328 



HUDSON'S BAY. 



Hudson's clayey nature, is nearly equally unfit for agriculture, 

 Buy. even though the climate were favourable. Cresses, 

 """""" '"""' radishes, lettuce, and cabbage, are raised by careful 

 culture, and, in some propitious seasons, peas and beans 

 have been produced, but they rarely come to perfec- 

 tion. The face of the country is low and marshy ; and 

 the trees, though superior to those at Churchhill Fort, 

 are still very knotty and diminutive ; but, after pro- 

 ceeding inland towards the south, about Moose and 

 Albany Forts, the climate is more temperate, and the 

 trees of considerable size ; potatoes, turnips, and almost 

 every species of kitchen garden produce, are reared 

 without difficulty ; and it is supposed that corn also 

 might be cultivated by proper attention. Upon ad- 

 vancing inland towards the west, the climate becomes 

 still milder, and the soil more productive. Wild rice 

 and Indian corn are produced in considerable quantities 

 in the plains ; various kinds of animals abound in the 

 woods ; the rivers and lakes are stored with the most 

 delicious kinds offish ; and iron, lead, copper, and mar- 

 ble have been found in the mountainous parts. In 

 the woods of the more northern tracts, the only trees 

 are pines, junipers, small scraggy poplars, creeping 

 birch, and dwarf willows. The ground is covered with 

 moss of various sorts and colours, upon which the deer 

 principally feed. Grass is not uncommon ; and some 

 kinds, especially rye-grass, are so rapid in growth, as 

 frequently to rise, during the short summer at Church- 

 hill Fort, to the height of three feet. Another species 

 of grass, adapted for the support of the feathered tribes, 

 is very abundant on the marshes and banks of lakes 

 and rivers. Vetches, burrage, sorrel, coltsfoot, and 

 dandelion, one of the earliest salads, are plentiful in 

 some parts around Churchhill river. A herb called 

 Wee-suc-a-pucka grows abundantly in most parts of 

 the country, of which the leaves, and especially the 

 flowers, make a very agreeable kind of tea, much used 

 both by the Indians and Europeans, not only for its 

 pleasant flavour, but also for its salutary effects. It is 

 of an aromatic nature, and considered as serviceable in 

 rheumatism, for strengthening the stomach, and pro- 

 moting perspiration. It is likewise applied outwardly 

 in powder to contusions, excoriations, and gangrenes ; 

 but in this view does not appear to possess any medici- 

 nal quality. Another herb, named by the natives jack- 

 ashey-puck, resembling the creeping boxwood, is mixed 

 with tobacco, to make it milder and pleasanter in smo- 

 king. Several small shrubs are found in the country, 

 which bear fruit ; of which the chief are, gooseberries 

 of the small red species, which thrive best in rocky 

 ground, and spread along the ground like the vine ; 

 currants, both red and black, are plentiful around 

 Churchhill river, and grow best in moist swampy soils. 

 The black berries particularly are large and excellent ; 

 but in some persons both kinds occasion severe pur- 

 ging, unless when mixed with cranberries, which com- 

 pletely correct that tendency. Hips of a small size are 

 found on the coast, but large and abundant in the in- 

 terior of the country. Upon a bush, resembling the 

 creeping willow, grows a berry similar in size and co- 

 lour to the red currant, but of very unpleasant taste 

 and smell. Cranberries are very abundant every where; 

 and, when gathered in dry weather, and carefully 

 packed with moist sugar, may be preserved for years. 

 Heath-berries are also produced in great quantities, 

 and their juice makes a pleasant beverage. Juniper 

 berries are frequently seen, chiefly towards the south, 

 but are little esteemed either by the natives or the Eu- 

 ropeans, except for infusion in brandy. Strawberries 

 and raspberries, of considerable size and excellent fla- 



vour, are found as far north as Churchhill river, and Hudson's 

 are often most plentiful in those places where the un- Bav - 

 derwood has been set on fire. The eye- berry, resem- """" ~~" 

 bling a small strawberry, but far superior in flavour, 

 grows in small hollows among the rocks at some dis- 

 tance from the woods. There are also the blue berry, 

 which grows on small bushes, and resembles the finest 

 plum in flavour ; the partridge-berry, growing like the 

 cranberry, but of a disagreeable taste ; and the bethago- 

 tominick, or dewater-berry, which grows abundantly 

 in swamps on a plant like the strawberry, with a high 

 stalk, each bearing only one berry, and is accounted an 

 excellent antiscorbutic. 



The principal animals around Hudson's Bay are the Animals. 

 Moose-deer, rein-deer, buffaloes, musk oxen, and bea- 

 vers ; polar or white bear, black bear, brown bear, 

 wolves, foxes of various colours, lynxes or wild cats, 

 wolverins, which are remarkably fierce and powerful 

 animals, able to withstand the bear itself; otters, pine- 

 martins, ermines, a smaller otter called jackash, which 

 is very easily tamed, but, when angry or frightened, 

 apt to emit a most disagreeable smell ; the wejack and 

 skunk, the last of which is remarkable for its insup- 

 portably foetid smell ; musk beavers, porcupines, hares, 

 squirrels, castor-beavers, and mice of various kinds, one 

 species of which, the hair-tailed mouse, is nearly as 

 large as a common rat, and capable of being speedily 

 tamed even after they are full grown. Amphibious 

 animals frequenting tlie coasts of the Bay, are the wal- 

 rus or sea-horse, some of which have been killed of so 

 enormous a size as to exceed the weight of two tons ; 

 seals of various sizes and colours ; and sea-unicorns in 

 the northern parts. Of the feathered race, there are 

 eagles and hawks of various kinds, white and grey 

 owls, ravens, cinereous crows, which are very familiar 

 and troublesome birds, frequenting the habitations of 

 the natives, and pilfering every species of provision ; 

 woodpeckers, ruffed grouse, pheasants, partridges, pi- 

 geons, thrushes, gros-beaks, buntings, finches, larks, 

 titmice, swallows, martins, cranes, bitterns, earlows, 

 snipes, plovers, gullemels, divers, gulls, pelicans, goos- 

 anders, swans, geese of different kinds, and ducks in 

 great variety, particularly the mallard, long-tailed, wi* 

 geon, and teal. There are several kinds of frogs, as 

 far north as the latitude of 61, which in winter are 

 generally found in a completely frozen state, yet capa- 

 ble of reviving when thawed. Grubs, spiders, and 

 other insects, are found in the same icy condition, from 

 which they can be recovered by exposure to a gentle 

 heat. Several kinds of shell fish are found on the 

 shores of the Bay, particularly muscles, periwinkles, 

 and small crabs. The empty shells of cockles, wilks, 

 scallops, and other sorts, are frequently thrown upon 

 the beach ; but none of these have been seen with the 

 fish in them. There are few fish in Hudson's Bay. 

 White whales are found in considerable numbers at the 

 mouths of the principal rivers ; and the Company's ser- 

 vants, in the settlements on the west coast of the Bay, 

 have been known to send home ia some years from 

 eight to thirteen tons of fine oil. A small fish called 

 kepling, about the size of a smelt, and very excellent 

 for eating, resorts in some years to the shore in great 

 numbers, but at other times is extremely scarce. No 

 other salt water fish is found in the country, except sal- 

 mon, which are also very plentiful at some seasons, and 

 equally rare at other times. It has been observed, in 

 short, that every species of game, whether quadruped, 

 fowl, or fish, is remarkably variable at different periods; 

 and it thus becomes necessary to provide in plentiful 

 seasons a quantity of such provisions as are most capa- 



