The Country round Lyell North-East 



sides of which grew mosses, lichens, and ferns (Plate 

 VIII.). To walk over the surface of these clints, as such 

 limestone wastes are called in the North of England, was 

 a very toilsome proceeding, and we therefore walked 

 along the edge of the cliff seeking some easier means of 

 access to the distant hills which we could see beyond 

 the plateau. 



Arrived at a point immediately above our camp we 

 found that the valley at the foot of the cliff was con- 

 tinued by another one running in the same direction at 

 its summit, and that the great slab of rock on which we 

 stood appeared to have been at one time the sill or crest 

 of a great waterfall. There was now no sign of flowing 

 water in the upper valley and no indication that water 

 had recently flowed through it. The rock of the sill 

 was partly overgrown by lichens, and ferns and mosses 

 occupied the crevices between its various slabs. 

 Wending our way up this dry valley, we found that its 

 floor was in places flat and covered with short rich 

 grass, but more usually encumbered with boulders of 

 angular form which had fallen from its walls. Travel- 

 ling was fairly easy in this valley, but even here we 

 encountered at intervals clint-like surfaces with numerous 

 open joints which would render movement after night- 

 fall extremely dangerous. 



As we were now a considerable distance from camp 

 we found that it would be impossible to continue our 

 exploration without making arrangements to spend 

 nights as well as days upon the plateau. This being the 

 case, we returned to camp, and on the following day again 

 climbed to the higher ground, this time accompanied by 

 men carrying sleeping bags, provisions, and a small tent. 

 K 145 



