the Mountains of Ternova. 239 



Ternova and the fearful precipice of the Budanowitz, a moun- 

 tain of great height^ cleft as it were from its summit to its base, 

 adds not a little to the grandeur of the scene. From the Stod- 

 dar we traversed the forest at a considerable elevation (about 

 3500 feet) to the Budanowitz_, but had no small trouble with 

 our guides and porters on the way. The peasantry of these 

 mountains are Sclavonian and speak a dialect of that language ; 

 a very few know some words of Italian. 



Much is said about travellers corrupting the virtue of the 

 Swiss mountaineers, but certainly in knavery the Carniolian 

 peasants excel them ; they must be born knaves, as no travel- 

 lers visit these mountains, and certainly no Englishmen. Yet 

 although M. Tommasini spoke their language and knew their 

 habits, they contrived to cheat, lie, beg, and annoy us through- 

 out our excursion. They are as ugly as they are roguish. 



In the forest we found Oar damme bifolia and sylvatica, 

 three species oiDentaria, Aremonia Agrimonioides, Omphalodes 

 verna, Atragene alpina, Paederota Ageria, Carex firma, pedata, 

 tenuis and mucronata. The rare Euphorbia carniolica was also 

 extremely abundant. On the Budanowitz we gathered Gentiana 

 Frolichii, assuredly distinct from Gentiana acaulis, and not to 

 be confounded with the variety of the latter called angustifo- 

 lia, in Switzerland. Here also we obtained Achillea Clavennce, 

 Saxifraga crustata,Orobusfiaccidus,Kernera saxatilis, Astran- 

 tia carniolica, Salix Wulfenii, Apargia incana, Betonica Alope- 

 curus and Polygala alpestris. It is of importance to observe 

 that in these mountains Polygala alpestris, P, austriaca and 

 P. vulgaris all grow at the same elevation and never pass into 

 each other. I regard them as truly distinct species. 



We descended to a hamlet called Lagua, where we dined. 

 On our way down we found Sambucus racemosa. Primula ela- 

 tior (the true plant) in fruit, Bpirma ulmifolia, and Arnica 

 austriaca ; also a Myrrhis regarded by M. Tommasini as un- 

 described. From Lagua we journeyed on ponies through the 

 forest to Doll, a small village distant 12 miles. Except Pyrola 

 uniflora, here very rare, nothing of interest occurred on the 

 way. Both Lagua and Doll are situated on the elevated table 

 land of the forest. This table land is about 3000 feet and up- 

 w^ards above the level of the sea. At Doll we stopped and slept. 

 The object of our Thursday's excursion was to ascend the 



