Journal 2005 06 15
An “Inchanting” Dream, A Day in Paradise
Meriwether Lewis was a man who had a day of heaven on earth that modern adventurers can only dream of. He penned one of his longest journal entries of the expedition as he recorded for posterity the joy of his exploration.
Always first fulfilling his obligation to his men and mission Lewis dispatches Private Joseph Fields with a letter to Captain Clark informing him of their discovery of the falls. Another soldier is put to work making a scaffold to dry meat and fish. A small party is sent to get what is left of the buffalo meat they left yesterday. Wolves are their constant companions when they have killed animals for meat. The men report later in the day that not much of the meat was left after the wolves took advantage of their free lunch.
About ten that morning Lewis determines that preparations for camp, provisions for the party coming upriver are well under way and that further exploration upriver would be fruitful. And I’m guessing that the ever-curious mind of the wilderness explorer Meriwether Lewis, whose heart for wild places and exploration was born as a boy in the frontier of colonial America, was primed to overflowing to see what other wonders lay upstream.
Lewis took his rifle and espontoon, a long spear like weapon with a pointed blade attached to the end, and left this primitive camp on a SW bearing along the course of the river.
He has proceeded about five miles upriver passing many beautiful rapids and waterfalls. He reaches another falls that he remarks would dwarf any of the grandest falls in the then United States. Its beauty is placed behind the initial discovery of the Great Falls by comparison. He remarks that he should have turned back to camp at this point but the louder roaring he hears upriver draws him. How many of us should have taken the prudent action, but were drawn by something that captivated our curiosity?
Upon discovery of another magnificent waterfall Lewis attempts to describe them. He eventually concludes that one is “pleasingly beautiful” while the other is ”sublimely grand”. “…if a skillful painter had been asked to make a beautiful cascade that he would most probably have presented the precise image of this one.” Poetic, lyrical praise from an adventure that most would only describe as a long camping trip.
Lewis is swept up in this idyllic dream that has captivated him and late in the day realizes that returning to camp this night is not an option. You’ve got to believe that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t want to leave this valley of paradise.
He shoots a buffalo from the biggest herd he has yet to see and in his rapture does not immediately reload his musket. A mistake he vows to never make again. A great white bear, actually a grizzly of white color, stalks him as Lewis with fascination watches the life drain from the gigantic bovine. Reality intrudes upon his dream when the big bear advances on him from twenty paces. As Lewis turns to look for cover from which to load his rifle the bear roars and charges. Lewis races eighty yards to the river and quickly finds deeper water hoping to force the bear to swim to reach him. As he takes a defensive posture with his espontoon the bear stops, turns and runs three miles across the valley into the woods. Lewis gets out of the water, reloads his rifle and “feels confident once more in his strength.”
Next he notices what he thinks is a wolf, but then sees it is a type of big cat he has not seen before. As he approaches it, the cat crouches as if to spring on him. He rests his rifle on the shaft of his espontoon and fires at the cat. The big feline returns to his burrow. Lewis reloads. Upon examining the cat’s tracks Lewis determines it to be of the “tiger” kind. Always confident of his skills, Lewis concludes he did hit the animal with his shot.
Lewis is no more than three hundred yards from the cat’s burrow when three buffalo separate from the herd and run full speed at him. Lewis greets this charge with some amusement in light of his time with the bear and tiger and changes his direction and charges the charging buffalo. As the distance closes to one hundred yards the three buffalo come to “a mad halt”, take a good view of me and retreat with precipitation.”
It is now half past six in the early evening and in spite of his earlier decision to make camp overnight in the valley Lewis changes his mind as he thinks “that all the beasts of the neighbourhood had made league to distroy me, or that some fortune was disposed to amuse herself at my expence….”
Lewis ponders his day, “…the curious adventures wore the impression on my mind of inchantment; at sometimes for a moment I thought it might be a dream…” but the prickly pear cactus poking through his moccasins remind him that he is indeed alive, awake and not dreaming! He sets his path towards camp downriver.
He arrives at camp after dark, relieving the fears of his men and eats a hearty supper and gets a good nights rest. He makes no mention of dreaming, but I would imagine dreams could barely rival reality this day for our adventurer.
I have for many days let this record stew in my mind and heart. I genuinely believe a book could be written from the seeds germinated this one day. For the purposes of this “daily” musing I will limit myself to my overwhelming thought regarding this parallel walk with this great explorer.
Our human hearts want paradise on earth. Lewis recognizes his dreamlike enchantment with the discoveries of this day. Then, and always then, threat of death and pain remind him that it is not paradise on earth.
