that bound each fide; and the northern termination of lofty fells patched with fnow, compofe a fcene the moft picturefque that can be imagined. See on the plain part of thefe hills numbers of fpringes for woodcocks, laid between tufts of heath, with avenues of fmali ftones on each fide to direct thefe foolith birds into the fnares, for they will not hop over the pebbles. Multitudes are taken in this manner in the open weather; and fold on the fpot for fixteen pence or twenty pence a couple (about 20 years ago at fix pence or feven pence) and fent to the all-devouring capital, by the Kendal stage. After breakfait, take boat at a little neighbouring creek, and have a moft advantageous view of this beautiful lake, being favoured with a calm day and fine fky. The length of this water is about twelve miles; the breadth about a mile; for the width is unequal from the multitude of pretty bays, that give fuch an elegant finuofity to its fhores, efpecially thofe on the caft, or the Wellmoreland fide. The horns of thefe little ports project far, and are finely wooded; as are all the leffer hills that fkirt the water. At a diftance is another feries of hills, lofty, rude, grey and moffy; and above them foar the immenfe heights of the fells of Coninfton, the mountains of Wrynofe and Hard-knot, and the conic points of Langden fells; all except the first in Cumberland. The waters are difcharged out at the fouth end, at Newby-bridge, with a rapid precipitous current, then affume the name of Leven, and after a courfe of two miles fall into the eftuary called the Leven fands. The depth of this lake is various, from four yards and a half to feventy-four, and excepting near the fides, the bottom is entirely rocky in fome places are vaft fubaqueous precipices, the rock falling at once perpendicular, for the depth of twenty yards, within forty of the fhore; and the fame depth ispreferved across the channel. The fall of the Leven, from the lake to high water mark, is ninety feet; the deepest part of the lake a hundred and thirty-two beneath that point. The boatmen directed their courfe northward, and brought us by the heathy ifle of Lingholm, and the far projecting cape of Rawlinfon's Nab. On the left hand obferve the termination of Lancashire, juft fouth of the flor, a great promontory in Weftmoreland, all the remaining western fide is claimed by the firit; but Weftmoreland bounds the reft, fo has the faireft claim to call itfelf owner of this fuperb water. On doubling the ftor a new expanfe opened before us; left the little ifle of Growholme on the right, traversed the lake towards the horse ferry, and a little beyond, the great Holme of thirty acres croffes the water, and conceals the reft. This delicious ifle is bleft with a rich pafturage, is adorned with a pretty grove, and has on it a good house. It has been the fortune of this beautiful retreat often to change mafters: the flattering hopes of the charms of retirement have mifled feveral to purchafe it from the laft cheated owner, who after a little time difcovered, that a conftant enjoyment of the fame objects, delightful as they were, foon fatiated. There must be fomething more than external charms to make a retreat from the world long endurable; the qualifications requifite fall to the fhare of a very few; without them difguft and wearinefs will foon invade their privacy, notwithstanding they courted it with all the paflion and all the romance with which the poet did his miftrefs. Sic ego fecretis poffum benè vivere fylvis, Tibullus iv, 1 13,9. From From this ifland began a new and broader extent of water, bounded on the weft by the bold and lofty face of a steep hill, patched with the deep green of vaft yews and hollies, that embellished its naked flope. This expanfe is varied with feveral very pretty ifles, fome bare, others juft appear above water, tufted with trees: on the north-eaft fide is the appearance of much cultivation; a tract near the village of Boulness falls gently to the water edge, and rifes again far up a high and large mountain, beyond which is a grand fkreen of others, the pointed heads of Troutbeck fells, the vast rounded mafs of Fairfield, and the ftill higher fummit of Rydal. Land, and dine in Weftmoreland at Boulnefs, anciently called Winander, giving name to the lake; and am here treated with most delicate trout and perch, the fish of this water. The charr is found here in great plenty, and of a fize fuperior to those in Wales. They spawn about Michaelmas, in the river Brathay, which, with the Rowthay are the great feeds of the lake, preferring the rocky bottom of the former to the gravelly bortom of the other. The fishermen diftinguish two varieties, the case-charr and the gelt-charr, i. e. a fifh which had not fpawned the last season, and esteemed by them the more delicate: this fpawns from the beginning of January to the end of March, and never afcends the river, but selects for that purpose