“

" 9. washing the feet every morning in cold water, will conduce very much to fortify them against the action of cold.

" 10. after long marches, or much fatigue from any cause, you will be more refreshed by lying down in a horizontal posture for two hours, than by resting a much longer time in any other position of the body.

" 11. shoes made without heels, by affording equal action to all the muscles of the legs, will enable you to march with less fatigue, than shoes made in the ordinary way.”

On the same day, February 28, that he had written to Rush, Jefferson wrote to Caspar Wistar: “ . . . What follows is to be perfectly confidential. I have at length succeeded in procuring an essay to be made of exploring the Missouri & whatever river, heading with that, runs into the Western ocean. Congress by a secret authority enables me to do it. a party of about 10. chosen men headed by an officer will immediately set out. we cannot in the U. S. find a person who to courage, prudence, habits & health adapted to the woods, & some familiarity with the Indian character, joins a perfect knolege of botany natural history, mineralogy & astronomy, all of which would be desireable.

" to the first qualifications Capt. Lewis my secretary adds a great mass of accurate observation made on the different subjects of the three kingdoms as existing in these states, not under their scientific forms, but so as that he will readily sieze whatever is new in the country he passes thro, and give us accounts of new things only: and he has qualified himself for fixing the longitude & latitude of the different points in the line he will go over. I have thought it would be useful to confine his attention to those objects only on which information is most deficient & most desireable: & therefore would thank you to make a note on paper of those which occur to you as most desireable for him to attend to. he will be in Philadelphia within two or three weeks & will call on you. any advice or hints you can give him will be thankfully recieved & usefully applied. I presume he will compleat his tour there & back in two seasons . . . ”

On April 20 Meriwether Lewis addressed to Jefferson from Lancaster a long letter of 5 pages, explaining all the arrangements he had made for the expedition. The letter opens: “With a view to forward as much as possible the preparations which must necessarily be made in the Western country previous to my final departure, as also to prevent the delay, which would attatch to their being made after my arrival in that quarter, I have taken the following measures, which I hope will meet your approbation; they appear to me to be as complete as my present view of the subject will admit my making them, and I trust the result will prove as favorable as wished for . . .”

The last paragraphs read: “I arrived at this place yesterday, called on M ^r. Ellicot, and have this day commenced, under his direction, my observations & ^c, to perfect myself in the use and application of the instruments.

"M ^r. Ellicot is extreemely friendly and attentive and I am confident is disposed to render me every aid in his power: he thinks it will be necessary I should remain here ten or twelve days.--

"Being fully impressed with the necessity of seting out as early as possible, you may rest assured that not a moment shall be lost in making the necessary preparations. I still think it practicable to reach the mouth of the Missourie by the 1 ^st. of August.--”

In the Jefferson Papers in the Library of Congress is an undated document in the handwriting of Lewis headed: Recapitulation of an estimate of the sum necessary to carry into effect the Miss ^ie expedicion.

This reads as follows:

Mathematical Instruments............................................................................$217.--

Arms & Accoutrements extraordinary...............................................................81.--

Camp Ecquipage..............................................................................................255.--

Medecine & packing..........................................................................................55.--

Means of transportation...................................................................................430.--

Indian presents.................................................................................................696.--

Provisions extraordinary...................................................................................224.--

Materials for making up the various articles into portable packs.......................55.--

For the pay of hunters guides & Interpreters...................................................300.--