Curtis's Birthday

April 3rd 1805

Dear Journal,

It's been a long journey, we've almost been gone for one year. Today though was Curtis's birthday! Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Curtis, happy birthday to you! 

We shall be packing up and getting ready to set out tomorrow. At 4:00 pm we had completed every arrangement necessary for our departure, we dismissed the barge and crew, with orders to return without loss of time to St. Louis. A small canoe with two French hunters accompanied the barge. These men had ascended the Missouri with us the last year as engagés. The barge crew consisted of six soldiers and two Frenchmen. Two Frenchmen and an Arikara Indian also take their passage in her as far as the Arikara villages, at which place we expect Mr. Tabeau to embark, with his peltry, who, in that case, will make an addition of two, perhaps four, men to the crew of the barge.

We got a lot accomplished today, and it was hard work! We let Curtis do all of the easy work because we wanted him to have a nice and relaxing day on his birthday [: