4o8 - " A JOURNEY TO LAKE' 



peculiar qualities of the rhubarb, with a very large proportion of a 

 bright colouring matter which flamed the finger of a gold tint: but I 

 prefume, that the beft time for taking up the roots is in September. If 

 the quality of this root mould be found to equal that of the Levant^ : 

 the quantity procurable here at an eafy rate would be very great. 



We have learnt, that the caroufals of laft night were kept up fo long 

 as to have prevented the partakers from undertaking any kind .of. 



bufinefs. 



26th. Early this morning I went up the mountains. The afcenfc 

 was very laborious from the great difficulty of breathing which we all 

 experienced ; yefterday, out of five people, two only were able to go as- 

 far as I did : to-day only one out of four could keep company with me ; 

 and he requefled me to return, as the cold made him fuffer much. 

 The wind blew frefh up the mountain in the line, of direction which I 

 was taking : but I found, that I could not take above five or fix fleps 

 Uraight forwards without flopping to take breath ; I therefore afcended * 

 by zigzags of eight or ten paces, which afforded the opportunity of , 

 having a fide jvind in, £ach oblique line. After a toilfome afcent 

 of five hours, I reached a frnall flat of tablet land, which, if alone, 

 would have been considered as of great height; but was of mi- 

 nor importance in the prefence of rocks of \ fuch flupendous lof- 

 iinefs 5 as thofe which hid their fummits in the clouds. This was cover- 

 ed with a dark green carpet formed by a ihort narrow leaved grafs of 

 ■ a fpringy nature, and enamelled with fmall blue polyanthufes in tufts, 

 with anemones and ranunculufes, but not with any of remarkable bril- 

 lancy of colour: after collecting all the varieties within my reach, 1 pro- 

 longed my march, following the track of a ckounr bullock up the hill. I 

 was obliged to continue my oblique march j but, on turning my back to 



