JAN. 1769 EXCURSION INLAND 5I 



which made me think the travelling much better than what 

 I had before met with in Newfoundland. 



Soon after we saw the plains we arrived at them, but 

 found to our great disappointment that what we took for 

 swathe was no better than low bushes of birch reaching to 

 about a man's middle. These were so stubborn that they 

 could not be bent out of the way, but at every step the leg 

 must be lifted over them; on being placed again on the 

 ground it was almost sure to sink above the ankle in bog. 

 No travelling could possibly be worse than this, which 

 seemed to last about a mile, beyond which we expected to 

 meet with bare rock, for such we had seen from the tops of the 

 lower hills as we came. This I in particular was infinitely 

 eager to arrive at, expecting there to find the alpine plants of 

 a country so curious. Our people, though rather fatigued, 

 were yet in good spirits, so we pushed on, intending to rest 

 ourselves as soon as we should arrive on the level ground. 



We proceeded two-thirds of the way without the least 

 difficulty, and I confess that I thought, for my own part, 

 that all difficulties were surmounted, when Mr. Buchan fell 

 into a fit. A fire was immediately lit for him, and with him 

 all those who were most tired remained behind, while Dr. 

 Solander, Mr. Green, Mr. Monkhouse and myself advanced 

 for the alp, which we reached almost immediately, and found, 

 according to expectation, plants which answered to those we 

 had found before, as in Europe alpine ones do to those which 

 are found on the plains. 



The air was very cold, and we had frequent snow-blasts. 

 I had now given over all thought of reaching the ship that 

 night, and thought of nothing but getting into the thick of 

 the wood, and making a fire, which, as our road lay all down- 

 hill, seemed very easy to accomplish. So Messrs. Green 

 and Monkhouse returned to the other people, and appointed 

 a hill for our general rendezvous, from whence we should 

 proceed and build our wigwam. The cold now increased 

 apace ; it might be nearly eight o'clock, though the daylight 

 was still exceedingly good, so we proceeded to the nearest 

 valley, where the short birch, the only thing we now dreaded, 



