130 X^^wtttain M^^ccniQ 



if he finds, he cannot lose his way. Pie does not seriously 

 lose his way, though crag and bog make him diverge now 

 and then. Descending between the inclosures, he sits down 

 once or twice to relieve the fatigue to the ancle and instep 

 of so continuous a descent, and to linger a little over the 

 beauty of the evening scene. As he comes down into the 

 basin where Rydal Beck makes its last gambols and leaps 

 before entering the Park, he is sensible of the approach of 

 night. Loughrigg seems to rise : the hills seem to close him 

 in, and the twilight to settle down. He comes to a gate and 

 finds himself in the civilised world again. He descends the 

 green land at the top of ^Eigtial XlElount; comes out just above 

 Wordsworth's gate; finds his car at the bottom of the hill, — 

 (the driver beginning to speculate as to whether any accident 

 has befallen the gentleman on the hills) ; — is driven home ; 

 and is amazed, on getting out, to find how stiif and tired he 

 is. He would not, however, but have spent such a day for 

 ten times the fatigue. He will now certainly ascend Hel- 

 vellyn, and every other mountain that comes in his way. 



Those travellers who cannot achieve the whole of this 

 excursion should at least ascend J^ab j^car. After passing 

 Rydal Mount and the farmhouse above it, the road leads 

 through a gate. There is then a barn to be passed, and, 

 immediately afterwards, a turn to the left must be taken. 

 This leads up a steep grassy road between two walls. On 

 arriving at the top of this path the way is clear of fences, 

 and there is no difl[iculty in reaching the summit. It may, 

 however, be as well to mention that the easiest ascent is made 

 by following a narrow path in an easterly direction till two 

 scraggy ashes, the only trees on this part of the fell, have 

 been passed, and then turning towards the summit. In this 

 way the steepest part is avoided. This is about 6 miles.* 



