ences, there is a visible improvement in the growth of timber, and
the variety of forest trees greatly increases. The few mosses that I
gleaned in the excursion were so fine, that I could not but deeply
regret that I was unable to pass a season or two in that interesting
region."

"Having packed up all my specimens, I embarked on the Red Deer River,
with Mr. M'Donald, one of the Company's officers, who was returning from
a long residence on the Columbia with his family, and continued to
descend the stream until we were set fast by the frost. I then left Mr.
M'Donald in the charge of the baggage, and, proceeding on foot to Fort
Assinaboyn, for the purpose of procuring horses, I reached it on the
fifth day. It was several days before the horses could be obtained, and
they were several more in travelling from the Fort to Mr. M'Donald,
during which time that gentleman and his family were very short of
provisions. The relief, however, arrived opportunely, and they reached
the Fort in safety. After resting a few days, I set out for Edmonton,
where I remained for some months."

[Sidenote: March.] "The winter express brought me a letter from Dr.
Richardson, requesting me to join him at Carlton House in April, and I
accordingly set out for that place on snow shoes, on the 17th of March,
taking with me single specimens of all the plants gathered on the
Mountains, lest any accident should happen to the duplicates which were
to come by canoe in the spring. [Sidenote: April.] Two men with a sledge
drawn by dogs accompanied me, but the Indian inhabitants of the plains
being very hostile, we made a large circuit to avoid them, and did not
reach Carlton House before the 5th of April. We suffered much from
snow-blindness on the march, the dogs failed from want of food, we had
to carry the baggage on our backs, and had nothing to eat for seven
days. These sufferings were, however, soon forgotten in the kind welcome
I received from Dr. Richardson, and Mr. Prudens, the Company's Chief
Trader at Carlton, and the hospitable entertainment and good fare of the
latter gentleman's table enabled me speedily to recruit my lost
strength."

"My collections on the Mountains amounted to about fifteen hundred
species of plants, one hundred and fifty birds, fifty quadrupeds, and a
considerable number of insects."

[Sidenote: June.] There being yet two months in which Mr. Drummond might
continue his researches, before Captain Back could arrive at Cum