“Great joy in camp we are in view of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we been so long anxious to see.” November 7, 1805, William Clark
Great joy on the Sea Bird as well as we have cruised over a thousand miles making new friends, sharing information, telling stories and making up way too many silly jokes. Will any of us ever forget the lock-moss-nester? Not even if we try hard.
We parallel history in what has made our explorations these past few days so interesting, informative, comfortable and simply delightful: good planning, dedicated teamwork to the goal, a genuine concern for everyone’s well-being, and a spirit for adventure.
Thomas Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition, who in turn chose William Clark to be his co-Captain, together they put together a team to take care of every need the Expedition members might have.
There was a blacksmith: whose skills were critical in keeping the firearms in working order for the hunters. The hunters: who were responsible for keeping the party fed. Sergeant Patrick Gass, a carpenter, builder of three different forts sheltering the party over the winters of 1803-04, 1804-05, and finally the winter of 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop. Interpreters: Toussaint Charbonneau and Francis LaBiche two rungs in the language ladder that allowed Lewis to convey messages from Jefferson as well as trade for horses, the transportation link critical to crossing the Rocky Mountains. The bonus member of the party was the un-paid, un-official interpreter Sacajawea, wife of Charbonneau. Not only her interpretive skills but also her mere presence was an asset. She was a visual signal to Native American tribes met along the way that this was not a war party. A war party would not travel with a women or an infant. The Corps of Discovery had both.
The winter at Fort Clatsop was spent preparing to go home, hundreds of pair of moccasins were made, along with equally necessary but seeming minor items such as tallow candles. Labors were performed by individuals for the collective good of the party and the parties collective success.
Teamwork is shown in the two photos above, deckhands Amy Anderson and Steve Beebe working together as we dock in Astoria under the direction of Captain Scott Martin. The teamwork isn’t so obvious in the second photo, a banana slug found wandering the paths of Fort Clatsop was shared with our guests and then photographed. With the photographer framing the photo and also holding the slug in her right hand, help was needed to push the shutter button; Steve Ewing, our video chronicler, supplied assistance. Teamwork has allowed us to share the banana slug with you, as well as several days of explorations of new areas, new foods and new friendships.
We recognized the importance of diverse skills and integrated teamwork as core to the success of our expedition. There’s a great deal to be learned from history.
