1827, JULY. NEAR PIGEON RIVER 277 



Hudson's Bay by a Mr. Ross, wild fowl and other meat being scarce, and as 

 he will not eat fish I was unable to keep him at the latter place. I Placed 

 the white-headed one under the care of a woman attached to the establish- 

 ment, until my return. Left my sundry articles gleaned in my descent of 

 the Saskatchewan River ; and the roots or bulbs brought from the Columbia 

 being still fresh and nearly dry I halved, placing the one in a well-secreted 

 place in the wood, contained in a folded piece of birch bark, fearing the 

 mice may find them ; the other in a paper bag, hung up to the roof of the 

 house with some bird-skins. Started at four ; pleasant. Camped at 

 8 P.M., eighteen miles above the establishment. Rain and loud peals of 

 thunder at dusk and during the night. 



Tuesday, 3rd. Morning cool and calm. Started at a quarter-past 

 three A.M. and went on very prosperously, there being no swell on the lake. 

 Took breakfast on a small rock, where an hour was spent, when we again 

 resumed our route until dusk. Shores of the lake low muddy peat, sandy> 

 gravelly, with numerous shallow pools or small lakes behind ; at a few 

 places granite is seen. The wood is small : Pinus alba, 1 P. Banksiana, and 

 P. rubra, 2 P. balsamea,^ Populus trepida, Betula, and several species of 

 Salix. Gathered two species of Corydalis, one yellow-flowered, glaucous 

 leaved, found on the Assiniboine portage, and one upright-growing strong 

 species with purple flowers. Laid in specimens of Potentilla and Gra- 

 mineae. Camped on a small rocky island. 



Wednesday, 4:th. Loud wind last night which increased so much towards 

 midnight that the tent was nearly blown down ; and the rain beating in 

 on us, while the Captain supported the poles in the inside, the Doctor and 

 I went in search of large stones to lay on the sides, being as I observed 

 camped on a rock and pegs of no use. Before we had accomplished this 

 we were well drenched, and as the fire was washed out each crept under his 

 blankets until day. In the grey of the morn it moderated and we pro- 

 ceeded at 5 A.M. and went on for the space of four hours, when a strong 

 head wind and a heavy surge obliged the canoe to take shelter a second 

 time in a small rocky bay. These stoppages give a few moments for 

 collecting, shifting, and drying paper. At three o'clock the wind ceased 

 and the lake being calm we resumed, and camped at dark on a small rocky 

 island near Pigeon River. Laid in some Poa, Carex, and Potentilla. 



Thursday, 5th. Had a fine camp last night ; preferred sleeping on the 

 rock close by the fire, where there was a fanning breeze, than to be annoyed 

 by mosquitoes. Morning windy, detained until ten o'clock ; in the 

 interval laid in Phlox linearis [sic]. Obliged to put in a second time, 

 into a small muddy creek surrounded on all sides by water. Gathered 

 nothing ; dried papers at the fire. This part of the shore is low and marshy. 



Friday, 6th. Light airs of wind and drizzly rain until mid -afternoon. 

 Made a good day's march. Camped on a small island ; found Cerastium sp., 

 perennial ; Apocynum sp., perennial ; Silene, annual. For the first time 



1 Picea alba, Mast, in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. p. 221. 



2 ? Picea rubra, Veitch, Man. Conif., ed. 2, p. 450. 



8 Abies balsamea, Mast, in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. p. 189. 

 * Populus tremuloides, Sargent, Silva N. Am. xi. p. 158. 



