C A N A I) A. 



341 



da. the white prickly fir, yields a kind of turpentine 



^ - V- called Canadian balnam, which holds a place in the 

 ,,,.,:,, i.i ; most countries. The cedars are 



distinguished into white and n d, the former of which 

 has its fragrance in the leaf instead of the wood, 

 but is a different tin- from tlit- \\lnu- cedar of the 

 United States, the en; in-ltn. Of maples, 



the harder kind, which grows on hilly grounds, yields 

 a richer juice, but in smaller quantity, than the soft, 

 and its wood, which is finely veined and clouded, is 

 peculiarly valuable for making tables, gun-stocks, 

 &c. Of axh, the most remarkable sort is the yellow, 

 found only in the south west districts, and growing 

 to an amazing height ; the outer bark of which is 

 ci^ht inches thick, indented with furrows, six inches 

 deep, while the inner is of a fine yellow colour, which 

 leaves a lasting stain upon the fingers, and is sup- 

 posed useful in dyeing. Besides beech, birch, elm, 

 poplar, and other kinds of timber, resembling the 

 European, there are the hemlock tree, an evergreen 

 of very large growth, with leaves like the yew, but 

 is of no use whatever ; the bass, or white wood, re- 

 markably white and soft, light as cork, and much 

 ! in making bowls, trenchers, &c. ; wickopic, or 

 suckwick, a species of wood, the bark of which when 

 pounded, and moistened with a little water, becomes 

 a kind of .;ily and adhesive glue, with which the In- 

 dians cov r the scams of their canoes. In addition 

 to the walnut, chesnut hazle, hickory. Sec. the forests 

 of Canada product- the butler, or oil-nut tree, which 

 grows in rich meadow grounds, bears a large and 

 well flavoured nut, capable of yielding a very pure oil. 



Fruit trees. I" a natural state are found the crab apple tree, 

 bearing a fruit of better size and flavour than that of 

 Europe ; the plum tree, green, and purple, both 

 greatly relished by the natives ; the cherry tree, black, 

 red, and sandy coloured, but the first, only, bears a 

 fruit pleasant to the taste; the mulberry, red and 

 while, resembling those of France and Italy; sweet 

 gum-tree, yielding a kind of balsam, which the In- 

 dians highly value as a salve and febrifuge ; vines, 

 which are very common, and some of which bear ex- 

 cellent grapes; besides gooseberries, currants, rasp- 

 berries, ^tr a wherries, juniper/jerries, cranberries, 

 ban berries, &c. in the utmost abundance. 



Shrubs. Amon^ the more remarkable shrubs, may be no- 



ticed sassafras (found only in Upper Canada), which 

 grows indeed to the size of an apple-tree, and the 

 berry of which is sometimes used as a spice ; a kind 

 of willow, the roots of which are of a fine scarlet 

 colour, and are used by the Indians to tinge the or- 

 namental parts of their dress ; moose wood, the bark 

 of which makes nearly as good cordage as hemp ; 

 and the myrtle wax tree, the nut of which yields an 

 excellent wax of a green colour. 



Roots. The most valuable roots are, spikenard, sarsapi- 



rilla, and particularly ginseng ; which last was first 

 discovered in the woods of Canada in the year 1718, 

 and, being exported to Canton, was pronounced to 

 be equal in quality to any that could be procured in 

 Corea or Tartary. Its price immediately rose in 

 Quebec from Is. 6d. per Ib. to L.I : : 10 sterling ; 

 and the value of its export amounted, in 1752, to 

 L. 20,000. But the Canadian traders, too anxious 



to t-r rich themselves on a sudden, began to reap the 

 plant too early, and to dry it hastily in ovcni, in- 

 stead of gradually evaporating its moisture in the 

 shade ; by which means they destroyed its quality, 



and completely ruined its bale among the Chinese, 

 by whom chiefly it is used as a stomachic. 



lie flowers usually found in the more Flower*. 

 northern countries of Europe, the woods of Canada 

 are universally adorned by the fragrant blossoms of 

 the Syrian asi-/cpi<i.<i ; and, amidst a variety of curi- 

 ous and useful herbs, we can only notice the rattle- 

 snake jilnintdin, the leaves of which are considered 

 aa the moat effectual cure for the bite of the reptile 

 from which it takes its name, and which is said to be 

 most luxuriant in its growth during those months of 

 the year, when the bite of that creature is most ve- 

 nomous. Canada abounds in natural grass ; and cat- 

 tle fatten easily upon the wild growth during sum- 

 mer. A particular species, very long and rank, cal- 

 led I'herbe au lien, grows upon some of the islands, 

 and forms a most durable covering for stables, barns, 

 &c. There is also a graminaceous vegetable, nearly 

 allied to the rice, zizania aquatica, which grows abun- 

 dantly in all the shallow streams, is found in situ- 

 ations that refuse all other culture, is a principal sup- 

 port of the wandering Indians, and is entitled to 

 particular attention from the European settlers, as a 

 plant evidently intended by nature to be the general 

 bread-corn of North America. 



Among the domestic animals of Canada, which are Domtic 

 much the same as those of Europe, there are scarce- animals, 

 ly any peculiarities worthy to be mentioned. The 

 Canadian horse is a hardy, active animal. His best 

 pace is a trot ; and, in a light cariole, upon smooth, 

 hard roads, a single horse has been known to draw 

 two persons ninety miles in twelve hours. It is af- 

 firmed, that he will eat dried fish in the winter sea- 

 son ; but he is most of all remarkable for the extra- 

 ordinary operation, which he frequently undergoes, 

 when travelling on the frozen lakes and rivers. In 

 these excursions, it is not uncommon for the sledge 

 and horses to sink suddenly in the weaker parts of 

 the ice, when the traveller springs from his seat up- 

 on the ice, which is generally strong enough to sup- 

 port his weight, and instantly proceeds to save his 

 c. it tie. As their struggles in the water would only 

 tend to sink them the sooner, he p\ills with all hie 

 strength a rope, with a running noose, which is pre- 

 viously fixed around the neck of each, in case of such 

 accidents, till he succeeds in strangling the animals. 

 As soon as this happens, they float upon one side, 

 and are easily drawn out upon the ice. It is some- 

 times necessary to draw blood from them before they 

 recover ; but, in general, whenever the noose is loo- 

 sened, respiration recommences in a few minutes, the 

 creatures start to their feet, proceed with their usual 

 vigour, and perhaps go through the same process 

 two or three times in one day. This singular fact is 

 solemnly avouched to be strictly true, both by Chat- 

 telaux, vol. i. p. 408, and Gray, p. 277. The native 

 dogs of Canada are all of the same species, with 

 erect ears, ai d a head very much resembling that of 

 an wolf. They are very useful to the Indians in the 

 chace,- and the colonists frequently employ them in 



