SJcetch of the Life of Mr, David Douglas. 125 



In the month of October, he had the pleasure of making his 

 first shipment of plants and seeds for England by the same vessel 

 in which he had sailed from London, and the Horticultural 

 Society made the most of this collection. 



By the skill and care applied to the raising of the seeds, the gar- 

 dens of England both public and private were quickly supplied 

 with a share of the newly introduced plants, and the finest flowers 

 of North-west America soon became generally distributed. 



Of the mode of life which had frequently to be adopted by our 

 indefatigable collector, extracts from his own narrative will give the 

 best explanation. 



" Early in the morning of the 19th July, I descended the river 

 " in an Indian canoe for the purpose of prosecuting my researches 

 " on the coast, a design which was in a great measure frustrated 

 " by the tribe among whom I lived going to war with the nations 

 *' residing to the northward, in that very direction which I in- 

 " tended to follow. During my stay several persons were killed, and 

 " some wounded in a quarrel. The principal chief in the village, 

 " Cockqua, treated me with the utmost fidelity, and even built me 

 " a small cabin in his own lodge, but the immense number of fleas 

 " occasioned me to remove to within a few yards of the river : still 

 " my friend was so much interested in my safety that he watched 

 " himself a whole night, at the time that he expected the war party, 

 ^' In the morning about three hundred men, in their war garments. 

 " danced the war dance, and sang several death-songs, which 

 " caused in me certainly, a most uncomfortable sensation, and the 

 " following morning brought us seventeen canoes carrying nearly 

 " four hundred men, when after several harangues, it was mutually 

 " agreed to suspend hostilities for the present." 



'•' A sturgeon was caught by one of my companions, which 

 " measured twelve feet nine inches, from the snout to the tip of 

 " the tail, and seven feet round the thickest part, and its weight 

 " exceeded five hundred pounds. Among the plants which I found 

 " on this occasion, were, Lupinus Uttoralis, Carex 3Ienziesiiy 

 *' Juncus Menziesil tind glohosus,Vaccinium ovatum, parvi/oUum 

 " and ovaUfoUum. I also obtained seeds of the beautiful Sjnroea 

 " ariafoUa, of Gicaltheria, Shallon, Rlhes sanguineus, Berheris, 

 " and other valuable and interesting plants." 



" Before taking leave of my Indian friends, I purchased several 

 " articles of wearing apparel, and things used in their domestic eco- 

 *' nomy for which I paid in trinkets and tobacco. I arrived at Fort 



