^ehec. 117 



Indians efpecially travelled about the country 

 in order to colleft as much as they could to- 

 gether, and to fell it to the merchants at 

 Montreal, The Indians in the neighbour- 

 hood of this town were likewife fo much 

 taken up with this bufinefs, that the French 

 farmers were not able during that time to 

 hire a fingle hidian, as they commonly do, 

 to help them in the harveft. Many people 

 feared left by continuing for feveral fuc- 

 ceffive years, to colled: thefe plants without 

 leaving one or two in each place to propa- 

 gate their fpecies, there would foon be very 

 few of them left; which I think is very 

 likely to happen, for by all accounts they 

 formerly grew in abundance round Mon- 

 treal, but at prefent there is not a fingle 

 plant of it to be found, fo efFed:ually have 

 they been rooted out. This obliged the 

 Indians this fummer to go far within the 

 EngliJJo boundaries to collect thefe roots. 

 After the Indians have fold the frefh roots 

 to the merchants, the latter muft take a 

 great deal of pains with them. They are 

 fpread on the floor to dry, which commonly 

 requires two months and upwards, according 

 as the feafon is wet or dry. During that 

 time they muft be turned once or twice 

 every day, left they ftiould putrify or moul- 

 dero Ginfeng has never been found far 

 H 3 north 



