192 



Portage, we crossed the Assinaboyne River, which is a large 

 branch of the Red-Deer River, and running at ahnost right 

 anffles with it, to the westward. I liad afterwards an oppor- 

 tunity of following the course of this stream for 100 miles, 

 but yet did not reach its source. 



I here first met with a species of Viscmn (?) on the Pinus 

 Banksiana, and giving the branches of that tree a most 

 curious appearance; also with Splachnmn mnioides and S. 

 angustatum; and on the rocks grows Gymnostomum pulvi- 

 natum, which for some time I mistook for a variety of Grim- 

 mia apocarpa^ to which it bears a considerable resemblance ; 

 Hypnum obtusifolium, Didymodon rigidulum, and D. fragile^ 

 also occur here. 



On reaching the Portage, we halted for a day or two, to 

 arrange the luggage, preparatory to crossing the Rocky 

 Mountains. The very great difficulty with which this 

 process was attended, compelled me to give up the resolution 

 I had formed of going for the winter to the Columbia River, 

 and decided me upon remaining among the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, the gendeman who was in charge of the brigade hav- 

 ing kindly promised to engage a hunter to remain with me 

 during that time. He also provided me with horses to con- 

 vey my luggage, but as I had left my tent and other neces- 

 saries at Edmonton House, I found myself but indilFerendy 

 equipped for an American winter. My plan was to reach 

 the Smoking River, where the Hudson's Bay Company has 

 an establishment : but unforseen circumstances prevented my 

 accomplishing this design. The brigade left the Upper 

 House on the 18th of October, and, for the first time in my 

 life, I found myself alone with Indians; but every thing was 

 so new to me, and I had such agreeable anticipations as to 

 the result of my next summer's occupations, that I scarcely 

 felt the solitariness of my situation. The snow again disap- 

 peared partially from some of the low grounds, and I was 

 busily engaged in investigating, as far as possible, the 

 promise of the ensuing spring. Didymodon latifoUum, Gym- 

 nostomum ovation, and a very handsome yellow Lichen, were 

 growing upon die trees, likewise the curious parasitical plant, 



