JAN. 1769 EXCURSION INLAND 51 
which made me think the travelling much better than what 
I had before met with in Newfoundland. 
Soon after we saw the plains we arrived at them, but 
found to our great disappointment that what we took for 
swathe was no better than low bushes of birch reaching to 
about a man’s middle. These were so stubborn that they 
could not be bent out of the way, but at every step the leg 
must be lifted over them; on being placed again on the 
ground it was almost sure to sink above the ankle in bog. 
No travelling could possibly be worse than this, which 
seemed to last about a mile, beyond which we expected to 
meet with bare rock, for such we had seen from the tops of the 
lower hills as we came. This I in particular was infinitely 
eager to arrive at, expecting there to find the alpine plants of 
a country so curious. Our people, though rather fatigued, 
were yet in good spirits, so we pushed on, intending to rest 
ourselves as soon as we should arrive on the level ground. 
We proceeded two-thirds of the way without the least 
difficulty, and I confess that I thought, for my own part, 
that all difficulties were surmounted, when Mr. Buchan fell 
into a fit. A fire was immediately lit for him, and with him 
all those who were most tired remained behind, while Dr. 
Solander, Mr. Green, Mr. Monkhouse and myself advanced 
for the alp, which we reached almost immediately, and found, 
according to expectation, plants which answered to those we 
had found before, as in Europe alpine ones do to those which 
are found on the plains. 
The air was very cold, and we had frequent snow-blasts. 
I had now given over all thought of reaching the ship that 
night, and thought of nothing but getting into the thick of 
the wood, and making a fire, which, as our road lay all down- 
hill, seemed very easy to accomplish. So Messrs, Green 
and Monkhouse returned to the other people, and appointed 
a hill for our general rendezvous, from whence we should 
proceed and build our wigwam. The cold now increased 
apace; it might be nearly eight o’clock, though the daylight 
was still exceedingly good, so we proceeded to the nearest 
valley, where the short birch, the only thing we now dreaded, 
