martin's falls. 241 



work on Lake Superior (p. 186.) to which I here refer, continue 

 to ascend the New Hampshire Mountains to the height of 2,080 

 feet; above which, to the height of 4,350 feet, the vegetation 

 consists almost entirely of Abies alba and balsamea, and Be- 

 tula excelsa and papyracea. Betula excelsa scarcely reaches the 

 Saskatchewan basin, or, if it does, is rare even in the southern 

 parts ; but the other trees here named go northwards on the 

 Mackenzie till the 69th parallel, and terminate there on 

 coming within the direct influence of the winds blowing from 

 the Arctic Sea. The summits of the New Hampshire Alps 

 6,280 feet high, present a truly arctic flora, much more so, I 

 believe, than the slope of the Rocky Mountains at that eleva- 

 tion on the 52nd parallel. On this point, however, I cannot 

 speak with any confidence, as I have no measurements of the 

 heights at which Mr. Drummond gathered his plants, and he is 

 the only authority for the botany of that district. 



That I may carry on as complete a view of the climate of 

 the country as I can produce from the observations of others 

 as well as from my own, I introduce here a table drawn 

 up by a very intelligent officer of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany, chief factor George Barnston *, giving the progress 

 of the seasons at Martin's Falls. This post is situated 

 in lat. 51° 32' N., long. 86° 39' W., on Albany River, 

 about 200 geographical miles in a direct line from the 

 coast of Hudson's Bay, an equal distance in a westerly 

 direction from the water-shed between the Albany and 

 Winipeg Rivers, and somewhat less from the beach of Lake 

 Superior bearing south. According to Mr. Barnston's re- 

 mark which follows, the country about the falls is similar in 

 its geological character to the west side of Lake Winipeg, 

 and referrible to the silurian epoch. " Our geological 



* Mr. Barnston having sent me this paper in 1840, I published it 

 in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal for April, 1841. 



VOL. II. R 



