90 
When cooked, they have a sweetish and 
by no means unpleasant taste, and a very 
palatable beverage might probably be pre- 
pared from them. Lewis and Clarke ob- 
serve that they are apt to produce bowel 
complaint, if eaten in large quantities, as 
they certainly do flatulence. The 
abounds in all low alluvial plains, on the 
margins of woods, and banks of rivers. Py- 
rola aphylla, (Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. t. 137.) 
Caprifolium occidentale, (B. Reg. t. 1457.) 
and a multitude of other plants, delighted 
me highly; nor can I pass over the beauty, 
I might say the grandeur, of Lupinus poly- 
phyllus, (Bot. Reg. t. 1096, and var. albi- 
Jlorus, t. 1377.) covering immense tracts of 
low land on the banks of streams, with here 
and there a white-flowered variety, and 
growing to a height of six or eight feet, 
wherever the ground was partially over- 
flowed. The Gaultheria Shallon, (Bot. 
Mag. t. 2343, Bot. Reg. t. 1372), is called 
by the natives Salal and not Shallon, as 
stated by Pursh, whose figure and descrip- 
tion are, however, good; it grows abun- 
dantly in the cool pine forests, most luxu- 
riantly in the shady places near the ocean. 
I have seen it as far as forty miles above 
the Grand Rapids of the Columbia River, 
but itis not so vigorousas when found nearer 
the sea. The fruit is abundant and very 
good, so that I hope it will ere long find a 
place in the fruit garden, as well as the or- 
namental border. I also gathered, among 
. other curious plants, a noble species of Ar- 
butus, A. procera (Bot. Reg. t. 1753). We 
had abundance of excellent salmon, brought 
| to us by the native tribes, which they sold 
very cheap. I returned to Fort Vancouver 
E 
havin 1 
collection of plants by seventy-five TEM 
and also killed four quadrupeds and a few 
— birds. 
accompany them as far as seemed advisable. 
Starting from the mouth of the river at eight 
o'clock in the morning, in a small boat with 
DOUGLAS' SKETCH OF A JOURNEY TO THE 
f River, the Belle Vue Point of Van ! 
about seventy miles from the ocean, © 
one Canadian and five Indians, we p 
ed about forty miles that day. The 
rent was strong, owing to the melting oft 
snow on the mountains, and when we car 
to open parts of the banks, unobst 
by timber or rocks, I botanized as we 
along. We supped on roasted st 
and bread, with a basin of tea, and sli 
forty-six miles above the Fort; the sc 
at this place is wild and romantic, with 
mountains on each side, clothed with: 
ber of immense size. The Rapid is 
ed by the river passing through am 
channel, one hundred and seventy 
wide: the channel is rocky, obstruct 
large stones, and small islands, with 
of one hundred and forty-seven feet, 
whole Rapid being about two miles: 
In many places the banks rise perpen 
lar, to a height of several hundred feet 
which are some fine waterfalls; the 
are chiefly secondary, sandstone, lime! 
and blue granite. Whole petrified tre 
visible close to the water's edge, b 
Pine and Acer macrophyllum. 
This being the season of salmon 
ing, I had opportunities of seemg 
digious numbers taken simply 
small hoop or a scoop-net, fastene 
end of a pole. The fish are of exe 
quality and average about fifteen p 
weight. In the still parts of the wate 
mense quantities are caught in th 
to which are attached spindles fo 
the wood of Thuja plicata, which 
buoyant and which serve as cor 
small oblong stones answer the pu 
lead. The rope of the net is made 
species of Saliz, or from the Thuja, 
the cord of Apocynum prscatore 
hypericifolium ?) a gigantic species 
liar to this country, whose fibre a 
great quantity of Flax. 
The country continues mountat 
far as the lower branch of the Multi 
the banks again become low, and 
ound rises gradually. On the 
towards the head water of 
