N3842

Lewis & Clark Expedition - Bicentennial

Fred's Anecdotal Note

Plant Discoveries

In 1803 President Jefferson sent Lewis to study with Dr. Benjamin Barton who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Barton was the author of the first botany textbook in the United Siates. He taught Lewis how to preserve specimens be they plants or birds or animail skins. He also expanded Lewis's scientific vocabulary and knowledge and emphasized the use of labels to include description, date, and place of collection. In a subsequent study of the captain's writings, Elijah Criswell documented two hundred different technical terms used by Lewis in describing new plants and animals. He noted that Lewis had. "a remarkable knowledge for an amateur of scientific, especially botanical, descriptive terminolog."

At Fort Clatsop Lewis spent much of his time at his writing desk. Mostly he wrote about botany because of the Pacific Northwest climate that enabled trees and plants to flourish. On the coast he discovered and described ten new plants including the beautiful Sitka spruce. He labeled and preserved dozens of plants, leaves, and cones as he had done during the entire journey. He was modest and on February 4, 1806 while studying fir trees near the fort he wrote, "I shall describe as well as my slender botanicall skil will enable me." In fact, his skill was considerable and over the two hundred years since the expedition, researchers have had little problem in concluding which species Lewis was writing about in his journals.

After his retum, Lewis called upon Dr. Barton to solicit help in the writing of his natural history report of the expedition. Almost all of the plants described by Lewis and most of the animals were new to science. During his visit, Lewis returned to Barton a reference work loaned to him and wrote on the volume "Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton was so obliging as to lend me this...in June 1803, it has since been conveyed by me to the plcific Ocean through the interior of North American on my late tour thither and is now returned. to its proprietor by his Friend and Obt Servt. Meriwether Lewis, Philadetphia, May 9, 1807." This remarkable, inscribed book survives to the present day in Phiiadelphia. What a priceless link to the Corps of Discovery!