It is at this point in the essay where examining the specific journal entries of Lewis, Clark and the known associates of the expedition help prove the question of whether or not the expedition was truly well prepared for their journey westward. Upon beginning their journey, Lewis was attentive as ever, “staying up till midnight, making observations every five minutes or so for an hour or more.” This was only practice, as the group was still making its way down the Ohio, and was often frustrating and impossible, but as seen in the journals, the expedition progressed. Maybe most particularly, research of the expedition could not be done without the journals, and it is the quality of the journals that show how the expedition was indeed prepared for what lay west of the Mississippi River. This can be seen through the writings of Lewis, who, as stated previously, was educated both by Jefferson and the educated elite of the country before departing.…