HUDSON'S BAY. 
tions of the noble collections in Natural 
History made during the expedition. This 
part of the country has been so well de- 
scribed in the former narrative of Capt. 
(now Sir John) Franklin, that little is left 
for me to say respecting it, and I shall 
merely notice my stages. After leaving 
Cumberland House, two days took us to 
the Grand Rapid, the entrance of Lake 
Winipeg, where we were detained by the 
ice. A few hours after it became rotten, 
sank and disappeared, leaving an open 
sheet of water, through which we sailed to 
Norway House. The shores of this lake 
da, Betula papyracea and nigra, 
performing the trip. Captain 
Franklin left me for England on the 9th of 
July, and on the following day I proceeded 
to the settlement on the Red River, which 
I reached on the 12th. I took up my 
abode with D. M‘Kenzie, Esq., Governor 
of the Colony, a most kind and excellent 
man, who during my whole stay showed 
me great hospitality, and afforded me much 
Valuable assistance. Mr. M'Kenzie's 
knowledge of the country, particularly to 
the West of the Rocky Mountains, where 
Spent many years, was particularly 
useful tome, I had also the pleasure to 
ies the acquaintance of the Rev. David 
nes and R, W, Cochrane, at the English 
139 
Mission House, an admirable establish- 
ment, which owes much of its value to the 
unremitting care and zeal of these gentle- 
men, whose lives are devoted to the charge 
of the little flock over which they are called 
to preside. It was also a pleasure to me 
to become acquainted with the Rev. J. N. 
Provenchier, the worthy Catholic Bishop, 
a person of liberal disposition and highly 
cultivated mind, who lives only to be use- 
ful and do good. The soil is exceedingly 
fertile, capable of bearing any kind of pro- 
duce, being a deep alluvial stratum of 
brown loam over a gravel or limestone bot- 
tom. The settlers here live comfortably, 
and seem happy. The crops are liable to 
be attacked by grasshoppers ; but the wheat 
is exempted from smut and rust. Cattle 
thrive well, as do pigs and horses; sheep 
had not then been introduced. During a 
month's residence here, I formed a small 
Herbarium of two hundred and eighty- 
eight species, many of them new to me, 
and the more interesting, because, if I had 
staid with Dr. Richardson or Mr. Drum- 
mond on the Saskatchawan, I should pro- 
bably have added hardly any thing to the 
Flora of the country. With Mr. Hamlyn, 
the surgeon to the colony, I set off and 
had rather a tedious passage through the 
lake. Arriving at York Factory, Hudson's 
Bay, I was kindly received by J. G. M‘Ta- 
vish, Esq., the Chief Factor, who had the 
goodness to order some travelling equip- 
ments for me, my own stock being com- 
pletely worn out. 
Here ended my labours, and I may be 
allowed to state, that when the natural dif- 
ficulties of passing through a new country 
are taken into view, with the hostile dis- 
position of the native tribes, and the almost 
insuperable inconveniences that daily oc- 
cur, I have great reason to consider myself 
a highly favoured individual. All that my 
feeble exertions may have effected, only 
stimulate me to fresh exertions. The whole 
of my botanical collections, with the ex- 
ception of some few, were, agreeably with 
my anxious wishes, given for publication 
in the forthcoming North American Flora 
of Dr. Hooker. I sailed from Hudson's 
