By the time they returned to St. Louis in September 1806, few of the instruments that were purchased for the trip had survived the journey. The pocket compass, however, was kept by Clark as a memento.

As a young Scout, I was taught to use a small magnetic compass to find my way from place to place. ... The pocket compass: Giving life direction. Published: Apr. 15, 2008, 6:23 p.m. By .