GINSENG. 89 
“There are some plants, which, besides the 
bunch of berries, have one or two berries like the 
former, placed an inch or an inch and an half be- 
low the bunch. And when this happens, they 
say if any one takes notice of the point of compass 
to which these berries direct, he will not fail to 
find more of the plant.” 
The foregoing description of Jartoux is intro- 
dueed as being a very intelligible deseription of 
a plant, in language not the most botanical. The 
drawing, which ecru: damian the si aoe is 
ve satisfactory. © ae St I 4 
- The report of the high value of the Ginseng at 
Pekin led to an inquiry among Europeans, wheth- 
er the plant was not to be found in parallel lati- 
tudes, in the forests of North America. Father 
Lafiteau, a Jesuit, missionary among the Troquois, 
after much search, found a plant in Canada an- 
swering the description, and sent it to France. 
In 1718, M. Sarrasin published in the Memoirs of 
the Academy an account of the American Gin- 
seng; which, together with one published by Laf- 
iteau the same year, seemed to put its identity 
with the Chinese vegetable beyond a doubt. 
“Soon after this the French commenced. the 
collection of the root in Canada for exportation, 
For this purpose they employed the Indians, who 
12 
