332 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Oct. 



Among tlie rivers wliicli fall into Lake St. John is the Mistassini, 

 called also R. des Sables, from the great quantity of sand which it 

 brings down. By this river, which has a length of about 150 

 miles, the Indians known by the name of Mistassins, and living 

 around the great lake of that name, were accustomed to descend 

 at Pointe Bleue, the most northern trading-post in this region, 

 where they sold their furs. They still come down every year in 

 the month of June for the purpose of trade, and also to meet the 

 missionary who pays them an annual visit. It was by this river 

 that Michaux proposed to pass to Hudson's Bay. Leaving the 

 post at Pointe Bleue on the 21st August, he reached in a few hours 

 the river Mistassini. The waters were shallow, and for five or six 

 leagues flowed through banks of moving sanc^s, which were some- 

 times more than half a league long. The lands on either side 

 were low and fertile, no mountains were visible, and the trees were 

 chiefly elms, ashes, and pines, of a good growth.* At the end of 

 about eighteen leagues Michaux arrived at a beautiful waterfall 

 about eighty feet in height, and on the evening of the 22nd August 

 encamped on the borders of the basin below. 



This point which was known as Larges Bapides, Michaux 

 observed as the northern limit of Potentilla tridentata, while 

 Gaultheria procuyiibensj disappeared ten leagues above Lake 

 St. John, although Hooker, in his Flora Bo7'eali- Americana, has 

 indicated Quebec as its northern limit. 



The 23rd being a day of rain, Michaux remained in camp ; but 

 the three following days he continued the ascent of the river, 

 which became narrower, and so rapid that the canoes could only 

 be propelled by means of poles. At length he reached the portage 

 called Mmte-a-peme, where he was obliged to make a diflS.cult and 

 even dangerous ascent of a hill eight or nine hundred feet in 

 heio'ht. From the summit he looked down into an immense 

 valley, traversed by green hills which resembled great waves in an 

 ocean of verdure. A single small river alone broke the monotony 

 of this landscape ; to it the travellers directed their steps, and soon 

 reached a stream which was only about eighteen feet wide. During 



* Flora, in Canada ad amnem Mistassini, vol. i, fol. 34, 61, 110. 



f Some botanists have ventured to change the name of this plant to 

 Gautiera; but the true orthography of the name of its discoverer is Gau- 

 thier, as appears from the registers of Xotre Dame de Quebec (Register 

 of Aug. 26, 1751). It would besides be undesirable to change a name 

 consecrated like this by long use. 



