TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. 167 



some relief to the invariable dingy olive of the kelp. We 

 rarely took anything but huge seaweeds, different from those of 

 our shores, and so far interesting. I have had a visit from the 

 Roman Catholic bishop (Walsh), with whom E. and I dine on 

 Thursday, and on Saturday we dine with another party, and 

 this will finish the visiting, I hope. I was at church on Sunday, 

 and heard a sermon from the Bishop of Nova Scotia on the 

 lesson of the day, namely, the Prophet who came to speak 

 against the altar at Bethel. Nothing very new in his lordship's 

 exposition except that he pronounced Jeroboam Jer-o-boam. 



Tell so, but don't tell him that I went in the evening to 



the free kirk with E., and heard a very good sermon and some very 

 bad singing. We drove on Saturday about twelve miles inland, 

 skirting the shores of the inner harbour, called Bedford Basin, 

 for nine miles, and then going up the Sackville river to a way- 

 side inn, where we dined on roast lamb, potatoes, peas, salad, ices, 

 beer, cheese, raspberries and cream, batter-pudding, biscuits and 

 brandy, and home by moonlight. The drive very pretty, but like 

 the dredging, not much variety. I gathered a few plants, 

 walked in woods, forded streams, strolled through the long- 

 grass of marshy meadows, and saw snakes. Passed some very 

 picturesque pines that looked almost like cedars. I think 

 they must be " hemlocks " (again I regret I have no book at 

 hand for reference), mixed with Weymouths and spruces 

 and American larch (called juniper). They say that wherever 

 a pine-grove is cut down, hard wood (birch, maple, alder, &c.) 

 springs up, and vice versa. They say also that there are no 

 nettles in the colony, but I found plenty, and pointed them out 

 to E. Whether one saying be more true than another I cannot 

 tell. I should get tired of this place before long unless I had 

 regular occupation. 



The only interesting plants here are the bog-plants, and most 

 of these are out of flower. If you don't know Sarracenia (here 

 called the Indian cup), ask Bain to show you the caricature of it 

 grown in the gardens. Here, in the mossy bogs, it is much 

 more beautiful with its clusters of graceful pitchers, green, or 

 red, or streaked, or mottled, sitting half sunk in soft moss. I 

 have sent Mackay some roots of it via Kew. In the bogs grow 

 also two very handsome orchideae with large lilac flowers, and 

 crimson beards on their long lower lip. I sent bulbs of one of 



