84 RE VIE WS. 



The younger De Candolle, in his discussion of the history 

 and origin of the principal cultivated plants, which forms 

 a most interesting chapter of his " Ge'ographie Botanique," 

 although he is unable to assign them to any country as their 

 home, confidently (perhaps too confidently) refers all the 

 squashes and pumpkins to the Old "World ; but not to India, 

 because they have no Sanscrit name. He will not believe 

 that any of them came from America, and appears to think 

 little of the current statements that squashes or pumpkins 

 were in cultivation by our aborigines before the European 

 settlement of the country. On the other hand, our lamented 

 Dr. Harris — who, during the later years of his life, assid- 

 uously studied this question, and who was very cautious in 

 drawing conclusions — had become satisfied that the North 

 American Indians, as far north even as to Canada, cultivated 

 squashes and pumpkins, one or both, along with their maize, 

 before the whites were established here. We are unable at 

 this moment to refer to his manuscripts, or to what he had 

 too imperfectly published upon this subject. But we well 

 remember his laying much stress upon the narrative of 

 Champlain ; and with good reason, as it appears to us on 

 turning casually to the pages of " Les Voyages du Sieur de 

 Champlain . . . ou Journal tres-fidele des Observations faites 

 et Decouvertes de la Nouvelle France," etc., etc., edition of 

 Jean Berjon, Paris, 1G13, 4to ; also " Voyages et Decouvertes 

 faites en la Xouvelle France depuis l'annee 1615, jusques a la 

 fin de l'annee 1618," — second edition, published by Collet in 

 1627, small 12mo, — to which volumes we desire to direct 

 M. De Candolle's attention. In Champlain's narrative of his 

 own voyage along the coast of what is now the State of Maine, 

 in the year 1604, and the two voyages of Le Sieur de Mons 

 along the coast of New England in 1605 and 1606, Citrouittes 

 and Courges are repeatedly mentioned, along with maize 

 {Bled d'lnde) and beans ; c. g. : 



" Nous y vismes force dtrouittes^ courges & petum, qu'ils 

 cultiuet aussi. . . . Pour les febues elles comec^oiet a cntrer 

 en fleur, come faysoyet les courges et citrouilles " (p. 68). 



" Ceux que nous auions enuoyes deuers eux, nous appor- 



