1825, SEPTEMBER. TO GRAND RAPIDS 113 



was the first ever made without a guard. On Saturday morning went on 

 a journey to the summit of the mountain near the Rapids on the north 

 side of the river, with the chief's brother as my guide, leaving the Canadian 

 to take care of the tent and property. This took three days, and was one 

 of the most laborious undertakings I ever experienced, the way was so 

 rough, over dead wood, detached rocks, rivulets, &c., that very little 

 paper could be carried. Indeed I was obliged to leave my blanket (which, 

 on my route is all my bedding) at my first encampment about two-thirds 

 up. My provision was 3 oz. tea, 1 Ib. sugar, and four small biscuits. 

 On the summit all the herbage is low shrub but chiefly herb plants. The 

 second day I caught no fish, and at such a great altitude the only birds 

 to be seen were hawks, eagles, vultures, &c. I was fortunate enough to 

 kill one young white-headed eagle, which (then) I found very good eating. 

 I roasted it, having only a small pan for making tea. On the summit 

 of the hill I slept one night. I made a small fire of grass and twigs and 

 dried my clothes which were Wet with perspiration and then laid myself 

 down on the grass with my feet to the fire. I found it very cold and had 

 to rise four times and walk to keep myself warm, fortunately it was dry 

 and a keen north wind prevented dew. On Monday evening at dusk I 

 reached my tent at the village much fatigued and weak and found all 

 things going on smoothly. Made a trip to the opposite side two days 

 after, also to the summit of the hills, which I found of easier ascent, 

 the only steep part near the top. My food during my stay was fresh 

 salmon, without salt, pepper, or any other spice, with a very little biscuit 

 and tea, which is a great luxury after a day's march. 



Collected the following, which did not come under my observation 

 before, with many of the seeds the object of the journey : 



(461) Pinus sp. ; in fruit ; a large tree on the hills, I have nowhere 

 seen before. 



(462) Pinus sp. ; a tall splendid tree ; leaves glaucous. Probably I 

 am mistaken as to P. taxi/olid, 1 which I supposed to be plentiful on the 

 banks of the river ; this I think more likely to be it. The cones being 

 on the top, I was unable to procure any. All the trees were too large to 

 be cut down with my small hatchet, and as to climbing, I have already 

 learned the propriety of leaving no property at the bottom of a tree. I 

 went up one, but the top was too weak to bear me ; the height was so 

 great that I could not bring down any cones with buck-shot. Make a 

 point of obtaining it by some means or other. 



(463) Pinus sp. ; different from the former ; leaves longer and not so 

 glaucous ; branches drooping, while the other has few branches and 

 straight. It is not near so large. 



(464) Pinus sp. ; what I supposed to be P. taxifolia 1 on the moun- 

 tains ; it is considerably lower than in the valleys ; very abundant, 

 more than any other, the trunk very straight with a very rough rotten 

 bark, and yields a great quantity of gum. 



(465) Helonias tenax,z of Pursh ; perennial ; on the summit of 



1 Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Mast, in Joum. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. p. 245. 



2 Xerophyllum asphodeloides var., Baker, in Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 467. 



