Seaman, the Newfoundland

Seaman is the dog that Merriwether Lewis bought to take along on the journey west.  He was a Newfoundland.  They got their name because they found their way, by human intervention, to the coast of Newfoundland, and they evolved in a way that made them particularly suited to the island.  Newfoundlands are a very large breed of dog, averaging 28" high and up to 150 pounds for the males.  Now they have a very heavy coat which protects them from the harsh Newfoundland winters and icy waters surrounding the island.  They even have large strong, webbed feet, powerful hindquarters and large lung capacity that allow them to swim large distances.

And a mighty big dog was Seaman!  (This guy would have suited Paul Bunyan perfectly!)

Those might have been be the traits Lewis was looking for - or maybe he wanted him for his impressive size in order to get the attention of the Indians.  Regardless of the reason, he paid a pretty price for him - $20!  ($1 in 1803 currency would buy over $20 worth of goods today, so Lewis, in today's dollars, paid over $400.00 for Seaman!  Wowser!)  Seaman is mentioned in Lewis's journals as early as August 30, 1803 before his departure from Pittsburgh.  Notations about him appear in many of the Corps' journals throughout the trip.

November 16, 1803:  One of the Shawnees a respectable looking Indian offered me three beverskins for my dog with which he appeared much pleased...

April 25, 1805:  We set out at an early hour.  The water friezed on the oars this morning as the men rowed...my dog had been absent during the last night, and I was fearful we had lost him altogether, however, much to my satisfaction he joined us at 8 o'clock this morning."

May 19, 1805:   One of the party wounded a beaver, and my dog as usual swam in to catch it; the beaver bit him through the hind leg and cut the artery; it was with great difficulty that I could stop the blood; I fear it will yet prove fatal to him."  (It wasn't - 10 days later he was on guard duty!)

August 17, 1805:  Every article about us appeared to excite astonishment in their (the Lemhi Shoshoni at Camp Fortunate) minds; the appearance of the men, their arms, the canoes, our manner of working them, the black man York and the segacity of my dog.

July 5:  On the return trip, Lewis named a creek for Seaman.   saw two swan in this beautiful creek and proceeded on 3 miles to the entrance of a large creek 20 yards wide which I called Seaman's Creek.

Recent evidence uncovered by historians suggests that Seaman grieved himself to death on Captain Lewis's grave, who died at Grinders Inn on the Natchez Trace which was the path folks used to walk or ride back on from New Orleans after having floated a load of goods down the Mississippi River.

The End(s)