4 Botanical Excursion to the 



Schwarzseeberg, where the foot of the Zermatt glacier (6589' 

 Mich.) offered a rich harvest, when rain and fog came on, and drove 

 us back about twelve o'clock. The glacier of Zermatt appears to have 

 considerably advanced, as the remains of wooden sheds, almost co- 

 vered by the Moraine, or wall of mud and stones ploughed up by 

 the ice, attested. The formation of this part of the Valley of Zer- 

 matt, and of tbose parts we subsequently explored, is gneiss or gra- 

 nitic, which I mention, as it will serve to account for the difference 

 between the vegetation observed here, and that of the Gemmi. 



On the following morning, the rain still continued, but about twelve 

 o'clock the day became more promising, and eventually cleared up, 

 and we made an excursion to the glacier of Funelen (or Finel,) 

 on the northern not southern side of the valley, as it is erroneously 

 marked in Keller's Map. (Base of the glacier, 6655' Mich.) The 

 rarest plants rewarded us, such as Artemisia mutellina, Pedicu- 

 laris rostrata, Senecio unirlorus, and incanus in various forms, &c. 

 and the beautiful Peltigera crocea, Wahl. Fries. I was particularly 

 pleased at finding the Phleum commutatum, Gaudin, and the Phleum 

 alpinum, L. and Auct. Helv. growing together, though not pro- 

 miscuously ; the former in large quantities, on muddy pasture 

 ground, at the immediate edge of the glacier. On our return we 

 passed through a very thin and aged wood of Pinus Cembra, L. 

 the nut of which has an agreeable flavour, and is much relished: 

 the wood is by far the most durable of European firs ; but the spe- 

 cies is rare, and occurs but in small quantities, and will, I fear, 

 soon be nearly extinct in most parts of Switzerland, from the care- 

 less way in which the peasants employ it. 



The weather appearing perfectly cleared up, we engaged two 

 guides to conduct us over the Glacier of Taesch into the Valley of 

 Saas, where, besides other rare plants, the Gentiana carinthiaca is 

 indicated. Most part of the night was passed in putting in paper 

 the plants collected, and in arranging the luggage, which had con- 

 siderably augmented in bulk, in a more portable form. The moon 

 was up, and the heavens perfectly clear, affording the most mag- 

 nificent view of the chain of the Rosa, the Col de Cervin, and 

 the Matterhorn, (M. Cervin, il Monte Sylvio,) by far the most 

 "■rand and awful scene I had ever witnessed. The Matterhorn 



o 



rises a perfect pyramid of rock to the height of 13,854', (Gaudin) 

 with sides so precipitous as to be entirely free from snow. 



It was later on the following morning (the 24th) than we intend- 

 ed, when the guides made their appearance, and we were ready to 

 start : They assured us that they knew the passage perfectly well, 



