436 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



thorny leaves, three feet long. The village of Mouda offers 

 a striking contrast to Coin and Alhaurin ; it is a hamlet, with 

 narrow streets, built on a steep slope, and crowned with old 

 ruins, which may be the relics of the ancient Munda, where 

 a great battle was fought between Caesar and the son of Pora- 

 pey. The barber of the place was highly proud of this his- 

 torical souvenir, and while relating the particulars, he shewed 

 me a stream, which he declared had run down with blood on 

 that memorable day. 



Mouda is backed by Mount Peregla, a continuation of 

 heights, composed of the same calcareous crystal as the 

 Sierra de Mijas, but of considerably lower elevation. I crossed 

 them the same day, intending to reach in the evening the 

 sea-coast and the town of Marbella. Above the village, in a 

 very hot exposure, I gathered Reseda sesamoides, var. erecta, 

 Sedum amplexicaule, Salvia patula, and Ononis speciosa, to- 

 gether with the charming IAnaria Clementei, which bears a 

 short spike of violet blossoms on a simple and straight stalk, 

 also Silene villosa and Sideritis arborescens, the latter a large 

 labiate plant, covered in every part with a clammy and scented 

 exudation. I also found many of the productions of the 

 Sierra de Mijas, such as Armeria alliacea and Echium albicans. 



The diverging point of the water does not exceed 18°° 

 feet of absolute height, and is not more than 800 feet above 

 Mouda ; from it, but a very small extent of sea-view can »e 

 gained at the extremity of the valley, because of the many 

 projections which hem it in on each side. On the northern 

 slope, near the summit, few plants were in flower ; but I had 

 no sooner gained the opposite declivity, than I found my se " 

 in the midst of flowery bushes of Genista hirsuta and **• 

 Hanselteri. A party of muleteers whom we encountered, 

 were struck with natural surprise when they saw me gather- 

 ing huge bouquets of these thorny plants, and open-mouthed 

 did they swallow the tales which Antonio related to them o» 

 this subject, with all his wonted gravity. This valley remin" ert 

 me of certain sites in the maritime Alps, and among others? 

 the road by which the traveller descends from Tendc 



