Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/212

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On the 20th of March, 1827, by the annual express, and in company with Dr. McLoughlin, I started for England from Fort Vancouver, a place where, if I had spent not many comfortable days, yet some such happy ones, that though I hailed the prospect of returning to my native land, I confess I could not quit such an interesting country without much regret. I walked the whole distance to Fort Cohite [Colville] on the Kettle Falls, which occupied twenty-five days, not one of which passed without presenting to my notice something of interest, either in Botany or Zoology. The beautiful Erythronium grandiflorum and Claytonia lanceolata were in full bloom among the snow.

On the 18th of April Mr. E, with seven men and myself, took our departure from the Kettle Falls to the Rocky Mountains early in the morning. Nothing of importance occurred; we entered the Lower Lake on Friday the 20th, and used our sail, the wind being so favourable