197 



communicated to the powder. My only resource was to plant 

 myself firm and stationary, in the hope of disabling the bear 

 by a blow on her head with the butt end of my gun, when 

 she should throw herself on me to seize me. She had gone 

 and returned ten or a dozen times, her rage apparently 

 increasing with her additional confidence, and I momentarily 

 expected to find myself in her gripe, when the dogs belong- 

 ing to the brigade made their appearance, but on beholding 

 the bear they fled with all possible speed. The horsemen 

 were just behind, but such was the surprise and alarm of the 

 whole party, that though there were several hunters and at 

 least half-a-dozen guns among them, the bear made her 

 escape unhurt, passing one of the horsemen, (whose gun, like 

 mine, missed fire,) and apparently intimidated by the number 

 of the party. For the future, I took care to keep my gun in 

 better order, but I found, by future experience, that the best 

 mode of getting rid of the bears when attacked by them, was 

 to rattle my vasculum, or specimen box, when they imme- 

 diately decamp. This is the animal described by Lewis and 

 Clark in their Travels on the Missouri, and so much dreaded 

 by the Indians. My adventure with the bear did not, how- 

 ever, prevent my accomplishing the collecting of the Junger- 

 maimia. It is No. 17 of the " American Mosses." 



On the 7th of May, I found the first plant in flower, 

 namely, the Anemone Nuttalliana ; the A. borealis and Saxi- 

 fraga oppositifoUa soon followed, with Alyssum arerwsum and 

 A. arcticum, some species of Draba and Carex, &c. 



Among the mosses, I must not omit Neckera Menziesii, 

 Didymodon latifoliiim, D. ohlongifoUum, and Weissia macro- 

 carpa, (the two latter growing on slate,) Funaria Muhlen- 

 bergii, Hypnum Halleriy and, though very sparingly, Spfach- 

 num rubrum, and S. luteum. 



Immediately upon arriving at Jasper's House, I had 

 despatched the Indian who took charge of my horses back 

 to Baptiste River, there to take care of them until the season 

 was sufficiently advanced to allow of their travelling. He 

 arrived on the 17th, bringing the animals and the paper, 

 &c. which I had left thei-e, and charged also with the 



