205 



I began to prepare for re-crossing the Rocky Mountains. 

 I observed little that was interesting or peculiar in the vege- 

 tation about the Columbia. All the plants were out of 

 flower, and most of them, indeed, in a state of decay. It 

 was with much regret that I began to retrace my steps back 

 to Jasper's House, with the person in charge of the horses; 

 and till our arrival at the commencement of the Portage, the 

 weather continued wet and stormy, the Height of Land being 

 deeply covered with snow, so that my collections received no 

 additions. On my journey, I met with Mr. Finnan 

 M'Donald, a gentleman who had been for upwards of twenty 

 years in the Company's service, to the west of the mountains. 

 From him I received much information relative to the dis- 

 tricts south of the Columbia, which had been explored by 

 himself only, and also an account of the enormous pine tree 

 found in the Umpquha country, and of a tree smelling like 

 Laurus Camphora, both, I understand, since introduced into 

 Britain by Mr. D. Douglas. We arrived at Jasper's House 

 on the 30th of October, and spent ten or fifteen days there 

 in making arrangements for descending the river from Fort 

 Assinaboyne, and in exploring the adjacent country. The 

 most interesting object that I saw, was a species of Pimis, 

 whose jreneral habit bore a considerable resemblance to Pinus 

 Strobus : the cones are about double the size of those of P. 

 sylvestris, but blunter at the apex, and with seeds very large 

 in proportion to the cone. The squirrels, or some bird, had 

 devoured the greater part of them, and mutilated the re- 

 mainder. Of this tree, I observed but very few individuals, 

 and these were confined to the very highest parts of the 

 secondary mountains, such as near the glacier which I visited 

 at the Height of Land. Pinus taxifolia is common here, 

 and attains a larger circumference at the base than any other 

 species which occurs on the eastern side of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Its shape resembles a sugar loaf, tapering very quickly 

 to the top. The bark is remarkably thick and rough near 

 the root, and is frequently covered with Orthotricum ohtusi- 

 foliwn, and with a fine yellow Lichen^ with brownisli black 

 shields, which the natives of this country use for dyeing. Its 



