426 Expedition to the 



coffee, 30lb. sugar, and a small quantity of salt, 5lb. Vermil- 

 lion, 2lb. beads, 2 gross of knives, 1 gross of combs, 3 doz. 

 fire steels, 300 flints, 1 doz. gun worms, 2 gross of hawk's 

 bells, 2 doz. mockasin awls, 1 doz. scissors, 6 doz, looking 

 glasses, 30lb. tobacco, and a few trinkets, 2 axes, several 

 hatchets, forage bags, canteens, bullet-pouches, powder horns, 

 tin canisters, skin canoes, packing skins, pack cords, and 

 some small packing boxes for insects, &c. 



The gentlemen of the party were supplied with such in- 

 struments as were deemed indispensably requisite in their 

 several pursuits. The instruments for topographical pur- 

 poses were, three travelling, and several pocket compasses ; 

 one sextant, with radius of five inches ; one snuff box sex- 

 tant ; one portable horizon with glass frame and mercurial 

 trough ; one and an half pounds mercury, in a case of box- 

 wood ; two, small thermometers; several blank books, port 

 folios, &c. 



The hunters, interpreters, and attendants were furnished 

 with rifles or muskets ; the soldiers were armed exclusively 

 with rifles, and suitably equipped. Our stock of ammunition 

 amounted in all to about 30 pounds of powder, 20 of balls, 

 and 40 of lead, with a plentiful supply of flints, and some 

 small shot. 



Several of the Indians about Council Bluff, to whom our 

 proposed route had been explained, and who had witnessed 

 our preparations, affected to laugh at our temerity, in at- 

 tempting what they said we should never be able to accom- 

 plish. They represented some part of the country, through 

 which we intended to travel, as so entirely destitute of water 

 and grass, that neither ourselves nor our horses could be 

 subsisted while passing it. Barony Vasquez, who accom- 

 panied Captain Pike in his expedition to the sources of 

 the Arkansa, assured us there was no probability we could 

 avoid the attacks of hostile Indians, who infested every part 

 of the country. The assault which had been recently made 



