SMALLER BERRIES. 279 



Our English traveller, as appears by the following 

 passap;e, was under greater oblig^ations to the cloud- 

 berry than the Swedish naturalist to the other species 

 of Arctic fruit : — 



" jMr. Grape's children came into the room, bring- 

 ^ ing with them two or three g-allons of the fruit of the 

 cloud-berry, or Rubus chamcemorus. This plant 

 grows so abundantly near the river, that it is easy to 

 g'ather bushels of the fruit. As the large berry ripens, 

 which is as big as the top of a man's thumb, its 

 colour, at first scarlet, becomes yellow. When eaten 

 with sugar and cream, it is cooling and delicious, 

 and tastes like the large American hautboy-straw- 

 berries. Little did the author dream of the blessed 

 effects he was to experience by tasting of the offering 

 brought by these little children ; who, proud of having 

 their gifts accepted, would gladly run and gather 

 daily a fresh supply ; which was as often blended 

 w ith cream and sugar by the hands of their mother ; 

 until at last he perceived that his fever rapidly abated ; 

 his spirits and his appetite returned ; and, when, 

 sinking under a disorder so obstinate that it seemed 

 to be incurable, the blessings of health were restored 

 to him, where he had reason to believe he should 

 have found his grave. The symptoms of amend- 

 ment were almost instantaneous after eating of these 

 berries *." 



The Bilberry, or Bleaberry — Vaccinium 

 myrtiUns. 



This berry grows plentifully on heaths and waste 

 places ; and though it does not live in situations as 

 cold as those that have been mentioned, it is very 

 hardy. It is a handsome berry, with a delicate 

 bloom when in perfection ; but it is tender, and, 



» Clarke's Travels, vol. ix, p. 470, 1. 



