"We built a boat," Hank told him.
"Exactly. And that was what Lewis and Clark did, or, rather, it was done for them at Government expense. A keel boat, fifty-five feet long and drawing not more than three feet of water, was made for them at Pittsburgh, where, if you remember, two rivers unite to form the Ohio. This boat had places for twenty-two oarsmen and carried a large, square sail. Steamboats were not known in those days, although a few years afterward Robert Fulton ran one on Hudson River. The Government also provided two smaller boats and loaded them with coffee, sugar, crackers, dried meats, carpenter's tools, presents for the Indians, and things like that. A few horses also were taken along in the large boat.
"The leaders selected a crew of twenty-five men, and one fine day the whole outfit started down the Ohio River. When they reached the Mississippi they turned north and soon made their way up the great river to St. Louis. St. Louis was a French trading station then. Now it is a large city. A few years ago the hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana purchase was celebrated by holding a world's fair in St. Louis.
"There more men joined the expedition and considerable information that President Jefferson wanted was picked up about the Indian tribes who lived up and down the river.
"Finally, May 14, 1804, the explorers started on the real trip. It wasn't easy work any longer, for they had to row against the mighty current of the Mississippi. After they had gone a few miles they came to another great river, which was pouring a dirty looking, yellow flood into the Mississippi. Who can tell me what that river was?"
"The Missouri," said Benny, who had been studying about it in school. "The Mississippi River, with its principal tributary, the Missouri, is the longest river in the world."
"Right you are. If you will look on some map you will see how it is possible to go in a boat from Pittsburgh almost across the continent. Lewis and Clark turned into the Missouri and started for the then unknown Northwest. They made their way along very slowly, for the river was swollen with heavy rains and the current was very strong.
"After much labor and hardship they managed to reach the mouth of the Osage River. There they went into camp and sent out an armed party to explore the interior. When the party returned they brought back ten deer and all had a great feast on the river bank.
"Once more they breasted the fierce current, narrowly escaping shipwreck several times. Once the wind was so strong that they were obliged to anchor and go ashore. Again they had to pull their boats along with ropes through some rapids."
"Betcher life they didn't go without a rope," said Skinny. "Why——"