Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/180

174 174 DR. JOHN SCOULER. positie & Leguminosss, the Phlox linear is, Collomia linearis, Nuttall, & a beautifull Myosotis, which, as being the most beautifull nondescript plant we had yet seen, from the allusion contained in the Scotch name for the genus, we agread to honour this plant with the name of M. Hookeri. Ft. Vancouver is built on the same plan as the other fort, but is not so large. Its situation is far more pleas- ant than that of Ft. George. It is situated in the middle of a beautifull prairie, containing about 300 acres of ex- cellent land, on which potatoes & other vegetables are cultivated ; while a large plain between the fort and river affords abundance of pasture to 120 horses, besides other cattle. The forests around the fort consists chiefly of Pinue balsamea & P. canadensis, while most amentacese are exceedingly rare. Within a short distance of the fort I found several interesting plants, as Phalangium esculen- tum, Berberis nervosa, B. Aquifolium, Calypso borealis & Corallorhiza innata. The root of the Phalangium esculen- tem is much used by the natives as a substitute for bread. They grow abundantly in the moist prairies, the flower is usually blue, but sometimes white flowers are found. The bulbs are about the size of those of the Hyacinthus Men- seriptus [?], & are collected by women & children. In their present state they have a slightly sweetish taste, but when cooked they acquire the flavor of molasses. The Indians have two methods of preparing these roots : they sometimes boil them & eat them cold ; but their more favourite method is to compact them into a cake, which they bake by placing it under heated stones & covering them with hot ashes. Baked in this manner they are very palatable. 5th. To-day found some Indian boys fishing ; the fish they caught appeared to be a sp. of Clupea ; on obtaining & dissecting a specimen of this fish all ambiguity as to its genus was removed. It had no maxillary teeth. At the