Chapter 5
Describe how Seaman felt at the meeting with the Yankton Sioux.
Seaman felt uneasy. He seemed nervous with the unfamiliar smells, movements, and sounds.
How was the meeting with the Arikara tribe?
The Arikara were friendly.
They showed the men their village. They were curious about the men, especially York, they had never seen a black man before.
What was a challenge that Charbonneau had on the pirogue?
A strong wind blew when he was steering the pirogue. He panicked and made the boat turn sideways. He also did the same another time, and Lewis no longer allowed him to steer.
How did the men manage the rough river conditions? Why was it challenging?
Since there was always a strong downstream wind down the river, the men had to pull the boats with ropes. It was difficult to pull the boats and the rocky river bottom cut their feet. The ropes would dry and snap.
How did the men describe the Rocky Mountains?
They said they had pointed peaks, which seemed to pierce heaven. They were jagged and steep with snowy tops.
What strange animal did Seaman discover? Describe how they ‘played’ with Seaman.
He discovered prairie dogs. As his saw what he thought was a squirrel, he ran towards it. It quickly disappeared and another one popped up a few yards away. They continued to do this, and it confused Seaman.
How did York respond to the Indians staring at him?
He found their curiosity amusing. He would try to scare the children that were following him. He would turn a roar at them. He found it funny and would laugh. He would pick up logs to show his strength and make funny comments.
Why was the grizzly bear such a feared animal on the journey?
The text gave several encounters with grizzlies. Even after they shot the grizzlies, they still tried to charge the men and chase them. Many grizzlies took 6 or more shots to finally kill them.
What happened during the night of May 29th?
Everyone was asleep, and a buffalo came into camp. It got scared by the campfire blazes and began trampling things, damaging weapons. It began to charge the tent where the sergeants slept, but Seaman distracted the buffalo and drove it out of camp.
What was the story that Sacagawea shared with the group?
She told the men about how she was captured by the Hidatsa raiding party when she was a young girl. She was taken as a prisoner when she was 12.
Why was Lewis so determined to capture one of the prairie dogs? How did he finally capture one?
He was determined to capture one to take back for a scientist to study. It was an animal they hadn’t seen before. The tunnels were too deep for the poles they had, so they had to use 5 barrels of water to flush one out.
Describe how the men bonded with the Mandan tribe.
The Mandans were friendly and welcomed the men right away. They were used to visitors because they were a marketplace for lots of trade. The Mandans allowed the men to build their camp during the winter months. They provided them with vegetables in exchange for blacksmith tools.
Describe the encounter that Seaman had with the beaver.
Seaman was diving underwater to retrieve the beaver that one of the men shot. The beaver bit Seaman’s hind leg. It was a very deep bite that hit an artery. The men had to carry Seaman back to camp to be treated.
What landmark were Lewis and Clark looking for to decide which river to choose? How was the landmark described?
They were looking for the Great Falls. When they found it, they described it as ‘the grandest sight I ever beheld’. They also said it was 5 separate waterfalls with mighty rapids between them.
Why was Sacagawea torn at the end of Chapter 9?
Sacagawea was sad because she just reunited with her childhood friend and her brother. She was having to say goodbye to them to continue on her journey with her husband and the Corps of Discovery.
Describe the meeting with the Teton Sioux.
It was an unfriendly and tense meeting. They did not understand Lewis’ language and responded with angry discussion between the Teton chiefs. They did not like the gifts and refused to get off the keelboat when Clark asked them to. They drew their weapons and the Discovery group prepared to shoot with their weapons.
Why did Clark have worry about the villages near where they were setting up camp for the winter?
Clark said he was concerned because of the population of natives that could be warriors. He noted they only had 30 men in the Corps and 20 men returning to St. Louis. He was worried for their safety.
Why do you think the chapter is called ‘Perils in Paradise’?
The men
faced many perils or challenges in such a beautiful place. They described the area as being fertile country with rich grasslands filled with grazing animals-elk, buffalo, and antelope. However, they faced strong winds, grizzly bears, and almost losing Seaman to a bite from a beaver.
Who is Pomp? What did the Corps do for Pomp?
Pomp is Sacagawea’s baby boy. That was the nickname the men gave him. While Sacagawea was sick, the men would feed him mushed corn, played with him, and soothed him when he cried.
Who was the Shoshone chief? What was the amazing discovery Sacagawea made about him?
The Shoshone chief was named Cameahwait. Sacagawea realized that he was her brother.
Why did Lewis and Clark visit the Teton Sioux village?
The men were hoping a visit to their village would end their meeting with peace. They were trying to calm the situation down.
Explain the role of Charbonneau and Sacagawea on the upcoming journey.
Charbonneau was hired to be a translator. Sacagawea was his wife. He asked if she could come also to translate the Indians’ languages as well as be a symbol of peaceful intentions (being a woman).
How did Sacagawea and some of the men treat Seaman like a king?
Sacagawea created shade for him to lay in the boat. She would also soak a cloth in the water and squeeze it into Seaman’s mouth. When he got stronger, Colter and York fed him some drippings from meat and some meat chopped up into mush.
Why did the men have to stop for a month after carrying their supplies 20 miles?
The men had buried most of their supplies and pirogues, so they had to hollow out trees to make canoes. They also had to let their feet heal from the prickly pear cactus that was on the ground that cut up their feet.
The men were able to trade with the Shoshone tribe. What did they trade and why did it become more costly for them?
The men needed horses. They traded common items such as cloth shirts and mirrors. The Shoshone realized how much the men needed more horses, so they began to ask for more in their trading like knives, guns, and ammunition.