A large and dreary pine-forest next presented itself, in which the herbaceous plants seemed almost starved, and in their place the soil, which was hardly two inches deep, all below that depth being pure barren sand (_Arena Glarea_), bore Heath (_Erica_), _Hypnum parietinum_, and some Lichens of the tribe called _coralloides_. Above a quarter of a mile beyond the post-house, near the road, is a Runic monument; but I did not allow myself time to copy the inscription, finding it had lately been deciphered by somebody else. A quarter of a mile further stands a land-mark of a curious construction, consisting of four flattish upright stones placed in a square, with a fifth in their centre. I discovered a large stone of the kind called _Ludus Helmontii_[2], and, wishing to break it, I took a smaller stone, which proved to be of the same kind. My endeavours were vain as to the former; but the small one broke into many fragments, and proved to contain minute prismatic crystals, which were quite transparent; some white, others of a deep yellow. [2] So I understand the original, which is _Lapis marmoreus polyzonos_. Before the next post-house, I noticed on the right a little farm, and on the other side of the way a small ditch used to wash in. Here stood a plain sloping stone of white granite, in which were three large dark-grey squares, seeming to have been inlaid by a skilful stone-cutter. It was evident, however, on examining one end, that they were continued through the whole substance of the stone. Opposite to Yfre is a little river, the water of which would at this time have hardly covered the tops of my shoes, though the banks are at least five ells in height. This has been occasioned either by the water continually carrying away the loose sand, or, as I am more inclined to believe, the quantity of water is less than it has been. _Chrysosplenium_ (_alternifolium_) was now in blossom. Tournefort defines it _foliis auriculatis_, but erroneously, as the leaves are all separate and distinct[3]. It has eight stamens, placed in a quadrangular position, and two pistils. Thus it evidently approaches nearer to the _Saxifragæ_, as former botanists have justly thought, than to the _campaniformes_, or flowers with a monopetalous corolla. [3] Tournefort by this definition probably meant to compare the shape of the leaves, with the ears of some animal. In the criticism of Linnæus respecting the natural affinity of this plant, we may observe how his own system, professedly artificial, and yet so affectedly despised by some botanists for not being natural, led him to the real truth. In fact, some truth is to be learnt from every system and every theory, but perfection is not to be expected from any one.