136 j31scmt of ^cafelL 



ing the other at the top of the Gill. The track, which can easily 

 be made out by observing the piles of stones which are placed 

 at intervals to mark the way, then leads by .^^ngle ^mn to 

 Ssk ^ause. The point at which the path from Langdale, 

 and that from Sty Head join Esk Hause. is called Fudder's 

 Brow. It is a well-known place of meeting for all the guides 

 and shepherds in the district. This is truly a glorious moun- 

 tain-walk. From Esk Hause, there is a singular view, com- 

 posed of three lines of landscape. One begins with Borrow- 

 dale, lying immediately below, and extends to Derwentwater 

 and Bassenthwaite, past Skiddaw, in full glory, and over the 

 whole intervening plain to the Solway and the Scotch moun- 

 tains. This is the north-western view. The opposite, or 

 south-eastern one begins with Langdale, and proceeds with 

 the opening of the Brathay valley and Winandermere, till 

 it is closed in by Ingleborough, in Yorkshire. The third,' 

 and intermediate view, is down Eskdale, past its verdure and 

 its cataracts, past the sands, past lonely Black Combe, to the 

 broad sea. When we were on Esk Hause, the spectacle of 

 these three lines of landscape was remarkable. Towards 

 Keswick, the atmosphere was thick, just to the degree that 

 gave a visionary character to the long perspective. The 

 lake of Derwentwater was hardly distinguishable from its 

 shores, so that the wooded islands and the town of Keswick 

 lay as if in air, still and unsubstantial. In the direction of 

 Easedale, all was bright and glittering ; while from Langdale 

 and the head of Borrowdale the white mists came tumbling 

 out towards us, as if to stifle us ; and nothing could be seen, 

 except at intervals, when a whiff of wind disclosed long 

 sweeps of the sides of the valleys, and stretches of the streams 

 and fields below. It is these changes that give a singular 

 charm to this mountain district. The residents of the valleys, 

 in their occasional ascents to these heights, never see the 



