﻿1848. ELK OR ATHABASCA RIVER. 121 



thereby gain immunity, for we were assailed by 

 myriads during the whole night, a heavy rain 

 having driven them into the tents. The species 

 that now infested us had a light brown colour. 

 Each kind remains in force a fortnight or three 

 weeks, and is succeeded by another more bitter 

 than itself. 



The Dog-bane and Indian hemp (Apocynu?n an- 

 droscemifolium and hypericifolium) grow luxuri- 

 antly on the sandy banks of this river. They 

 abound in a milky juice, which, when applied to 

 the skin, produces a troublesome eruption. The 

 voyagers, by lying down incautiously among these 

 plants at night, or walking among them with 

 naked legs, often suffer from the irritation, which 

 resembles flea-bites ; hence they designate the j)lant 

 herb a la puce. The second-named species grows 

 more robustly and erectly than the other, and fur- 

 nishes the natives living on the coast of the 

 Pacific with hemp, out of which they form strong 

 and durable fishing nets. 



July dth. — Three miles below our last night's 

 encampment we entered the Elk or Athabasca 

 River, a majestic stream, between a quarter and 

 half a mile wide, with a considerable current, but 

 without rapids. 



The lower point of the bank of the Clear- water, 

 where it loses itself in the Elk River, is formed 



