166 DESCRIPTION OF THE 



to his eye as he rides along the path which 

 follows the course of its banks ; and unless he 

 recollect the relative positions of the gigantic 

 mountains between which he is passing, there is 

 nothing to indicate that Olympus with his snowy 

 top is so near on one side, and that Ossa's pic- 

 turesque and singular-shaped peak almost over- 

 hangs the other. 



Tempe puts me somewhat in mind of the Avon 

 below Clifton, but it is ten-fold more grand and 

 striking. The bold and almost perpendicular 

 sides of the chasm, which vary, I should imagine, 

 from six to eight hundred feet above the level of 

 the river below, are of a barren limestone, to 

 which a most luxuriant vegetation, which adorns 

 the sides of the river, and extends considerably 

 above the accessible parts of the craggy sides, 

 forms a pleasing contrast. This vegetation, con- 

 sisting of shrubs, bays, arbutus, &:c., and fo- 

 rest trees of various kinds, is picturesquely inter- 

 spersed with rocks and the bold features of the 

 limestone formation ; whilst, as he luxuriates in 

 the shade of the pleasant vale, delicious springs 

 of the clearest and coldest water refresh the 

 traveller, burnt by the sun of the scorching plains 



