1769. ROUND THE WOULD. 51 



CHAP. IV. 



AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN ASCENDING A MOUNTAIN 

 TO SEARCH FOR PLANTS. 



On the 16th, early in the morning, Mr. Banks and 

 Dr. Solander, with their attendants and servants, and 

 two seamen to assist in carrying the baggage, accom- 

 panied by Mr.Monkhouse the surgeon, and Mr. Green 

 the astronomer, set out from the ship, with a view to 

 penetrate as far as they could into the country, and 

 return at night. The hills, when viewed at a distance, 

 seemed to be partly a w ood, partly a plain, and above 

 them a bare rock. Mr. Banks hoped to get through 

 the wood, and made no doubt but that, beyond it, 

 he should, in a country which no botanist had ever 

 yet visited, find alpine plants which would abun- 

 dantly compensate his labour. They entered the wood 

 at a small sandy beach, a little to the westward of 

 the watering-place, and continued to ascend the hill, 

 through the pathless wilderness, till three o'clock, 

 before they got a near view of the places which they 

 intended ta visit. Soon after they reached what they 

 had taken for a plain ; but, to their great disappoint- 

 ment, found it a swamp, covered with low busiies of 

 birch, about three feet high, interwoven with each 

 other, and so stubborn that they could not be bent 

 out of the way ; it was therefore necessary to lift the 

 leg over them, which at every step was buried, ancle 

 deep, in the soil. To aggravate the pain and difficulty 

 of such travelling, the weather, which had hitherto 

 been very fine, much like one of our bright days in 

 May, became gloomy and cold, with sudden blasts 

 of a most piercing wind, accompanied with snow. 

 They pushed forward, however, in good spirits, not- 

 withstanding their flitigue, hoping the worst of the 

 way was past, and that the bare rock which they 



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