We need to see that even when we have had what we would call a perfect day, reality will intrude and threaten death and pain. These constant reminders that we live in a real world force us back to the refuge of our brothers as we move through life together. God has order. Adventure? Certainly. Fulfillment? Without question. Brotherhood? Foundational.
At the end of the day, are we retreating to the refuge we find in one another? Or, do we tempt fate and make our camp alone in the midst of danger? Lewis found his men. Have we found ours?
Inspiration for today from America's Greatest Expedition, the Corps of Discovery!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
The Grandest Sight I Ever Beheld
Journal 2005 06 13
The Grandest Sight I Ever Beheld
Sunrise finds the swift men of the advance team breaking camp after their breakfast of venison and fish. They quickly reach the plains above the river. Lewis regales at the garden-like beauty of this broad plain. A rose in bloom, green grass and the expanse of the fifty-mile wide plain is teeming with life. Birds, fish, bears, elk, deer and “infinitely more buffaloe than I had ever before witnessed at a view.” Two hundred and fifty foot sheer cliffs surround this idyllic valley and the men drink in its sensory delights.
Staying close enough to the river to hear any large waterfall Lewis sends Private Shields out to his right and Privates Drouillard and Gibson to his left with orders to “kill some meat” and join him at the river for dinner.
At noon, about two miles from directing the men to hunt Lewis writes that “my ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water.” He advances a little further and sees water spraying above the plain like a wispy column of smoke. Lewis describes the roar as “too tremendous to be mistaken for any cause short of the great falls of the Missouri.” This description would become the name of the Great Falls of the Missouri. And because the Missouri River is now in what we know as Montana, Great Falls, Montana takes its name from the nearby landmark.
Only two days from camp and the Captains are rewarded in their decision to take the left fork. What delight must have filled the heart of Meriwether Lewis! Although I believe he is so smitten with the grandeur of this sight that any self-satisfaction is lost in the power and natural wonder that fills his immediate surroundings. Lewis longs to describe the falls accurately and wishes for a crimee obscura, a type of box camera that allowed tracing rather than a photograph to be recorded. Lewis drops into the dangerous canyon and takes a position on some rocks directly across from the falls and describes the sight “as the grandest sight I ever beheld.”
Ever the scientist, Lewis carefully describes the heights, lengths and widths of the falls. He also attempts to describe the geography and flow of the river over the rocks. Skeletons of animals who died over the falls are gathered on rocks downriver. A constant, vivid rainbow arches through the scene adding to the beauty and grandeur Lewis works so hard to record on paper. He mentions an attempt to draw the scene, but no drawing is ever found.
In the midst of the joy of his discovery Lewis realizes that no easy portage exists around the falls and the men will carry everything overland around the falls. He anticipates the portage to take several days at most. He will explore further upstream in the morning as messengers will be sent downstream to inform the main party of their find.
In the joy of our discovery we many times see the seed of work required to realize the prize. No treasure worth finding is without a price. Gold ore is mined then fired in a furnace. Silver is mined and smelted. Diamonds are carefully cut to bring out their true uniqueness. Eternal life required the “work of the Cross” to obtain. It is free to us, unmatched in price. What are we working on? Does it have value? Then it will require great work. Is our work too easy? Then we must look at the eternal value of it. Precious rewards are predicated by discovery that draws miraculous human effort from deep within us to extract the most value from our raw being.
Allow the “Great Commissioner” to send you on an expedition to “the grandest sight you’ve ever beheld” knowing that the joy of discovery will extract the greatest effort from someplace deep inside you for the discovery to be made known and take on great value.
This three-year walk is called the “Cross of Discovery” for this very purpose. That we may find in this parallel adventure “the grandest sight you’ve ever beheld” and then allow that discovery to extract from you life you didn’t know you were capable of giving. God-given, God-breathed, God-directed living that can only be fulfilled by the discovery of the beauty of a cascade of blood spilling over a wooden cross that leads to an eternal city where the river of life will dwarf the Great Falls of the Missouri. Then we can truly find joy in the journey.
The Grandest Sight I Ever Beheld
Sunrise finds the swift men of the advance team breaking camp after their breakfast of venison and fish. They quickly reach the plains above the river. Lewis regales at the garden-like beauty of this broad plain. A rose in bloom, green grass and the expanse of the fifty-mile wide plain is teeming with life. Birds, fish, bears, elk, deer and “infinitely more buffaloe than I had ever before witnessed at a view.” Two hundred and fifty foot sheer cliffs surround this idyllic valley and the men drink in its sensory delights.
