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every other consideration, the view from the point in which we 

 were denied, amply compensated all the toil of the ascent. A great 

 portion of a populous and fertile valley, bathed in all the radiance of a 

 glorious summer's day, lay at our feet, studded with houses, variegated 

 with fences innumerable, patches of wood, and crops of every kind 

 and hue, the whole surface beautifully undulating, upon which the 

 eye never tired of resting, with 



" Town and village, dome and farm, 

 Each lending each a double charm." 



Northward, and to the east, sate Queensberry ainong his myrmidons — 



" Mountains on whose barren breast, 

 The labouring clouds do often rest ;" 



on our extreme right the still more majestic Criffel ; and, beyond, the 

 sparkling waters of the Solway, from which up the estuary and along 

 the tortuous channel of the Nith the tide was stealing like a crested basi- 

 lisk ; while far out upon its bosom, like sea-birds, floated numbers of 

 coasting vessels, clumsy and uncomely enough when close at hand, but 

 graceful and gay in the distance. And opposite us, upon its table-land, 

 lay Lochrutton loch, like a mirror, placid and lonely, with the white 

 walled hamlet of Merkland glistening in the sun. Moving northwards 

 along the full round brow of the greywacke hill upon which we stood, we 

 soon came upon a profusion of Lycopodium alpinum in fruit, and very 

 abundantly furnished with spikes. By the way, I may remark that 

 the spores of this plant are even more inflammable than those of L. 

 clavatum. Here also 1 picked up a Carex not unlike C. stricta in se- 

 veral of its characters, and observed plenty of Empetrum nigrum (in 

 fruit, of course), along with many of the plants usually found in its 

 company. Returning towards Hillhead, we found Gentiana campes- 

 tris sparingly ; and among the heath in abundance Habenaria bifolia 

 and Pyrola media, both beautiful objects, interspersed with the yellow 

 flowers and bright green foliage of Genista tinctoria, with Linum 

 catharticum, &c. Near this place I gathered some years ago a single 

 specimen of Pyrola rotundifolia : I have never met with another. The 

 most striking object, however, was Lycopodium clavatum, on this part 

 of the hill forming patches about two feet wide and many yards in 

 length, winding in a curious manner among the red heather, and in 

 full fruit. Farther to the southward Gymnadenia conopsea, growing 

 beside its less favoured congener G. albida, cast a delicate fragrance 



