HOME | DD

Description
The Corps of Discovery spent the 1804-05 winter at Fort Mandan, an encampment they built on the Missouri River in North Dakota. While they were there, they were visited on and off by Canadian fur traders-- Charles McKenzie and François-Antoine Larocque of the North West Company.

The American expedition wasn't too happy about Canadians (read British) trading in what was now their territory, and while Clark was apparently pleasant enough about keeping company with the traders, this was not the case with Lewis.

McKenzie wrote in his journal about Lewis's poor manners and anti-British sentiments. Larocque, on the other hand, appeared to be more tolerable AND tolerant. He got on well enough with Lewis, bringing him his broken compass to fix in late January, and around that time asking the Corps of Discovery if he might join them on their expedition (not tolerable enough, it would seem, since they refused to have him along).

I have NO idea what Larocque might have looked like (just made some educated guesses), but I liked the idea of him patiently putting up with Lewis's attitude whilst waiting for him to mend his compass.

Description
The Corps of Discovery spent the 1804-05 winter at Fort Mandan, an encampment they built on the Missouri River in North Dakota. While they were there, they were visited on and off by Canadian fur traders-- Charles McKenzie and François-Antoine Larocque of the North West Company.

The American expedition wasn't too happy about Canadians (read British) trading in what was now their territory, and while Clark was apparently pleasant enough about keeping company with the traders, this was not the case with Lewis.

McKenzie wrote in his journal about Lewis's poor manners and anti-British sentiments. Larocque, on the other hand, appeared to be more tolerable AND tolerant. He got on well enough with Lewis, bringing him his broken compass to fix in late January, and around that time asking the Corps of Discovery if he might join them on their expedition (not tolerable enough, it would seem, since they refused to have him along).

I have NO idea what Larocque might have looked like (just made some educated guesses), but I liked the idea of him patiently putting up with Lewis's attitude whilst waiting for him to mend his compass.