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to Genoa, with this difference, that instead of a sea 
below, we had a rapid river. The scenes of rude 
grandeur, and the beauty of the natural cascades 
tumbling sometimes among woods of pines, and 
then bursting into day, over the rugged and bare | 
rocks, were inexpressibly pleasing. One cascade 
in particular, about a league before we arrived at 
Simpelen, is as fine, I had almost -said, as Terni; 
but the stream is not above half as large, though 
the fall is higher. We were now at such a height, 
that the Alpine plants began to present themselves. 
I found Alchemilla alpina in abundance, a Pingzi- 
cula (an alpina?), a Pedicularis, and Geranium, I 
think pyrenaicum. At Simpelen we supped on 
excellent milk; and after a breakfast of the same 
we again set out to mount still higher. Mount 
Simpelen takes its name I believe from the village 
at which we slept. The ascent is not sudden, but 
long. Found a Gnaphalium, two Gentians, Pri- 
mula, Pinguicula in abundance, &c., &c. But what 
I looked for most was the Ahododendron, which at 
length I found in great profusion : I think it is the 
ferrugineum, if I may judge from the under surface 
of the leaves. 
At the top we found a sort of swampy plain, 
about a mile and a half over; this being passed, 
we began to descend rapidly among forests of pine, 
and by some of the most dangerous passes which 
we met with, for they were not only narrow, but a 
shower of rain, which continued for two hours, and 
wetted us through, had rendered them very slip- 
pery. About three o’clock in the afternoon of the 
