220 ^Kesintclt district. 



the imposing masses of Barf and Whinlatter Fell. The 

 views on this portion of the line are of great beauty. 



^K^estntrft is supposed by some authorities to derive its 

 name from Kesh^ the local name for a kind of hemlock that 

 abounds in its neighbourhood, and wick^ a village. There is 

 no beauty in the primitive little town itself; but outside there 

 are new terraces and groups of pretty lodging-houses ; also 

 the gigantic new railway-hotel, which stands out boldly as 

 one approaches the valley. And, it has other attractions be- 

 sides the convenience of its situation among so many moun- 

 tains and valleys. One of these is the Model of the Lake 

 District, which may be seen during a shower, when, other- 

 wise, the stranger might be losing temper in hearing the 

 rain drip. He will probably linger over it till he has learned 

 all the sixteen large lakes, and some of the fifty-two small 

 ones, and traced every road and main pass in the district. 



Secondly, on a wet day in Keswick, there, is the.P.encil 

 Manufactory to be explored, — one of the few commercial 

 visits that can be paid without one's being stunned by engines, 

 having one's teeth set on edge by saws, or being nauseated 

 by oil. It is an industry peculiarly befitting the scene of its 

 labours. In an atmosphere redolent of Cedar of Lebanon, 

 you behold the pencils made with which artists reproduce 

 the beauties around us, to gladden our eyes when we 

 are far away. All lead used at Keswick is not Borrowdale 

 lead ; but such is always to be procured, — if you choose to 

 pay for it There were times when the simple dalesmen 

 only used the * wad ' for marking their sheep with ; but even 

 a hundred years ago the price of the best lead was thirty-five 

 shillings a-pound. In the preamble to the act of Parliament 

 passed to protect it in 1752, it is described as 'necessary to 

 the casting of bomb-shells and cannon-balls ; ' but its chief 

 use now is for making pencils. In the edition of 181 6 of 



