The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online
November 18, 18052004University of Nebraska Press and University of Nebraska Libraries–Electronic Text CenterLincoln, Nebraskajfaust2@unl.eduMeriwether LewisWilliam ClarkGary E. MoultonThomas W. Dunlay,Assistant EditorThe Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 6November 2, 1805–March 22, 1806University of Nebraska PressLincoln and London199062-68John OrdwayCharles FloydGary E. MoultonThe Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 9The Journals of John Ordway and Charles FloydUniversity of Nebraska PressLincoln and London1995254-255Patrick GassGary E. MoultonThe Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 10The Journal of Patrick Gass, May 14, 1804–September 23, 1806University of Nebraska PressLincoln and London1996175Joseph WhitehouseGary E. MoultonThe Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 11The Journals of Joseph Whitehouse, May 14, 1804–April 2, 1806University of Nebraska PressLincoln and London199739546.25 -123.9167Camped southeast of Chinook Point, on the east side of Baker Bay, Pacific County, WA. West of present McGowan, adjacent to Fort Columbia State Park. Possibly remained at this camp until 11-25.JournalsJournal Entries2004-07-27Laura WeaklyInitial creation2016-010-06Brian Pytlik Zillig
Converted from P4 to P5. 2016-09-26Karin DalzielAdded Geo Information from spreadsheetNovember 18, 1805
ClarkNovr. 18th Monday 1805
a little Cloudy this morning I set out at day light with 10 men & my Sevent, Shabono, Sergt. PryerodderwayJos. & R. FieldsShannonColter, wiser, Lebiech & york proceeded on Down the Shore from the 1st point
N. W6miles to a lodge at the enterance of a river on the Std. in the
middle of a boggey BayS. 79° W.7miles to the mouth of a River old Cabins open bogs above
for 2 ms. back we Call after the nation Chin-nook River from
this river to Camp Point isS. 64° Eto Bluff Point (a small Island in a nitch of the Bay in the Same
Course) isS. 20° W.1 ½miles psd. a to Cape Disapt. is South— To point adams is
S. 22° E—About 25 miles— passed a part of a fish about
1 mile above I supposed to be a Grampass— The men
killed 4 brants & 〈we〉 Lab. Killed 48 pliver of 2 different
kinds yellow & black legs— I had them picked cooked and
we Dined on them.S. 80° W.1mile to the bottom of a nitch at a branch from a pondSouth 8° W.to an Isd. in the 2d nitch from this passed 2 points in the
Course To the center of the 1s Nitch a run is 1 mile To the
do. of th 2 do is 1 mile
At a run & Island near the Shore here the Traders ancher & trade. we passed at each point a Soft Clifts of yellow, brown & dark Soft Stones here Capt Lewis myself & Severl. of the man marked our names day of the month & by Land &c. &c. from this S. W. 3 miles to the Iner pt. of Cape Disapointmt passed a point & 2 Small nitches (Reuben Fields killed a Vulter) we found a Curious flat fish Shaped like a turtle, with fins on each side, and a tale notched like a fish, the Internals on one Sid and tale & fins flat wise This fish Flownder has a white 〈belly〉 on one Side & lies flat to the Ground— passed from last nitch across to the ocean ½ a mile low land the Cape is a high Partly bald hill, founded on rock, I assended a high Seperate bald hill Covered with long corse grass & Seperated from the hight of Country by a Slashey bottom 2 miles S. 60 W of the Cape— thence to a 2d Grassey pt is N. 50° W. 2 miles, Those hills are founded on rocks & the waves brake with great fury against them, the Coast is Sholey for Several miles of this Cape & for Some distance off to the N W a Sand bar in the mouth. Sholey Some distance out from the mouth The Coast from the Cape N W is open for a Short distance back then it becomes thick piney Countrey intersperced with ponds
Point addams is 〈S. W〉 S 20° W about 20 miles the Course on that Side bears S 45 W. I cannot assertain the prosise Course of the Deep water in the mouth of the river, the Channel is but narrow. I proceeded on up above the 2d point and Encamped on the Shore above the high tide, evening Clear, for a Short time. Supd. on Brant and pounded fish men all Chearfull, express a Desire to winter near the falls this winter.—
ClarkNovember 18th Monday 1805
A little cloudy this morning I Set out with 10 men and my man York to the Ocian by land. i. e. Serjt. Ordway & Pryor, Jos. & Ru. Fields, Go. Shannon, W. Brattin, J. Colter, P. Wiser, W. Labieche & P. Shabono one of our interpreters & York. I Set out at Day light and proceeded on a Sandy beech
N. 80° W. 1Mile to a point of rocks about 40 feet high, from the top
of which the hill Side is open and assend with a Steep assent
to the tops of the Mountains, a Deep nitch and two Small
Streams above this point, then my course wasN. W. 7Mile to the enterance of a creek at a lodge or cabin of Chin-
nooks passing on a wide Sand bar the bay to my left and Sev-
eral Small ponds Containing great numbers of water fowls
to my right; with a narrow bottom of alder & Small balsam
between the Ponds and the Mountn. at the Cabin I saw
4 womin and Some Children one of the women in a desper-
ate Situation, covered with Sores Scabs & ulsers no doubt
the effects of veneral disorder which Several of this nation
which I have Seen appears to have. This Creek appears to be
nothing more than the conveyance of Several Small dreans
from the high hills and the ponds on each Side near its mouth.
