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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: Dates November 8, 1805 - November
12, 1805
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark. Dates: November 8, 1805 - November 12, 1805
November
8, 1805
Friday 8. It rained this morning; and having changed
the clothing which had been wet during yesterday's rain,
we did not set out till nine o'clock. Immediately opposite
our camp is a rock at the distance of a mile in the
river, about twenty feet in diameter and fifty in height,
and towards the southwest some high mountains, one of
which is covered with snow at the top. We proceeded
past several low islands in the bay or bend of the river
to the left, which is here five or six miles wide. We
were here overtaken by three Indians in a canoe who
had salmon to sell. On the right side we passed an old
village, and then, at the distance of three miles, entered
an inlet or niche about six miles across, and making
a deep bend of nearly five miles into the hills on the
right shore, where it receives the waters of several
creeks. We coasted along this inlet, which, from its
little depth, we called Shallow bay, and at the bottom
of it halted to dine near the remains of an old village,
from which, however, we kept at a cautious distance,
as it was occupied by great numbers of fleas. At this
place we observed a number of fowl, among which we killed
a goose and two ducks, exactly resembling in appearance
and flavor the canvass back duck of the Susquehannah.
After dinner the three Indians left us, and we then
took advantage of the returning tide, to go on about
three miles to a point on the right, eight miles distant
from our camp; but here the waves ran so high, and dashed
about our canoes so much, that several of the men became
seasick. It was therefore judged imprudent to go on
in the present state of the weather, and we landed at
the point. The situation was extremely uncomfortable;
the high hills jutted in so closely that there was not
room for us to lie level, nor to secure our baggage
free from the tide; and the water of the river is too
salt to be used; but the waves increasing every moment
so much, that we could not move from the spot with safety:
we therefore fixed ourselves on the beach left by the
ebb-tide, and having raised the baggage on poles, passed
a disagreeable night, the rain during the day having
wet us completely, as indeed we have been for some days
past.
November
9, 1805
Saturday 9.
Fortunately for us, the tide did not rise as high as
our camp during the night; but being accompanied by
high winds from the south, the canoes, which we could
not place beyond its reach, were filled with water,
and were saved with much difficulty: our position was
very uncomfortable, but as it was impossible to move
from it, we waited for a change of weather. It rained,
however, during the whole day, and at two o'clock in
the afternoon, the flood tide set in, accompanied by
a high wind from the south, which, about four o'clock,
shifted to the southwest, and blew almost a gale directly
from the sea. The immense waves now broke over the place
where we were encamped, and the large trees, some of
them five or six feet thick, which had lodged at the
point, were drifted over our camp, and the utmost vigilance
of every man could scarcely save our canoes from being
crushed to pieces. We remained in the water and drenched
with rain during the rest of the day; our only food
being some dried fish, and some rain-water which we
caught. Yet, though wet and cold, and some of them sick
from using the salt-water, the men are cheerful, and
full of anxiety to see more of the ocean. The rain continued
all night, and,
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