AJ-144b: James, Expedition to Rocky Mountains (1819)

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by the bisons, sometimes also by the Indians ; who penetrate here to the Columbia.
The men who had been left at the horse-camp about a mile below the springs, had killed several deer, and had a plentiful supply of provisions. Here the detachment dined ; then mounting our horses, we proceeded towards the encampment of the main body, where we arrived a little after dark, having completed our excursion within the time prescribed.
Among the plants collected in this excursion, several appear to be undescribed. Many of them are strictly alpine, being confined to the higher parts of the mountain, above the commencement of snow.
Most of the timber which occurs on any part of"" the mountain is , evergreen, consisting of several species of abies, among which may be enumerated the balsam fir (A. balsamea, Ph.) ; the hemlock, white, red, and black spruce (A. canadensis, A. alba, A. ru,bra, and A. nigra) ; the red cedar, and common juniper; and a few pines. One of these, which appears to have been hitherto unnoticed in North America, has, like the great white or Weymouth pine, five leaves in a fascicle ; but in other respects there is little resemblance between them. The leaves are short and rather rigid : the sheaths which surround their bases short and lacerated ; the strobiles erect, composed of large unarmed scales, being somewhat smaller than those of P. rigida, but similar in shape, and exuding a great quantity of resin. The branches, which are covered with leaves -chiefly at the ends, are numerous and recurved, inclining to, form a dense and large top ; they are also remarkably flexile, feeling in the hand somewhat like those of the dirca palustris, L. From this circumstance, the specific name, flexilis, has been proposed fox this, tree which is, in several respects, remarkably conrt trasted with the P. rigida. It inhabits the arid plains subjacent to the Rocky Mountains, and extends up their sides to the region of perpetual frost. The