23 



raven, night hawk, ring-necked plover, surf duck, sheldrake, Forster's 

 tern and the black throated diver. 



While the following arrived between that date and June 15, 

 Tennessee warbler, black poll warbler, yellow bellied flycatcher, golden- 

 winged woodpecker and fish hawk. The cedar bird and night heron 

 being noted later on in the season. 



It was not until May 24th that a flower was found in bloom, when 

 a few blossoms of Epigcea repens were discovered ; but a week later the 

 whole of the woods about were carpeted with this lovely bloom. 



During the first week in June the only herbaceous plants in flower 

 were sweet colt's-foot (Nardosmia palmata), the strawberry, the white 

 violet and the beautiful little Primula Mistassiuica. In damp or wet 

 grounds, however, leather leaf, sweet gale, the green alder, red and 

 fetid currants, and the laurel (Kalmia glauca) were in great abundance. 



During June about 100 species of flowering plants were noted, but 

 with the exception of Calypso borealis, which is quite common about the 

 lake, none were of particular interest or rarity. 



Shortly after the breaking up of the ice in the lakes, the Indians 

 belonging to the post arrived with their families, bringing in the furs 

 collected during the winter. Mr. Millar and his assistants were kept 

 busy gathering these and crediting the value of them against the 

 accounts of the owners. The fur trade is run altogether on the credit 

 system. The Indian receiving debt in the fall in the shape of shot, 

 powder, tea, flour, sugar and clothing, the amount being regulated by 

 the amount of fur brought in the previous year, and the prospects of a 

 succassful hunt during the coming season. No cash is known, and 

 trade is carried on by a system of barter, the standard being a "mid 

 beaver skin," by which is meant the skin of an average sized beaver. 

 From this as a basis the values of other skins are determined ; for ex- 

 ample, a large beaver is worth 1J, a small ^, a marten 2 a mink 1, 

 an otter 3 to 4, a bear 4 to 8, a silver fox 9 to 15, and so on. The 

 values of the articles of trade are regulated in a similar manner. One 

 beaver will purchase any of the following : — 6 lbs. flour, 2 lbs. sugar, 

 1 lb. tobacco, 1^ lbs. tea, 2 lbs. pork, I lb. gunpowder, 2 lbs. shot. 

 1 cotton handkerchief and other things in proportion. Now, as the 



