THE PERNY MOORLANDS. 67 



with the delightful blue of the sky, as the hill- 

 top cuts the sheen. The blue sky, the green 

 woods, the graceful waving ferns, and the brawl- 

 ing river, combine to make an exquisite picture. 



After a peep at the bridge scenery, we followed 

 a path which led down to the left, along by the 

 river side. Huge granite boulders were scattered 

 about in mid stream ; and some of these, clustered 

 in the form of a rocky islet, and approachable by 

 stepping-stones from the river side, offered a dry- 

 shod passage for the tourist. Here on this boulder 

 islet we rested for refreshment the cool stream 

 flowing on each side, gurgling and splashing and 

 flashing in the sun, the calm surface of its silent 

 pools, where the current was pent by the rocks, 

 being broken only from time to time by the splash 

 of the rising trout, as they dashed at the flies 

 which skimmed the surface of the water. From 

 this point, on the same side of the bridge, a 

 path skirted for some distance the brawling 

 course of the stream. We followed this path 

 for some way. Such a walk as this might well 

 repay the fern-hunter for a long journey across 