here we were Set across all in one Canoe by 2 Squars to each I
gav a Small hookS. 79° W. 5Miles to the mouth of Chin nook river, passed a low bluff of a
small hite at 2 miles below which is the remains of huts near
which place is also the remains of a whale on the Sand, the
countrey low open and Slashey, with elivated lands inter-
spersed covered with [NB?: Some] pine & thick under groth
This river is 40 yards wide at low tide— here we made a
fire and dined on 4 brant and 48 Pliver which was killed byLabiech on the coast as we came on. Rubin Fields Killed a
Buzzard [NB?: Vulture] of the large Kind near the meat of the
whale we Saw: W. 25 lb. measured from the tips of the wings
across 9½ feet, from the point of the Bill to the end of the tail
3 feet 10¼ inches, middle toe 5½ inches, toe nale 1 inch
& 3½ lines, wing feather 2½ feet long & 1 inch 5 lines diami-
ter tale feathers 14½ inches, and the head is 6½ inches in-
cluding the beak. [NB: head in Peale's Mus.] after dineing
we crossed the river in an old canoe which I found on the
Sand near Som old houses & proceeded on—S. 20° W. 4Miles to a Small rock island in a deep nitch passed a nitch at
2 miles in which there is a dreen from Some ponds back, the
land low opposite this nitch a bluff of yellow Clay and Soft
Stone from the river to the Comencement of this nitch be-
low the Country rises to high hills of about 80 or 90 feet above
the water— at 3 miles passed a nitch— this rock Island is
Small and at the South of a deep bend in which the nativs in-
form us the Ships anchor, and from whence they receive their
goods in return for their peltries and Elk Skins &c. this ap-
pears to be a very good harber for large Ships. here I foundCapt Lewis name on a tree. I also engraved my name & by land
the day of the month and year, as also Several of the men.S. 46° E. 2Miles to the inner extremity of Cape Disapointment passing a
nitch in which there is a Small rock island, a Small Stream falls
into this nitch from a pond which is imediately on the Sea
Coast passing through a low isthmus. this Cape is an elli-
vated 〈Situat〉 Circlier point Covered with thick timber on the
iner Side and open grassey exposur next to the Sea and rises
with a Steep assent to the hight of about 150 or 160 feet above
the leavel of the water 〈from the last mentioned nitch—〉 this
cape as also the Shore both on the Bay & Sea coast is a dark
brown rock. I crossed the neck of Land low and ½ of a mile
wide to the main Ocian, at the foot of a high open hill project-
ing into the ocian, and about one mile in Sicumfrance. I as-
sended this hill which is covered with high corse grass. de-
cended to the N. of it and camped. I picked up a flounder
on the beech this evening.—Miles ☞19
from Cape Disapointment to a high point of a Mountn. which we shall call [NB: Clarke's Point of View] beares S. 20° W. about 〈40〉 [WC?: 25] miles, point adams is verry low and is Situated within the direction between those two high points of land, the water appears verry Shole from off the mouth of the river for a great distance, and I cannot assertain the direction of the deepst Chanel, the Indians point nearest the opposit Side. the waves appear to brake with tremendious force in every direction quite across a large Sand bar lies within the mouth nearest to point Adams which is nearly covered at high tide. I suped on brant this evening with a little pounded fish. Some rain in the after part of the night. men appear much Satisfied with their trip beholding with estonishment the high waves dashing against the rocks & this emence ocian.
Ordway
Monday 18th Nov. 1805. Cloudy. Capt. Clark myself and 10 more of the party Set out in order to go down and see the passiffic ocean. we proceeded on round Hailys bay crossed two Rivers in Sd. bay. one of the party killed a verry large turkey buzzard which had white under its wings, and was nine feet from the points of the wings, and 3 feet 10 Inches in length, and everey way proportined. we proceeded on round high clifts of rocks where we had much trouble to pass.— towards evening we arived at the Cape disapointment on the Sea Shore. went over a bald hill where we had a handsom view of the ocean. we went on a Short distance on the coast and Camped for the night.
