WATSON'S CROSSING. 67 



and their shape recalls to me those gloomy drab bonnets 

 such as every strict Quakeress wore, or still wears, for 

 aught I know. It is an appropriate blossom for these 

 Quaker grounds. 



The Indians held this plant in high esteem. Peter 

 Kalm, the Swedish naturalist, found it abundantly in 

 southern Jersey, and remarks concerning it : " Hopniss 

 or TIapniss was the Indian name of a wild plant, which 

 they ate at that time. The Swedes still call it by that 

 name, and it grows in the meadows in a good soil. The 

 roots resemble small potatoes, and were boiled by the 

 Indians, who eat them instead of bread. Some of the 

 Swedes at that time likewise ate this root for \vant of 

 bread. Some of the English still eat them instead of 

 potatoes. Mr. Bartram told me that the Indians who 

 live farther in the country do not only eat these roots, 

 which are equal in goodness to potatoes, but likewise 

 take the pease which ly in the pods of this plant, and 

 prepare them like common pease." 



As my boat floated slowly down the creek, just clear- 

 ing the bushes, I w r as struck with the vast numbers of 

 primroses. The flower-stalks stood far above the sur- 

 rounding grass and weeds, and every blossom fully 

 blown, they made a magnificent display. In color a 

 light or greenish yellow, they contrasted strongly with 

 the frequent clusters of dark, almost orange, Rudbeckias, 

 six and seven feet in height. These were here the 

 most conspicuous flowers, and dwarfed to utter insignifi- 

 cance another yellow bloorn, a St. John's-wort, growing 

 in the grass, and quite hidden, except for the profusion 

 of its small, golden-tinted flowers. I looked in vain for 



