152 ALPINE PLANTS. 
After proceeding four, hours across the pastures 
they entered a small forest. The acclivity became 
less steep, and they observed a profusion of rare and 
beautiful plants. At the height of 6395 feet the 
savannahs terminate, and are succeeded by a zone 
of shrubs, with tortuous branches, rigid leaves, and 
large purple flowers, consisting of rhododendra, thi- 
baudie, andromede, vaccinia, and befarie. 
Leaving this little group of Alpine plants they 
again found themselves in a savannah, and climbed 
over part of the western dome, to descend into the 
hollow which separates the two summits. Here 
the vegetation was so strong and dense, that they 
were obliged to cut their way through it. On a 
sudden they were enveloped in a thick mist, and 
being in danger of coming inadvertently upon the 
brink of an enormous wall of rocks, which on the 
north side descends perpendicularly to the depth of 
more than 6000 feet, were obliged to stop. At this 
point, however, the negroes who carried their pro- 
visions, and who had been detained by the recre- 
ant philosopher already mentioned, overtook them, 
when they made a poor repast, the negroes or the 
padre having left nothing but a few olives and a lit- 
tle bread. The guides were discouraged, and were 
with difficulty prevented from returning. 
In the midst of the fog the electrometer of Volta, 
armed with a smoking match, gave very sensible 
signs of atmospheric electricity, varying frequently 
from positive to negative, and this, together with 
the conflict of small currents of air, appeared to indi- 
cate a change of weather. It was only two in the af- 
ternoon, and they yet entertained some hope of reach- 
ing the eastern summit before sunset, and of returning 
