Excursion, 243 



clock ; when the hour of ten came round, the clock began 

 to strike, saying in slow and measured time ^ Cuckoo ! ' 

 The Borrowdale man, thinking some of the town-folk, hear- 

 ing of their arrival, had come to mock, threatened, if the 

 words were repeated, to fire, be the consequences what they 

 might ; the clock, of course, was deaf to the threats of the 

 enraged and mortified man, and went on repeating * cuckoo ; ' 

 this was too much for him, — the man of Borrowdale, — so 

 he fired upon his supposed jesters. 



This cannot last much longer, — judging by the new 

 houses, — abodes of gentry, — built or building in Borrow- 

 dale. The wrath must presently turn to a laugh in the 

 humblest chimney-corner in the dale. 



TO WATENDLATH. 

 (A circuit of 13 miles.) 



If the tourist desires (as it is hoped that he does), to see 

 one of the primitive valleys of the district, — one of those 

 recesses lapped in the mountains, where the sounds of 

 civilized life have hardly penetrated, let him go to Watend- 

 lath, locally called Wathenlath), and descend into Borrow- 

 dale at Rosthwaite. The circuit is one of thirteen miles ; 

 and part of it must be accomplished on foot or horseback ; 

 for there is no direct carriage-road between Watendlath and 

 Borrowdale ; the best plan therefore is for the traveller to 

 drive to Watendlath, and thence make his way on foot to 

 Rosthwaite, (a walk of two miles), where he will have directed 

 his carriage to await his arrival. 



The road along the lake-side is followed till it gives out 

 a branch before reaching Barrow House. Up this by-road 

 the explorer goes, and passes behind and above Barrow 



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