Pvt. Colter returns to the “Dismal Nitch” camp site to inform the captains that a better encampment area is not far down the river—a sizeable beach near the Chinookan village later named Middle Village. Lewis and four men attempt to paddle to the new site but are turned back by waves. Because of the constant rain, everyone’s leather clothing is rotten.
Situation Miserable
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Columbia River from Dismal Nitch
© 18 December 2010 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Above: Tongue Point can be seen about 4.5 miles across the Columbia River.
Colter’s Gig and Basket
5 [Chinook] Indians Came up in a Canoe, thro’ the waves, which is verry high and role with great fury— They made Signs to us that they Saw the 3 men we Sent down yesterday . . . . Colter returnd by land and informed us that those Indians had taken his Gigg & basket, I called to the Squars to land and give back the gigg, which they would not doe untill a man run with a gun, as if he intended to Shute them when they landed, and Colter got his gig & basket
—William Clark
Colter’s Beautiful Sand Beach
Colter informed us that “it was but a Short distance from where we lay around the point to a butifull Sand beech, which continud for a long ways, that he had found a good harber in the mouth of a creek near 2 Indian Lodges—that he had proceeded in the Canoe as far as he could for the waves, the other two men Willard & Shannon had proceeded on down
—William Clark
“A chart shewing part of the coast of N.W. America; with the tracks of His Majesty’s sloop Discovery and armed tender Chatham”[2]John Logan Allen, Lewis and Clark and the Image of the American Northwest (New York: Dover, 1975), pp. 96-97.
Published 1798
To see labels, point to the map.
Washington State University Libraries.
Due to prior Columbia River explorations, much about the mouth of the Pacific Ocean was already known by Lewis and Clark.
Lewis to Scout Ahead
Capt Lewis concluded to proceed on by land & find if possible the white people the Indians Say is below and examine if a Bay is Situated near the mouth of this river as laid down by Vancouver in which we expect, if there is white traders to find them &c.
—William Clark
Swamped Dugout Canoe
at 3 oClock he Set out with 4 men Drewyer Jos. [Joseph Field] & Reu. Fields [Reubin Field] & R. Frasure [Robert Frazer], in one of our large canoes and 5 men to Set them around the point on the Sand beech. this canoe returned nearly filled with water at Dark which it receved by the waves dashing into it on its return, haveing landed Capt. Lewis & his party Safe on the Sand beech.
—William Clark
Rotten Leather
The rain Continues all day all wet. The rain &c. which has continued without a longer intermition than 2 hours at a time for ten days past had distroyd. the robes and rotted nearly one half of the fiew Clothes the party has, perticularley the leather Clothes,— fortunately for us we have no very Cold weather as yet and if we have Cold weather before we Can kill & Dress Skins for Clothing the bulk of the party will Suffer verry much.
—William Clark
Weather Diary
Day of the month Wind State of the Weather 14th rain a blustering rainey day
—Meriwether Lewis[3]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 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | John Logan Allen, Lewis and Clark and the Image of the American Northwest (New York: Dover, 1975), pp. 96-97. |
| ↑3 | Some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
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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.
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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).