96 



House, the brigade for the Columbia leave the Saslcatchawan, making 

 a portage of 100 miles to Red-Deer river, which falls into the Atha- 

 bane Lake : and as I still adhered to the resolution of accompanying 

 them, I found it necessary to reduce my luggage ; and therefore left 

 my specimens under charge of the gentlemen at Edmonton House, 

 only taking Vi^ith me a small stock of linen, and a bale of paper. 



We crossed the portage in six days, without meeting with any 

 serious accident. The horse, however, which carried my bale of 

 paper, had the misfortune to fall in crossing Papina river, by which 

 it was thoroughly soaked ; and as the expedition with which the 

 brigade travels, precluded all hope of getting it dried by the way, 

 I was under the unpleasant necessity of leaving it in a damp state 

 until we got to Fort Assinaboyne, a small establishment of the com- 

 pany upon Red-Deer river, where we spent two or three days, prepar- 

 ing the canoe and cargo for our ascent of the river to the mountains. 



The second day after leaving Edmonton House brought us to the 

 commencement of the woody country, which continues all the way to 

 the Rocky Mountains. The trees consist of Popnlus balsamifera and 

 trepida ; the white Spruce and Birch ; with Firms Banksiana occasion- 

 ally in the drier situations, and more rarely P. bahamea. These are 

 the only trees which occur north of this latitude ; though in some locali- 

 ties and deep swamps the Finns nigra and microcarpa may be seen. 



It was now ascertained that the canoes were so heavily laden that 

 it would be necessary for some of the party to go by land ; and I 

 agreed to be one of these, in order to have the opportunity of seeing 

 the country and judging of its productions. We quitted the Fort 

 accordingly on the 1st or 2nd of October, and started in high 

 spirits for a journey on horseback. A heavy fall of snow, which took 

 place on the 4th, put, however, a final stop to collecting for this sea- 

 son ; it also rendered our progress through these trackless woods 

 very unpleasant ; our horses soon became jaded, when our only alter- 

 native was to walk, and drive them before us : to add to our misfor- 

 tunes, the animals were continually sinking in the swamps, from which 

 we found it no easy task to extricate them. However, we reached 

 Jasper's House on the 11th day, having travelled a distance of two 

 hundred miles since we left Assinaboyne Fort ; all the party being 



in perfect health. 



[To be Co7itimied.] 



