NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

barren hills, between which are {mall lakes or ponds, while the fur-

1789.

June.

69

rounding country is covered with tufts of mofs, without the fhade ofa “~—~

fingle tree. Along the hills isa kind of fence, made with branches,

where the natives had fet fnares to catch white partridges.

The nets did not producea fingle fifh, and at three o’clock-in the morn- Saturday 18

ing we took our departure. The weather was fine and clear, and we pafled
feveral encampments. As the prints of human feet were very frefh in
the fand, it could not have been long fince the natives had vifited the
{pot. We now proceeded in the hope of meeting with fome of them at
the river, whither our guide was conduéting us with that expeétation.
We obferved a great number of trees, in different places, whofe branches
had been lopped off to the tops. They denote the immediate abode of
the natives, and probably ferve for fignals to direét each other to their re-
fpeCtive winter quarters. Our hunters, in the courfe of the day killed two
rein-deer, which were the only large animals that we had feen fince we had
been in this river, and proved a very feafonable fupply, as our Pemmican
had become mouldy for fome time paft; though in that fituation we

were under the neceflity of eating it.

In the vallies and low lands near the river, cranberries are found
jn great abundance, particularly in favourable afpeéts. It is a fingular
circumftance, that the fruit of two fueceeding years may be gathered at
the fame time, from the fame fhrub. Here was alfo another berry, of
a very pale yellow colour, that refembles a rafpberry, and is of a very
agreeable flavour, There is a great variety of other plants and. herbs,
whofe names.and properties are unknown to me..

‘The