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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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May 18, 1804
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May 18, 1804

[Clark]

 

Friday May the 18th 1804    a fine morning    took equal altitude and made it 97° 42' 37" M. A—

A M. 9   9m 51" P M. 2 49' 24"
  9 10 16   2 50 50
  9 11 34   2 51   0

I had the Boat & Pierogue reloded So as to Cause them to be heavyer in bow than asturn    recved of Mr. Lyon [1] 136 lb. Tobacco on act. of Mr. Choteau [2]    Gave out tin Cups & 3 Knives to the French hands, Mr. Lauriesme [Lorimier] returned from the Kickapoo Town to day [3]    [He] delayed a Short time & Set out for St. Louis, I Sent George Drewyer with Mr. Lauriesmus to St Louis & wrote to Cap Lewis    Mr. Ducett made me a present of rivr Catts [4] & Some Herbs    our french hands bring me eggs milk &c. &. to day    The wind hard from the S. W.    Two Keel Boats came up to this place to day from Kentucky

[Clark]

May the 18th Friday 1804
 

a fine morning, I had the loading in the Boat & perogue examined and changed So as the Bow of each may be heavyer laded than the Stern, Mr. Lauremus who had been Sent by Cap Lewis to the Kickapoo Town on public business return'd and after a Short delay proceeded on to St Louis, I Sent George Drewyer with a Letter to Capt Lewis    Two Keel Boats arrive from Kentucky to day loaded with whiskey Hats &c. &.    the wind from the S W.    Took equal altitudes with Sexetn Made it 97° 42' 37" M T.

h ' "   h ' "
A. M. 9   9 51 P M. 2 49 24
  9 10 16   2 50 50
  9 11 34   2 51 10

Error of Sextion 8' 45"—

[Lewis]

(Point of Observation No. 1)
St. Charles May 18th 1804 [5]
 

Observed equal Altitudes of the ☉ with Sextant.

  h m s   h m s
A. M. 9   9 51 P M. 2 49 24
  " 10 16   " 50 50
  " 11 34   " 51 10

Atd. by Sextt. at the time of the Observt.    97° 42 37
Result.

    m s
Chronometer too fast M. T.   4 18.7
Longtd. by Chrotr. W. from Grent. 90° 15'   7"
Latd. by Hor. ∠ P. M. Obstn. of ☉'s Cent. 38° 54' 39"

[Ordway]

 

Friday May 18th 1804.   we lay at St Charles—

[Floyd]

 

Friday may 18th 1804   we Lay at St Charles

[Whitehouse]

 

Friday 18th May 1804.    a fair morning.    we bought some acceseries &c. for the voiage.    passed the evening verry agreeable dancing with the french ladies, &c—

Friday May 18th    This morning very pleasant, part of this day we were employ'd, procuring necessary's for our Voyage; in the Evening we were amused at a Ball, which was attended by a number of the French ladies, who were remarkably fond of dancing.

1. Probably Matthew Lyon, who at this period was a resident of Kentucky and had a contract for army supplies. An Irish immigrant, Lyon gained fame in the 1790s as a Republican congressman and journalist from Vermont who stoutly opposed the Federalists, President John Adams, and the Alien and Sedition Acts, even to the point of going to jail. Jackson (LLC), 1:168 n. 1; Osgood (FN), 42 n. 3; Austin. (back)
2. Both Auguste and Pierre Chouteau were later reimbursed for expenditures of about this date. Lewis's Account [August 5, 1807], Jackson (LLC), 2:420. (back)
3. Apparently Lorimier had been on a mission to the Kickapoos for the United States. The wandering Kickapoos had various settlements in Missouri about this time, and the location of this one is hard to determine. See March 21, 1804. There was a village near Ste. Genevieve, but Lorimier would not have passed by St. Charles in returning from there to his home in Cape Girardeau; nor would he have passed a settlement on the Gasconnade River southwest of St. Louis. A location north of the Missouri River seems more likely. See May 22, 1804. Gibson, 22–23, 32, 38, 46, 52; Houck, 1:362. (back)
4. Perhaps the channel catfish, but later on (see July 24, 1804) this fish is treated as if it were previously unknown. Lee et al., 439; Cutright (LCPN), 425. (back)
5. Since Lewis did not actually arrive at St. Charles until May 20, Clark probably made the observation, which Lewis later copied into this Codex O entry. (back)
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