Vlll INTRODUCTORY. 



Pennines, But further north, the eastern boundary, 

 and also the northern one itself, has no connection with 

 the natural features of the country, and that outlying 

 portion which is inclosed by Windermere, and the 

 Duddon and Winster Valleys, and which forms the 

 district of Furness, ought certainly, for distribution 

 purposes, to be treated in another connection. Through- 

 out the greater part of the county, the character of the 

 land is much the same, and from the sand-hills of the 

 coast, through the mosses adjoining, an almost gradual 

 rise takes place — chequered here and there with moors 

 and "pikes" of no great height — to the high lands of the 

 eastern border. These, while varying from 1,400 to 

 1,560 feet above the sea-level at the head of Rossendale, 

 rise in Pendle Hill to 1,831 feet ; in the moors above the 

 Wyre Valley to nearly as much ; and in the extreme 

 north Coniston Old Man reaches 2,653 feet, being sur- 

 rounded, too, by a group of little less size. 



Windermere, Coniston, and Esthwaite are the only 

 inland natural waters of any size, but there are 

 numerous small tarns and meres scattered here and 

 there ; whilst the large reservoirs, which supply the 

 towns, form very suitable resting-places for migrating 

 aquatic birds, and the many ponds and small lakes 

 which beautify the residences of the gentry serve in 

 many cases — and might in almost all — as secure breed- 

 ing retreats for those which remain during the summer. 



The rivers are numerous and important, and whilst 

 flowing tumultuously over rocky beds in their upper 

 reaches, in their lower expand mostly into the wide 

 sandy estuaries which are so prominent a feature in the 

 coast line. 



The county is very well wooded throughout, but there 

 are no sea-cliffs, and in this respect only are the natural 



