Alps of the Vulais. 3 



but as they were not in a state to examine, I am not sure whether 

 they belonged to the Alpine variety of Pinus sylvestris, the P. Mug- 

 hos, of Swiss botanists, or to the P. uncinata of Ram. The Gem- 

 mi is composed chiefly of limestone rocks, but the presence of de- 

 tached masses of granite proves that the higher points are of that 

 formation. The view is one of the most dreary ; and the surface 

 of the rocks between the Lake and the Daub (7049' Michaelis in 

 Frobel and Heer Mittheilungen aus dem gebiete der Theoretischen 

 Erdkunde, Vol. i. p. 231, et seq.) the highest part of the passage 

 bears evident marks of having once been the bed of the glacier, 

 which now is at some distance on the left. 



I was joined in the evening by two young friends, who accompa- 

 nied me during the remainder of my excursion, and we descended 

 to the baths of Louesche, (Leuk. 4402' Mich.) where it was dark 

 before we arrived. On the 19th we botanized, passing through 

 Inden (3580' Kell.) and Varen, (2370' Kell.) among the vineyards 

 and waste fields along the horse road to Sierre, (Siders. 1712' 

 Mich.) situated on the Rhone. Having sent home by the post the 

 plants collected, we ascended, on the 20th, the Valais, passing 

 through the town of Louesch, (2100' Kell.) where Onopordum 

 Acantliium was growing in immense quantities, to Visp (2910' 

 Mich.) a small town built at the entrance of the valley of the same 

 name, which at Stalden (2537' Mich.), where we passed the night 

 at the house of the Castellan or chief magistrate of the small town, 

 branches into the Valley of Saas, and that of St Nicholas. 



At Stalden we observed the last vineyards, and at a short distance 

 higher up the last walnut trees, which were replaced by cherry trees. 



On the 21st, we proceeded up the Valley of St Nicholas, through 

 the hamlet of the same name, (3390' Kell.) Randaa (4475' Mich.), 

 in 1819, half-destroyed by an avalanche, and Taesch, (4479' Mich.) 

 beyond which place the valley suddenly narrows, and again expands 

 into that of Zermatt, at which village (5040' Mich.) we arrived in 

 the evening. 



At Zermatt we were hospitably received by the parish priest, 

 who is here, as in most of the retired parts of the Valais, the only 

 person with sufficient accommodation to receive travellers. On the 

 22d, we started early in the morning, with the intention of extend- 

 ing our excursion to the edge of the glacier of the Col de Cervin, 

 visible from the cure's house. We followed the course of the Visp- 

 bach for some time, and passed along the foot of the Rosa or Zer- 

 matt glacier, where I was surprised at finding patches of rye in al- 

 most immediate contact with the ice ; but we had hardly reached the 



