132 ^^'' Delahigarre^s Exciirjions on the Blue Mouniaim. 



Up before the fun, (as you may imagine my curtains could 

 not intercept even the dawn of the day), I took a north-eaft 

 Gourfe, in order not to come back by the fame way I went up.. 

 At nine o'clock, a. m. I fell in with the head of that large 

 hollow oppofite to the Chancellor's houfe -, and difcovering, 

 an extenfive vale to the north of my courfe, I clambered up 

 a tree to abferve its fituation, which appeared to me very 

 romantic: This beautiful fpot, of about ten miles iii: 

 circumference, is entirely furrounded by the fummits of 

 mountains, rifnig from five hundred to a thoufand feet above 

 its furface — ^in the middle I could difcover a lake ;. but the 

 lofty trees growing to an immenfe height on that high ground,, 

 prevented my afcertaining the extent of it. In my way I faw 

 a great many pidgeons, not in flocks, but by couples, building 

 their nefts in that undifturbed part of the world. From the 

 vale above-mentioned, runs a creek, in a direct courfe to the 

 call, defcending into the hollow with an uncommon rapidity- 

 I expeded that by following the creek, I would find an eafier 

 pafs for my return, but it proved to be the moil arduous^ 

 I could meet with. However I would. not give up the agreeable 

 compenfation which I received there for my trouble. The 

 ti;ees a^e thick,, tall, and a great deal larger than any where- 

 eife. Enormous bodies rotting down, afford nourifliment to 

 thoufands other young trees raifing their proud heads to the 

 clouds : The mofl fliupid eye is forced to look with a refpedfuE 

 ;i.we at the eternal flate of ddlruQion and renovation, Vi'hirji, 



