THE AKCHIPELAGO OF CHAUSEY. 13 



miniature mountains are several cultivated fields and 

 two meadows, which extend as far as the farm 

 buildino;s. 



The rest of the island is uncultivated, and covered 

 with that fine and close o;rass which o-rows on hio^h 

 mountains. The graminese enter largely into the 

 composition of this herbage, but it is also intermingled 

 with some pretty violet-coloured bulbous roots, and 

 a large number of papilionaceous plants with golden- 

 coloured corollas. The wild thyme was conspicuous 

 everywhere, with its dark green patches, dotted over 

 with little tufts of purple blossoms. Here and 

 there a trailing rose-bush threw up small shoots of 

 one or two inches in height, crowned with a delicate 

 pink flower, or a berry as bright and as red as the 

 finest coral. On the side of the rocks, which every- 

 where pierce the thin layer of vegetable mould, are 

 thick bramble bushes, whilst the sheltered spots 

 abound with peppermint, borage, and wild mustard. 

 The portion of Mont de Bretagne which formerly 

 served as a burying-ground has been planted with 

 broom, which has thriven admirably, and now 

 furnishes fuel for the ovens. To the north-west of 

 Grande-Ile lies a group of smaller islands which 

 present some slight vegetation. These are La 

 Genetaie, Houssaie, La Meule, and Ile-aux-Oiseaux. 

 To the north and west lie Enseigne, Plate-lie, Deux 

 Romonts, and Longue-Ile. Here the velvet-like 

 sward, of which we have already spoken, is replaced 

 by a high and mixed grass, which is cut every year. 



During the revolutionary wars, Chausey remained 

 uninhabited, owing to its exposure to the inroads of 



