201 



put a close to our state of comparative starvation. The 

 Smoking River is about 200 miles, in a direct line, from 

 Jasper's House. Here I first found Rhododendron lapponi- 

 cutn, Mitella cordifolia, and a new species ? Woodsia hyper- 

 borea, a new Caltha, a species of Trollius, &c., Conostomnm 

 boreale, Hypnum confervoideum, Eriophorum capitatum, and 

 several other rare species. Between Providence and Smok- 

 ing River, we passed a chain of beautiful green grassy hills, 

 much frequented by the buffaloes. This journey was not, on 

 the whole, very productive. I found Menziesia empetrifolia 

 and M. globulains, both in great abundance, also a new 

 species of Menziesia with white flowers, two species of Be- 

 faria, Ruhus stellatus, a Mimuclus like Lewisii, Veratrum 

 viride, a small shrub with fine flavoured fruit, which also 

 grew on the Height of Land, Juncus biglumis and arcuatuSy 

 and a new species, and Tiarella cordifolia. All the hills in 

 this neighbourhood are covered with Andromeda tetragona. 

 We had a considerable fall of snow on the 24th of August, 

 which only partially left the ground afterwards, continuing 

 to linger on the high spots, and it much impeded my opera- 

 tions. I remained here until the latter part of September, 

 causing pemmican to be made of the buffaloes' flesh, which 

 my hunter killed, with the intention of carrying it to the 

 Columbia, where I hoped to spend the winter among the 

 mountains; but letters that I received from Captain Franklin 

 obliged me to alter my plans, and the frequency of snow 

 showers compelled me to return to the Portage by a different 

 route from that which I had jiursued in going. One of my 

 principal objects in visiting Providence had been to obtain 

 specimens of the Mouton blanc, a kind of goat, but though I 

 devoted several days exclusively to that pursuit, 1 had not 

 the satisfaction of seeing one ; although in some seasons of 

 the year they are said to be plentiful. Little occurred worthy 

 of remark on my return to Edmonton House, where I busied 

 myself in gathering seeds of the plants I had formerly col- 

 lected. 



Now, however, I determined upon crossing the Portage, 

 with the Columbia brigade, as I had formed a strong idea 



