TWO DAYS IN WENSLEYDALE. 125 



arvensis seemed to have temporarily established itself. Not long aftenvards, 

 the manor house at Carperby appears in sight, and we were soon comfortably 

 established within its walls. 



About a mile below Carperby are situated the celebrated rapids of Ays- 

 garth, which present one of the very few instances in Britain, in which a 

 great river makes any considerable sudden descent ; and in that direction, 

 early next morning, we pursued our way. Their aspect, like that of almost 

 all other waterfalls, depends pi-incipally upon the quantity of water in the 

 river; which, in the Ure, a stream which receives the drainage of a wide 

 extent of mountainous country, varies exceedingly between different times. 

 At the time of our visit, very little rain had fallen for sevei'al days, so that 

 the Force was not nearly so striking in aspect as it is under the conditions 

 represented in the lithograph in the " Rivers, Mountains, and Sea-coast of 

 Yorkshire ; " a:nd a considerable part of the margins of the grey limestone 

 ledges which form the rapids were exposed to view, bearded with Hypnum 

 ruscifoUum and Cinclidotus fontinaloides, interspersed here and there with 

 Hypnum palustre and rivulare. The steep banks of the stream are clothed 

 with close thickets of small trees and underwood, in a manner considerably 

 resembling the High Force of Tees ; but the Wensleydale fall is only elevated 

 about two hundred yards above the level of the sea, (whilst that of Teesdale 

 is upwax-ds of a hundred yards higher,) and wants besides the special rarities 

 (as Potentilla friiticosa, Poa Parnellii, and the Hieracia) which supply, at the 

 latter, the principal botanical attractions. Here, however, may be found, 

 growing amongst the thickets, Hieracium tridentatum, Trollius Europceus, 

 Oeranium sylvatieum, (i-ecorded from this station in the original Botanists' 

 Guide, of Turner and Dillwyn,) Bubus villicaulis, Bhamnus catliarticus, Serra- 

 tula tinctoria, Aquilegia vidgaris, (in a condition of genuine and indisputable 

 aboi'iginality,) Bosa tomentosa, Viola liirta, Tritieum caninum, and many other 

 species less noteworthy. Intermingled amongst these, the oozy streamlets 

 which trickle gently down from above, thickly impregnated with calcareous 

 matter, supply localities for Blysmus compressus and Scirpus pauciflorus, Sagina 

 nodosa, Parnassia palustris, and Lycopodium selaginoides ; and a luxuriant 

 growth of such mosses as Hypnum commutatum, and its variety condensatum, 

 (H. aduncum of Hooker and Taj^or in part,) H . Jilicinum, Bartramia fontana, 

 Bryum himum, and Dicranum squarrosum. This is the lowest station which has 

 been ascertained in Britain for Sesleria ccerulea, a species which is lost in a 

 southern direction, till it again makes its appearance on the chalk hills of 

 Rouen. Amongst and upon the rocks, near where they suddenly descend, 

 grow Hieracium ccesium, Oalium pusillum, and Hippocrepis comosa — a plant 

 known only in another locality in North Yorkshire. Here also we noticed a 

 peculiarly graceful Euphrasia, and a Thyme with elongated stems and com- 

 plicate leaves, which is doubtless Thymus angustifolius of Schreber. Upon 

 the edge of the great fall gi-ow Bryum pallens, and an interesting Hypnum, 



