17 
tion; that of the Larch, as it is called, lasts much longer. 
Besides these trees, a particularly beautiful balsamic-scented 
Alder, here called the White Alder, grows on the skirts of the 
forest, with a Crategus, now ornamented with its large flowers, 
and a Sorbus, of which the fruit is already set. In the 
underwood, the Rubus odoratus ( R. Nutkanus) abounds, which 
is seen in our Europæan gardens; but.here it has only white 
flowers, and produces no fruit. Mimulus guttatus encircles 
the wood, and is nowhere found in greater luxuriance. Now, 
we have at length reached the much-wished for path, and 
you will soon find yourself in the heart of these immense 
forests, among trees, the grandeur of whose massy trunks 
you never imagined before. The axe scarcely ever echoed in 
these woods; indeed, the surrounding wilderness is immense, 
and strikes the beholder with a feeling of horror. For cen- 
turies, these trees have never fallen but under the weight of 
years; and their mouldering remains give rise, without alter- 
ation of form, to future generations of trees: again to flourish 
and again to die! Nevertheless, the abundance of shrubs, 
herbs, and mosses, which clothe these hoary forests, and rise 
over the natural graves of their former denizens, impart to 
the scenery an air of vigour and of youth. Beneath the hills 
thus formed are dangerous hollows, into which the feet sink 
among the relics of accumulated years, deceitfully covered, as 
they are, by a new growth of herbs and Cryptogamic plants. 
Here are two different species of Claytonia, one with red, the 
other with white flowers: the latter reminded me of our 
Cerastium aquaticum. A Maianthemum, with larger inflor- 
escence than that of our country, abounds here everywhere. 
Cornus suecica produces such luxuriant blossoms that it 
might be mistaken for C. florida. ` Pyrola uniflora is plenti- 
ful, and Dalibarda fragarioides creeps over the decayed stems. 
A Calla (Dracontium Kamtschaticum), whose spatha rivals 
that of C. ethiopica, and with zebra-striped foliage, springs 
up in damp places. The commonest shrub is the large 
frutescent Azalea; mingled with Rubus spectabilis, glowing 
with flowers and fruit. Two species of Ribes, one resembling 
our R. rubrum, and the other R. nigrum, are equally beauti- 
VOL, III. c 
