A BOTANICAL SCRAMBLE ON HELVELLYN.— No. 2. 



BY J. B. DAVIES, ESQ. 



Botanists^ I think, should always go out in pairs, were it for no other 

 reason than to cheer each other under the hardships of a mountain climb, 

 amid mist, rain, and wind; and not uufrequently they may lend a helping 

 hand in surmounting some rude rock, or crossing a rapid stream. By dividing 

 the ground, too, they are more likely to come upon the various objects of 

 their search; and, unless actuated by a very unbotanist-like spirit, are of 

 mutual advantage, exchanging the rarities which they individually come upon; 

 in short, on a botanical ramble, as elsewhere, the old proverb holds good 

 which says, '^two heads are better than one." Fully convinced of this truth, 

 Mr. Joseph J. Flintoft and myself saddled on our vaseulums, and on one of 

 the stillest evenings in the whole summer which is just preparing to leave 

 us, mai'ched forth for my old rendezvous at Wythburn. The eight miles 

 were soon passed over, and next morning were quite forgotten in our anxiety 

 to get up into the mountain. At half-past eight then, on a misty morning 

 in the first week in August, we left the famous ^'Nag's Head," and by a 

 Ghyll which descends just behind the chapel, commenced the ascent of 

 Helvellyn. 



The ordinary hill plants were in plenty by the mossy sides of the stream, 

 though many were fast failing. Old age had touched the Bog Asphodel, 

 {Narihecium ossifragum^) and made it as cross and brittle as could be; the 

 stars of Saxifraga stellaris were getting dim: and the rich purple-blue of 

 the Butterwort, (Pinguicula vulgaris,) had passed away, leaving a heavy-headed 

 capsule in its stead. Passing these and others, let us up; for, about a 

 hundred feet above us, I see something like a tuft of the Rose Root, (Ehodiola 

 rosea,) sticking fast to an overhanging rock: it too has past into its seed-time, 

 and, with a whorl of capsules, contrasts well with the two-beaked fruit of the 

 Saxifrages, which form its next natural ally. We had already on many 

 occasions picked the ordinary sub-alpine plants, and therefore spent little more 

 time in the ascent than was necessary to carry us comfortably to the summit; 

 merely staying now and then to admire the freaks of the fast-gathering mist. 

 We had got near half-way up, and turned to survey the lovely scene beneath 

 us, and raising our eyes for a moment to the rocky summit of the hill, 

 again turned round to cast 



"One longing, lingering look behind" 



on the vale, the hills, the tarn, and streams, when what was our astonishment 

 to find that in the space of scarcely two seconds they, and even the greater 

 part of the hill on which we stood, had vanished from our side, and that 

 a thick veil of mist was preparing to swallow up ourselves. This state of 

 matters continued until long after we had reached the summit, near which 

 we were amazed at seeing what appeared to be a herd of fine oxen, but 



