Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 75 
EQUIPMENT OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPLOR- 
ING EXPEDITION. 
(Copied from the Government records in the Schuylkill arsenal 
at Philadelphia, Pa.) 
By H. C. POWBRS. 
In the spring of 1864, one hundred years ago, the 
great exploring expedition of Lewis and Clark left their 
winter camp on the east shore of the Mississippi River, 
nearly opposite of St. Louis and started on their long 
journey across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Their 
way was through an unknown country, inhabited by 
savage tribes of Indians among whom no white man 
had ever lived, and many of whom had never seen a 
white face. In this year of 1904, the centennial anniver- 
sary of the beginning of that wonderful expedition, the 
interest of all this great northwest part of the union, 
through which they passed, is aroused, and all details of 
the daily life of the members of the party are eagerly 
sought for. Expositions in memory of the trip are being 
held, books have been written concerning all that hap- 
pened to the different members of the heroic body of 
men, from the journal of the common private to that of 
the officers who were in command of the expedition. All 
details are eagerly sought for and read. 
A number of months since the writer of this sketch, 
sharing in the general interest in this direction, set on 
foot inquiries concerning the equipment of the expedi- 
tion in all its details. After many searches had been 
made in the War Department and Smithsonian Institu- 
tion at Washington, all of which resulted in disappoint- 
ment, a happy chance led the quest to Philadelphia, and 
there, where the expedition was fitted out, complete suc- 
cess crowned the search. 
