OF NORTH-WEST AMERICA. 127 
sioner, throughout the expedition *, as well as from my old friend 
Captain G. H. Richards, R.N., of Her Majesty's Surveying-ship 
the * Plumper,’ during the few months that I had the pleasure of 
serving on board that vessel. 
The summer of 1858 was spent partly on board the * Plumper,’ 
at the south-east corner of Vancouver Island and amongst the 
islands in the Gulf of Georgia, and partly with a detachment of 
men belonging to the Boundary Commission in the Fraser River 
Valley, west of the Cascade Mountains, and a little more than 
twenty miles from the sea. 
The summer of 1859 was passed in the same localities as above 
mentioned, and on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains, 
close to the 49th parallel. 
In May 1860 the Columbia River was entered, and in that 
season collections were made on both sides of the river, from the 
Dalles (where our party was divided into two) up to the 49th par- 
allel, and from the summits of the Cascade Mountains as far east 
as Colville, where the winter-quarters of the expedition were 
located. 
In 1861 parties were pushed forward to the eastward as far as 
the watershed of the Rocky Mountains (the extreme point to 
which the Boundary-line had to be run), whence an opportunity 
was afforded us of paying a hurried visit to the plains at the 
eastern base of the mountains, as well as of forming collections 
in their more elevated regions. 
General character of the Regions traversed. 
Immediately on the 49th parallel (with the exception of the 
bare Cascade Mountain tops) there is no interruption to the forest 
from the Gulf of Georgia to the Similkameen valley, on the east side 
of the Cascade Range. Here, trees not met with on the other side 
make their appearance, and the country becomes more open, grass 
in greater or less luxuriance being comman under the trees, which 
in some places disappear almost entirely, as in a great part of the 
Similkameen valley and the country near Lake Osoyoos, on the 
hills as well as in the valleys. Indeed, on arriving at the water- 
shed of the Cascade Mountains, a marked difference is observed 
in this respect. To the westward there is no grass nor food for 
* Sapper John Buttle, R.E. (who underwent a training at Kew before the 
expedition left England), was excused from his regular duties whenever required 
to assist me in collecting and preserving specimens, &c., and was found a useful 
assistant, . 
LINN, PROC.— BOTANY, VOL. VII. M 
