A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean Part 42

[CO] It is, however, no less true, that the late Mr. Humphry Martin, many years Governor of Albany Fort, sent home several hundred specimens of animals and plants to complete that collection; but by some mistake, nothing of the kind was placed to the credit of his account. Even my respected friend Mr. Pennant, who with a candour that does him honour, has so generously acknowledged his obligations to all to whom he thought he was indebted for information when he was writing his Arctic Zoology, (see the Advertis.e.m.e.nt,) has not mentioned his name; but I am fully persuaded that it entirely proceeded from a want of knowing the person; and as Mr. Hutchins succeeded him at Albany in the year 1774, every thing that has been sent over from that part has been placed to his account.

[220] _Somateria spectabilis_ (Linn.).

[221] Probably _Anas rubripes_ Brewster.

[222] _Anas platyrhynchos_ Linn.

[223] _Dafila acuta_ (Linn.).

[224] _Mareca americana_ (Gmel.).

[225] _Nettion carolinense_ (Gmel.).

[226] _Mareca americana_ (Gmel.). The American Widgeon occurs on the west coast of Hudson Bay north to the tree-limit, but is not common there.

[227] The Common Teal of the west coast of Hudson Bay is _Nettion carolinense_ (Gmel.), which occurs in numbers well into the Barren Grounds. The Blue-winged Teal, _Querquedula discors_ (Linn.), has been taken there, but is excessively rare.

[228] _Ribes oxyacanthoides_ Linn. A species of very wide distribution in the north. It is usually common about the trading posts.

[229] _Vaccinium vitisidaea_ Linn. An abundant species; reaches its greatest perfection near the northern border of the forest.

[230] _Empetrum nigrum_ Linn. The crowberry is very abundant about Fort Churchill and northward.

[231] _Rubus chamaemorus_ Linn. The cloudberry or baked-apple berry is abundant throughout the country treated by Hearne.

[232] The northern red currant, _Ribes rubrum_ Linn., and the black currant, _Ribes hudsonianum_ Richardson, are species of wide distribution in the north.

[233] Apparently Hearne refers to _Juniperus nana_ Willd., the dwarf juniper, since Richardson gives the same Indian name as applied by the Crees to this shrub. Granting this, Hearne's creeping pine is _Juniperus sabina_ Linn., shrubby red cedar. Both species extend northward to the tree-limit.

[CP] The Indians call the Juniper-berry Caw-caw-cue-minick, or the Crowberry.

[CQ] The Oteagh-minick of the Indians, is so called, because it in some measure resembles a heart.

[234] Probably _Fragaria canadensis_ Michx.

[235] Probably _Rubus arcticus_ Linn. A pretty little plant, similar in distribution to the cloudberry.

[236] _Vaccinium uliginosum_ Linn. A low blueberry of wide distribution.

The fruit is excellent.

[237] Probably _Comandra Livida_ Rich.

[238] Evidently, from his description, Hearne here refers to the Alpine bearberry, _Arctous alpina_ (Linn.). It is abundant throughout the region.

[239] Apparently referring to the common rose of the region, _Rosa acicularis_ Lindl. An abundant and very beautiful species.

[240] Hearne refers here to the two species of _Ledum. L. groenlandic.u.m_ OEder is the broad-leaved sort, generally distributed through the wooded country, and extending a little into the Barren Grounds. _L.

pal.u.s.tre_ Linn. is a smaller narrow-leaved species, which overlaps the range of the larger sort, and extends much farther north.

[241] This refers to the common bearberry, _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ (Linn.). Its leaves are smoked both by the Indians and the Eskimo, and also by the white residents.

[242] _Picea alba_ (Ait.) and _P. mariana_ (Mill.).

[243] _Larix laricina_ (Du Roi).

[244] _Populus balsamifera_ Linn., and _P. tremuloides_ Michx.

[245] _Betula nana_ Linn.

[246] A number of dwarf willows, including _Salix anglorum_ Cham., _S.

phylicifolia_ Linn., and _S. reticulata_ Linn., grow on the coast of Hudson Bay to the northward of Fort Churchill.

[247] _Betula papyrifera_ Marsh, from whose bark the Indians make their canoes.

[248] The common alder of the interior is _Alnus aln.o.betula_ (Ehrh.).

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