Sunday February 9th. 1806.
This morning Collins and Wiser set out on a hunting excurtion;
the[y] took our Indian canoe and passed the NetuI
a little above us. In the evening Drewyer returned; had
killed nothing but one beaver. he saw one black bear, which
is the only one which has been seen in this neighbourhood
since our arrival; the Indians inform us that they are abundant
but are now in their holes.
in the marshey ground frequently overflown by the tides
there grows a species of fir which I take to be the same
N°. 5. which it resembles in every particular except that it is
more defusely branched and not so large, being seldom more
than 30 feet high and 18 inches or 2 feet in diameter; it's
being more defusely branched may proceed from it's open
situation seldom growing very close. the cone is 2 1/2 Inches
in length and 3 3/4 in it's greatest circumference, which is near
it's base, and from which it tapers regularly to a point. it is
formed of imbricated scales of a bluntly rounded form, thin
not very firm and smoth. a thin leaf is inserted into the pith
of the cone, which overlays the center of and extends 1/2
an inch beyond the [ILLUSTRATION] point of each scale.
the form of this leaf is somewhat thus. over
laying one of the imbricated scales.[29]
The stem of the black alder of this country
before mentioned as arriving to great size, is simply
branching and defuse. the bark is smooth of a light colour
with wh[i]te coloured spreading spots or blotches, resembling
much that of the beech. the leaf fructification &c is precisely
that of the common alder of our country. these
trees grow seperately from different roots and not in clusters
or clumps as those of the Atlantic states.[30]
fearing that our
meat would spoil we set six men to jurking it.
