298 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 
have lain for a longer or shorter period^, exposed to the influ- 
ence of the sun^ at some convenient time fire is put among 
them^ which often consumes the principal part^, and the rem- 
nant is collected;, and re-burned. Such a labyrinth of fallen 
timber we had to penetrate^ climbing over the trunks, and 
scrambling through the dry branches of the prostrate trees^ 
often falling through ; and^ to make the matter worse^, these 
were concealed by the tall Indian Wickup ( Epilobium Lati- 
folium), with which the ground was absolutely covered; 
and as the long seed-pods were just bursting, our every move- 
ment dispersed clouds of the light do wny cotton^, which, getting 
into our mouths and nostrils, caused us considerable inconve- 
nience. Presently we descended the steep bank, and walked, or 
rather scrambled, up the rocky bed of the stream, by means 
of the stones which were above water; though, as they 
were wet and slimy, we occasionally wetted our feet. Thus 
we went on, sometimes in the stream, sometimes among the 
alders and underwood on the banks, for about a mile and a 
half. We were much surprised in going up this brook, about 
a mile up, at coming upon a ruined building, which had been 
erected over the stream at a craggy fall, of which the timbers 
had fallen down, and some of them had been carried a con- 
siderable distance downwards by the freshets. I supposed it 
must have been a mill, but wondered at its situation, so far 
from any road. I have since been informed that it was a 
saw-mill which had been built by Messrs. Spafford, and 
that there was a good road to it, which went through 
what is now P. Barker's south-west field ; but being now 
overrun with bushes and young trees, this road had escaped 
our notice. The mill has been disused nearly twenty years. 
On the borders of the brook, I met with' the seed- 
vessels of the Touch-me-not {Impatiens noli'tangere)^ the 
handsome subconic scarlet fruits of the White and the Hed 
Death {Trillium Pictum^ and T, Foetidum)) the large um- 
