JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: THE
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION OF
THE AMERICAN WEST WAS A
SCIENTIFIC BONANZA.
CHECK OUT THE SCIENCE OF LEWIS
AND CLARK...
(MUSIC)
N: SCIENCE COULD BE
DESCRIBED AS THE METHOD OF
GAINING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE
UNIVERSE AROUND US.
IN 1803 THE WEST WAS A HUGE
MYSTERY.
SEXTANTS AND CHRONOMETERS MAY
HAVE TOLD THE MEN OF THE LEWIS
AND CLARK EXPEDITION WHERE THEY
WERE ON THE EARTH, BUT THESE
INSTRUMENTS COULD NOT TELL THEM
WHAT THEY WOULD FIND IN THIS
HUGE WESTERN LAND.
PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON SENT
THE EXPEDITION TO EXPLORE THIS
NEW AREA, MAP IT, AND BRING BACK
SCIENTIFIC SAMPLES AND
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PEOPLE, THE
PLANTS, THE LAND, AND THE WILD
ANIMALS.
FOR THE MOST PART, THE NATIVE
AMERICAN TRIBES THEY MET ALONG
THE WAY WERE FRIENDLY, GUIDING
AND ADVISING THE EXPEDITION.
IN FACT, THE "CORPS OF
DISCOVERY," AS THEY WERE CALLED,
MAY NOT HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT
THE HELP OF THE INDIANS THEY
ENCOUNTERED.
LEWIS AND CLARK FOUND 178 NEW
TYPES OF PLANTS, TREES, LIKE THE
LODGEPOLE PINE AND THE ENGELMANN
SPRUCE, PLANTS THAT COULD BE
USED FOR FOOD, SUCH AS BLUE
HUCKLEBERRY AND CAMAS.
AND THEY DISCOVERED A SPECIES
THAT CAUSED NO END OF PROBLEMS
FOR THE MEN AND THEIR MOCCASINS,
ACCORDING TO A JOURNAL ENTRY BY
MERIWETHER LEWIS.
LEWIS: JUNE 23, 1805.
THIS EVENING THE MEN REPAIRED
THEIR MOCCASINS TO PROTECT THEIR
FEET FROM THE PRICKLY PEARS.
CARTAN-HANSEN: BUT PRICKLY PEAR
WAS A MINOR PROBLEM COMPARED TO
ENCOUNTERS WITH A MYSTERIOUS
ANIMAL THE NATIVE AMERICANS
CALLED "WHITE BEAR."
ALTHOUGH THE EXPLORERS BEGAN
NOTICING THE HUGE TRACKS OF THIS
ANIMAL, IT WASN'T UNTIL A YEAR
INTO THEIR JOURNEY THAT THEY HAD
THEIR FIRST ENCOUNTER.
LEWIS: MAY 14, 1805.
THE MEN IN TWO OF THE REAR
CANOES DISCOVERED A LARGE BROWN
BEAR LYING IN THE OPEN GROUNDS.
SIX OF THEM WENT OUT TO ATTACK
HIM.
TWO OF THEM RESERVED THEIR FIRE.
THE FOUR OTHERS FIRED NEARLY AT
THE SAME TIME AND PUT EACH HIS
BULLET THROUGH.
THIS MONSTER RAN AT THEM WITH AN
OPEN MOUTH.
THE TWO OF THEM WHO HAD RESERVED
THEIR FIRE DISCHARGED THEIR
PIECES AT HIM AS HE CAME TOWARDS
THEM.
THIS, HOWEVER, ONLY RETARDED HIS
MOTION FOR A MOMENT.
HE PURSUED THE TWO OF THEM SO
CLOSE THAT THEY WERE OBLIGED TO
THROW THEMSELVES INTO THE RIVER.
SO ENRAGED WAS THIS ANIMAL THAT
HE PLUNGED INTO THE RIVER ONLY A
FEW FEET BEHIND.
WHEN ONE OF THOSE WHO STILL
REMAINED ON SHORE SHOT HIM
THROUGH THE HEAD -- MERIWETHER
LEWIS.
CARTAN-HANSEN: LEWIS AND CLARK
DESCRIBED FOR SCIENCE AT LEAST
120 MAMMALS, BIRDS, REPTILES AND
FISH.
THEY WROTE OF RATTLESNAKES,
MOUNTAIN GOATS, BIGHORN SHEEP,
SAGE GROUSE, AND RIVERS BURSTING
WITH SALMON.
FROM THE PRAIRIE DOGS THAT LEWIS
CALLED "BARKING SQUIRRELS" TO
THE MASSES OF BISONS.
THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY TRULY
DISCOVERED A VAST RESOURCE OF
AMAZING WILDLIFE IN A STUNNING
PLACE CALLED "THE WEST."
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