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The Indians among whom Captain Clark and Captain Lewis traveled had many strange ways of doing things. They had nothing like our matches for making fire. One tribe of Indians had this way of lighting a fire. An Indian would lay down a dry stick. He would rub this stick with the end of another stick. After a while this rubbing would make something like sawdust on the stick that was lying down. The Indian would keep on rubbing till the wood grew hot. Then the fine wood dust would smoke. Then it would burn. The Indian would put a little kindling wood on it. Soon he would have a large fire.

In that time the European settlers had not yet found out how to make matches. They lighted a fire by striking a piece of flint against a piece of steel. This would make a spark of fire. By letting this spark fall on something that would burn easily, they started a fire.

White men had another way of lighting a fire when the sun was shining. They used what was called a burning glass. This was a round piece of glass. It was thick in the middle, and thin at the edge. When you held up a burning glass in the sun, it drew the sun's heat so as to make a little hot spot. If you put paper under this spot of hot sunshine, it would burn. Men could light the tobacco in their pipes with one of these glasses.

Captain Clark had something funny happen to him on account of his burning glass. He had walked ahead of the rest of his men. He sat down on a rock. There were some Indians on the other side of the river. They did not see the captain. Captain Clark saw a large bird called a crane flying over his head. He raised his gun and shot it.

The Indians on the other side of the river had never seen a white man in their lives. They had never heard a gun. They used bows and arrows.

They heard the sound of Clark's gun. They looked up and saw the large bird falling from the sky. It fell close to where Captain Clark sat. Just as it fell they caught sight of Captain Clark sitting on the rocks. They thought they had seen him fall out of the sky. They thought that the sound of his gun was a sound like thunder that was made when he came down.

The Indians all ran away as fast as they could. They went into their wigwams and closed them.

Captain Clark wished to be friendly with them. So he got a canoe and paddled to the other side of the river. He came to the Indian houses. He found the flaps which they use for doors shut. He opened one of them and went in. The Indians were sitting down, and they were all crying and trembling.

Among the Indians the sign of peace is to smoke together. Captain Clark held out his pipe to them. That was to say, "I am your friend." He shook hands with them and gave some of them presents. Then they were not so much afraid.

He wished to light his pipe for them to smoke. So he took out his burning glass. He held it in the sun. He held his pipe under it. The sunshine was drawn together into a bright little spot on the tobacco. Soon the pipe began to smoke.

Then he held out his pipe for the Indians to smoke with him. That is their way of making friends. But none of the Indians would touch the pipe. They thought that he had brought fire down from heaven to light his pipe. They were now sure that he fell down from the sky. They were more afraid of him than ever.

At last, Captain Clark's Indian man came. He told the other Indians that the white man did not come out of the sky. Then they smoked the pipe, and were not afraid.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

On their expedition, Louis and Clark met American Indians who had never seen a gun before. One day, Clark was across a river from some American Indians and he shot a large bird called a crane. The crane fell out of the sky and landed near Clark. The Indians heard a big boom, saw something fall from the sky, and then spotted Clark. The Indians believed Clark made the big boom as he fell from the sky. Afraid, the Indians ran into their wigwams and hid. Clark crossed the river, entered a wigwam, and offered his pipe as a show of peace. When Clark lit his pipe with a burning glass, the Indians were afraid again. The American Indians and the European settlers had different ways of making fire. Indians rubbed sticks together. Europeans struck flint against steel or used a burning glass to concentrate the sun's rays. Captain Clark's Indian guide explained to the Indians that Clark did not come from the sky. The Indians were no longer afraid, and they all smoked the pipe in peace.

Vocabulary

Flint: A hard gray rock.
Steel: A hard, strong, gray or bluish-gray metal.
Burning Glass: A round piece of glass, thick in the middle and thin at the edge, used to start fires with the sun's rays.
Crane: Large birds with long necks and long legs.
Pipe: A narrow tube with a bowl at one end for holding burning tobacco, the smoke from which is drawn into the mouth.

Concepts

The story describes three ways to make fire.

  1. The first way is to rub two sticks together. The friction from the rubbing heats the sticks and makes sawdust. The heat causes the sawdust to catch fire.
  2. The second way is to strike rock against metal and produce a spark.
  3. The third way is to use a burning glass which concentrates the sun's rays on a single spot.

Today, we typically use matches and lighters to start fires.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 33 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 3: Draw the Story

  • In the story, Clark went into an Indian wigwam.
  • Study the picture of a wigwam below and sketch it.

Review

Question 1

Why were the American Indians first afraid of Clark?
1 / 4

Answer 1

The Indians thought Clark made the big boom as he fell from the sky.
1 / 4

Question 2

What did Clark do to show the Indians he was friendly?
2 / 4

Answer 2

Clark offered the Indians his pipe in peace.
2 / 4

Question 3

Why wouldn't the Indians smoke with Clark?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Clark lit the pipe with his burning glass, and the Indians became afraid again.
3 / 4

Question 4

Who helped Clark make friends with the Indians?
4 / 4

Answer 4

Clark's Indian guide told the Indians Clark did not fall from the sky. The Indians were no longer afraid of Clark.
4 / 4

  1. Why were the American Indians first afraid of Clark? The Indians thought Clark made the big boom as he fell from the sky.
  2. What did Clark do to show the Indians he was friendly? Clark offered the Indians his pipe in peace.
  3. Why wouldn't the Indians smoke with Clark? Clark lit the pipe with his burning glass, and the Indians became afraid again.
  4. Who helped Clark make friends with the Indians? Clark's Indian guide told the Indians Clark did not fall from the sky. The Indians were no longer afraid of Clark.

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