the most gravelly parts of the lake, and that which abounds moft with fprings. It is taken in greatest plenty from the. end of September to the end of November, but at other times is very rarely met with. The monks of the abbey of Furness had a grant from William of Lancaster, privileging them to fish on this water with one boat and twenty nets; but in cafe any of the fervants belonging to the abbey, and fo employed, misbehaved themselves, they were to be chaftifed by the lord of the water; and in cafe they refused to fubmit, the abbot was bound to discharge them, and make them forfeit their wages for their delinquency*. Remount my horse, and continue my journey along the fides of the lake, and from an eminence about half a mile N. of the village of Boulness, have a fine view of the water and all its windings; and observe that the last bend points very far to the west. On advancing towards the end have an auguft profpect of the whole range of these northern apennines, exhibiting all the variety of grandeur in the uniform immense mass, the conic fummit, the broken ridge, and the overhanging crag, with the deep chaẩm-like paffages far winding along their bases, rendered more horrible by the blackening fhade of the rocks. Among the birds which poffefs this exalted tract, the eagles are the firft in rank: they breed in many places. If one is killed, the other gets a new mate, and retains its ancient aery. Those who take their nefts find in them remains of great numbers of moor game: they are befides very pernicious to the heronries: it is remarked, in the laying feafon of the herons, when the eagles terrify them from their nefts, that crows, watching the opportunity, will steal away their eggs. The red deer which ftill run wild in Martindale foreft, fometimes ftraggle into thofe parts. Reach Amblefide, a small town above the extremity of the lake: the inhabitants of these parts are very induftrious; are much employed in knitting stockings for Kendal market; in spinning woollen yarn, and in making thread to weave their linfies. The countenances of the people begin to alter; especially in the tender fex; the face begins to fquare, and the cheek bone begins to rife, as if fymptomatic of my approaching to wards North Britain. Below Amblefide, in a meadow near the river Brathay, is a Roman camp, the fup. posed Dictis of the Notitia, where coins, bricks, &c. have been often found. The out. * Dugdale Monast. I. 706, Fine of the work is ftill visible, and its extent is four hundred feet one way, and three hundred the other: it was the station of part of the cohort of the Numerus Nerviorum Dictenfium, and placed very conveniently to command several paffes. May 23. At a small distance from Amblefide, fee Rydal-hall, the houfe of Sir Michael le Fleming, placed in a moft magnificent fituation; having the lake full in front, a rich intervening fore-ground; and on each fide a ftupendous guard of moun. tains. This family have been fixed in the north ever fince the conqueft, and became owners of Rydal-hall by a marriage with one of the coheireffes, daughter of Sir John de Lancaster, in the time of Henry IV. Storkgill force, near Amblefide, and two cascades near Rydal-hall, deserve a visit from the traveller. Near the house is a lofty rocky brae, cloathed with multitudes of gigantic yews and hollies, that from their fize and antiquity, give it a most venerable appearance; and not far from its foot is Rydal water, about a mile long, beautified with little ifles. Go through Rydal pafs, or in the dialect of the country, Rydal haws, or gullet. Ride through Grafs-mere, a fertile vale with a lake clofed at the end by a noble pyramidal mountain, called Helm-crag, with a rude and broken top fingularly grand *. On a high pass between the hills, obferve a large Carnedd called Dunmail Wrays ftones, collected in memory of a defeat, A. D. 946, given to a petty king of Cumberland, of that name, by Edmund I. who with the ufual barbarity of the times, put out the eyes of his two fons, and gave his country to Malcolm, King of Scotland, on condition he preferved in peace the northern parts of England. The descent from hence to the vale of Keswick, nine miles. Near this place enter Cumberland, having on the left the long extended front of Helvellin fells. Most of the hills in these parts are fine fheep walks, fmooth and well turfed. The fheep are fmall, but the mutton exquifitely tafted, being feldom killed before it is fix or seven years old. The wool is coarse, but manufactured into ordinary carpets and blankets. No goats are kept here on account of the damage they would do to the woods. Arrive within fight of Thirl-water, a moft beautiful but narrow lake, filling the bottom of a long dale for near four miles. From an eminence near Dale-head house, have a picturesque view over great part of its extent. About the middle, the land for above a hundred yards, approaches and contrafts the water to the