>>SHORTLY FOLLOWING THE
LOUISIANA PURCHASE IN 1803, 
PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON
SENT A TEAM TO EXPLORE THE NEW TERRITORY.
THE JOURNEY WOULD BE CHALLENGING,
UNFAMILIAR, AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.
BUT AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION,
JEFFERSON WAS CONFIDENT IN
THE TEAM HE HAD SELECTED.
SO, ON MAY 20TH 1804, 
THE EXPEDITION BEGAN WITH
MERIWETHER LEWIS, HIS FRIEND,
WILLIAM CLARK, AND FRODO BAGGINS.
>>WE BEGAN OUR JOURNEY JUST AS ANY OTHER.
CLARK AND I HAD OUR PROVISIONS PREPARED AND
WE WERE READY TO MAKE WAY.
OUR THIRD COMPANION SEEMED 
RELUCTANT TO LEAVE HOWEVER,
HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE HIS SHOES ON.
>>THE PARTY TRAVELLED WEST ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI.
THEIR JOURNAL ENTRIES HELP PAINT THE PICTURE OF THE EXPERIENCE.
>>THE SCENERY ALREADY RICH, PLEASING AND BEAUTIFUL,
WAS STILL FURTHER HEIGHTENED BY IMMENSE HERDS OF BUFFALO,
DEER ELK, AND ANTELOPE.
>>GET OFF THE ROAD!
>>THE SURROUNDING PLAINS IS OPEN,
VOID OF TIMBER AND LEVEL TO A GREAT EXTENT.
>>THE RING IS BECOMING TOO POWERFUL.
I WISH IT HAD NEVER COME TO ME.
>>THE CAPTAINS KNEW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT
THE LAND TO THE WEST, SO THEY HIRED A GUIDE
NAMED SACAGAWEA.
>>SHE IS NATIVE TO THE LAND AND OF A CONTENT DISPOSITION.
AN OLD HOMELESS MAN OFFERED TO GUIDE US TOO,
BUT CLARK SAW HIM TALKING TO A MOTH SO WE
DETERMINED HE WAS INSANE.
CLARK SHOT HIM.
[GUN SHOT] >>FLY YOU FOOLS!
>>SACAGAWEA SHOWED THEM EDIBLE PLANTS AND ROOTS.
WHEN A BOAT OVERTURNED IN A STRONG WIND,
IT WAS SACAGAWEA WHO SAVED THEIR MOST PRECIOUS ITEMS.
>>SHE MANAGED TO GRAB A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT
BAGS FROM THE DEBRIS, 
AS WELL AS FRODO'S RING.
HE DID NOT APPEAR GRATEFUL HOWEVER.
>>GIVE IT TO ME!
IT'S MINE AND MY OWN!
>>JUST WHEN THEY THOUGHT THINGS WERE IMPROVING,
NEW CHALLENGES AROSE.
>>THE WIND BLEW SO HARD DURING THE WHOLE OF THIS DAY
THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO MOVE.
NOTWITHSTANDING THAT WE WERE SHELTERED BY-
YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M STARTING TO GET
BOTHERED BY FRODO.
HE'S CHANGED.
HE'S NOT SLEEPING AT NIGHT.
HE'S BECOME EVE MORE PALE, AND NOW HE'S GOT THIS GUY
WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS FOLLOWING HIM AROUND.
[COUGHING] >>THE NEW GUY IS
REALLY GOOD AT FISHING, BUT HE'S STILL A FREAK.
AND FRODO KEEPS ON DISAPPEARING,
LIKE LITERALLY.
IT FREAKS OUT SACAGAWEA.
>>AFTER 12 MONTHS, THE EXPEDITION WAS SHOWING
SIGNS OF FRUSTRATION.
>>FRODO WAS CHASED BY A BEAR TODAY.
I COMPLETELY IGNORED IT AND LOOKED AT A MAP.
>>HELP ME SAM!
>>GOLLUM KEEPS CALLING ME FAT.
IT HURTS MY FEELINGS.
>>YESTERDAY FRODO WAS BIT BY A SPIDER AND
HE PASSED OUT.
THE LAD IS CLEARLY NOT CUT OUT FOR ROUGH TRAVEL.
>>GET A GIANT SHOE!
>>THESE GUYS ARE SO WEIRD,
 AND I KNOW HOW TO TAKE
CARE OF GOLLUM'S COUGH.
I'M JUST NOT GOING TO.
>>PLEASE HELPS US.
>>FINALLY, ON NOVEMBER 15TH 1805,
THEY ARRIVED AT THEIR DESTINATION.
FOR ONE AND A HALF YEARS, 
THE INTREPID COMPANY HAD
JOURNEYED ACROSS THE WEST AND COULD NOW LOOK OUT
OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
>>WE WERE OVERCOME WITH THE BEAUTY OF WHAT WE SAW.
THERE WERE SHOUTS OF HURRAH!
AND THE RING IS MINE!
AND SO FORTH.
>>WE FELT BLESSED TO HAVE COME SO FAR WITHOUT
SUFFERING ANY CASUALTIES.
WELL ACTUALLY WE DID LOSE TRACK OF FRODO RIGHT THERE AT THE END,
BUT TO BE FAIR, NO ONE REALLY LOOKED FOR HIM.
>>WE FEASTED ON FRESH BUFFALO THAT NIGHT,
AND SACAGAWEA SHOT THE BIGGEST EAGLE I HAVE EVER SEEN.
IT WAS A HAPPY DAY INDEED.
[SCREAMING]
