Meriwether Lewis was chosen to be a Captain of the expedition to the Pacific Ocean by Thomas Jefferson. Lewis was a personal secretary of Jefferson, and he was certain that Lewis was good and trustworthy for the job. He was a great Scientific mind, and he was able to discover and write down a lot of new plant and animal Species. Lewis, with the help of a co-captain, were able to reach the Pacific Ocean without any deaths. The trip he lead took two years, four months, and ten days.

     Meriwether Lewis would have been a vital part of the trip, because he is very qualified. He knows a lot about nature and life, because he was very smart and is was able to document and understand lots of newly discovered life forms. He was also very, very responsible and was a good cartographer and map-maker. Meriwether Lewis was very skilled for this trip, and everything he knew was useful in one way or another.

     Francois LaBiche was appointed to be put on the trip by Lewis. LaBiche and another man, named Pierre Cruzatte, were both confronted to join the Discovery Corps in Central Illinois. They were both fur traders from France, and they would be good translators with the Native. What the people didn’t know, is that they were both strong boatmen, and they could row a boat very fast. These two men were appointed to be put on the trip after this information was leaked.

     Francois LaBiche was very important to the trip, and I would take him with me, because of all of the skills he knew. His translator skills would come in handy when we are talking to a group of new Native Americans. His trading skills would also be really good if we needed something from the Natives. Finally his strength and boat skills will be helpful when hunting, fishing, crafting, and traveling.

Seamen the dog is for sure a unique member of the expedition, because he was the only non-human member of the group. He was a very skilled hunter, and always brought a smile to the faces of the weary. The dog was purchased by Meriwether, because he wanted a companion and hunting partner. In Lewis’s journal, he writes about how docile and behaved the dog is. For a long time, historians debated whether the dog’s name was “Seaman” or “Scannon”. It is later proved that the dog was named Seaman. The color of the dog is also widely debated, but is is thought to have all black fur. 

     Seaman the dog was a very bright and vital part of the trip, because a dog will always make people happy. With his superion hunting skills, his obedience, and his knack to spread happiness among the tired explorers was truly a saving grace for the Discovery Corps.