Staying close enough to the river to hear any large waterfall Lewis sends Private Shields out to his right and Privates Drouillard and Gibson to his left with orders to “kill some meat” and join him at the river for dinner.
At noon, about two miles from directing the men to hunt Lewis writes that “my ears were saluted with the agreeable sound of a fall of water.” He advances a little further and sees water spraying above the plain like a wispy column of smoke. Lewis describes the roar as “too tremendous to be mistaken for any cause short of the great falls of the Missouri.” This description would become the name of the Great Falls of the Missouri. And because the Missouri River is now in what we know as Montana, Great Falls, Montana takes its name from the nearby landmark.
Only two days from camp and the Captains are rewarded in their decision to take the left fork. What delight must have filled the heart of Meriwether Lewis! Although I believe he is so smitten with the grandeur of this sight that any self-satisfaction is lost in the power and natural wonder that fills his immediate surroundings. Lewis longs to describe the falls accurately and wishes for a crimee obscura, a type of box camera that allowed tracing rather than a photograph to be recorded. Lewis drops into the dangerous canyon and takes a position on some rocks directly across from the falls and describes the sight “as the grandest sight I ever beheld.”
Ever the scientist, Lewis carefully describes the heights, lengths and widths of the falls. He also attempts to describe the geography and flow of the river over the rocks. Skeletons of animals who died over the falls are gathered on rocks downriver. A constant, vivid rainbow arches through the scene adding to the beauty and grandeur Lewis works so hard to record on paper. He mentions an attempt to draw the scene, but no drawing is ever found.
In the midst of the joy of his discovery Lewis realizes that no easy portage exists around the falls and the men will carry everything overland around the falls. He anticipates the portage to take several days at most. He will explore further upstream in the morning as messengers will be sent downstream to inform the main party of their find.
In the joy of our discovery we many times see the seed of work required to realize the prize. No treasure worth finding is without a price. Gold ore is mined then fired in a furnace. Silver is mined and smelted. Diamonds are carefully cut to bring out their true uniqueness. Eternal life required the “work of the Cross” to obtain. It is free to us, unmatched in price. What are we working on? Does it have value? Then it will require great work. Is our work too easy? Then we must look at the eternal value of it. Precious rewards are predicated by discovery that draws miraculous human effort from deep within us to extract the most value from our raw being.
Allow the “Great Commissioner” to send you on an expedition to “the grandest sight you’ve ever beheld” knowing that the joy of discovery will extract the greatest effort from someplace deep inside you for the discovery to be made known and take on great value.
This three-year walk is called the “Cross of Discovery” for this very purpose. That we may find in this parallel adventure “the grandest sight you’ve ever beheld” and then allow that discovery to extract from you life you didn’t know you were capable of giving. God-given, God-breathed, God-directed living that can only be fulfilled by the discovery of the beauty of a cascade of blood spilling over a wooden cross that leads to an eternal city where the river of life will dwarf the Great Falls of the Missouri. Then we can truly find joy in the journey.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Scout or Main Party?
Journal 2005 06 12
Scout or Main Party?
Yesterday morning Captain Lewis “…swung my pack, and set forward with my little party” at 8am. Up the left fork of the river. The Corp of Discovery has committed to the left fork at the direction of the their leaders. Lewis and his team listen for the loud roar of water that would thunder in their ears as they neared a large waterfall. None of the modern distractions of our world exist in 1805. The world of these men was very quiet compared to our constant drone of technology and communications.
After climbing to the plains above the river Lewis’ party sees a herd of elk and kill four. They butcher the kill and hang meat and skins for the river party. His abdominal condition hits full force and the pain makes him unable to march. Lewis experiments with a tea made from choke cherry bark and after an hour is renewed enough to continue. By ten that evening he pronounces all symptoms gone and reports a comfortable and refreshing night’s rest. The men cover nine miles their first day out.
This morning the scout party sets out at sunrise and covers twelve miles before 9am when they begin to look for meat. Thirst drives them from the flat, waterless plain to the river. At ten they drop into a “handsom open bottom” where they meet two large grizzlies and kill them both with single shots. Lewis notes this as a first. Never have they taken the big brown bear with one shot, let alone two! They have breakfast, hang the meat and continue on until 5pm when they’ve covered twenty-seven miles. A marathon is only twenty-six and no bears are killed, butchered and roasted during the race! Oh yes, as they made their way to their evening camp they killed a buffalo, an antelope and three mule deer. Enough of the meat is carried for meals tonight and tomorrow.
