OCTOBEE. 449 



to the proud Wyddfa, and as no one ever thinks of 

 mounting Snowdon without a pocket pistol about him, 

 we now prepared to fire, and simultaneously cheered 

 to the health of our fair youthful Queen, from the 

 highest point in England and Wales. Let no teeto- 

 taller venture to mount Snowdon with presumptuous 

 foot, as he values the well-being of his outer envelope, 

 without a medical certificate first had and obtained, 

 in his pocket, for a little relaxation from the rule of 

 his order. At all events " Lookers-out" may be con- 

 sidered privileged persons, more especially when there 

 are no " Lookers-on /" 



Although experimentalists have often affirmed that 

 the constituents of the atmosphere are precisely the 

 same upon the loftiest mountains as in the closest 

 cities, no one who has ever snuffed up 



te The thin air upon the iced mountain tops," 

 can assent to the effects of their respiration being the 

 same. The freshness of the mountain air, for ever 

 kept in a state of purity by the blowing wind, is 

 bracing and exhilirating in a high degree, and its 

 Ithuriel penetrations seem to unmask the spirit, and 

 draw forth its best aspirations, at the same time that 

 the soul, lifted above terrene affairs, distinguishes that 

 pulsation that throbs to nobler views than those of 

 earth. But " to our mountain sport." Around the 

 summit of Snowdon grows the humble Salix Jterbacea, 

 a species of willow, and the smallest tree known in 

 the world, for a complete specimen of it, trunk, leaves, 

 flowers, and fruit, might be concealed within the 

 leaves of a thumb almanack ! Immediately below Yr 

 Wyddfa extend the series of awful crags denominated 

 Clogwyn-y- Garnedd, some of them above 600 feet in 



2 G 



