Mr Scolder's Voyage to the Pdcific Ocean. 61 



was fully occupied in arranging and drying the plants we had 

 already obtained. 



On the 11th May, we set out on our return to the coast, as 

 the ship was to sail in a few days to visit some of the islands 

 to the north of Nootka. During our voyage down the river, 

 we landed at a village where the inhabitants were employed 

 in the salmon-fishery, and here I detected a curious custom, 

 which I afterwards learned prevailed among all the Colum- 

 bian tribes. In order to have some employment during our 

 day's journey, I selected a few salmon and carp for dissec- 

 tion, but of these the Indians quickly dispossessed me ; and, 

 after extracting the hearts of all the fish they had caught, I 

 was allowed to select as many as I pleased. Their reason for 

 this practice was, that if their hearts were not extracted and 

 laid aside, the other salmon would take offence, and leave the 

 river. We encamped this evening on a fine dry beach, and 

 while supper was preparing, we collected a few plants ; Dali- 

 barda repens, Pyrola wmbeilata, and a species of Hevchera. 



12th. — We arrived at Tongue Point early this afternoon, 

 so that we were only about six miles from the place of our 

 destination. The few minutes we spent here were not use- 

 less, for we had scarce leaped ashore, when a beautiful and 

 new species of Mimulus attracted our attention, growingamong 

 mosses from the moist rock. This beautiful plant, perhaps 

 the smallest of the genus, is not more than an inch and a half 

 in height, and one solitary flower rises from the slender scape. 

 On arriving at the fort, we heard of an accident of a melan- 

 choly nature. Two Indians, who were crossing the river in a 

 canoe, expired within a few minutes of each other, probably 

 from apoplexy, and from the circumstance of all exertion in 

 the canoe suddenly ceasing, the natives set out to ascertain 

 the reason, and brought the bodies of their unfortunate coun- 

 trymen ashore. Although it was an hour since the accident 

 had happened, I was anxious to ascertain if medical interfer- 

 ence could be of any service, but the diminished temperature 

 of the bodies, and the absence of any indication of remaining 

 life, soon convinced me that alt attempts would be useless. 

 The frequency of such occurrences among the Indians is very 

 remarkable, but it will be unnecessary to say more on this 