Lewis notes a bear track in the mud that measures eleven by eight and a half inches without measuring the claws. Most of us would sleep with one eye open knowing this monster was in the area. Lewis also records that the cottonwood trees have changed. The leaves are narrower and the bark is thicker. This variety of the tree appears to be the favorite of beavers and otters. Must be like having a thick filet mignon versus a thin rib eye steak on the beaver bill of fare.
Back in camp, Sacagawea’s condition worsens. Final preparations are made for the party’s morning departure.
Can we step back and evaluate our daily work in the light of an adventurer? Do we know what stage of advance we are in? Are you on the recon team, charged with moving swiftly ahead in order to secure the route for the party following? Are you in camp making preparations to move out? I would contend most of us are in camp not sure what we are doing. We mark our days with productive activity, but how many of us are able to see advance as the result of our actions?
Let’s allow the Spirit of God to show us the type of work we are doing and to set our minds and actions to accomplish it. Scout or main party? Marketing or production? Service or support? Doesn’t matter, does it? The mission is held in common, the vision is clear and the work brings the advance directed by the One commissioning it.
Scout or Main Party?
Yesterday morning Captain Lewis “…swung my pack, and set forward with my little party” at 8am. Up the left fork of the river. The Corp of Discovery has committed to the left fork at the direction of the their leaders. Lewis and his team listen for the loud roar of water that would thunder in their ears as they neared a large waterfall. None of the modern distractions of our world exist in 1805. The world of these men was very quiet compared to our constant drone of technology and communications.
After climbing to the plains above the river Lewis’ party sees a herd of elk and kill four. They butcher the kill and hang meat and skins for the river party. His abdominal condition hits full force and the pain makes him unable to march. Lewis experiments with a tea made from choke cherry bark and after an hour is renewed enough to continue. By ten that evening he pronounces all symptoms gone and reports a comfortable and refreshing night’s rest. The men cover nine miles their first day out.
This morning the scout party sets out at sunrise and covers twelve miles before 9am when they begin to look for meat. Thirst drives them from the flat, waterless plain to the river. At ten they drop into a “handsom open bottom” where they meet two large grizzlies and kill them both with single shots. Lewis notes this as a first. Never have they taken the big brown bear with one shot, let alone two! They have breakfast, hang the meat and continue on until 5pm when they’ve covered twenty-seven miles. A marathon is only twenty-six and no bears are killed, butchered and roasted during the race! Oh yes, as they made their way to their evening camp they killed a buffalo, an antelope and three mule deer. Enough of the meat is carried for meals tonight and tomorrow.
Lewis notes a bear track in the mud that measures eleven by eight and a half inches without measuring the claws. Most of us would sleep with one eye open knowing this monster was in the area. Lewis also records that the cottonwood trees have changed. The leaves are narrower and the bark is thicker. This variety of the tree appears to be the favorite of beavers and otters. Must be like having a thick filet mignon versus a thin rib eye steak on the beaver bill of fare.
Back in camp, Sacagawea’s condition worsens. Final preparations are made for the party’s morning departure.
Can we step back and evaluate our daily work in the light of an adventurer? Do we know what stage of advance we are in? Are you on the recon team, charged with moving swiftly ahead in order to secure the route for the party following? Are you in camp making preparations to move out? I would contend most of us are in camp not sure what we are doing. We mark our days with productive activity, but how many of us are able to see advance as the result of our actions?
Let’s allow the Spirit of God to show us the type of work we are doing and to set our minds and actions to accomplish it. Scout or main party? Marketing or production? Service or support? Doesn’t matter, does it? The mission is held in common, the vision is clear and the work brings the advance directed by the One commissioning it.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Cogitation: Lewis and Clark and Joshua and Caleb
Journal 2005 06 10
Cogitation: Lewis and Clark and Joshua and Caleb
The captains recognize that wherever their “cogitation” sends them they are at a critical spot in their journey. They also know they need to lighten their load. The men set about caching some of their stores of goods for retrieval upon their return. Gun powder, rifles, bear skins, bighorn sheep horns and many other items they don’t think they will need for the balance of their journey are placed in the “climate controlled” holes in the ground. They also tie one of the pirogues to a tree, cover it with boughs to keep the sun off of it and mark the trees with a branding iron that Captain Lewis has brought with him.
Over the course of yesterday and today the captains come to a decision that Lewis will take a small group of men up the left fork and proceed swiftly in order to find the “great falls” their Indian friends told them of. This will verify their choice. Confident they will find the falls in days, not weeks because they are able to see mountain ranges rising in the west. They know geography and are convinced they will see the falls before the mountains.
