1811.) Letters of a Wanderer through England and Wales. 
“four or five miles from Kendal, we quit- 
ted tke usual road to Penrith over Shap 
Fells, and pursued the way along a nar. 
row valley, enclosed by rocky heights, 
which opened as we advanced, and ad- 
mitted of a wider space betwixt: where 
a few traces of tolerable cultivation be- 
came visible, and some cottages, scat-, 
tered over the plain, proclaimed it the 
abode of human beings; a dreary one, 
unquestionably, even at the finest season | 
of the year, In the depth of winter, it 
must be truly horrible ; and such as, were 
some of the gay votaries of Fashion, the 
children of luxury and dissipation, to be 
condemned to pass one season only amidst 
‘its wild recesses, 1 am of opinion they 
would be tempted to put a speedy period 
‘totheircaptivity, and, generally speaking, 
useless existence, together, in the stream 
which winds along the plain, and intersects 
the small enclosures that display their 
verdure on the flat, and in some parts 
mingle on the mountains’ sides with tang- 
led copses, and grey. rocky precipices, 
which rise above each other to the sum- 
mits of the ridges, and present a rather 
pleasing variety to the general wildness of 
thescene, From thence, the dale again 
becomes contracted, and the heights en- 
crease in yrandeur of appearance, till some 
of them become conspicuously promi- 
nent and awful; an endless variety of 
cascades, like stripes of silver, issuing from 
springs upon the mountain-tops, rushed 
Faouly down the craggy steeps, swelling, 
we were told, after storms, or heavy rains, 
to astonishing magnitude, and pouring 
impetuously from cliff to cliff, seeming to 
» threaten universal destruction to the nar- 
ct 
row plain below. As the dale grows still 
more contracted towards its extremity, 
the road beg:ns to ascend a rugged, steep, 
and winding path, tothe summit, of a 
_ considerable height, from which we had 
an extensive view of the surrounding 
country; and in the distance, perceived it 
was varied and agreeable: while the 
hearer prospect was as bleak, wild, and 
desolate, as fancy can picture: and we 
were by no means sorry when, having 
reached the top of the ascent, that would 
strike terror into the breast of many a 
, native of the rich, flat, cultivated plains of 
England, we began to descend by an 
easier and a safer road, into the vale of 
‘Mardale, where, though there appeared 
but little to call f.zth admiration, we be- 
lieved the scenery would prove more 
pleasing to the sight, than the cold and 
desolate height we had crossed; nor 
‘Were we altogether disappointed in the 
- & ‘ . 
2% 
expectation we had formed. An air of ro- 
mantic wildness reigned throughout the 
whole, considerably encreased by a small 
piece of water, on whose unfruitful banks 
Jay rocky fragments, and immense-sized 
single stones, of various shapes and hues: 
wluie a small chapel at a short distance, 
overhung by mournful yews, completed 
the scene, and inspired the mind with 
feelings of pensive melancholy, not wholly 
useless in their consequences, nor, upon 
occasions, disagreeable in the indulgence. 
At length the view of the beautiful lake of 
Haws-water opened on our sight, and 
filled uswith rapturous admiration. No-= 
thing can bemore lovely than the prospect 
which is here disclosed to the admiring 
eye of a traveller, in the charming bosom 
of the lake, with its noble accompani- 
ments of rocks, woods, towering precie 
pices, and simple rural scenery. On 
the opposite side from us, an immense 
ridge of craggy mountains reared their 
majestic fronts, separated from the water 
only by a. narrow stripe of cultivated 
ground, where small enclosures of the 
sweetest verdure were divided by rows 
of hazel and thorn hedges, and a few 
straggling cottages peeped from amidst 
groups of low trees, and formed, with 
their whitened walls, a charming contrast 
to the shades: in which they were enves 
loped, and the rugged precipices of the 
alpine heights that rose behind their 
little cultivated fields. On the southern 
side, a huge naked precipice, called Wal- 
low Crag, rose. boldly from its base; and 
near itsrough uniruitful heights, there isa 
cataract, we were told, of uncommon 
beauty ; but not having explored its hid- 
den recess, I cannot affirm whether it 
exceeds or equals many of the number 
of beautiful cascades which are to be 
seen in the neighbourhood of the nor- 
thern Jakes. . 
Continuing our course along the bore 
ders of the lake, we found its charms 
encreasing as we advanced. The heights 
of Naddle Forest, and Malkside upon 
the eastern shore, arose in solemn 
majesty, clothed with wood to the very 
summits, and reflected in the placid 
bosom of the water; while neat white 
cottages amidst tufted trees and bushes, 
occasionally met the sight, and seemed, 
to use the language ofan early and ad- 
mired tourist, the abodes of ‘ peace, rus» 
ticity, and happy poverty.’” These moune 
tains on the western shore, exhibit 2 
charming diversity of heathy knolls, and 
craggy precipices, with here and there a 
wee or Cluster of wees, starting from the 
crevices 
