184 



the base of which there is commonly a thin 

 stratum of mountain peat. The bottom of the 

 valleys is generally occupied by lakes of a con- 

 siderable depth, which are entirely land-locked, 

 and communicate with each other only when 

 flooded by the melting snow. The sides of the 

 hills, and all the drier spots of the valley, are 

 clothed with a beautiful carpet of the lichens, 

 which form the favourite food of the reindeer; 

 and some shrubs, such as the great bilberry, the 

 marsh ledum, some of the willow tribe, and 

 different species of andromeda, arbutus, and the 

 kalmia glauca, frequently enliven the scene. 



In sheltered situations, where the peat is 

 deeper than usual, a few starved larch and black 

 spruce are scattered. There are also thin clumps 

 of the paper birch on the borders of the rapids, 

 as well as of the white spruce, which thrives better 

 there than any other tree ; but all are of slow 

 and stunted growth. Of the spruce cut down 

 at Fort Enterprise, the increase seemed to have 

 been in general at the rate of four rings, or 

 years, to one inch ; and though the house which 

 the travellers built there was only 24 feet wide* 

 it was with difficulty they obtained half a dozen 

 beams of sufficient length, the trees tapered so 

 much. 



It appears by Dr. Richardson's tables, that up 

 to the 20th of June, 1821, there was no appear- 

 ance of vegetation among the flower-bearing 



