BORGAFIORD. 
241 
such trees, “ if trees they may be called, which 
trees are none,” as we passed on the outskirts, 
the tallest did not exceed three feet or four at 
the utmost, and would scarcely have received a 
more important appellation than that of bushes 
in other countries* The sides of Skardsheidi 
are in many places extremely steep and barren, 
and its base, from being every where, except in 
the gullies, wholly environed by an immense 
wall formed of loose pieces of rock that have 
fallen from the cliffs above, is thus rendered no 
less impassable than the parts which are naturally 
more perpendicular. We ascended through a 
hollow in one side of the mountain, where the 
appearance of vegetation, scanty and miserable 
as it was, induced us to alight from our horses 
and give up a little time to botanizing. I do 
not recollect that any particularly rare plants 
rewarded our researches in this spot, but I well 
remember how much I was surprised at the ex¬ 
tent of the Tatsroed’s botanical acquirements, 
and especially at the readiness and correctness 
with which he gave to most of the plants their 
Linnaean appellations. This astonished me the 
more as his only aid has been a few books, the 
principal of which is Light foot's Flora Scotica , 
and even these he has been condemned to study 
by himself; there being no individual attached 
to similar pursuits in the whole island. He con¬ 
sequently expressed great pleasure at being now 
R 
