THE ALLEGASH AND EAST BRANCH. 
215 
there throughout the wood, but rather a little forest of 
them. The same is the case with the white and red 
pines, and some other trees, greatly to the convenience 
of the lumberer. They are of a social habit, growing in 
“ veins,” “ clumps,” “ groups/’ or “ communities,” as the 
explorers call them, distinguishing them far away, from 
the top of a hill or a tree, the white pines towering above 
the surrounding forest, or else they form extensive forests 
by themselves. I would have liked to come across a 
large community of pines, which had never been invaded 
by the lumbering army. 
* 
We saw some fresh moose tracks along the shore, but 
the Indian said that the moose were not driven out of the 
woods by the flies, as usual at this season, on account of 
the abundance of water everywhere. The stream was 
only from one and one half to three rods wide, quite 
winding, with occasional small islands, meadows, and 
some very swift and shallow places. When we came to 
an island, the Indian never hesitated which side to take, 
as if the current told him which was the shortest and 
deepest. It was lucky for us that the water was so high. 
We had to walk but once on this stream, carrying a part 
of the load, at a swift and shallow reach, while he got up 
with the canoe, not being obliged to take out, though he 
said it was very strong water. Once or twice we passed 
the red wreck of a bateau which had been stove some 
spring. 
While making this portage I saw many splendid speci¬ 
mens of the great purple-fringed orchis, three feet high. 
It is remarkable that such delicate flowers should here 
adorn these wilderness paths. 
Having resumed our seats in the canoe, I felt the In¬ 
dian wiping my back, which he had accidentally spat 