Drouillard, Joseph Field, Gibson and Goodrich will go with Captain Lewis overland in search of the falls. Clark and the rest of the men will finish their quick retooling and proceed upriver behind the small, swift advance team. Today we would say that Lewis and his men were on a “recon” mission.
Lewis has dysentery and Sacagawea is very ill. Clark, the resident medic, bleeds Sacagawea. It doesn’t help.
Lewis’ airgun has a broken spring and Private Shields fixes it. All goods are dried out and canoes are repaired.
I am reminded of the spies Moses and Aaron sent into the Promised Land. Only two were able to bring a report of the victory at hand that God had already declared theirs. “If Jehovah delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.”
Two were the majority because they saw victory in a promise. Lewis and Clark were the majority because they carried the vision. They were commissioned with command and the authority to fulfill Jefferson’s vision. Joshua and Caleb were later commissioned, given command and authority, because they believed God’s vision for victory.
What kind of report do we bring when we’ve been in a “strange” land? Are we whining, complaining and negative? Or, do we carry God’s vision of victory and promise that Joshua and Caleb bore in faith?
Lewis and Clark stood above the common analysis and saw the future with vision. They acted with command and authority under that vision. Can we take inspiration from Lewis and Clark and respond like Joshua and Caleb with a report of victory, not fear?
Cogitation: Lewis and Clark and Joshua and Caleb
The captains recognize that wherever their “cogitation” sends them they are at a critical spot in their journey. They also know they need to lighten their load. The men set about caching some of their stores of goods for retrieval upon their return. Gun powder, rifles, bear skins, bighorn sheep horns and many other items they don’t think they will need for the balance of their journey are placed in the “climate controlled” holes in the ground. They also tie one of the pirogues to a tree, cover it with boughs to keep the sun off of it and mark the trees with a branding iron that Captain Lewis has brought with him.
Over the course of yesterday and today the captains come to a decision that Lewis will take a small group of men up the left fork and proceed swiftly in order to find the “great falls” their Indian friends told them of. This will verify their choice. Confident they will find the falls in days, not weeks because they are able to see mountain ranges rising in the west. They know geography and are convinced they will see the falls before the mountains.
Drouillard, Joseph Field, Gibson and Goodrich will go with Captain Lewis overland in search of the falls. Clark and the rest of the men will finish their quick retooling and proceed upriver behind the small, swift advance team. Today we would say that Lewis and his men were on a “recon” mission.
Lewis has dysentery and Sacagawea is very ill. Clark, the resident medic, bleeds Sacagawea. It doesn’t help.
Lewis’ airgun has a broken spring and Private Shields fixes it. All goods are dried out and canoes are repaired.
I am reminded of the spies Moses and Aaron sent into the Promised Land. Only two were able to bring a report of the victory at hand that God had already declared theirs. “If Jehovah delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.”
Two were the majority because they saw victory in a promise. Lewis and Clark were the majority because they carried the vision. They were commissioned with command and the authority to fulfill Jefferson’s vision. Joshua and Caleb were later commissioned, given command and authority, because they believed God’s vision for victory.
What kind of report do we bring when we’ve been in a “strange” land? Are we whining, complaining and negative? Or, do we carry God’s vision of victory and promise that Joshua and Caleb bore in faith?
Lewis and Clark stood above the common analysis and saw the future with vision. They acted with command and authority under that vision. Can we take inspiration from Lewis and Clark and respond like Joshua and Caleb with a report of victory, not fear?
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
“Ready to Follow any Where They Thought Proper to Direct”
Journal 2005 06 08
“Ready to Follow any Where They Thought Proper to Direct”
Lewis has penetrated an estimated sixty miles up the right fork of the river in a quest to determine the chances of it being the Missouri. The soldiers, to a man, are convinced by the milky white flow of the river, which matches the flow of the Missouri, that this branch must be the Missouri. Lewis believes this river gives the Missouri its muddy appearance. However, he is convinced that its northward bearing will not allow it to originate at a westward, or southerly, enough position to be the Missouri River.
The Captains also relied on the information received from the Indians regarding the character of the Missouri River. They are surprised that the Indians neglected to speak of this fork. The men of the Corps of Discovery were expecting a great waterfall as their next marker along the Missouri. Sixty miles and no great waterfall also adds to Lewis’ confidence that this right fork is not the Missouri.
Lewis and his party are now seriously overdue from the “day and a half “ exploration agreed upon three days ago. Clark’s concern is rightfully raised and he has the men prepare all the rifles as a precaution. Finally, at 5pm, Lewis’ exhausted party returns to camp. A brief report is given and it is agreed that the following day will bear much “cogitation” over the correct course of action.
