Mr Seouler's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 59 



belonged. The occurrence of saline springs is not rare, and 

 they are the favourite resort of the wild animals of the coun- 

 try. Several of the rivulets which run through this limestone 

 deposit a small portion of ferruginous matter, indicating that 

 iron enters into the composition rocks. Numerous sandstone 

 veins traverse the limestone, and it is of a coarse granular tex- 

 ture, and very friable. The breadth of these veins is about 

 three feet, and they resist the action of weather longer than 

 the limestone, which is often v/orn away, while the veins re- 

 main, having the appearance of small dikes. 



29th. — Since the 16th I have been employed in exploring 

 the vegetable and animal productions of the country in every 

 direction ; but as the progress of spring did not keep pace with 

 my wishes, I set out for Fort Vancouver, where the differ- 

 ence of soil would produce a corresponding variety of plants. 

 Our party consisted of about thirty Canadians and Iriquois, 

 furnished with five canoes. As the wind was favourable, our 

 little fleet made a prospjrous voyage, and when we landed 

 in camp for the evening, we found ourselves at Cook Point, 

 about thirty miles from Fort George. 



Next morning we were detained to gum our canoes, which 

 gave some leisure for collecting plants, which was the more to 

 be prized, as the marshy place where we were detained abound- 

 ed in grasses and Cyperaceae. One of the men was so fortu- 

 nate as to kill a beautiful species of water snake, which had 

 w r andered too far from the river, and had the pleasure of ad- 

 ding this rare animal to my collection. On dissecting him, 

 after preparing the skin, I found a large bull frog, and many 

 elytra of Dytiscus marginaMs in his stomach. During our 

 first day's voyage the scenery was of little interest, consisting 

 of low alluvial land, covered with willows and rushes, but as 

 we advanced, the banks of the river became more steep, and 

 were covered on both sides with gigantic pines and cedars, 

 and on many of the most verdant spots the Indians had fixed 

 their summer abodes, and were busily employed in the stur- 

 geon and salmon fishery. As the sun was now set in the val- 

 ley of the Columbia, and his last rays served to show us the 

 snowy summits of Mount Saint Helens, we prepared our en- 

 campment in the stillness of this immense forest, only enlivened 



