NORTH-WESTERN PARTS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
pulled and used before it comes to perfect 
maturity ; they select for its cultivation an 
open place in the wood, where they burn 
a dead tree or stump, and strewing the 
ashes over the ground, plant the tobacco 
there. Fortunately, I happened to detect 
one of these little plantations, and supplied 
myself, without delay or immediate stipu- 
lations for payment, with both specimens 
for drying and seeds. The owner, whom I 
shortly met, seeing the prize under my 
arm, appeared much displeased, but was 
propitiated with a present of European to- 
bacco, and becoming good friends with me, 
gave the above description of its culture, 
saying that wood-ashes invariably made it 
grow very large. 
Iwas much disappointed at being una- 
ble to obtain cones of a fine Pinus which 
grows abundantly on the banks of the Co- 
lumbia. The trees were too large to be 
felled with my hatchet, and, as to climbing, 
I had already learned the propriety of 
leaving no property below, on such occa- 
sions. The top of the tree, where the 
cones hang, was also too weak to bear me, 
and its height so great, that all my attempts 
to bring them down by firing at them with 
Swan-shot were unsuccessful. 
On the 20th of February, Jean Baptiste 
M‘Kay, one of the hunters, returned to the 
establishment from his hunting excursion 
to the southward, and brought me one 
cone of the species of Pinus, which I had 
requested him to procure last August, 
when I was at the Multnomak. The first 
knowledge I had of this grand tree was 
derived from the very large seeds and 
Scales of the cone which I had seen in the 
Indian's Shot-pouch. After treating the 
i to a smoke, which must'be done be- 
fore any questions are put, I inquired and 
that he had brought this prize from 
the mountains to the southward, and as 
M'Kay was going in that direction, I beg- 
ged him to procure me twelve cones, a bag 
of seeds, a few twigs and some of the gum. 
emg, however, late in autumn ere he ar- 
Tived at the place where the trees grow, all 
_ the seed was gone, and he therefore brought 
‘only a cone to show me; but as he gave 
103 
strict orders to his Indian friends, I feel 
certain of securing abundance of it in the 
summer. This species belongs to Pursh’s 
second section; the tree measures from 
twenty to fifty feet in circumference, and 
is one hundred and seventy to two hundred 
and twenty feet high, nearly unbranched 
to within a short distance of the top where 
it forms a perfect umbel. The trunk is 
remarkably straight, the wood fine, and 
yielding a great quantity of resin. Grow- 
ing trees, which have been burned by the 
natives to save the trouble of felling them 
or of collecting other fuel,*a practice to 
which they are greatly addicted, produce 
a quantity of a saccharine substance, used 
for seasoning in the same way as sugar is 
by civilized nations. The cone measured 
sixteen inches and a half in length, and 
was ten inches round at the thickest part. 
The country of the Umptqua Indians, two 
degrees South of the Columbia, produce 
this tree in the greatest abundance. The 
seeds are collected in the end of summer, 
dried, pounded, and made into a sort of 
cake, which is considered a great dainty. 
To my inquiries respecting it, the poor In- 
dian answered by repeated assurances that 
he would give me plenty of this cake when 
I visited his country, which is the surest 
proof of its being much prized, as these 
people will, on every occasion, offer the 
greatest rarity or delicacy to a stranger. 
The same person brought me also an Elk’s 
snare and a netted purse of ingenious 
workmanship, made of a most durable 
grass, which, from what I have seen, will 
probably prove a new species of elonias. 
Of this plant he has also promised to pro- 
cure me roots and seeds. 
SUMMER EXCURSIONS ON THE COLUM- 
BIA RIVER 
Mature consideration of what I have | 
been already able to effect in this country, - 
and of the great amount that yet remains 
to be done, has satisfied me of the pro- — 
priety of remaining here for another year, — — 
that I may explore it more satisfactorily. - 
I feel that I should otherwise be neglectful 
of the interests of the Society which sends 
4 
