Among the more remarkable shrubs, may be noticed sassafras (found only in Upper Canada), which grows indeed to the size of an apple-tree, and the berry of which is sometimes used as a spice ; a kind of willow, the roots of which are of a fine scarlet colour, and arc used by the Indians to tinge the ornamental parts of their dress ; moose wood, the bark or which makes nearly as good cordage as hemp ;$ and the myrtle wax tree, the nut of which yields an excellent wax of a green co lour.§ The most valuable roots are, spikenard, sarsaparilla, and particularly ginseng ; which last was first discovered in the woods of Canada in the year 1718, and, being ex ported to Canton, was pronounced to be equal in quality to any that could be procured in Corea or Tartary. Its price immediately rose in Quebec from Is. 6d. per lb. to 11. : O. : 10d. sterling ; and the value of its export amount ed, in 1752, to 20,0001. But the Canadian traders, too anxious to enrich themselves on a sudden, began to reap the plant too early, and to dry it hastily in ovens, instead of gradually evaporating its moisture in the shade ; by which means they destroyed its quality, and completely ruined its sale among the Chinese, by whom chiefly it is used as a stomachic.
Besides the flowers usually found in the more north ern countries of Europe, the woods of Canada are uni versally adorned by the fragrant blossoms of the Syrian asclepias ; and, amidst a variety of curious and useful herbs, we can only notice the ratttlesnake plaintain,11 the leaves of which are considered as the most etnctuai cure for the bite of the reptile from which it takes its name, and which is said to be most luxuriant in its growth dur ing those months of the year, when the bite of that crea ture is most venomous. Canada abounds in natural grass ; and cattle fatten easily upon the wild growth during sum mer. A particular species, very long and rank, called l'herbe au lien, grows upon some of the islands, and forms a most durable covering for stables, barns, &c. There is also a graminaceous vegetable, nearly allied to the rice, zizania aquatica, which grows abundantly in all the shallow streams, is found in situations that refuse all other culture, is a principal support of the wandering Indians, and is entitled to particular attention from the European settlers, as a plant evidently intended by nature to be the general bread-corn of North America.il Among the domestic animals of Canada, which are much the same as dime of Europe, there are scarcely ail) peculiarities worthy to he mentioned. The Cana dian horse is a hardy, active animal. Ilis best pace is a trot ; and, in a light cariole, upon smooth, hard a single horse has !well k WWII to draw two persons ninety miles in twelve hours. It is alit' med, he will eat dried fish in the winter season ; but he is most of all re markable for the extraordinary operation, which he fre quently undergoes, when travailing on the frozen lakes and rivers. In these excursions, it is not uncommon for the sledge and horses to sink suddenly in the weaker parts of the ice, when the traveller springs from his seat upon the ice, which is generally strong enough to sup port his weight, and instantly proceeds to save his cattle. As tacir struggles in the water would only tend to sink them the sooner, he pulls with all his strength a rope, with a running noose, which is previously fixed around the neck of each, in case of such accidents, till he suc ceeds in strangling the animals. As soon as this hap
pens, they float upon one side, and are easily drawn out upon the ice. It is sometimes necessary to draw blood from them before they recover ; but, in general, when ever the noose is loosened, I aspiration recommences in a few minutes, the creatures start. to their feet, proceed with their usual vigour, and perhaps go through the same process two or three times in one day. This sin gular fact is solemnly avouched to be strictly true, both by Chattelux, vol. i. p. 408, and Gray, p. 277.* The na tive dogs of Canada arc all of the same species, with erect ears, and a head very much resembling that of a wolf. They are very useful to the Indians in the chase ; and the colonists frequently employ them in the draught. They arc yoked to sledges in winter, proportioned to their size and strength; and in this way one of an ordinary size will frequently draw more than 200 lbs. weight, with his driver, in addition, standing behind the sledge. They arc thus employed in a variety of domestic services, in dragging children in small carriages, in bringing water from the river, and particularly by the butchers in trans porting meat to their customers in different parts of the towns.
Among the wild animals which frequent the immense forests of this country, the principal beasts of prey arc, a small tyger or panther, though it is supposed by some to be altogether a different species of animal ; bears, wolves, loxes, dogs, cats of the mountain, pole-cat, carcajou, lynx, racoon ; but they are all inferior to those in the other quarters of the globe, both in sizet and ferocity ; and are scarcely daring enough to attack a man, unless when they are wounded. The grizzled bear is the only dangerous animal. Those which aro chiefly pursued for the sake of their peltry and fur, are, the elk, moose deer, or rein-deer,' carribou, bear, fox, wolf, cat, beaver, otter, martin, mink, woolvereon, racoon, crmin, fisher, squirrel, hare, rabbit, musk-eat ; of which the beaver, otter, bear, fire-martin, cat, elk, and wolf, are by far the most valua ble. But, for an account of these animals, our readers are referred to Pennant's Arctic 'Zoology, and to the arti cles NIA NI Nt A LI A , Or the ft athered tribe, may he mentioned, the eagle, vulture, and owl ; the night-hawk, which is seen chiefly at twilight and before thunder-storms ; the fish-hawk, which skims along the rivers and lakes, and is supposed to attract the fish to the surface by a peculiar oil which he emits, and one drop of which upon any bait is said to render it irresistible to every kind of fish; cranes, with bills 12 inches in length ; geese, particularly the outarde or Canada goose ; wild ducks, of more than twenty differ ent kinds, of which the principal is the wood-duck, which perches upon trees, has a brilliant plumage, and flesh of sup( rim. flavour ; partridges, brown, red, and black, which arc all larger than the European, and which, in winter, perch upon such trees as yield them food ; the white or snow-bird, a kind of ortolan, which is the princi pal bird of melody in Canada, and announces the return of spring ; teal of excellent quality ; wood-pigeons in im mense numbers ; wood-peckers, humming-birds, black birds, thrushes, larks, goldfinches, &c. resembling those of other countries.