The Lewis and Clark expedition traveled through northeastern Montana while seeking a Northwest Passage to the Pacific by way of the Columbia River so furs could be shipped to the Orient, and although no all-water route was found, they recorded abundant beaver and other wildlife along the Missouri River country. Their journals portrayed a land of remarkable richness and complexity, with vast numbers of deer, elk, buffalo, antelope, wolves, and beaver, as well as observations of caving riverbanks, prairie rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, moose, and distant mountains. Entering what was considered completely uncharted wilderness, the expedition noted first encounters and striking natural features, including the first grizzly bear they killed, the largest elk Lewis had seen, a first moose sighting, and an early view of the Little Rocky Mountains. The account also highlights Sacagawea, a seventeen-year-old Shoshone woman who joined the expedition at Fort Mandan with her husband Toussaint Charbonneau and their infant son; although expected chiefly to help the party obtain horses through contact with her people near the Missouri headwaters, she contributed far more through knowledge of native plants and Indian customs and by recovering indispensable articles when a boat overturned, earning respect equal to any member of the party. A tributary later named the Sacagawea River reflected that importance, and the region is presented as still retaining much of the character that inspired such awe during the journey.