Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 83 
CAPT. LEWIS. 
8. Nests of camp kettles, brass is much preferred to Iron, 
though both are very useful to the Indians, size from 1 to 4 gallons. 
Hach article to be weighed separate and the weight and price 
extended in the Invoice under the appropriate Head. In packing no 
regard need be had to the different divisions or classes as specified in 
the Invoice but packed indiscriminately as may be most advantageous, 
regard being paid to such articles as may be most likely to receive 
damage. The blankets may be used in the packing for the protection 
of the goods. Such articles as are taken from the Military stores are 
to be entered in the invoice under their proper heads with weight 
extended and without price. . 
The above is a copy of the requisition of Capt. Meri- 
wether Lewis as made out in his own writing and follow- 
ing his sometimes peculiar spelling and capitalization. 
In it are included all he asked for the equipment of his 
exploring party to travel over an unknown country thou- 
sands of miles in extent. Every advance of the expedi- 
‘tion took them farther from civilization and from all — 
supplies, so that all needs of the party must be foreseen 
and provided for before starting. 
Many of the articles required by Capt. Lewis were 
not kept in the Public Supplies Stores and so had to be 
bought in the markets of Philadelphia. Before me lies a 
copy of the bill for medical supplies purchased from a 
firm having the name of Gillaspy & Strong. The whole 
bill amounted to $90.69. On taking this bill to one of the 
wholesale druggists of Sioux City and comparing the 
prices of one hundred and one years ago with those of 
the present time I learned that the same bill could be 
filled now at a good profit for less than one-fourth of 
what it cost in 1803. Fifteen pounds of pulverized Peru- 
vian bark then cost $30.00, while now it costs but $4.50, 
and much like this through the whole list. 
It is evident from the copies of the bills I have that 
many of the articles called for by Capt. Lewis could not 
be found and that others were substituted in their places. 
This is shown most plainly in the bill for the Indian 
presents, which was much the largest bill of all. Some 
of the items in this bill seem to have been very costly 
then as compared to present prices. Such is the item of 
48 calico Ruffled Shirts which is charged at $71.04, while 
cloth, ribbons, handkerchiefs and beads were very much 
more expensive then than now. In the matter of tents 
