At 3 a.m., high waves and rolling logs threaten camp in the small niche above the mouth of the Columbia. During low tide, they move into a better cove which would become known as “The Dismal Nitch”. Pvts. Gibson, Bratton, and Willard attempt to paddle down the river but the waves are too high. Despite their distressing situation, several salmon are caught, and the day ends well.
Our Terrible Condition at the Pacific
25″ x 30″ oil on canvas
© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.
Tough Weather
a hard Storm continued all last night, and hard Thunder lightning and hail this morning we Saw a mountain on the opposite Shore covred with Snow. the rain continued hard all day.
—John Ordway
Avoiding Danger
our Situation is dangerous. we took the advantage of a low tide and moved our camp around a point to a Small wet bottom at the mouth of a Brook, which we had not observed when we Came to this cove; from it being verry thick and obscured by drift trees and thick bushes
—William Clark
Distressing Situation
It would be distressing to See our Situation, all wet and Colde our bedding also wet, (and the robes of the party which Compose half the bedding is rotten and we are not in a Situation to supply their places) in a wet bottom Scercely large enough to contain us, our baggage half a mile from us and Canoes at the mercy of the waves, altho Secured as well as possible, Sunk with emence parcels of Stone to wate them down to prevent their dashing to pieces against the rocks;
—William Clark
Return to the Dismal Nitch
Three men Gibson Bratten [Bratton] & Willard [Willard] attempted to decend in a Canoe built in the Indian fashion and abt. the Size of the one the Indians visited us in yesterday, they Could not proceed, as the waves tossed them about at will, they returned after proceeding about 1 mile—
—William Clark
Creek near Cliff Point
© 8 November 2015 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
This creek is likely the one in which Clark gigged three salmon.
Gigging Salmon
Fortunately for us our men are healthy. we got our Selves tolerable Comfortable by drying our Selves & bedding Cought 3 salmon this evining in a Small branch above about 1 mile . . . . the party killed 13 Salmon to day in a branch about 2 miles above.
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Day of the month Wind State of the Weather 12th S. W. hail, rain, thunder & lightning violent wind from the S W. acompanied with Hail thunder and Lightning, the Claps of Thunder excessively loud and Continued from 3 to 6 A. M. Cleared off a Short time & raind untill 12 oClock Cleared off an hour and rained again. the rain has been pretty generally falling Since the 7th inst.
—Meriwether Lewis and William Clark[1]Some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Dismal Nitch is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Interpretation is available at the Dismal Nitch Safety Rest Area on WA State Highway 401.
Notes
| ↑1 | Some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
|---|
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).