206 



cones resemble those of the Spruce Fir, but are rather smaller. 

 The seeds are furnished with remarkably long wings, which 

 protrude half-an-inch beyond every scale, giving the cones a 

 very singular appearance. There is also in this vicinity a 

 species of Rubus, resembling R. odoratus^ but having white 

 flowers, and a large and very insipid fruit; and the Aster 

 exscapus, so called by Dr. Richardson, abounds here. It 

 has a very singular habit, little like that of the genus Aster ; 

 the flower buds are formed in Autumn, and bear an exact 

 similarity to those of Globularia vulgaris. I watched it long, 

 with great interest, expecting it to produce something very 

 handsome, but found the blossoms remarkably insignificant, 

 the rays being small and nearly white. Erigeron compositum 

 is plentiful, and a very pretty little Astragalus, which I saw 

 no where else : also Cryptogramma acrostichoides, Pteris gra- 

 cilis, and a species (?) of Nephrodium, with the fronds whitish 

 beneath. 



Having accomplished our preparations, I embarked my 

 stock of specimens, and, with Mr. M'Donald and his family, 

 began to descend the river. The winter had set in with all 

 its rigour ; the cold became severe, the river had subsided 

 greatly, and being choked with snow, and full of rapids and 

 shallows, we found great difficulty in proceeding, being often 

 obliged to quit the boat and lift her over the stones. We, 

 however, continued to drift along with the stream for a few 

 days; but our boat was so large and heavy that she fre- 

 quently struck against the shallows, and we were almost 

 worn out with fatigue, with our being continually obliged to 

 jump into the half frozen water to endeavour to force her 

 along. Mr. M 'Donald's legs were much cut and bruised 

 with the floating ice, and I, who kept on my stockings to 

 avoid this misfortune, suffered on the other hand with frost, 

 which rendered my wet clothes a most painful encumbrance. 

 The ice and snow now became so intense and heavy, that 

 though we had calculated on reaching Fort Assinaboyne 

 before the river became wholly impassable, we found our- 

 selves unable to proceed, and stuck fast on the seventh day, 

 when not more than half-way on our voyage. As Mr. 



