Lewis Purchases Seaman the Newfoundland Dog
While waiting in Pittsburgh for the keelboat to be finished, Meriwether Lewis bought a Newfoundland dog for $20 and named him Seaman. The Newfoundland breed was known for its swimming ability, strength, intelligence, and loyalty, with webbed feet, a water-resistant double coat, and a working-dog background from Canadian fishermen. Lewis noted the purchase briefly in his journal. Seaman would go on to travel the entire 8,000-mile route to the Pacific and back, the only animal to complete the full expedition.
While waiting for the completion of the keelboat in Pittsburgh, Meriwether Lewis purchased a large Newfoundland dog for $20—a considerable sum at the time. Lewis named the dog Seaman (sometimes misread as “Scannon” in early transcriptions of the journals). The Newfoundland breed was prized for its swimming ability, strength, intelligence, and loyalty—qualities that would prove invaluable on the journey ahead.
Lewis recorded the purchase matter-of-factly in his journal, but Seaman would become one of the most enduring figures of the expedition. The dog would travel the entire 8,000-mile route to the Pacific Ocean and back, the only animal to complete the full journey. Lewis clearly formed a deep bond with Seaman, frequently noting the dog’s activities in his journal entries over the next three years.
Newfoundlands were working dogs, originally bred by fishermen in Newfoundland, Canada. They could weigh over 150 pounds, had webbed feet for swimming, and thick, water-resistant double coats. These characteristics made Seaman an ideal expedition companion—he could retrieve game from rivers, serve as a guard dog, and endure the harsh conditions of the frontier.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
While waiting for the completion of the keelboat in Pittsburgh, Meriwether Lewis purchased a large Newfoundland dog for $20—a considerable sum at the time. Lewis named the dog Seaman (sometimes misread as "Scannon" in early transcriptions of the journals). The Newfoundland breed was prized for its swimming ability, strength, intelligence, and loyalty—qualities that would prove invaluable on the journey ahead.
Lewis recorded the purchase matter-of-factly in his journal, but Seaman would become one of the most enduring figures of the expedition. The dog would travel the entire 8,000-mile route to the Pacific Ocean and back, the only animal to complete the full journey. Lewis clearly formed a deep bond with Seaman, frequently noting the dog's activities in his journal entries over the next three years.
Newfoundlands were working dogs, originally bred by fishermen in Newfoundland, Canada. They could weigh over 150 pounds, had webbed feet for swimming, and thick, water-resistant double coats. These characteristics made Seaman an ideal expedition companion—he could retrieve game from rivers, serve as a guard dog, and endure the harsh conditions of the frontier.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
