166 Scientific Intelligence. 



could proceed only a short way; but where the river was as broad as 

 when we first ascended, it became prudent, as there was no appearance of 

 game, to hold a survey upon our provisions, when it was discovered, to 

 our dismay, that we only had two biscuits ; so I ordered a retreat. 



We reached our camp just before dark, very tired and very hungry, 

 and sweetly did we that night enjoy our bed of pine branches, prefaced 

 by a most substantial supper of salt pork, hard biscuit, and tea — our pro- 

 visions on all such journeys in this country. While cutting the branches 

 for my bed, I found Taxus hrevifolia (? Lindleyana Murr.), but without 

 fruit. Our fire was of Abies Donglasii. Abies Menziesii was not un- 

 common, random cut, but the commonest was the former ; also Abies 

 Bridgei and Pinus Strobus, with Rubus spectalnlis., R. nuthanus and 

 R. leucodermis, with Ribes (two species). I did not see Ribes sangui- 

 neum, so common in our English shrubberies, 'but it is excessively 

 common on the southern part of the island, particularly the Indian Reserve 

 at Victoria. I observed also Vaccinium ovatum, and occasionally the 

 Indian Salsul {Gualtheria Shallon), a very pretty shrub. Next morn- 

 ing, looking about the neighbourhood, we re-entered our canoe, hollowed 

 out of Cupressus nuthatensis — the mats we sat upon being made of 

 the liber of the same tree, ropes of the same material, and occasionally 

 of Thvja pUcata. This river I named after one of our party, Mr Taylor, 

 an Edinburgh man, who had formerly accompanied me on my first journey 

 on the island, when we were lost in the Nauaimo Mountains, wet and 

 half starved, for two days. Some of the mountains round I dedicated to 

 some of our Edinburgh friends, and which will afterwards appear, when 

 I send home to the Geographical Society, when I have leisure for it in the 

 winter, the chart of my journey. The Indians told us that it flowed out 

 of a lake near Clay-o-quots Sound, and that the Clay-o-quots sometimes 

 descend it. We reached the camp (logging) for supper, and slept among 

 some hay that night sorely harassed by aphaniptera. Next day we 

 started again in our canoe down the south arm of " Sproat's Lake," and 

 landed three miles off in the wood. We now started off, each man with 

 his blankets on his back, over an Indian trail. After travelling for about 

 two miles through dark shady woods, over a tolerably good trail marked 

 by knotted twigs, we were startled by the appearance of a man. It was 

 Kan-ash, second chief of the Opischesats. On learning from " Quasson " 

 that I was *' Hyass-ty-hee " (great chief), he was exceedingly friendly, 

 but parted " uyon silex " (very sulky) because I would not give him an 

 " as-pop (gift) for passing over his land; and for the future use of some 

 supposed " chapatz " (canoe) which was on the " Uyass-avv^-ak " (the 

 Great Lake), to which Quasson was conducting us. 



About two o'clock, the Great Central Lake, forty-five miles long, burst 

 upon our view, the landing-places scattered round with bones of bears and 

 deer, the remains of Indians who had formerly camped here. We found 

 a canoe hid in the bush, but of such a miserable character as to be quite 

 unfit for our purposes, only holding three at a time, and then rapidly fill- 

 ing with water ; so we were very unwillingly forced to abandon our pro- 

 ject of ascending the lake to its head. We camped that night near the 

 lake, and returned next day to the mouth of the Somass River, where, 

 after a good deal of trouble at the Opischesat village, at one time threaten- 

 ing to be serious, I obtained a canoe, and swept down the river, and 

 thence into the Alberni Canal, all safe and in sound health and appetite, 

 after our novel journey. Such is a short account of one out of many similar 

 journeys. I have gone more into detail concerning it than some others 

 equally interesting. But as I cannot enter into anything like particulars 

 regarding all my travels, you may accept this as a specimen. Some were 



