Nov. 12th, 1805

Things had not improved by the following morning and, as Clark later noted,

“It would be distressing to a feeling person to see our situation at this time, all wet & cold with our bedding & also wet, in a cove scarcely large enough to contain us, our Baggage in a small holler about a mile from us, and the canoes at the mercey of the waves & drift wood. Our Situation is dangerous.”

Looking west towards camp on the 12th at "Dismal Nitch" Photo Courtesy of James Sayce.

The weather, which Gass described as “a terrible night of rain, hail, thunder and lightening” where thunder and lightning occur rarely.

He then described their new location. They had taken advantage of a low tide and moved about a half mile round a point to a small brook which they had not been able to observe on the 10th because “of the thick brush and driftwood which concealed its mouth”. This is Megler Cove, just west of the Megler Visitors Information Center. Clark gave the spot the name “Dismal Nitch”, which no doubt reflected the state of mind of the entire party.

Clark’s journal entry for the day includes information about the vegetation of the area “Pine of fur Specs, or Spruc Pine grow here to an emense Size & hight maney of them 7 & 8 feet through and upwards of 200 feet high.” The day’s catch included “2 Salmon trout” which Clark caught and “13 of the Salmon Species” caught by the men.

Concern for the condition of the party rested heavily on Clark’s mind. He wrote that

“our party has been wet for (Seven Six) 8 days and is truly disagreeable, their robes & leather Clothes are rotten from being Continually wet, and they are not in a Situation to get others, and we are not in a Situation to restore them.”

Gibson, Bratten & Willard

“attempted to descend 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”.