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Lewis & Clark Expedition

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Search : espontoon
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Your search returned 13 results from all items Search Only Journals

June 14, 1805 entry by Meriwether Lewis, part 2
  • June 14, 1805 entry by Meriwether Lewis, part 2 I scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well, through the lungs; while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal discharging blood in streams from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him to fall every instant, and having entirely forgotton to reload my rifle, a large white, or reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on me within 20 steps before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this opperation before he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on me; it was an open level plain, not a bush within miles nor a tree within less than three hundred yards of me; the river bank was sloping and not more than three feet above the level of the water; in short there was no place by means of which I could conceal myself from this monster untill I could charge my rifle; in this situation I thought of retreating in a brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill I could reach a tree about 300 yards below me, but I had no sooner terned myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast, I then run into the water    the idea struk me to get into the water to such debth that I could stand and he would be obliged to swim, and that I could in that situation defend myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily into the water about waist deep, and faced about and presented the point of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the water within about 20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great precipitation as he had just before pursued me.
  • N.D.
  • Multimedia
  • Gary E. Moulton
June 7, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • In passing along the face of one of these bluffs today I sliped at a narrow pass of about 30 yards in length and but for a quick and fortunate recovery by means of my espontoon I should been precipitated into the river down a craggy pricipice of about ninety feet. I had scarcely reached a place on which I could stand with tolerable safety even with the assistance of my espontoon before I heard a voice behind me cry out god god Capt. what shall I do    on turning about I found it was Windsor (Windsor, Richard) who had sliped and fallen abut the center of this narrow pass and was lying prostrate on his belley, with his 〈one〉 wright hand arm and leg over the precipice while he was holding on with the left arm and foot as well as he could which appeared to be with much difficulty.
  • June 7, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
February 5, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • The blade was shaped like the head of a spontoon, or espontoon, for which, see below, May 3, 1805. The style, in spite of Lewis (Lewis, Meriwether) 's disapproval, was popular among many tribes across North America.
  • February 5, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
June 14, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • about ten OClock this morning while the men were engaged with the meat I took my Gun and espontoon and thought I would walk a few miles and see where the rappids termineated above, and return to dinner.   
  • under this impression I scelected a fat buffaloe and shot him very well, through the lungs; while I was gazeing attentively on the poor anamal discharging blood in streams from his mouth and nostrils, expecting him to fall every instant, and having entirely forgotton to reload my rifle, a large white, or reather brown bear, had perceived and crept on me within 20 steps before I discovered him; in the first moment I drew up my gun to shoot, but at the same instant recolected that she was not loaded and that he was too near for me to hope to perform this opperation before he reached me, as he was then briskly advancing on me; it was an open level plain, not a bush within miles nor a tree within less than three hundred yards of me; the river bank was sloping and not more than three feet above the level of the water; in short there was no place by means of which I could conceal myself from this monster untill I could charge my rifle; in this situation I thought of retreating in a brisk walk as fast as he was advancing untill I could reach a tree about 300 yards below me, but I had no sooner terned myself about but he pitched at me, open mouthed and full speed, I ran about 80 yards and found he gained on me fast, I then run into the water    the idea struk me to get into the water to such debth that I could stand and he would be obliged to swim, and that I could in that situation defend myself with my espontoon; accordingly I ran haistily into the water about waist deep, and faced about and presented the point of my espontoon, at this instant he arrived at the edge of the water within about 20 feet of me; the moment I put myself in this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if frightened, declined the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great precipitation as he had just before pursued me.   
  • whether I struck it or not I could not determine, but I am almost confident that I did; my gun is true and I had a steady rest by means of my espontoon, which I have found very serviceable to me in this way in the open plains.
  • June 14, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
May 29, 1805 - Ordway, John
  • Deadmans Rapids (Deadman (Ash) Rapids) , the party's Ash Rapids (Deadman (Ash) Rapids) . The captain's espontoon. The captains called it Slaughter River (Arrow Creek (Slaughter River)) because of the number of dead buffalo found nearby; it is today's Arrow Creek (Arrow Creek (Slaughter River)) , the boundary between Chouteau (Chouteau Creek (Mont.))
  • May 29, 1805
  • Journals
  • Ordway, John
May 3, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • I walked out a little distance and met with 2 porcupines which were feeding on the young willow which grow in great abundance on all the sandbars; this anamal is exceedingly clumsy and not very watchfull I approached so near one of them before it percieved me that I touched it with my espontoon.—    found the nest of a wild goose among some driftwood in the river from which we took three eggs.   
  • Atlas maps 35, 49; MRC map 62. A spontoon, or espontoon, was a spear, six feet or more in length, with a wooden shaft and metal blade, still in use in the late eighteenth century as a symbol of authority for infantry officers.
  • May 3, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
May 12, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • Set out at an early hour, the weather clear and Calm; I walked on shore this morning for the benifit of exersize which I much wanted, and also to examine the country and it's productions, in these excurtions I most generally went alone armed with my rifle and espontoon; thus equiped I feel myself more than an equal match for a brown bear provided I get him in open woods or near the water, but feel myself a little diffident with respect to an attack in the open plains, I have therefore come to a resolution to act on the defencive only, should I meet these gentlemen in the open country.
  • May 12, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
May 26, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • it was after dark before we finished butchering the buffaloe, and on my return to camp I trod within five inches of a rattle snake but being in motion I passed before he could probably put himself in a striking attitude and fortunately escaped his bite, I struck about at random 〈lying〉 with my espontoon being directed in some measure by his nois untill I killed him.
  • May 26, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
May 29, 1805 - Lewis, Meriwether
  • (Clark, William) who was on shore killed one of them with his espontoon. just above this place we came too for dinner opposite the entrance of a bold runing river 40 yds. wide which falls in on Lard. side.   
  • May 29, 1805
  • Journals
  • Lewis, Meriwether
The Way to the Western Sea Lewis and Clark across the Continent
  • He could see no eagle's nest there, either, so on he went, rifle slung across his back and his steel-tipped espontoon, which he often used as a walking stick, in one hand. After hiking two and a half more miles he came to another uproarious cataract, twenty-six feet high with a five-foot drop just beyond the main crest.
  • Hooking his rifle across his back by its sling, he grasped his steel-pointed espontoon with both hands and confronted his pursuer. The unexpected aggressiveness apparently startled the bear.
  • N.D.
  • Texts
  • David Lavender
The Way to the Western Sea Lewis and Clark across the Continent
  • They paid so little attention to Clark as he walked among them that he was able to step up beside one and, as an experiment, thrust his espontoon (more generally spelled "spontoon," which is a short pike equipped with a steel point) through its rib cage into its heart.
  • When he tried to walk along it, his feet flew out from under him "and but for a quick and fortunated recovery by means of my espontoon I should been precipitated into the river down a craggy pricipice about ninety feet."
  • N.D.
  • Texts
  • David Lavender
The Way to the Western Sea Lewis and Clark across the Continent
  • N.D.
  • Texts
  • David Lavender
The Men of the Lewis & Clark Expedition The Men of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
  • N.D.
  • Texts
  • Charles G. Clarke

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