344 On the Forts around Boston. 
at Roxbury appears to have been the earliest erected, and 
by its elevation commanded the avenue to Boston over 
the peninsula, and prevented the advance of the English 
troops in that direction. It is of the most irregular form, 
the interior occupies about two acres of ground, and as the 
hill is bare of soil, the places may still be seen whence the 
earth was taken to form the ramparts. This fortification 
has not been at all injured, and the embrasures may still 
be noticed where the cannon were placed which fired upon 
the advanced lines of the enemy. 
On a higher eminence of the same hill is situated a 
quadrangular fort, built on the summit of the rock, and be- 
ing perhaps their first attempt at regular fortification, it was 
considered by the militia of unparalleled strength, and exci- 
ted great confidence in that wing of the army stationed at 
Roxbury. Anadmirer of the poetry of Ossian would here 
fancy himself surrounded by the scenes which he de- 
scribes ; he would immediately recognize 
The gray Sandstone, peeping from the earth, 
Covered with many a variegated moss, 
and the bold masses of detached rocks which he might im- 
agine were the monuments of the heroes of the war of in- 
dependence. ‘To confer, if possible, additional interest 
upon this hill, and the fortresses of the right wing of the 
American army, the plants which adorn them are numer- 
ous and some of them rare. Accompanied bya distin- 
suished botanist we noticed in a short space of time more 
than fifty varieties of shrubs and plants. In November 
the leaves of the Anemone nemorosa were still to be seen, 
and the Dianthus armeria was in flower. We perceived 
the Aguilegia canadensis, Myrica cerifera, Saxifraga ver- 
nalis, Sarothra gentianoides, Antirrhinum canadense and 
linaria, Aster many varieties, Podalyria tinctoria, Chrysan- 
themum, Ranunculus, Polytrichum, Juncus tenuis, Polygo- 
num tenue, Erigeron canadense, Verbascum the Physcia 
or Barreri chrysopthalma and many others. The ramparts 
of the lower fort were covered with the bright yellow flow 
ers of the Tanacetum, and the Polypodium vulgare dis- 
played its goldenseeds. ‘The rocks are shielded from the 
storms of winter by acovering ofthe Lycopodium rupestre, 
and the Lichen rangiferinus or rein-deer moss. If. you 
