166 



In one of these dated September, 1848, Otley says, "I have outlived 

 most of my old correspondents, and feel grateful to any who favour me 

 with a few observations ; at the same time I should be sorry if I should 

 become tiresome by my questions." In reply, Mr. Harrison remarks: — 

 "I hold it an honour to be in correspondence with a man who has 

 himself given so much useful and interesting information to the world." 



In another letter, dated November 2nd, 1849, Otley writes thus to 

 Mr. Harrison : — "The view you describe is such a one as I never had 

 the pleasure of witnessing ; indeed, in my younger and stronger days, I 

 never beheld the extreme distant views, sometimes perhaps because I 

 did not think they might be seen; and at one time, if one spoke of 

 seeing Ireland from Skiddaw, it was only to be laughed at ; indeed, in 

 all my views from Skiddaw, I have only been confident of seeing the 

 coast of Ireland twice — October 17th, 1817, 5 p.m., and August i6th, 

 1829, 6 p.m.; and the mountains of Wales I once saw — October 28th, 

 1818, II a.m. — very plainly from Coniston Fell, and in a short time 

 they faded away, and left nothing to be seen in their place. As auxiliary 

 to the clearness, there is something in the refraction of the atmosphere 

 which at some times causes distances to rise into view. On looking for 

 Criffell from Castlehead, it appears about twenty feet higher at some 

 times than others." In reply to the letter from which I have taken the 

 above quotation, Mr. Harrison writes — 



November 30th, 1849. 

 If you had pleasure in writing your very agreeable letter, I am sure I had in 

 reading it ; for I know few treats more charming than that of finding a person of 

 your years enjoying in retrospect the innocent occupations of his past life, and 

 thus, in fact, living twice over, as the Roman poet expresses it. Your description 

 of your mountain ramble was so spirited, that I could almost fancy myself going 

 with you, as you rambled over the lofty range, height after height. . . . (Then 

 in. conclusion he says — ) I shall have great pleasure in hearing further from you, 

 or I can honestly declare that your cheerful buoyant spirit does good to, 



Yours very sincerely, 



GEO. HARRISON. 



On May 3rd, 1855, the same correspondent writes to Otley : — 

 Dear Mr. Otley, — 



You are quite right in supposing that I was deterred from writing to you 

 by a few words in your letter of the 30th of October last, where you say that you 



