Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/218

208 Archibald Menzies, a Scottish botanist, ﬁrst came to the Northwest Coast in a trading vessel in 1786, or, as some authorities say. in 1779. In Vancouver's expedition he was surgeon on the ship Discovery. In the account of Vancouver's voyage about all the mention of Menzies is the statement that they named an island in the Columbia after him. His collections were sent to England.

Josef M. Mocino. a Spanish botanist, coasted from California to Nootka in 1792. There were several Russian botanists that made collections in Oregon and California, between 1816 and 1824. Among them may be mentioned G. H. von Langsdorff, A. von Chamisso, Johann F. Eschscholtz, and Baron von Wrangel.

The most important of the early botanists of the Paciﬁc Coast was David Douglas. As the Quarterly begins, in the pages following this sketch. a reprint of the original memoir of the life of Douglas and of his letters and journal describing his explorations in the Oregon country, the reader is referred to that account. With Douglas came Dr. John Scouler, a. physician and scientist. They sailed around South America. then northward, entering the Columbia April 7, 1825. They tarried at its mouth and began their collections by ﬁnding the pretty salal blossoms. Gaultheria Shallon. The rest. of the month of April was spent at Fort George. As it rained nearly every day, they did not have a pleasant time for botanical excursions. They next went to Fort Vancouver, where for ten days they made extensive collections. Returning to Fort George, they made botanical explorations till the last of May.

Dr. Scouler makes mention of the abundance of Camas, Camassia. Esculentia. the bulbs of which formed so important part of the Indians' food. They found some rare ﬂowers, such as Pyrolas and the Orchids. Calypso borealis and Corallorhiza inatta. Then leaving Douglas, Dr. Scouler crossed the bar of the Columbia for the second time and sailed on a trading vessel along the coast of \Vashington up to Nootka. On July 7 the vessel started back and arrived at the Columbia