Subject: Mathematics
Details: Recordkeeping
After the Expedition and before his death, Lewis would have particular difficulties with financial recordkeeping. But even as the Expedition was being planned, it was obvious that there may not be sufficient funds to equip the Corps with all they might need. President Jefferson even gave Lewis a kind of credit card that would authorize any government or private agent to provide materials or services for the Corps that would later be reimbursed by the federal government. Lewis and Clark kept careful records of all their purchases in the months of preparation and those itemized lists are still found in todays versions of the official journals. When the journey was completed, the captains held a public sale of their equipment to help recoup costs which had actually swelled to $35,000 from the $2500 Congress had originally approved. Along the way, Clark was particularly careful about keeping the daily record of weather, latitude/longitude readings and other important data.
Estimation
This skill was one of the most commonly used by the Expedition as they were continually faced with estimating how many persons lived in each Indian community they met, how much distance they had covered in a day, how much weight could be carried by boat or horse, how many buffalo in a herd, how long it would take to traverse stream or mountain, how high were trees and cliffs or a rocky promontory, how deep was a river or how heavy was an elk carcass, how long food would last, or how long it had been since a trail had been used. There were several important decisions that had to be made based on estimation: (can we name some, such as force of water on the Columbia to determine a portage?
Measurement
To verify their estimates, or to accurately describe something for their journals, the Corps also relied on scientific instruments, their own experience as craftsmen and outdoorsmen, and the measures used by local Indians (for example, the Chinooks measure a fathom from the tips of fingers with arms outstretched or how many full moons it would take to travel to a certain place). When describing a new plant or animal, these naturalists carefully measured everything (using inches and feet, not the metric system). The instruments Lewis and Clark carried included thermometers (which later were broken), sextants, octants, surveying tools, rain guage?, weight scale?, telescope, see Rondas book)
Scientific Notation
To take readings with their instruments, state-of-their-art at the time, Lewis and Clark learned the language of science and technology. Lewiss three-week graduate studies in Philadelphia equipped him with the basics of observation for botany, metereology, geology, mineralogy, physiology.
Navigation and Cartography
Lewis and Clarks charge to map uncharted territories was a test of their combined skills: Clark as an experienced surveyor with a natural affinity for using and preparing maps and Lewiss short course in determining latitude and longitude using both traditional and new-fangled technologies. Figuring latitude was never as hard as fixing longitude, a subject with its own interesting history. Finding longitude requires a timepiece that must be accurate and the Expedition often forgot to keep their chronometer wound, which then required a clear night to re-set their instruments with the stars. Most of their daily readings would be logged into the journals and on their return sent to experts for conversion using elaborate charts. Clark also used estimations from his days as a surveyor (meets and bounds) to maintain records of each days travel. During the rainy winter at Fort Clatsop, he spent many hours updating their official map using these data. Observers today say Clarks map is not far off from todays common roadmaps of the same territory.
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Thomas Jefferson's Letter