200 



remained in the vicinity of Lac-la-Pierre, making excursions 

 for 15 or 20 miles around, and then left the camp, and 

 pitched our tent at Grande Saline^ about 20 miles south-west 

 of our last station. Here are a great number of salt springs; 

 but I observed little that was peculiar in the vegetation. At 

 this spot only I found Splachnum heterophyllum, and at about 

 a day's ride, 60 miles west of this place, I first met with 

 Veratrum viridey and several species of Potentilla and Ran- 

 unculus that I had not previously seen. About the 20th of 

 July, we began to retrace our journey, as the Canadian had 

 received orders to have his horses in readiness at Jasper's 

 House by the 24thj as the Governor of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company was expected to cross to the Columbia at this time. 

 I therefore determined to return at the same period, hoping 

 to be able to cross by the assistance of the Governor; but' 

 other arrangements having been effected, he did not arrive. 

 After waiting for ten or twelve days in fruitless expectation, 

 I was compelled to give up the scheme, as the waters were 

 too high to be passed without the assistance of canoes, &c. 

 Having here fallen in with several Indians, who had assem- 

 bled to receive ammunition, &c. from the Governor, I en- 

 gaged one of them to accompany me in a tour through the 

 Rocky Mountains to the north, as far as the sources of Peau 

 River. After depositing the specimens I had collected at 

 Jasper's House, we again set off, taking Lac-la-Pierre in our 

 route, for the purpose of obtaining the seeds of those plants 

 which I had already observed there. Here we staid f 

 few days, in order to lay in provisions for our journey, 

 were very unsuccessful, only killing a single Rocky Mountain 

 sheep, which was quickly devoured, as my hunter's family 

 consisted of his wife, five children, and himself, besides me, 

 and the person that took charge of my horses. We there- 

 fore determined upon proceeding, and of depending upon 

 what we should meet with on the route, which proved very 

 inadequate to our demands ; however, we contrived to make 

 shift, until we reached the Smoking River, one of the 

 branches of Peau River, where we again met with some of 

 the mountain sheep, and succeeded jn killing a few, wliich 



but 



^■4 



