The letter, three quarto pages in all, contains long descriptions of the trees concerned.

Two months later, on the 18th of May, Lewis sent to Jefferson from St. Louis a number of specimens, with a list, headed: “The following is a list of Articles forwarded you by M ^r. Peter Chouteau.

"These articles include Mineral, Miscellaneous Articles, and Maps &c.”

On November 6, Jefferson sent a report to Reuben Lewis, the brother of Meriwether: “ I inclose you a letter directed to your brother which came to me under cover a few days ago. I have the pleasure also to inform you that we have lately received thro a channel meriting entire confidence, advice that on the 4 ^th. of Aug. he was at the mouth of the River Plate, 600 miles up the Missouri, where he had met a great council of the Missouri’s, Pani’s and Ottos, at their invitation, and had also on their request appointed among them three grand chiefs. two of his men had deserted from him. he had with him 2 boats and about 48 men. he was then setting out up the river. one of his boats and half the men would return from his winter quarters. in the spring he would leave about a fourth where he winters to make corn for his return, and would proceed with the other fourth. all accounts concur in the entire friendly dispositions of the Indians, and that he will be through his whole course as safe as at home. believing that this information would be acceptable to your self, his mother and friends, I communicate it with pleasure and with it tender my salutations and best wishes. ”

Almost a year later, on April 3, 1805, Clark wrote to Jefferson from Fort Mandan, and sent him his notes on the expedition: “It being the wish of Captain Lewis, I take the liberty to send you for your own perusal the notes which I have taken in the form of a journal in their original state. you will readily perceive in reading over those notes, that many parts are incorrect, owing to the variety of information received at different times, I most sincerely wish that leasure had permitted me to offer them in a more correct form.

"Receive I pray you my unfained acknowledgements for your friendly recollection of me in your letters to my friend and companion Capt ⁿ. Lewis. and be assured of the sincere regard with which I have the honor to be your most obedient and humble servent.”

Four days later, on April 7, Lewis sent to Jefferson a report of four and a half pages, and enclosed with it an Invoice of articles forwarded from Fort Mandan to the President of the United States through Capt ⁿ. Stoddard at S ^t. Louis and M ^r. H. B. Trist the Collector of the Port of New Orleans.

The letter reads in part: “Herewith inclosed you will receive an invoice of certain articles, which I have forwarded to you from this place. among other articles, you will observe by reference to the invoice, 67. specimens of earths, salts and minerals; and 60 specimens of plants . . . You will also receive herewith inclosed a part of Cap ^t. Clark’s private journal, the other part you will find inclosed in a separate tin box. this journal is in it’s original state, and of course incorrect, but it will serve to give you the daily detales of our progress, and transactions . . . I have transmitted to the Secretary at War, every information relative to the geography of the country which we possess, together with a view of the Indian nations, containing information relative to them, on those points with which, I conceive it important that the government should be informed . . . Our baggage is all embarked on board six small canoes and two perogues; we shall set out at the same moment that we dispatch the barge. one or perhaps both of these perogues we shall leave at the falls of the Missouri, from whence we intend continuing our voyage in the canoes and a perogue of skins . . . We do not calculate on completeing our voyage within the present year, but expect to reach the Pacific Ocean, and return, as far as the head of the Missouri, or perhaps to this place before winter. you may therefore expect me to meet you at Montachello in September 1806 . . .”

The list is as described by Lewis and Jefferson has written beside the separate items, the word came, against those