Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/179

173 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 173 progress & in the evening we slept at Oak Point, 30 miles from Ft. George. As far as I could judge the rocks on the banks of the river appeared to belong to the trap class ; but I had no opportunity of landing to examine them. 30th. We were detained to gum two of our canoes, which gave me an opportunity of seeking for a few plants. The soil of Oak Point is marshy & alluvial, & the only vegetables that abound on it are Cyperacetv, of which I amassed many species. One of the Canadians killed a fine species of Hydrophis, which I lost no time in prepar- ing the best way I could. I stuffed it with moss, but un- fortunately I had no preserving powder, a thing so essential this season. In the stomach of this serpent I found a large bullfrog (Rana tourina) and several elytrae of Dytis- cus marginalis. Our progress to-day was very slow, as the wind was un- favourable & required that we should make frequent de- lays, which enabled me to obtain some excellent plants, viz., Cornus Canadensis, 2 sp. Myosotis, 1 sp. of Fedice^?] 1 of Valeriana, & some Ranunculi. At the place where we encamped in the evening we found a Canadian of the name of Gervais going to Ft. George to obtain medical advice for his child. On going to the patient, I found a poor girl in the last stages of enteritis and no chance of its surviving for many hours. I encouraged him to hasten to the Fort and gave him a note to Mr. McKenzie for such medicines as might have a chance of being usefull. May 1st. We made very little progress on account of the strong wind that blew directly down the river. d. To-day at 11 o'clock we arrived at Ft. Vancouver, where I experienced the most polite reception from every gentleman belonging to it. On rejoining my fellow trav- eller, Mr. Douglass, we made an excursion to Menzies island, where we found many interesting plants. These plants on this island belonged chiefly to the classes Com-