270 Flora of the Olympics. [ZOE 
Lake Cushman is a body of water well worth visiting. It is 
about one and a-half miles long by one-half or three-quarters of a 
mile broad. It is very deep, and has probably been formed by a 
grand land slide in long past ages, or possibly a dyke from some 
fiery overflow. The mountains rise abruptly on two sides, and the 
one on the northeast was covered with snow on our arrival, but 
when I returned was bare. They are densely covered with firs to 
the very top, and magnificent timber most of it is. The Sko- 
homish, a rapid, dashing stream, flows into it from the north-west, 
_and goes outa sluggish but icy cold stream, at its south-east ex- 
tremity. Could the obstructions at the Falls be removed by blast- 
ing, thus giving an open ‘‘ roadway’’ down the river for logs, the 
timber interests of this country would be very considerable. More- 
over the land is generally good, and would be of no secondary 
value when the timber was removed. The bottom land to the west 
of the lake; though only about one mile wide and five or six long, 
is of wonderful fertility, owing to the almost yearly overflow of 
the upper Skohomish, and the ‘‘backing-up” of the lake. Vege- 
tables grow here most luxuriantly, and a better stand of timothy I 
never saw in my life than on one of the lake ranches. 
The afternoon of the 5th of July I spent in botanizing, for though 
my presses and driers had not yet put in an appearance, I felt cer- 
tain they would be at hand on the 6th. I went first to the rich allu- 
‘vial bottoms and along a small creek that flows into the lake. Along 
the sandy banks of the latter I found the turtle-head ( Chelone ne- 
morosa). In the mud grew the common cress (Nasturtium offici- 
nale, probably introduced) and the tall culm of a drooping grass 
(Cinna pendula). Next were found Mertensia Sibirica, with its 
beautiful, drooping lapis-lazuli flowers, and close by, the bitter-cress 
(Cardamine hirsuta var. sylvatica ). Inthe mud and water flour- 
ished the manna-grass ( Glyceria paucifiora), and on the bank, the 
handsome flesh-colored flowers of the tall flea-bane ( Erigeron Phit- 
adelphicus ), lit up the dark green of the surrounding foliage. Close 
at hand shot aloft the tall shoots of a wild lettuce, not yet in flower 
but on my return found to be, Lactuca leucophea. While looking 
down intently to see where I was putting my foot—for the lesser rills _ 
are often deep and muddy and covered over by the thick but none 
the less treacherous growth of the salmon-berry (Rubus spectabilis ) 
the fruit of which was even then ripe and varying in color from corn-— 
