214 
Between the Western Asturian chain, 
which I explored, and the central chain, 
traversed by the road from Oviedo to Leon, 
and which is the only point explored by 
La Gasca, there exist sixteen leagues of 
mountains, untrodden by the foot of any 
Botanist, and which must be infinitely 
richer than that range towards which I was 
directed. This chain consists of the moun- 
tains de los Concejos, de Taberga, and 
Somiedo, whose huge masses are chiefly 
composed of granite, mixed with primitive 
limestone, whilst the western extremity of 
the Asturian Pyrenees, precisely from the 
point where I began to explore them, is 
composed of schist, of which the perpetual 
disintegration allows but few vegetables to 
fix themselves in the soil: The heights 
are undulated and bare, frequently inter- 
rupted by vertical openings, intermixed 
with sharp pyramidal peaks, whose sides, 
covered with broken and unfixed fragments, 
are generally considered inaccessible. This 
formation constitutes a striking contrast 
wi e granitic range of Somiedo, to- 
wards whose long and indented line of 
rocks of Taberga and Somiedo, if circum- 
stances should permit, and if my botanical 
friends continue to patronize me. 
Disembarking at Gijon about the middle 
of May, I was obliged to remain there ten 
days, which I employed in visiting the 
coast; but here, as throughout the whole 
line of Cantabrian shore, there is little or 
no beach, and I was able to collect but few 
marine plants, to which I added some au- 
tumnal species on my return, generally the 
same as abound on the coasts of France. 
From Gijon I proceeded to Oviedo, where 
the difficulties and troubles that arose on 
l sides to obstruct my progress, permit- 
T ted me to do little or nothing during the 
M. DURIEU'S BOTANICAL EXCURSIONS 
shall have occasion to allude again, before 
terminating this letter. f 
In the beginning of June, I established | 
myself at Grado, a small town a few leagues 
west of Oviedo, where I remained twenty- 
five days, exploring the neighbouring moun- 
tains, but these are covered, during the 
whole year, by such myriads of sheep and . 
cows, that it is absolutely impossible to 
find a single spot which is not cropped, 
grazed, and shaven, as bare as one's hand. 
Not a single plant can develop its flowers 
under the hoofs of these destroyers; no 
spot is so retired, as to be secure from | 
their all-devouring teeth. The vallies are 
cultivated, and produce excellent crops; 
still, though little pains is taken to clear 
them from such weeds as are injurious, 
they produced me but few plants which 
were worth my collecting, and the general 
vegetation bore a close resemblance to that — 
of the valley of Nantes. Near Grado, how- 
ever, I visited one of the most remarkable _ 
localities in the Asturias, the rocks near - 
he bridge of Pefiaflor, a perpendic cular 
fracture, through which the river Nelon- 
has burst its way to find a new basin. : 
spot, which had been recommended to my 
attention by Bory de St. Vincent, offered 
me several interesting species, as the rocks E 
are perfectly inaccessible, even to the | 
goats. I hazarded myself upon some of | 
their points, and have brought away a cer- — 
tain number of rare plants. Above these 
rocks, the mountains were again quite na- 
ked and eaten close, and nothing could be 
found. : f 
The particular character of these rocks | 
consists in their union of southern and 
subalpine vegetation. 
I saw two grasses which I afterwards found 
to be inseparable companions, and A ite 
peculiar to the Asturias; they m 
every where on the high western pe 
and always growing together, even on the 
loftiest peaks. 3 
From Grado, I turned towards the South 
[mal 
