The weather was very boisterous and cold, with heavy hail-storms.

We got on, however, pretty well, but, except the geology, nothing could be less interesting than our day's ride.

The country is uniformly the same undulating moorland; the surface being covered by light brown withered grass and a few very small shrubs, all springing out of an elastic peaty soil.

In the valleys here and there might be seen a small flock of wild geese, and everywhere the ground was so soft that the snipe were able to feed.

Besides these two birds there were few others.