425 



scription des habitants^ du sol, les productions animales et vegetales, etc.; 

 trad, enfrangais par A.-J.-N. L. {Lallemant). Paris, A. Bertrand, 1810, 

 in-S, avec carte, Qfr.^^ 



III. — THE AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 



[1814. J History j of \ The Expedition | under the command of \ Captains 

 Lewis and Clarlc, \ to \ the sources of the Missouri, \ thence \ across the 

 Rocky Mountains \ and down the \ River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. \ 

 Performed during the years 1804-5-6. | By order of the | Government of 

 the United States. | Prepared for the press \ by Paul Allen, Esquire. \ 

 In two Volumes. \ Vol. I [II]- \ Philadelphia : \ Published by Bradford 

 and Inslceep ; and \ Abm. R. InsJieep, Newyorlc. \ J. Maxwell, Printer. \ 

 1814. 



Two vols., Svo. Vol. I, pp. i-xxviii, 1-470, tnaps. Vol. II, pp. i-ix, 

 1-522, maps, {y Vol. II, Chap. VII, "JL general description of the 

 beasts, birds, and plants, &c. found by the party in this expedition,''^ pp, 

 148-201.) 



The editor's preface sets forth (not too fully) the circumstances under 

 which the authentic MSS. of the work were prepared for the press. It 

 had been, it appears. Captain Lewis's design to edit his travels himself. 

 He commenced the work, and was en route to Philadelphia to complete 

 it when his intention was frustrated by his tragic death. The papers 

 were then deposited, after considerable delay, in the hands of Nicholas 

 Biddle, who immediately proceeded to collect and investigate all the 

 materials within his reach. The sources of information are thus given 

 by Paul Allen : " Of the incidents of each day during the expedition a 

 minute journal was kept by Captain Lewis or Captain Clark, and some- 

 times b}' both, which was afterwards revised and enlarged at the differ- 

 ent periods of leisure which occurred on the route. These were care- 

 fully perused in conjunction with Captain Clark himself, who was able 

 from his own recollections of the journey, as well as from a constant resi- 

 dence in Louisiana since his return, to supply a great mass of explana- 

 tions, and much additional information with regard to part of the 

 route which has been more recently explored. Besides these, recourse 

 was had to the manuscript journals kept b}^ two of the sergeants, one 

 of which, the least minute and valuable, has already been published.* 

 That nothing might be wanting to the accuracy of these details, a very 

 intelligent and active meuiber of the party, Mr. George Shannon, was 

 sent to contribute whatever his memory might add to this accumulated 

 fund of information. From these copious materials the narrative was 

 sketched nearly to its present form, when" circumstances caused the 

 transfer of the unfinished MSS. and accompanying documents to another 

 editor, namely, Paul Allen, under whose superintendence the narrative 

 in its final shape was published. To it is prefixed a " Life of Captain 

 Lewis,'^ by President Jeiferson, embodying a certified copy of the offi- 

 cial instructions under which he acted. 



Thomas W. Field is severe upon Paul Allen, in this style: "At this 

 stage \i. e., when Paul Allen undertook it] of the growth of the history 

 Mr. Biddle from caprice, or business abstraction, abandoned its direc- 



*The allusiou is here to Gass's journal. It is a sigaificaut fact that no lefereuce is 

 made to the books I have styled the "apocrypha." 



