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grew more hilly and romantic at every step. At 
the miserable village of la Novalaise we were obliged 
to quit our carriages for mules; and after a tedious 
ascent by a zigzag stony road, no way dangerous 
however, we reached the top, that is, the plain of 
Mount Cenis, towards noon. Within about a mile 
of the summit I found Juncus filiformis in a wet 
place on the left of the road, and Lichen polyrhizos 
on a rock near it. Not far from hence, on a small 
plain before we arrived at the great one, grew Bart- 
sia alpina, in seed, Trifolum agrartum of Linn. 
(Dickson’s Dried Plants, No. 80.), widely different 
from that of English writers, and many other rare 
plants. On our right a magnificent cascade fell 
close to the road. All along a great part of the 
way I had observed various alpine species of dne- 
mone and Pedicularis, mostly in seed, with a novelty 
of appearance in the herbage highly encouraging, 
and a luxuriance at which (having no idea of alpine 
pastures) I was surprised. I lamented only the ad- 
vanced state of these plants, and feared we were too 
late for the season ; but when I found the plain of 
Mount Cenis all flowery with the rarest alpine pro- 
ductions, such as we delight to see even dragging 
ona miserable existence in our gardens, and the 
greatest part of which, disdainful of our care and 
favour, scorn to breathe any other air than that of 
their native rocks, none but an admirer of nature 
can enter into my feelings. Even the most com- 
mon grass here was Phleum alpinum, and the heathy 
plain glowed with /thododendrum ferrugineum and 
Arnica montana. Well might Clusius so beauti- 
