ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 163 



and ran at full speed back towards the village. We have doubt- 

 less lost him entirely, but we do not much regret his departure, 

 as he proved himself so entirely unequal to the task he had 

 undertaken. 



I2th. — The gale continues with the same violence as yes- 

 terday, and we do not therefore think it expedient to leave 

 our camp. Mr. N.'s large and beautiful collection of new and 

 rare plants was considerably injured by the wetting it received ; 

 he has been constantly engaged since we landed yesterday, in 

 opening and drying them. In this task he exhibits a degree of 

 patience and perseverance which is truly astonishing ; sitting on 

 the ground, and steaming over the enormous fire, for hours to- 

 gether, drying the papers, and re-arranging the whole collection, 

 specimen by specimen, while the great drops of perspiration roll 

 unheeded from his brow. Throusrhout the whole of our lonaf 

 journey, I have had constantly to admire the ardor and perfect 

 indefatigability with which he has devoted himself to the grand 

 object of his tour. No difficulty, no danger, no fatigue has ever 

 daunted him, and he finds his rich reward in the addition of 

 nearly a thousand new species of American plants, which he has 

 been enabled to make to the already teeming flora of our vast 

 continent. My bale of birds, which was equally exposed to the 

 action of the water, escaped without any material injury. 



In the afternoon, the gale not having abated, Captain W. be- 

 came impatient to proceed, as he feared his business at Vancou- 

 ver would suffer by delay ; he accordingly proposed taking one 

 canoe, and braving the fury of the elements, saying that he wished 

 five men, who were not afraid of water, to accompany him. A 

 dozen of our fearless fellows volunteered in a moment, and the 

 captain selecting such as he thought would best suit his purpose, 

 lost no time in launching his canoe, and away she went over 

 the foaming waters, dashing the spi'ay from her bows, and la- 

 boring through the heavy swells until she was lost to our view. 



