172 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



however, is the produce of the aroma ovalts. 

 Under the name of meesasscootoomeena it is 

 a favourite dish at most of the Indian feasts, 

 and mixed with pemmican, it renders that 

 greasy food actually palatable. A great 

 variety of currants and gooseberries are also 

 mentioned by the natives, under the name 

 of sappoom-meena, but we only found three 

 species in the neighbourhood of Cumber- 

 land House. The strawberry, called by 

 the Crees otei-meena 9 or heart-berry, is 

 found in abundance ; and rasps are common 

 on the sandy banks of the rivers. The 

 fruits hitherto mentioned fall in the autumn, 

 but the following berries remained hanging 

 on the bushes in the spring, and are consi- 

 dered as much mellowed by exposure to the 

 colds in winter. The red whortleberry 

 (vaccinium vitis idea) is found everywhere, 

 but is most abundant in rocky places. It 

 is aptly termed by the Crees weesawgum- 

 meena, sour berry. The common cranberry 

 (oxycoccos palustris) is distinguished from 

 the preceding by its growing on moist 

 sphagnous spots, and is hence called mas- 



