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Rh gold, and many others were nourishing luxuriantly. A little beyond these, the keen cold air sweeps over the sides of the mountain unshielded by forests, and as we gradually ascend in the scale of vegetation, pines again present themselves almost devoid of foliage, and highly resinous. These continue till we reach the summit, and spread themselves on the margin of the crater, among the rocks and stones, which are scattered around them.

By about 2 o'clock we had arrived at the top very much exhausted; the clouds which had gathered during the ascent, now formed a thick veil around the mountain considerably below us, through which it was impossible to pierce, and we were thus in great measure disappointed of the view we had expected to enjoy of the surrounding country. The spacious crater is completely concave, and produces a powerful echo, great numbers of huge stones, covered with moss and grass, are scattered over its surface, which is sterile and unproductive. The thermometer at 2 o'clock, P. M. stood at 42° the difference between the base and the summit at the same hour being about thirty degrees.

About 3 o'clock we commenced the descent, which although more rapid was not much less painful than the ascent; the steep slippery