Across the Rocky Mountains Summary and Analysis

On August 17, Clark shows up along with the rest of the explorers. Sacagawea is reunited with her relatives. She meets with one of the women captured along with her five years earlier. Cameâhwait turns out to be her brother, a coincidence which greatly facilitates the negotiations in the days that follow. They name their encampment Camp Fortunate for the occasion. On August 18, which is Meriwether Lewis' 31st birthday, the men start buying horses by trading items valuable to the Indians but of no essential value to the explorers. In the following days, they go back to the Shoshone camp and start to prepare their trek across the Rocky Mountains.

A scouting party led by Clark establishes that the road ahead is very treacherous and difficult to traverse. The captains are now convinced they will...