18 FLOWER-FIELDS OF ALPINE SWITZERLAND 



for instance, notable absentees. The soil is granitic 

 rather than calcareous. Yet, taking all in all, the 

 flora is wonderfully representative ; and it certainly 

 is exceptionally rich. 



Situated upon what is really a broad, roomy 

 col between the Catogne and that extreme western 

 portion of the Mont Blanc massif containing the 

 Aiguille du Tour and the Pointe d'Orny, Champex, 

 with its sparkling lake and cluster of hotels and 

 chalets, dominates to the south the valleys of 

 Ferret and Entremont, and to the north the valley 

 of the Dranse, thus offering rich, well-watered 

 pasture-slopes of varied aspect and capacity. 

 Whether it be upon the undulating pastures 

 falling away to the Gorges du Durnand, or upon 

 the steeper fields leading down to Praz-de-Fort 

 and Orsieres, 1,000 and 2,000 feet below ; or 

 whether it be upon the luxuriant, marshy meadows 

 immediately around the lake, or upon the slightly 

 higher, juicy grass-land of the wild and picturesque 

 Val d'Arpette, there is an ever-changing and 

 gorgeous luxury of colour which must be seen 

 to be believed. " The world's a-flower," and a- 

 flower without one single trace of sameness. 

 Whichever way we walk, whichever way we gaze, 

 the eye meets with some fresh combination of 



