Page:Narrative of a Voyage around the World - 1843.djvu/184

180 kind. Roses, arbutus, and other small shrubs flourish luxuriantly, and wild grain produces and re-sows itself, affording perpetual pasturage to the deer, &c. During the dry season the natives burn this down, and probably by such means destroy many oak plantations which otherwise would flourish.

The oak of California does not bear a high character, although it is the same as that used generally on the eastern coast of America, about the same parallel.

The ash is excellent, but does not attain any great size. Wild grapes generally prefer it, and the varied colours of the dark-green leaves, added to the brown tints of the decaying leaves of the vine, produce, on rounding the different bends of the river, very beautiful contrasts at this season. Our friend the plane, however, will not be eclipsed.

The timber of this tree is solid, and does not swim; when green it seasons well, and I found it made good gunwales and timbers for light boats. Laurel, varieties of oak, sumach, pine, &c., we noticed; also the bulbous root termed  by the Spaniards, and generally used as a detergent in washing. It is roasted, and used by the natives as food. It has a sweetish taste.

The grapes were abundant and well-tasted, but small in size and large in seed, therefore not very great luxuries. Some of the acorns were as sweet as chesnuts. The fruits of the hiccoryhickory [sic] and walnut we occasionally met with, and not having better, we