ities are yellow. The root is of the bulbous
kind, and resembles in shape that of garlic, being much of the same size,
but rounder, and having, like that, four or five cloves hanging together.
The plant grows wild, and in considerable abundance; the women are employed
in collecting the roots at the beginning of August, which are afterward
dried in the sun, and then laid up for use. On our second arrival, this
harvest was just over, and had fallen much short of its usual produce. It
is a common observation amongst the Kamtschadales, that the bounty of
Providence never fails them, for that such seasons as are most hurtful to
the _sarana_, are always the most favourable for fishing; and that, on the
contrary, a bad fishing month is always made up by the exuberance of the
_sarana_ harvest. It is used in cookery in various ways. When roasted in
embers, it supplies the place of bread better than any thing the country
affords. After being baked in an oven and pounded, it becomes an excellent
substitute for flour and meal of every sort; and in this form is mixed in
all their soups, and most of their other dishes. It is esteemed extremely
nourishing, has a pleasant bitter taste, and may be eaten every day without
cloying. We used to boil these roots, and eat them as potatoes, either
alone, or with our meat, and found them very wholesome and pleasant. It has
been already mentioned, that this useful plant grows also at Oonalashka,
where the roots of it are used, and constitute a considerable part of their
food, in like manner as in Kamtschatka.

The other plant alluded to is called the sweet grass; the botanical
description is _Heracleum Sibericum foliis pinnatis, foliolis quinis,
intermediis sessilibus, corollulis uniformibus_. Hort. Upsal. 65. The time,
I took particular notice of it, was in May, when it was about a foot and a
half high, had much the appearance of sedge, and was covered with a white
down, or dust, which looked exceedingly like the hoar frost hanging upon
it, and might be rubbed off; it tasted as sweet as sugar; but was hot and
pungent. The stalk is hollow, and consists of three or four joints; from
each of which arise large leaves, and when at its full growth, is six feet
high.

This plant was formerly a principal ingredient in the cookery of most of
the Kamtschadale dishes; but since the Russians got possession of the
country, it has been almost entirely appropriated to the purpose of
distillation. The manner i