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Show Lewts and Clarice's E:rpediLion the water, formed almost entirely of a hard black granite, on wbicb are scattered a few dwaa'f pine and cedar trees. Immediately in the gap is a large rock four hundred feet higb, which on one side is washed by the Missouri, while on its other sides a handsome little vlain separates it fa·om the neighbouring mountains. It moy hr ascended with some difficulty near·ly to its summit, and aftords a beautiful prospect of the plains IJrlow, in which we could obser\'e laJ•ge herds of buffaloe. Aftrr ascending the rapi,ls for half a mile ,ve came to a small island at the head of them, which we called Pine island ft·om a large pine tree at the Io,vci' end of it, ~hich is the fia'st we have seen near the river for a great distance. A mile beyond captain Lewis's camp we had a me· ridian allitude which gave us the Iatij ude of -i-6° 42' 14" 7"'. As the canoes we1'e still heavily loadc:>d all those not em~ loyed in working them walked on shore. The navigation 1s now vca·y laiJorious. The river is deep but with little current and from seventy to one hundred yards wide; the low grounds are very narrow, with but little timber and that chiefly the as11eu tree. The cliff" are steep and hang over the river so much that often we could not cross them, but were obliged to pass and repass from one side or the rive•· to the other in order to make ou1• way. In some I)) aces the banks are formed of rocks, or dat·k black granite rising perpen.diculal'ly to a great height, through which the river seems 1n the progress of time to have worn its channel. On ~bese mountains we see more pine than usual. but it is still .m small quantities. Along the bottoms' whioh have a cover· Ing of high grass, we observe the sunflower blooming in great abundance. 'rhe Indians of the Missouri, and more especially those who do not cultivate maize, make gt·cat use of the seed of this plant for bt·ead ot• in thickening their soup. They first parch and then pound it between two stones until it is reduced to a fine meal. Sometimes they add a portion of' water, and drink it thus diluted: at other times they add a sufficient proportion of marrow grease to Up llle .7J1issmu'i. 80!1 reduce it to the consistency of t'ommon dough and eat it in that mannet·. '£his last composition we pt·efet·rcd to all ihe rest, ami thought it at that time a vct·y palatable dish. ,.rhct·e is however little of' the broad-leafed cottonwoo(l on this side of the falls, much the greater part of what we see IJeing of the nart·ow-leafed species. There are also great f]Uantities of red, I>urple, yellow and black currants. The currants are vea·y pleasant to the taste, and much pt·efcrable to those of our common garden. ,.I'he bush rises to the height of' six or eight feet; the stem simple, branching and erect. 'l'hcsc sJu·ubs associate in corps either in uppet• or timbered lands ncar the water courses. 'l'hc leaf is peteolatc, of a pale green, and in form rescmiJles the red currant so common in our gardens. rrhc periauth of the fruit is one leaved, five cleft, ahbriviatcd and tubular. The corolla is monopctallous, funnel-shaped, very long. and of a fine orange colour. 'I'herc arc five stamens and one pistillum of the iirst. the filaments are capillar, inserted in the corolla, equal and convea·ging, the anther ovate and ineumiJent. 'l.'he germ of the second species is round, smooth, infer.i01~ and pidicelled: the style long and thicket• than the stamens, simple, eylimh·ical, smooth and <'rcct. It remains with the corolla until the fruit is ripe, the stamen is simple and obtuse, and tl~c fruit much the size and shape of our common garden cut•t•ant s, growing like them in clusters suppo1·tcd by a compound footstalk. 'l.'he peduncles are longer in this species, and the bcrl'ies are more scattered. The fruit is not ~o aeid as the comruou currant, and has a more agt•eeable :flavour. rrhc othel' species differs in no respect from the yellow cur rant excepting in tl1e colour and flavour of the berries. The serviceberry diffet•s in some points from that of the United States. The bushes are small, sometimes not m01·e than two feet high, and rarely exceed eight inches. They are proportionaiJly small in their stems, growing very thickly, as~ oeiated in clumps. The fruit is of the same form, but for VOL. J, R t: |