fize of a little river, over which is a true Alpine bridge; and behind that the water inftantly refumes the former breadth. Regaining the road, have a ftrange and horrible view downwards, into a deep and mifty vale, (called the vale of St. John,) at this time appearing bottomlefs, and winding far amidst the mountains, darkened by their height, and the thick clouds that hung on their fummits. In the course of the defcent, vifit, under the guidance of Doctor Brownrigg (the first discoverer), a fine piece of antiquity of that kind which is attributed to the Druids.. An arrangement of great ftones tending to an oval figure, is to be feen near the road fide, about a mile and a half from Kefwick, on the fummit of a pretty broad and high hill, in an arable field called Castle. The area is thirty-four yards from north to fouth, and near thirty from east to west; but many of the ftones are fallen down, fome inward, others outward; according to the plan, they are at prefent forty in number.. My idea of this and other romantic fcenes in this part is improved by a very good drawing made in 1750 by my ingenious friend Paul Panton, Efq. jun. At At the north end, are two much larger than the reft, ftanding five feet and a half above the foil: between thefe may be fuppofed to have been the principal entrance; oppofite to it, on the S. fide, are others of nearly the fame height; and on the east is one near feven feet high. But what diftinguifhes this from all other Druidical remains of this nature, is a rectangular recefs on the caft fide of the area, formed of great ftones, like thofe of the oval. Thefe ftructures are confidered in general to have been temples, or places of worship: the recefs here mentioned feems to have been allotted for the Druids, the priests of the place, a fort of Holy of Holies, where they met feparated from the vulgar, to perform their rights, their divinations, or to fit in council, to determine on controverfies, to compromife all differences about limits of land, or about inheritances, or for the trial of the greater criminals *; the Druids poffeffing both the office of prieft and judge. The caufe that this recefs was placed on the eaft fide, feems to arife from the refpect paid by the ancient natives of this ifle to that beneficent luminary the fun, not originally an idolatrous respect, but merely as a fymbol of the glorious all-feeing Being, its great Creator. I have alfo feen fibula cut out of a flat piece of filver, of a form better to be expreffed 'by the figure than words. Its breadth is, from one exterior fide to the other, four inches. This was difcovered lodged in the mud, on deepening a fifh-pond in Brayton Park in Cumberland, the feat of Sir Wilfrid Lawfon, and communicated to me by Doctor Brownrigg. With it was found a large filver hook of two ounces weight. The length of the fhank from the top to the curvature at bottom, four inches and three eights. The hook not fo long. Arrive near the Elyfium of the north, the vale of Keswick, a circuit between land and water of about twenty miles. From an eminence above, command a fine bird's eye view of the whole of the broad fertile plain, the town of Kefwick, the white church of Crofswhaite, the boafted lake of Derwentwater, and the beginning of that of Baffenthwaite, with a full fight of the vast circumjacent mountains that guard this delicious spot. Dine at Kefwick, a fmall market town: where, and in the neighbourhood, are manufactures of carpets, flannels, linfics and yarn: the last sold to people from Cockermouth, who come for it every market day. Take boat on the celebrated lake of Derwentwater. The form is irregular, cxtending from north to fouth, about three miles and a half. The greatest depth is twenty feetin a channel, running from end to end, probably formed by the river Derwent, which paffes through, and gives name to the lake. The name is taken from Derwen an oak, probably beltowed on it by the Cumbrian Britons from the plenty of that timber on its banks and thofe of the lake. The views on every fide are very different: here all the poffible variety of Alpine fcenery is exhibited, with all the horror of precipice, broken crag, or over-hanging rock, or infulated pyramidal hills, contrafted with others whofe fmooth and verdant fides, fwelling into aerial heights, at once pleafe and furprize the eye. The two extremities of the lake afford moft difcordant profpects: the fouthern is a compofition of all that is horrible; an immenfe chafm opens in the midft, whofe entrance is divided by a rude conic hill, once topt with a caille, the habitation of the tyrant of the rocks; beyond, a feries of broken mountainous crags, now patched with fnow, foar one above the other, overshadowing the dark winding deeps of Borrowdale. In thefe black receffes are lodged variety of minerals, the origin of evil by their abufe, and placed by nature, not remote from the fountain of it. Cf. de Bello Gal. lib. vi. |