114 Account of Captain Franklirts Expedition, 



that it will not incur his displeasure. I expect to be enabled 

 to reach the rocky mountains in August, where, with what I can 

 previously do, I hope to have a most splendid collection. Dur- 

 ing the past winter, I have on every occasion been picking up 

 Mosses and Jungermannice, forming a collection of birds and 

 other animals. I could have made my way to Montreal this sea- 

 son, and would gladly have embraced such an opportunity, but 

 it waj impossible to overlook such tempting prospects as now 

 seem before me. I rejoice to tell you of a new species of 

 Pinus, the most princely of the genus, and probably the finest 

 specimen of American vegetation. It attains the enormous 

 size of 170 to 220 feet in height, and 20 to 50 in circumfe- 

 rence. The cones are from 12 to 18 inches long ! I have one 

 which is 16£ inches in length, and which measures 10 inches 

 round the thickest part. The trunk is remarkably straight, 

 and destitute of branches till within a short space of the top, 

 which forms a perfect umbel. The wood is of fine quality, 

 and yields a large portion of resin. Growing trees of this 

 species, that have been partly burned by the natives, to save 

 the trouble of cutting other fuel, (a custom to which they are 

 greatly addicted,) produce a substance which, I am almost 

 afraid to say, is sugar ; but as some of it, with the cones, will 

 soon reach England, its real nature can be easily and correct- 

 ly ascertained. The tree grows abundantly two degrees south 

 of the Columbia, in the country inhabited by the Umptqun 

 tribe of Indians. The seeds are gathered by the natives in 

 autumn, pounded and baked into a sort of cake, which is con- 

 sidered a luxury. The saccharine substance is used in season- 

 ing dishes, in the same manner as sugar is in civilized coun- 

 tries. I shall bring home such an assemblage of specimens of 

 this Pinus, as will admit of a very correct figure being made ; 

 and also a bag of its seeds. I am very desirous of procuring 

 Phlox speciosa, and if in existence I trust to obtain it. There 

 are very many curious liliaceous plants here. 



" I heard of Captain Franklin's party from Cumberland Lake, 

 on their way to Bear Lake, which is to be their winter resi- 

 dence. I learn that a Mr Drummond, probably the botanist 

 of that name who has lived at Forfar, accompanies the expe- 

 dition as a naturalist. He is on the opposite side of the moun- 



