unexampled curiosity in literature. Bid- 

 die's narrative should stand forever as the authentic History of the Expe- 

 dition ; but if the actual texts of Lewis and of Clark are ever published, 

 they should be printed word for word, letter for letter, and point for point. 

 This would make a wonderful book, and I am inclined to think it should 

 be done ; but no new editorial narrative need or should ever be made, nor 

 should the Biddle text ever be tampered with. It may be annotated to 

 any extent in the light of contemporaneous criticism, but should itself be 

 left to stand, as a model of methodical, painstaking, precise and judicious 

 editorship. 



Judging from the Clark-Biddle correspondence, Mr. Biddle spent two 

 or three years (1810-12) in writing the book, and about as much more 

 time in superintending its publication, which was not finished till Febru- 

 ary, 1814. Sometimes he worked upon Lewis' manuscript, sometimes upon 

 Clark's ; oftener upon both, which he welded together into a third ; the 

 resulting text is altogether his, excepting in so far as it was mangled in 

 the press. I presume Mr. Paul Allen is mainly responsible for the shock- 

 ing punctuation and other errors of the published pages. He had abso- 

 lutely no joint authorship with Mr. Biddle ; he had not the shadow of a 

 claim, that I can discover, to be even mentif>ned in connection with the 

 work, much less to have his name put on the title-page ; he was a mere 

 hack, who received $500 for some alleged or perhaps imaginary services, 

 not discernible in the light of history ; even the Preface, signed "Paul 

 Allen," is Mr. Biddle's ; and the memoir of Lewis, ostensibly addressed 

 to Mr. Allen, was secured by Mr. Biddle from Mr. Jefferson. I am utterly 

 at a loss to imagine from what motive Mr. Biddle voluntarily relinquished 

 to another the credit justly due to himself as the actual writer of an im- 

 mortal book. 



The only serious criticism of Mr. Biddle's most admirable performance, 

 which examination of the original manuscripts induces me to venture, 

 concerns the exclusion of all tabular matter from the body of his text. 

 The manuscripts of both the explorers, and of Clark especially, are replete 

 with astronomical observations for latitude and longitude, tabulated courses 

 by points of the compass, bearings of prominent landmarks by the same, 

 formally estimated distances, etc. These are of great intrinsic interest in 

 meandering the Missouri and other rivers, and invaluable in tracking the 

 routes of the explorers across the mountains. It is true tliat such things 

 do not make easy reading, and perhaps the publisher objected ; but tlie 

 benefit to the student of Lewis and Clark that would have resulted from 

 the publication of these data is simply incalculable. 



PKOC. AMER. PHILOS. 80C. XXXI. 140. E. PRINTED MARCH 2, 1893. 



