ernative but to
remain with the man who had charge of the horses used on the Columbia
Portage, and botanize in that neighbourhood."

[Sidenote: August.] "On the 10th of August, I set out with another
hunter, upon whom I had prevailed to conduct me to the Smoking River,
although, being disappointed in a supply of ammunition, we were badly
provided. We travelled for several days without meeting with any
animals, and I shared the little dried provision which I had with the
hunter's family. On the 15th we killed a Mountain sheep, which was
quickly devoured, there not being the smallest apprehension at the time
that famine would overtake us--day after day, however, passed away
without a single head of game of any description being seen, and the
children began to complain loudly; but the hunter's wife, a young
half-breed woman, bore the abstinence with indifference, although she
had two infant twins at the breast. On the 21st, we found two young
porcupines, which were shared amongst the party, and two or three days
afterwards, a few fine trout were caught. We arrived in the Smoking
River on the 5th of September, where the hunter killed two sheep, and a
period was put to our abstinence, for before the sheep were eaten, he
shot several buffaloes."

[Sidenote: September.] "We proceeded along the Mountains until the 24th
of September, and had reached the head waters of the Peace River, when a
heavy fall of snow stopped my collecting plants for that season. I was,
however, very desirous of crossing the Mountains to obtain some
knowledge of the vegetation on the Columbia River, and, accordingly, I
commenced drying provisions to enable me to accompany the Columbia
brigade, when it arrived from Hudson's Bay. [Sidenote: October.] I
reached the Portage on the 9th of October, and on the 10th the brigade
arrived, and I received letters from Captain Franklin, instructing me to
descend in the spring of 1827, time enough to rejoin the Expedition on
its way to York Factory. It was, therefore, necessary that I should
speedily commence my return, and having gone with the brigade merely to
the west-end of the Portage, I came back again on the 1st of November.
The snow covered the ground too deeply to permit me to add much to my
collections in this hasty trip over the Mountains, but it was impossible
to avoid remarking the great superiority of climate on the western side
of that lofty range. From the instant the descent toward the Pacific
comm