ALMANNEGIAA. 
171 
chasm, I turned to the north, and retraced my 
steps; when, on looking back, after walking a few 
hundred paces from my tent, I was amazingly 
struck with the terrific appearance of the entrance 
of the pass of Almannegiaa, the descent through 
which I have previously mentioned. Huge masses 
on the summit of the precipice scarcely appeared 
to be attached to the edge on which they stood, so 
that you would think the slightest breath of wind 
would hurl them into the plain below; while all 
around, in addition to these, the great fissures, the 
rocks projecting from the sides, and the scantiness 
of vegetation formed a scene truly grand, but at 
the same time divested of every thing that might 
be called beautiful. Farther to the northward I 
met with several plants which I had not before 
seen in the country: among them were Saxifraga 
cernua , a new Marchantia in fructification, two or 
three Hypna with which I was unacquainted, and 
Fontinalis squamosa, also,-full of capsules. The 
noise which I now heard of the falling of water 
convinced me I was arrived in the neighbourhood 
of a cascade, of a portion of which I had previous¬ 
ly caught a distant glimpse, sufficient to awaken 
my curiosity and make me feel anxious to ap¬ 
proach it; to effect which it was necessary to 
cross one or two rapid torrents, when, turning 
round a projecting angle of the cliff, I had sud¬ 
denly a full view of a very magnificent cataract* 
