BOTANICAL INFORMATION- 297 



developing only after the flowering is over, when the plant 

 attains a height of two to three feet. 



Open moist meadows, adjoining to these woods, are tra- 

 versed by small rivulets, which in their course pass through 

 thickets of Willow, Cornus and Symphoricarpus, filled up 

 with the tall fronds of Pteris aquilina. In the woods, these 

 rivulets are bordered by Abies, Populus, Acer and Alnus ; 

 here grow abundantly Ribes, 313, with Pedicularis, 422, the 

 latter is seen also in the meadows, but is quite a rare plant. 

 Carices, Aira and Gamassia form the capet of these wet 

 spongy meadows ; of conspicuous plants are Veratrum viride, 

 Valeriana, 237* and 308, besides Thermopsis, 365 near 



over past times, for it was Christmas Eve. While I was so sitting and 

 smoking a pipe, another Indian came up on a white horse ; riding up to 

 my fire he bent himself over his horse's neck, looking at my saddle, at 

 myself, and the fire, for several minutes — this with an air of nonchalance 

 which all North American Indians possess — at last I motioned him to 

 dismount, which he did. He was a half naked youngster with a dejected 

 countenance, who soon let me know his ill-luck, that he had lost every 

 thing, gambling with the Sayelpies at Fort Colville. He also told me, 

 that to go to the Mission establishment I had to cross a high snowy 

 mountain. He stirred the fire, and fetched more wood for the night, 

 watered the horses, so that I offered him a smoke, which he greedily ac- 

 cepted. After it I got out the small remains of the provisions, which I shared 

 with him. Again we had a smoke, during which I made him the propo- 

 sition, to guide me to the Mission next morning, which he promised. The 

 pay was a saddle-blanket. Early in the morning of Christmas day, I 

 followed the Indian over the mountain, the top of which was wrapped in 

 a snow storm ; towards noon we began to descend, and soon arrived in 

 the valley Tshimakain. Soon I shook hands with Messrs. Eells and 

 Walker, and accepted the permission joyfully to make myself at home in 

 their residence. 



" In my ' Preliminary Remarks' to these notes, I have already spoken 

 of these kind gentlemen, and I state here, that I shall remember their 

 kindness throughout the whole of my life. The sudden exchanges from 

 hunger and cold m the wilderness, for the comforts of civilized life were 

 not without a reaction on my health ; but in three days the revolution 

 was over, and I could enjoy the luxury again of sleeping under a roof, of 

 which I had not had an opportunity for eight long months rn succession." 



* This is the " Racine amare" of the Canadian voyageurs. A robust, 

 glaucous, and somewhat succulent plant, with cruciate entire and pinna- 



VOL. V. Z 