As you can imagine, there has been much speculation among the soldiers regarding the choice that must be made. All of the men from both parties are of the opinion that the milky right fork is the Missouri River. Only the Captains have concluded that although the water running from the left fork is clear it is most likely to be the continuation of the Missouri River.
The fertile fields of the plain could be soil rich for rebellion in most camps when those who are commanded disagree with those commanding them. Can you sense the opportunity that dissension has presented for discontent and rebellion to become an unwelcome member of this expedition?
Remember, most of these men were highly experienced and capable river men themselves and their opinions were not uninformed. All had proven themselves capable of living in the wilderness. What would be their response to the decision that only their leaders could make and that they were obligated by rank to obey?
The men replied, that even though they were firm in their belief that the right, or north, fork was the Missouri, “…they said very cheerfully that they were ready to follow us any wher we thought proper to direct…
How is my response when I firmly disagree with those with command and authority? Am I, are you, “ready to follow any wher they thought proper to direct?”
“Ready to Follow any Where They Thought Proper to Direct”
Lewis has penetrated an estimated sixty miles up the right fork of the river in a quest to determine the chances of it being the Missouri. The soldiers, to a man, are convinced by the milky white flow of the river, which matches the flow of the Missouri, that this branch must be the Missouri. Lewis believes this river gives the Missouri its muddy appearance. However, he is convinced that its northward bearing will not allow it to originate at a westward, or southerly, enough position to be the Missouri River.
The Captains also relied on the information received from the Indians regarding the character of the Missouri River. They are surprised that the Indians neglected to speak of this fork. The men of the Corps of Discovery were expecting a great waterfall as their next marker along the Missouri. Sixty miles and no great waterfall also adds to Lewis’ confidence that this right fork is not the Missouri.
Lewis and his party are now seriously overdue from the “day and a half “ exploration agreed upon three days ago. Clark’s concern is rightfully raised and he has the men prepare all the rifles as a precaution. Finally, at 5pm, Lewis’ exhausted party returns to camp. A brief report is given and it is agreed that the following day will bear much “cogitation” over the correct course of action.
As you can imagine, there has been much speculation among the soldiers regarding the choice that must be made. All of the men from both parties are of the opinion that the milky right fork is the Missouri River. Only the Captains have concluded that although the water running from the left fork is clear it is most likely to be the continuation of the Missouri River.
The fertile fields of the plain could be soil rich for rebellion in most camps when those who are commanded disagree with those commanding them. Can you sense the opportunity that dissension has presented for discontent and rebellion to become an unwelcome member of this expedition?
Remember, most of these men were highly experienced and capable river men themselves and their opinions were not uninformed. All had proven themselves capable of living in the wilderness. What would be their response to the decision that only their leaders could make and that they were obligated by rank to obey?
The men replied, that even though they were firm in their belief that the right, or north, fork was the Missouri, “…they said very cheerfully that they were ready to follow us any wher we thought proper to direct…
How is my response when I firmly disagree with those with command and authority? Am I, are you, “ready to follow any wher they thought proper to direct?”
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Fully Repaid
Journal 2005 06 07
Fully Repaid
The Corps remained at the fork in the river. Small parties had been sent out to explore each river for a short distance. The captains determined to each take a small party up each river as far as they could go in a day and a half. Clark took the left fork, Lewis the right.
The men who remained at camp tanned elk hides, made new moccasins and let their battered feet heal. For several days prior to reaching this camp the men were unable to wear moccasins because the mud on the bank of the Missouri were so slick the only possible way to maintain some form of traction was barefoot. In addition to the mud were sharp rocks. Many of the men had cut and bruised feet. Both Lewis and
Clark note that even still no complaint was heard and the men were in good spirits.
Clark is convinced he is on the Missouri River and returns on the pre-arranged timetable. His party hunts as they return to camp and arrive at 5pm. The more impetuous Lewis, increasingly believes that he is not on the Missouri because of the northward trend of the river. However, in order to be more confident of his observation, he continues on another hard eighteen miles. It has been cold and rainy. Lewis observes that the rain only penetrates the top two inches of ground and makes travel very slick. The men return to the river and make their way through the water, the river bottom and must resort to carving footholds in the banks with their knives to navigate water too deep to walk through. These are some tough guys. Lewis notes that because of the difficulty of travel they are “only” able to make eighteen miles!
Before returning to the river for safer travel, both Lewis and one of the soldiers slide in the mud and hang precariously over the ninety-foot cliffs above the river. These near disasters help convince them that slogging through the water is easier than falling over a cliff.
