1854] Charm of the Mountain Limestone. 53 



" Sedum rhodiola (rose root) grows on the cliffs, and 

 Silene maritima (sea campion), with a dichotomous panicle 

 of three or more flowers. The weather was too thick to see 

 much, but a little further on we saw all three Isles of Aran, 

 the largest furthest off. 



"After spending some three hours here, we continued our 

 journey, and this prevented my attempting a descent on 

 the rope, to which I had just made up my mind: the danger 

 being only apparent,* not real. 



" Passing through some extent of similar ground to what 

 we had seen before, boggy, hilly, and varied with streams, 

 we presently regained the stony region of the mountain 

 limestone, and the change was most remarkably apparent 

 in the vegetation, the bright and neat plants of the cal- 

 careous soil forming a most pleasing contrast with the 

 land of bog and low rich meadow-ground, through which 

 we had passed. Geranium sanguineum, Dryas, Sesleria, 

 Antennaria seemed to smile upon us as old friends, and the 

 first especially in many places quite coloured the ground. 

 Near a glen bounded by some masses of rock, we saw a 

 most perfect square castle placed in a commanding posi- 

 tion, accessible only on one side, the outworks built in with 

 the rock, so as almost to be incorporated with it, forming 

 thus a place of immense strength. We also noticed, what 

 is very unusual, a round castle. 



"The road presently brought us quite close to the sea, 

 and we enjoyed the pleasant breeze off the water, curling 

 so blue under a gentle wind; and, winding along beneath 

 the first point, we alighted at a spot of great botanical 

 interest. Some green tufts caught the eye, and these 

 turned out to be Samphire; close by, Statice dodartii,f 

 quite recently added to the Irish flora, and new to me; 

 under foot the pretty Arenaria verna spread its lovely little 

 stars in hundreds, and in great tufts large enough to fill 

 my hat ; and in the fissures of the rock Asplenium mari- 

 num, rather stunted ; but we gathered it very fine further 

 on, at Black Head. Hence the road kept close under the 



* An opinion which the other members of the party did not endorse, 

 t Afterwards corrected to S. occidentalis, being a peculiar variety. 



