Part 11 (1/2)
Lucien, however, had sharp eyes for such things; and in a short while he had rooted out several bulbs as large as pigeons' eggs, and deposited theo back to caive consistency to his soup, and the leek roots to flavour it with That would be enough
As he alking over a piece of boggy ground his eye was attracted to a singular plant, whose tall steht, and at its top there was an ue, lobed, and toothed, and the ste longitudinally Lucien had never seen the plant before, although he had often heard accounts of it, and he at once recognised it from its botanical description It was the celebrated ”cow parsnip” Its stem was jointed and hollow, and Lucien had heard that the Indians called it in their language ”flute stem,” as they often used it to make their rude musical instruments from, and also a sort of whistle or ”call,” by which they were enabled to imitate and decoy several kinds of deer But there was another use to which the plant was put, of which the naturalist was not aware Nor about, ca by the plant, uttered a joyful ”Hulloh!”
”Well,” inquired Lucien, ”what pleases you, coz?”
”Why, the flute-ste a soup It will help you, I fancy”
”How?” de, and the roots, if you will; but the young shoots are better Both Indians and voyageurs eat the, I assure you”
”Let us gather so off such ste and tender As soon as they had obtained enough, they took their way back to the camp Basil had already arrived with a fine _prairie hen_ which he had shot, and Sandy had brought back a squirrel; so that, with Francois's fish, of which a sufficient nuht, Lucien was likely to be able to keep his promise about the dinner
Francois, however, could not yet comprehend how the soup was to be boiled in a wooden pot; and, indeed, Basil was unable to guess Norh the country of the assinoboil Indians, who take their na He had also witnessed the operation perforeurs, where metal or earthen pots could not be obtained
On the next day the mystery was cleared up to Basil and Francois Lucien first collected a nu-stones He chose such as were hard and s into the cinders, where they soon became red-hot The water and meat were now put into the bark pot, and then one stone after another,--each being taken out as it got cooled,--until the water caredients were added at the proper time, and in a short while an excellent soup was made So etables The roast, of course, was easily ame” was cooked in a similar way The fish were broiled upon the red cinders, and eaten, as is usual, after the soup There were no puddings or pies, though, no doubt, Lucien could have made such had they been wanted
In their place there was an excellent service of fruit There were strawberries and raspberries, one sort of which found wild in this region is of a ooseberries and currants; but the most delicious fruit, and that which Francois liked best, was a small berry of a dark blue colour, not unlike the huckleberry, but rows on a low bush or shrub with ovate leaves; and this bush when it blossoms is so covered with beautiful white flowers, that neither leaves nor branches can be seen There are no less than four varieties of it knoo of which attain to the height of twenty feet or more The French Canadians call it ”le poire,” but in most parts of Ah several other naiven to it in different districts Lucien infor its sweet purplish fruit between their teeth, that its botanical name is _Amelanchier_
”Now,” relass of wine, we ht say that we had dined in fashi+onable style”
”I think,” replied Lucien, ”we are better without the wine, and as for the other I cannot give you that, but I fancy I can provide you with a cup of tea if you only allow me a little time”
”Tea!” screamed Francois; ”why, there's not a leaf of tea nearer than China; and for the sugar, not a grain within hundreds of miles!”
”Coenerous here, even in such luxuries as tea and sugar Look yonder! You see those large trees with the dark-coloured trunks What are they?”
”Sugar-maples,” replied Francois
”Well,” said Lucien, ”I think even at this late season we h froo in search of the tea-plant”
”Upon rocery Very well
Coo with Luce”
The boys, separating into pairs, walked off, in different directions
Lucien and his cohted upon the object of their search in the same wet botto shrub, not over two feet in height, with sreen colour above, but whitish and woolly underneath It is a plant well known throughout most of the Hudson's Bay territory by the name of ”Labrador tea-plant;” and is so called because the Canadian voyageurs, and other travellers through these northern districts, often drink it as tea It is one of the _Ericaceae_, or heath tribe, of the genus _Ledue to say, no true heath is found upon the continent of America
There are two kinds of it known,--the ”narrow-leafed” and ”broad-leafed”
and the former makes the best tea But the pretty white flowers of the plant are better for the purpose than the leaves of either variety; and these it was that were now gathered by Lucien and Norman They require to be dried before the decoction is made; but this can be done in a short time over a fire; and so in a short ti parched them upon heated stones
Meanwhile Basil and Francois had obtained the sugar-water, and Lucien having washed his soup-kettle clean, and once e; and then it was served out in the tin cup, and all partook of it Norman had drunk the Labrador tea before, and was rather fond of it, but his Southern cousins did not much relish it Its peculiar flavour, which so of Francois All, however, ad effect upon their spirits; and, after drinking it, they felt in that peculiarly happy state of mind which one experiences after a cup of the real ”Bohea”
CHAPTER XVI
THE MARMOTS OF AMERICA