Clark: November 14, 1805

November 14th Thursday 1805. It rained last night without intermission, and this morning the wind blew hard from the ____. We could not move. One canoe was broken last night against the rocks, by the waves dashing her against them in high tide. About 10 o'clock, 5 Indians came up in a canoe through immense waves and swells. They landed and informed us they saw the 3 men we sent down yesterday, at some distance below. Soon after those people came, Colter, one of the 3 men, returned and informed us that he had proceeded with his canoe as far as they could, due to the waves, and could find no white people or bay. He saw a good canoe harbor and 2 camps of Indians at no great distance below, and that those with us had taken his gig and knife, etc., which he forcibly took back from them, and they left us, after our treating them well. The rain continued all day; all wet as usual. Killed only 2 fish today for the whole party. At 3 o'clock Capt. Lewis (Capt. Lewis), Drewyer (Drouillard), Jo. and R. Fields, and Frasure (Frazer) set out down along the shore to examine if any white men were below within our reach. They took an empty canoe and 5 men to set them around the point onto a gravelly beach, which Colter informed us was at no great distance below. The canoe returned at dusk half full of water from the waves, which dashed over it in passing the point. Capt. Lewis's object is also to find a small bay as laid down by Vancouver just outside the mouth of the Columbia River. Rained as usual all the evening; all wet and disagreeably situated.

November 14th Thursday 1805. It rained all last night without intermission, and this morning. The wind blows very hard, but our situation is such that we cannot tell from what point it comes. One of our canoes is much broken by the waves dashing it against the rocks. 5 Indians came up in a canoe, through the waves, which are very high and roll with great fury. They made signs to us that they saw the 3 men we sent down yesterday. Only 3 of those Indians landed; the other 2, who were women, stayed off in the waves, which induced me to suspect that they had taken something from our men below. At this time one of the men, Colter, returned by land and informed us that those Indians had taken his gig and basket. I called to the squaws to land and give back the gig, which they would not do until a man ran with a gun, as if he intended to shoot them, and then they landed and Colter got his gig and basket. I then ordered those fellows off, and they very readily cleared out. They are of the War-ci-a-cum nation. Colter informed us that "it was but a short distance from where we lay, around the point, to a beautiful sand beach, which continued for a long way, that he had found a good harbor at the mouth of a creek near 2 Indian lodges, that he had proceeded in the canoe as far as he could for the waves, and the other two men, Willard and Shannon, had proceeded on down."

Capt. Lewis concluded to proceed on by land and find, if possible, the white people the Indians say are below, and to examine if a bay is situated near the mouth of this river as laid down by Vancouver, in which we expect, if there are white traders, to find them, etc. At 3 o'clock he set out with 4 men—Drewyer (Drouillard), Jos. and Reu. Fields, and R. Frasure (Frazer)—in one of our large canoes, with 5 men to set them around the point onto the sand beach. This canoe returned nearly filled with water at dark, which it received by the waves dashing into it on its return, having landed Capt. Lewis and his party safely on the sand beach. The rain continues all day; all wet. The rain, etc., which has continued without a longer intermission than 2 hours at a time for ten days past, has destroyed the robes and rotted nearly one half of the few clothes the party has, particularly the leather clothes. Fortunately for us we have had no very cold weather as yet, and if we have cold weather before we can kill and dress skins for clothing, the bulk of the party will suffer very much.