234 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 



greatest hospitality, a multitude of plants, and five or six not 

 before discovered in South Britain, though I had before seen 

 them in Scotland. Snowdon was very complaisant; three 

 times we scaled his highest top, once enveloped so in clouds 

 that we could not discern each other at twenty yards' dis- 

 tance ; but no sooner had we refreshed ourselves with our 

 necessary viaticum than the clouds withdrew, and gradually 

 discovered to our wondering eyes the most glorious prospects 

 we ever beheld. The clouds all settled about the midway on 

 one side of the hill, appearing like great volumes of snow in 

 various grotesque figures, one behind another. The sun 

 tinged their edges with silver, and darting his rays now and 

 then between them discovered the rugged precipices, the lim- 

 pid lakes, the trembling cascades, and distant vallies beneath 

 us. Over them appeared the British Alps, the Irish Sea, and 

 coast of Ireland, almost all North Wales ; the coasts of Lan- 

 cashire and Cumberland, with the Islands of Anglesea and 

 Man, appeared at one view, like a great map spread beneath 

 us. In short, we seemed as if we had been snatched up into 

 the clouds, and were taking a peep on the little world below. 

 I am, with great respect, 



Y r most obliged and h ble serv f , 



JOHN LIGHTFOOT. 



LETTEK III. 



FROM ME. SKINNER TO GILBERT WHITE. 



(Extract.) 



Purley, Berks, Oct. 17, 1773. 

 DEAR SIR, 



In July last I spent an evening with Mr. Banks * 

 and Mr. Lightfoot at Brecknock. They had been botanizing 

 from Bristol through the counties of Glamorgan, Carmarthen, 



* [This was a year after Banks's visit to Iceland with Solander, Lind, 

 and Von Troil. T. B.] 



