Day-by-Day / February 16, 1804

February 16, 1804

Pondering Indian religion

Winter Camp at Wood River, IL The temperature hovers near the freezing mark with clouds and rain. Little else is recorded on this day, but no doubt the captains continue to prepare for the voyage up the Missouri River.

Synopsis of Indian Hieroglyphics (Detail)

Henry Schoolcraft (1851)

Twelve symbolic Indian drawings

Schoolcraft, Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the History, Plate 58.

For a description of these hieroglyphics, see September 16, 1803.

Questions for the Louisiana Indians

Inquiries relitive to the Indians of Louisiania.

. . . .

3rd. Relative to Religion

What affinity is there between their religious ceremonies and those of the ancient Jews?
Do they use animal sacrifises in their worship?
What are the principal objects of their worship?
Do they Consider Mannatoe or the good Spirit & Michimannatoe or the bad Spirit as two distinct powers, neither having power of Controling the other?
—William Clark[1]Undated and unsigned list written in Clark’s hand. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, … Continue reading

Despite their short time with any given nation, there would be many journal entries describing Indian religious practices. Lewis recorded seeing Indian pictographs on the Ohio River as early as 16 September 1803. On the lower Missouri River, the expedition would see a Manitou pictograph (see June 5, 1804) and Manitou Bluffs (see June 7 1804).

Related: Questions for Indians | Estimate of the Eastern Indians | Native Nations

 

Weather Diary

Therm at sun symbol rise weather wind Therm at 4 Oclk weather wind River
28 above 0 cloudy S.E. 30 above 0 rain after clouds SSE. rise 1 ft. 2 ½ in.

—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Related: Thermometers and Temperatures | Weather Observations

logo: Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo: National Park Service

Winter Camp at Wood River (Camp Dubois) is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site, near Hartford, Illinois, is managed as Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and is open to the public.

Notes

Notes
↑1 Undated and unsigned list written in Clark’s hand. Donald Jackson, ed. Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783-1854, 2nd ed. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 158.
↑2 To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the “day of month 1804” column, merged the “River” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.

Discover More

  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
  • The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.

This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.

This site is provided as a public service by the
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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).