Gass
Monday 18th. The morning was cloudy. Capt. Clarke and 10 men went down to Cape Disappointment, to get a more full view of the ocean; and 3 went out to hunt. In the course of the day we got some dried salmon and roots from the natives. In the evening our hunters came in with a deer, 2 brants, a squirrel, a hawk, and a flounder, which the tide had thrown on a sand-bar. The Indians still remained with us, and Capt. Lewis got a specimen of their language. Those who live about the seashore and on Rogue's harbour creek, a large creek that comes in on the north side of the bay, call themselves the Chin-ook nation.
Whitehouse
Monday Novemr 18th We had a cloudy morning. Captain Clark, 2 Serjeants & eight of our Men set out in Order to go down to Cape disappointment, (the Name of the Cape) in Order to get a satisfactory View of the Ocean &ca.
The Indians came to our Camp, from whom we purchased some dry Salmon. Towards evening our hunters returned to our Camp; they had killed One Deer, 2 brants & a squirrel & also a large fish called Flounder, which they brought with 〈us〉 them to our Camp.— Our officers named this Cape Cape disappointment on account of not finding Vessells there.—
Clark's route is shown as a dotted line on Atlas map 91 and on fig. 1.Chinook River, in Pacific County, Washington, and given as such on Atlas map 89, but in opposition to what Clark apparently applied that name on Atlas maps 82, 83. It is unnamed on Atlas map 91; fig. 1.Now Wallacut River, flowing into Baker Bay in Pacific County. Atlas maps 82 and 83 note it as "Chin-nook Nation," while Atlas map 89 gives it as "White brant creek," probably incorrectly.Perhaps Grampus griseus, grampus or Risso's dolphin, a cetacean rather than a fish. Hall, 2:892.On Atlas maps 89 and 91 a boat is shown at the anchoring spot, while fig. 1 has an anchor drawn at the spot. Atlas map 90 has the word "ankerage." It is on the east side of Cape Disappointment between Ilwaco and Fort Canby State Park, Pacific County.The cliffs are composed of siltstone and coarse-grained sandstone of the Miocene-age Astoria Formation. There is also a Quaternary-age landslide near this point containing rubble derived from the Astoria Formation.Their first actual specimen of the California condor, Gymnogyps californianus [AOU, 324], now nearly extinct. See above, October 30, 1805; below, February 16, 1806. Burroughs, 201–3.Here in the Elkskin-bound Journal Clark has inserted a sketch of the fish; it is probably a starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus. See below, March 13, 1806. Burroughs, 266; Lee et al., 830.Probably McKenzie Head in Fort Canby State Park.Clark's camp is shown on Atlas map 91, near McKenzie Head in Fort Canby State Park. A map, perhaps of the area, is overwritten by text on this page of the Elkskin-bound Journal (see fig. 3). Included with the map are the words, "Shoals & Swells," in Clark's hand. The camp was in the vicinity of the Fishing Rocks archaeological site. Archaeological work at this shell midden encountered evidence that Chinook Indians used the site as a hunting and fishing camp beginning around 1,000 years ago and continuing into early historic times. Minor (ASCR).There is a great deal of variation between the two entries for the courses of Clark's route.The whale is pictured on Atlas map 91.Biddle's interlineation was obviously added much later, probably in 1810, but not in his usual red ink. For Charles Willson Peale see above, September 10, 1803.Tillamook Head, in Clatsop County, Oregon, See Atlas map 90. The correction in distance may have resulted from Clark's visit to the area in January. Atlas map 84.Clark gave the other men's names in two inconsistent lists, those named included Clark,
Ordway, Charbonneau, Pryor, the Field brothers, Shannon, Colter, Weiser, Labiche, Bratton, and York.Baker Bay, Pacific County, Washington.Chinook and Wallacut rivers, Pacific County.Reubin Field killed the expedition's first specimen of the California condor.Probably McKenzie Head in Fort Canby State Park, Pacific County.Near McKenzie Head.Charbonneau, Pryor, Ordway, Joseph and Reubin Field, Shannon, Colter, Peter Weiser, Labiche, and York, according to Clark. The captain's second entry for the day adds Bratton.Probably starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus.Chinook River or Wallacut River, Pacific County, Washington. The captains seem to refer to the latter as Chinook River, and the present Chinook River as White Brant Creek; this may be Gass'sRogue's-harbour Creek.According to Clark, the sergeants were Ordway and Pryor, and the men were Charbonneau, Joseph and Reubin Field, Shannon, Colter, Weiser, Labiche, and York. The captain's second entry for the day adds Bratton.Probably starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus.Actually named as such by Captain John Meares in 1788 when he missed the Columbia and concluded that a river did not exist here.