Our morning started truly in the "Wake of Lewis and Clark." As we traveled by motorcoach to meet our jet boats in Clarkston, Washington, we were close in tracing the 1806 overland return route taken by the Corps of Discovery along this stretch of the Snake River. It was a unique perspective to see what lay on the other side of the hills. Rolling fields of winter wheat spread even and green across the landscape.
We basked in the splendor of the steep basaltic cliffs. Among the shoreline trees, a small herd of Rocky Mountain big horn sheep played hide and seek with our jet boats. Soon, we came to Cache Creek and stopped for a picnic lunch among the fruit trees. As we explored this mini oasis, we found three tom turkeys strutting, displaying, and gobbling for the attentions of one lone hen. The toms tried their best to impress the hen in their feathered splendor.
Later, upon our return to the Sea Lion, we had the opportunity to visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park. Included in the gallery exhibit is the elk skin dress shown in the photo above. The ornaments adorning this dress include elk's teeth as well as items of trade, such as shells, glass beads and thimbles.
Meriwether Lewis recognized the need for large amounts of trade goods with their interactions amongst the native peoples. Meticulously assembled into twenty-one bundles were items such as "11 Ps. handerchieffs, 1 doz. ivory combs, 4 doz. butcher knives, 12 doz. pocket looking glasses, 2 gross thimbles, 15 doz. scissors, 2,800 fish hooks, 8 gross mocassin awls, and 2 lbs. Vermillion." The total cost of these items labeled as "Indian Presents" was $669.50. Yet even this was not enough, as they ran out of trade items during the winter of 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop. They extended their trading resources by cutting and using the buttons from their uniforms as trade.
The careful planning and packing of thousands of pounds of supplies was critical to the success of the Corps of Discovery. It makes our travel preparations today on whether or not to pack an extra shirt or pair of socks seem quite trivial by comparison.
