1045 



pubescence, and lax outer involucral scales ; Saxifraga oppositi folia, 

 Carcx rigida (usual size) and a very large form of Salix herbacea, were 

 also on its craggy sides. Keeping along the mountain ridge, we 

 passed a fine ravine, meeting with scattered plants of Hieracium 

 alpinum almost to its edge, but immediately after leaving it, the rocks 

 produced H. nigrescens, which seems a veiy distinct species, and may 

 easily be distinguished from H. alpinum at some distance by its black 

 (or very dark) heads of flower: its leaves are slightly notched, 

 and the pubescence of the whole plant is shorter and less silky, the 

 outer involucral scales are not lax, and the yellow of the corolla is a 

 shade darker; we saw no instance of its bearing more than a single 

 flower on each stem, although some of the plants had from four to 

 eight or ten stems from one root. Here we noticed again scattered 

 plants of Juncus triglumis in stony, wet places. We kept on this ridge 

 till we came to a little cluster of nameless tarns, when we gradually 

 descended, rounding the head of Borrowdale, above a deep gorge im- 

 mediately under the frowning cliff" of Great End, to a solitary moun- 

 tain lake called Sprinkling Tarn : the stream flowing from this lake 

 led us to the Stye-head Tarn near the top of the imposing pass be- 

 tween Borrowdale and Wastdale. To the latter valley we bent our 

 course amidst clouds, wind and rain, and after a rough descent down 

 the side of Great Gavel we reached the farm-house at Wastdale, where 

 we were greeted by a kind friend who had come to this wild spot to 

 join us in our ramble. The following morning the mountains were 

 almost buried in cloud, but as we were each provided with a pocket- 

 compass, we determined to try Scawfell Pike : cloud and mist soon 

 enveloped us, and the violence of the wind was such that we were 

 glad to obtain temporary shelter in a hole among the rugged rocks on 

 the top of Lingmell ; after a hard climb we reached the top of the 

 Pike, where we rested awhile, and then carefully descended, having to 

 face the blast. Anxious to avoid the great ravine of Mickledore, we 

 got too far to the north, and found ourselves amongst high crags and 

 tumbled rocks near the head of a grand ravine, down the perpendicu- 

 lar side of which a mountain stream bounded with unbroken fall from 

 a great elevation. Finding ourselves completely " lost," we applied 

 to our compasses, as little or nothing could be seen from the density 

 of the cloud, and discovered that we were going exactly in the op- 

 posite direction from that which we intended ; of course we turned 

 directly back again, and slowly reascended the ridge above us : the 

 stormy wind from which we had been sheltered when out of our way, 

 again burst upon us with great violence, accompanied by heavy rain ; 



Vol. II. 6 p 



