Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp — Patrick Gass: November 8, 1805

Patrick Gass · Columbia estuary, storm-bound, vote on winter camp · Thwaites Vol. Gass 1807 First Edition

cloudy, and there was a hard wind from the east. We went
about 5 miles and came to a bay 12 or 14 miles wide. We
had to coast round it, as the wind raised the waves so
high we could go no other way. We halted and dined at a
point on the north side of the bay where a small river comes
in. We again proceeded on coasting, till we came to a point
of land where the bay becomes much narrower; and the water
quite salt. The waves here ran so high we were obliged to-
lie to, and let the tide leave our canoes on dry ground. This
point we called Cape Swell; and the bay above, Shallow Bay,
as there is no great depth of water. In crossing the bay when
the tide was out, some of our men got sea sick, the swells were
so great. In it there are a great many swans, geese, ducks and
other water fowls. The whole of this day was wet and disa-
greeable; and the distance we made, in a straight line, was not
more than 9 miles; though the distance we coasted was above
20 miles.