a 
ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 
still we encamped at night, opposite the 
Cinqpoil River, on the South side of the 
Columbia; and, soon after mid-day on 
Tuesday, arrived at the Oakanagan esta- 
 blishment, where I found my old friend, 
Mr. Wark, with W. Conolly, Esq., M. 
Pambrun, and a James Douglas, all o 
whom, with a party of men, were on their 
way from Western Caledonia to Fort Van- 
couver, with Mr. F. Ermetinger (brother 
of the gentleman of the same name who 
had accompanied me in the spring) coming 
from Thomson’s River. 
The next day (Wednesday 7th) I pro- 
ceeded, with a brigade of six boats, towards 
Walla-wallah, at the junction of Lewis and 
Clarke's River, which I intend to make my 
head-quarters for six or eight weeks. Passed 
the Stony Islands, where I found Pent- 
‘stemon venustum (Bot. Reg. t. 1309) and 
P. speciosum (Bot. Reg. t. 1270) a place 
in the river about half a mile long, exceed- 
ingly rugged and dangerous, at four o'clock, 
and shortly afterwards camped earlier than 
usual, two of our boats having been broken. 
This circumstance gave me some hours 
among the rocks on the banks of the river, 
Which I spent to great advantage. Under 
‘Some stones I discovered and killed a 
rattle-snake, three feet long. The ther- 
mometer had indicated 92° in the shade at 
noon, and at night the heavens presented 
An entire sheet of lightning, unaccom- 
panied either by thunder or rain. The 
next morning we started, as usual, very 
| early, and breakfasted at the Priest's Ra- 
Pid, on fresh salmon and buffalo tongue. 
Arrived at night at the Walla-wallah, where 
having had very little sleep since leaving 
Kettle Falls, I hoped to obtain some hours 
repose, and accordingly stretched myself 
9n the floor of the Indian Hall at that 
establishment, whence, however, I was 
shortly driven by the attacks of such an 
Immense swarm of fleas as rendered repose 
Impossible, and my attempts to procure it 
among the bushes were equally frustrated 
the annoyance of two species of ants, 
One very black and large, three-quarters of 
-an inch long, and the other small and red. 
Thus I gladly hailed the approach of day, 
. VOL. rr. 
118 
and as soon as I could see to make a pen, 
wrote the following letter to Mr. Sabine, 
which I consigned to Mr. Conolly, who 
was immediately about to proceed to Fort 
Vancouver, whence a ship was daily ex- 
pected to sail for England. 
June 9th, 1826. 
DEAR Sin, 
Asan unexpected opportunity of commu- 
nicating with the coast has just presented 
itself, I thus embrace it, sending also the 
whole of my gleanings, amounting to up- 
wards of one hundred species, distinct from 
those transmitted in the collection of 1825. 
Among them are six species of Ribes, two 
of which, I think, wil prove new; R 
viscosissimum of Pursh (whose description 
will require some alteration), which is sur- 
passed by few plants; and a fourth, very 
interesting, though less showy species; 
the others are R. aureum, and one belong- 
ing to the section Grossularia, with green 
flowers. A few days after I had the honour 
of writing to you, on the 12th of April, 
from the Spokan River (where it joins the 
Columbia), a letter which was sent across 
this great continent, I started for the Kettle 
Falls, ninety miles farther up, where I 
remained until the 5th of this month, 
making excursions in such directions as 
seemed calculated to afford the richest 
harvest ; and although this has fallen some- 
what short of my expectations, I yet 
do not consider my time as having been 
thrown away, many of the species being 
new, and the rest but imperfectly known. 
About the 25th of this month (June) I 
purpose making a journey to a ridge of 
snowy mountains, about one hundred and 
fifty miles distant from this place, in a 
Southerly direction, which will occupy 
fifteen to eighteen days ; and, after securing 
the result of this trip, shall make a voyage. 
up Lewis and Clarke’s River, as far as the 
Forks, remaining there ten or twelve days, 
as appears necessary, and returning over- 
land in a North-Easterly direction to my 
spring encampment on the Kettle Falls. 
Shortly afterwards I mean to accompany g 
Mr. Wark, who is going on a trading ex- — — 
H 
