grew along the river (page 75). Other berries and fruits were used as staples during the duration of the trip, especially when meat was scarce due to the lack of herding animals at times.Another thing the two explorers documented were the animals. They saw many animals they had never encountered before. Among these were the buffalo and antelope. They learned how Indians depended on the buffalo for food and other amenities, and also discovered how important these animals would become for their own survival. They also learned how different animals were more influential to Indian tribes in different regions. Plateau and Northwest Pacific Indians relied on elk and salmon, while the Plains Indians relied on buffalo.One of the animals most documented in Lewis journal was a large furry monster called the grizzly bear. The grizzly bear made a profound impact on the explorers. They were shocked to see an animal with suck brute force and strength. The size of the grizzly was enough to enthrall the men gazing at them. Lewis wrote on May 11th, 1805 that the bear "being so hard to die rather intimidates us all" (page 187).They also had encounters with insects previously unknown to them. One such insect was the mosquito. Nets had to be issued to the explorers for them to continue their journey. The journal entries also vaguely make references to fleas, lice, and other insects (page 189). Not only did they discover animals that intrigued them, but that encountered animals that hindered there chances of survival by carrying diseases and acting as a nuisance. In the Winter of 1804, the explorers set up camp in the Mandan villages located in what is now North Dakota. They experienced a terribly harsh winter, which was never experienced further south. At times the weather reached nearly forty degrees below zero and the explorers encountered another new experience called frostbite. It wasnt common knowledge that northern states generally ...
