SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 105. 



vestigation was carried on. The first may 

 be called the period of geographical ex- 

 ploration ; the second that of geological 

 exploration. 



GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS. 



It was Jefiferson's purchase of the Lou- 

 isiana territory, in 1803, that gave to the 

 United States government the first title to 

 the Rocky Mountain region, but even prior 

 to that time it appears that he had formed 

 a project for its exploration. He tells us 

 that in 1786, during his residence at Paris 

 (as TJ. S. Minister) he met John Ledyard, 

 of Connecticut, a companion of Captain 

 Cook on his last voyage to the Pacific 

 Ocean, who had just failed in the attempt 

 to organize a mercantile company to engage 

 in the fur trade on the western coast of 

 America. Jefferson proposed to him ' to go 

 by land to Kamchatka, cross in some of the 

 Russian vessels to Ifootka Sound, fall down 

 into the latitude of the Missouri, and pene- 

 trate to and through that to the United 

 States.' Ledyard eagerly embraced the 

 idea, and after the permission to pass 

 through her territory had been secured 

 through Jefferson's influence, from the Em- 

 press of Russia, with an assurance of pro- 

 tection on his journey, he set forth from 

 Paris and, proceeding via. St. Petersburg, 

 had progressed to within 200 miles of Kam- 

 chatka, where he was obliged to go into 

 winter quarters. When he was preparing to 

 resume his journey in the spring he was ar- 

 rested by an officer of the Empress (who 

 by this time had changed her mind) , put 

 into a close carriage and conveyed, day and 

 night without stopping, to the frontier of 

 Poland. He returned to Paris much broken 

 down in bodily health, and not long after 

 (November 15, 1788) died at Cairo, Egypt, 

 whither he had gone for the purpose of ex- 

 ploring the interior of Africa. Thus failed 

 the first attempt at exploration. 



1792. In 1792 Jefferson proposed to the 



American Philosophical Society at Philadel- 

 phia ' to set on foot a subscription to engage 

 some competent person to explore that re- 

 gion in the opposite direction ; that is by 

 ascending the Missouri, crossing the Stony 

 mountains, and descending the nearest river 

 to the Pacific' Capt. Meriwether Lewis, 

 a connection by marriage of Gen. Washing- 

 ton, who was then stationed at Charlottes- 

 ville, Va., on recruiting service, secured 

 the appointment, and was to have had as 

 sole companion the eminent French botanist, 

 Andre Michaux, but when the latter had 

 reached Kentucky he was recalled by the 

 French Minister, then at Philadelphia, 'and 

 thus failed the second attempt for exploring 

 that region.' 



1803. In 1803, two years after Jefferson 

 had become President, in accordance with 

 the suggestions contained in a confidential 

 message from him, Congress so modified a 

 pending act establishing trading houses with 

 the Indian tribes as to extend its provisions 

 ■'to the Indians on the Missouri, and to au- 

 thorize an exploration of the source of that 

 river and of the best water communication 

 from there to the Pacific, voting $2,500 for 

 the expenses of the expedition. 



Jefferson appointed to the command of 

 this expedition Captain Meriwether Lewis, 

 of whose special qualifications for this posi- 

 tion he had had abundant proof during the 

 preceding two years, during which he had 

 served as his private secretary. 



Lewis repaired at once to Philadelphia 

 ' and placed himself under the tutorage of 

 the distinguished professors of that place,' 

 that he might be prepared to make the 

 necessary scientific observations during his 

 trip. At Lewis' suggestion Wm. Clark 

 was associated with him in the direction, 

 and for that purpose given a commission of 

 captain in the army. Jefiferson's detailed in- 

 structions of April, 1803,to guide his conduct 

 after leaving the United States (the cession 

 of Louisiana by France had not yet been 