Lewis and his party are rewarded when they stop for the night with an abandoned Indian stick camp. Venison hunted earlier in the day is cooked and sleep is on tree boughs under the dry shelter the Indians left behind. In Lewis’ words, “We roasted and eat a hearty supper of our venison not having tasted a morsel before during the day; I now laid myself down on some willow boughs to a comfortable nights rest, and felt indeed as if I was fully repaid for the toil and pain of the day, so much will a good shelter, a dry bed, and comfortable supper revive the sperits of the waryed, wet and hungry traveler.”
Have we worked so hard during the day that we’d be satisfied with a dry camp, a bed of willow branches, a campfire and fresh venison? I know some of you are working physically hard throughout the day and sleep comes easy. More sedentary types of hard work don’t always have a good meal and sleep as their companions.
No matter the hardships of the day, we must all resolve to find rest and satisfaction with the simplest of provisions. A dry bed, fresh meat and a warm fire in the wilderness; reward for a hard day’s work two hundred years ago. What are we looking for at the end of our work tonight?
Fully Repaid
The Corps remained at the fork in the river. Small parties had been sent out to explore each river for a short distance. The captains determined to each take a small party up each river as far as they could go in a day and a half. Clark took the left fork, Lewis the right.
The men who remained at camp tanned elk hides, made new moccasins and let their battered feet heal. For several days prior to reaching this camp the men were unable to wear moccasins because the mud on the bank of the Missouri were so slick the only possible way to maintain some form of traction was barefoot. In addition to the mud were sharp rocks. Many of the men had cut and bruised feet. Both Lewis and
Clark note that even still no complaint was heard and the men were in good spirits.
Clark is convinced he is on the Missouri River and returns on the pre-arranged timetable. His party hunts as they return to camp and arrive at 5pm. The more impetuous Lewis, increasingly believes that he is not on the Missouri because of the northward trend of the river. However, in order to be more confident of his observation, he continues on another hard eighteen miles. It has been cold and rainy. Lewis observes that the rain only penetrates the top two inches of ground and makes travel very slick. The men return to the river and make their way through the water, the river bottom and must resort to carving footholds in the banks with their knives to navigate water too deep to walk through. These are some tough guys. Lewis notes that because of the difficulty of travel they are “only” able to make eighteen miles!
Before returning to the river for safer travel, both Lewis and one of the soldiers slide in the mud and hang precariously over the ninety-foot cliffs above the river. These near disasters help convince them that slogging through the water is easier than falling over a cliff.
Lewis and his party are rewarded when they stop for the night with an abandoned Indian stick camp. Venison hunted earlier in the day is cooked and sleep is on tree boughs under the dry shelter the Indians left behind. In Lewis’ words, “We roasted and eat a hearty supper of our venison not having tasted a morsel before during the day; I now laid myself down on some willow boughs to a comfortable nights rest, and felt indeed as if I was fully repaid for the toil and pain of the day, so much will a good shelter, a dry bed, and comfortable supper revive the sperits of the waryed, wet and hungry traveler.”
Have we worked so hard during the day that we’d be satisfied with a dry camp, a bed of willow branches, a campfire and fresh venison? I know some of you are working physically hard throughout the day and sleep comes easy. More sedentary types of hard work don’t always have a good meal and sleep as their companions.
No matter the hardships of the day, we must all resolve to find rest and satisfaction with the simplest of provisions. A dry bed, fresh meat and a warm fire in the wilderness; reward for a hard day’s work two hundred years ago. What are we looking for at the end of our work tonight?
Friday, June 03, 2005
Utmost Circumspection
Journal 2005 06 03
Utmost Circumspection
Crossroads. An overworked term that implies decisions, destiny and the hand of fate. The Corp of Discovery arrived at one of their crossroads as darkness fell on June 2, 1805.
The Corp of Discovery reached the fork in their road late last night. A river apparently equal to the one they were navigating entered the Missouri. Daylight was dwindling to the point where more investigation would have to wait until first light tomorrow morning. They made camp on the land between the joining of the two rivers. Celestial observations were taken because the night was clear and this geographic point needed to be recorded on Captain Clark’s map.
Every man on the Expedition understood the seriousness of making the correct choice of which river to proceed upward. Captain Lewis recorded his thoughts this way, “…to mistake the stream at this period of the season, two months of the traveling season having now lapsed, and to ascend such stream to the rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia or not, and then be obliged to return and take the other stream would not only loose us the whole of the season but would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat the expedition altogether. convinced we were that the utmost circumspection and caution was necessary in deciding on the stream to be taken.”
