STRAITS OF THERMOPYLAE. 305 
had journeyed in this manner for about an hour, 
when, having passed several stadia of the antient 
pavement, we suddenly found ourselves in a 
small plain surrounded by mountains, just 
before the descent to the narrowest part of the 
Straits falls off abruptly, by a steep and un- 
interrupted declivity. Here we observed, close 
to the antient way, upon our right, an antient 
TUMULUS, upon which the broken remains of a 
massive pedestal, as a foundation for some 
monument, were yet conspicuous. In its pre- 
sent state, it is sufficiently entire to prove that 
the form of this pedestal was square, and that 
it covered the top of a conical mound of earth ; 
four, uaked in the bottom of the calyx, but one of them only appears to 
come to mnturity, vrbich is of an inversely ovate form. Unfortunately, 
all the flowers had fallen, before we saw it. It will however appear, 
from the above description, that the plant (with the exception of the 
corolla, which is yet unknown) hath the essential character both of 
Thymus and Thymbra; and even when the blossom is discovered, 
unless it shall prove different from that of either of the above genera, 
must still remain ambiguous. As the compressed sharp edges of the 
calyx, however, are certainly a more decided character than the hairs 
at the mouth, which we have observed in plants of this order, other- 
wise very different both in character and habit ; and as the habit of 
our plant approaches considerably to that of Thvmbra; that the 
knowledge of it may not entirely be lost, suflfice it at present to describe 
it as a dubious species of that Genus, by the name of Thymbra ? 
AMBiGUA. Thymbra ? floribus verticillatis sjJtcatis, spfcis elongatu; 
foliis (juadrifttriam imbricatis, linearilus, ciliatis, uirinque punctatii 
ohlusissimis ; bracteis lanceolatis Jlores excedentibus, 
VOL. VII. X 
