“ particularly as well as from other Indian friends: that I am in fact preparing a kind of Indian hall. m( ^~ r) Dinsmore, my principal workman will shew you every thing there. had you not better bring him by Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Alexandria? he will thus see what none of the others have visited & the convenience of the public stages will facilitate your taking that route. I salute you with sincere affection. ”

The expedition returned in 1806, and in November of that year Lewis and Clark started for Washington, where they arrived in February 1807. Jefferson’s message to Congress, dated December 2, 1806, contained a statement on the expedition: . . . The expedition of Mess ^rs. Lewis & Clarke, for exploring the river Missouri, and the best communication from that to the Pacific ocean, has had all the success which could have been expected. they have traced the Missouri nearly to it’s source, descended the Columbia to the Pacific ocean, ascertained with accuracy the geography of that interesting communication across our continent, learnt the character of the country, of it’s commerce & inhabitants, and it is but justice to say that Mess ^rs. Lewis & Clarke, & their brave companions have, by this arduous service, deserved well of their country.

Before his death Meriwether Lewis had contracted with C. & A. Conrad & Co. for the publication of his journals. Jefferson mentioned his interest in this publication in a letter addressed to Lewis from Monticello on August 16, 1809: “ This will be handed you by m( ^~ r) Bradbury, an English botanist, who proposes to take S ^t. Louis in his botanising tour. he came recommended to me by m ( ^~ r) Roscoe of Liverpool, so well known by his histories of Lorenzo of Medicis & Leo. X. & who is president of the Botanical society of Liverpool. m ( ^~ r) Bradbury comes out in their employ, & having kept him here about ten days, I have had an opportunity of knowing that besides being a botanist of the first order, he is a man of entire worth & correct conduct. as such I recommend him to your notice, advice & patronage, while within your government or it’s confines. perhaps you can consult no abler hand on your Western botanical observations. I am very often applied to to know when your work will begin to appear; and I have so long promised copies to my literary correspondents in France, that I am almost bankrupt in their eyes. I shall be very happy to recieve from yourself information of your expectations on this subject. every body is impatient for it . . . ”

Lewis died on October 11 of the same year, 1809. On November 13, C. & A. Conrad & Co., the publishers wrote to Jefferson: “When Captn Lewis was last in Philadelphia we contracted with him to publish his travels & then since incurred considerable expences in preparing for the publication. The accounts recieved here yesterday by the Nashville newspapers of his decease induce us to use the freedom to advise you of the contract. That such a contract was made should be known to whoever has controul over his M.S. and not knowing who to apply to we have after some hesitation presumed to address ourselves to you, as most likely & most willing to point out to us what we ought to do--

"It is with much regret & some apprehension of incurring your Displeasure that we address you on this painfull subject so soon after the unfortunate circumstance that gives occasion for it. But the consideration that it is not alone our individual interests, but those of our country and of science, that are promoted by forwarding the publication, (already much too long delayed) we hope will be deemed some excuse for troubling you, and perhaps may induce you to take the further trouble to inform us where and to whom we are now to look for the copy. Gov ^r. Lewis never furnished us with a line of the M. S. nor indeed could we ever hear any thing from him respecting it tho frequent applications to that effect were made to him.”

Jefferson replied on November 23: “ On my return after an absence of a fortnight, I yesterday recieved your letter of the 13 ^th. Gov ^r. Lewis had in his lifetime apprised me that he had contracted with you for the publication of his account of his expedition. I had written to him some time ago to know when he would have it ready & was expecting an answer when I received the news of his unfortunate end. James Neelly, ”