Without being melodramatic Lewis and Clark understood that success or failure of their mission lay with the decision regarding which channel to ascend. They immediately set about the only course of action that would answer their question. They stopped, set up camp and conducted an intelligent investigation to determine which channel contained the Mighty Missouri.
How about you and me?
Do we recognize the crossroads when we arrive at them? Do we understand the seriousness of our decisions? Or do we flip a coin and choose a direction that may seal our fate?
What do you do, what do I do, when faced with decisions of this magnitude? I sit and avoid making the choice hoping for someone to come down the river and tell me the answer. Others declare with absolute certainty that the we must proceed this way posthaste lest we fall behind our predetermined schedule, having no idea which choice is correct, just trusting their bold declaration to lead them to truth.
Lewis and Clark give us a great example as to the handling important decisions. The choices are simple. Left or right? The choice is important. Success or setback?
Seven Steps to Decision
We have much to learn. These men were prepared for leadership and command through the hardship of battle and their apprenticeships with great men of history. They were proven in the skills of the mission. They were trusted with the ability to apply those skills with the wisdom imparted to them.
Today’s mirror of this two hundred year old day is to see the critical choice that has presented itself, stop, set up camp, make a record and prepare to discover the truth which carries with it the answer to the question, “Right or left?”
Utmost Circumspection
Crossroads. An overworked term that implies decisions, destiny and the hand of fate. The Corp of Discovery arrived at one of their crossroads as darkness fell on June 2, 1805.
The Corp of Discovery reached the fork in their road late last night. A river apparently equal to the one they were navigating entered the Missouri. Daylight was dwindling to the point where more investigation would have to wait until first light tomorrow morning. They made camp on the land between the joining of the two rivers. Celestial observations were taken because the night was clear and this geographic point needed to be recorded on Captain Clark’s map.
Every man on the Expedition understood the seriousness of making the correct choice of which river to proceed upward. Captain Lewis recorded his thoughts this way, “…to mistake the stream at this period of the season, two months of the traveling season having now lapsed, and to ascend such stream to the rocky Mountain or perhaps much further before we could inform ourselves whether it did approach the Columbia or not, and then be obliged to return and take the other stream would not only loose us the whole of the season but would probably so dishearten the party that it might defeat the expedition altogether. convinced we were that the utmost circumspection and caution was necessary in deciding on the stream to be taken.”
Without being melodramatic Lewis and Clark understood that success or failure of their mission lay with the decision regarding which channel to ascend. They immediately set about the only course of action that would answer their question. They stopped, set up camp and conducted an intelligent investigation to determine which channel contained the Mighty Missouri.
How about you and me?
Do we recognize the crossroads when we arrive at them? Do we understand the seriousness of our decisions? Or do we flip a coin and choose a direction that may seal our fate?
What do you do, what do I do, when faced with decisions of this magnitude? I sit and avoid making the choice hoping for someone to come down the river and tell me the answer. Others declare with absolute certainty that the we must proceed this way posthaste lest we fall behind our predetermined schedule, having no idea which choice is correct, just trusting their bold declaration to lead them to truth.
Lewis and Clark give us a great example as to the handling important decisions. The choices are simple. Left or right? The choice is important. Success or setback?
Seven Steps to Decision
- Stop
- Proceed no further until you can make a decision based a reasonable investigation of the choices.
- Set Up Camp
- Give yourself enough time to investigate your choices.
- Do the work
- Collect the data so you can compare the choices and reach a reasonable conclusion.
- Analyze the Information
- Allow yourself to compare the data and analyze it for information
- Make a Choice
- Interpret the information you’ve been able to collect and make a decision.
- Devise a Plan
- Take whatever measures are needed to allow a reasonable plan to be formed.
- Execute the Plan or "Proceed On"
- “We proceeded on.” The term used by the Captains repeatedly in their journals to indicate they were forging ahead.
- Scripture tells us, “Then, having done all, stand.” In this circumstance, I believe we can safely say, “Then, having done all, proceed on!”
- Decisions and choices are required of us.
- Make your best decision and proceed on.
We have much to learn. These men were prepared for leadership and command through the hardship of battle and their apprenticeships with great men of history. They were proven in the skills of the mission. They were trusted with the ability to apply those skills with the wisdom imparted to them.
Today’s mirror of this two hundred year old day is to see the critical choice that has presented itself, stop, set up camp, make a record and prepare to discover the truth which carries with it the answer to the question, “Right or left?”
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