THE LANDING. 283 



Kalm makes interesting reference to this plant. He 

 writes : " Taw - Kee is another plant, so called by the 

 Indians, who eat it. . . . The plant grows in marshes, 

 near moist and low grounds, and is very plentiful in 

 North America. The cattle, hogs, and stags are very 

 fond of the leaves in spring, for they are some of the 

 earliest. The leaves are broad, like those of the Conva- 

 leria, or Lily of the Yalley, green on the upper side, and 

 covered with very minute hair, so that they looked like 

 a fine velvet. The Indians pluck the seeds, and keep 

 them for eating. They cannot be eaten fresh or raw, 

 but must be dried. The Indians were forced to boil 

 them repeatedly in water before they were fit for use, 

 and then they ate them like pease. When the Swedes 

 gave them butter or milk, they boiled . . . the seeds in 

 it. Sometimes they employ these seeds instead of bread, 

 and they taste like pease. Some of the Swedes likewise 

 ate them ; and the old men among them told me they 

 liked this food better than any of the other plants which 

 the Indians formerly made use of. This Taw-Kee was 

 the Orontium aquaticum." 



Just as two centuries ago this splendid spring was 

 looked upon by my paternal ancestor as a spot very de- 

 sirable to possess, so the Indians, in earlier days, were 

 attracted to it, and lived, no one can say for how long, 

 within hearing of its rippling waters. The ashes of their 

 fires are mingled with every clod that is now upturned 

 by the spade. I lately gathered from among the peb- 

 bles in the brook a tiny arrow-point, and tracing the 

 probable course of the little weapon, which must neces- 



