White ley Dean. 191 



district, while in the wild and rugged grandeur they give 

 to the landscape, we have an agreeable contrast to the 

 smooth and tender beauty of the meres of Cheshire. 

 The best view is obtained from the " Pavilion." 



Moving to the eastern extremity of the lake, (at which 

 part, when the water is low, may be gathered the Litto- 

 rel'la lacus'tris,) a fine addition to the day's pleasure is 

 obtained by the exploration of Whiteley Dean one of 

 those great untrodden moorland valleys which show what 

 was once the condition of the whole district. After keep- 

 ing some little way by the stream side, in the sound of 

 its incessant sweet babble, we may ascend, without toil, 

 to the lofty summit that towers upon the right, above the 

 small reservoir, and which is known by a rude obelisk 

 upon its plateau. A magnificent view is here obtained. 

 Oldham, Rochdale, and tree-crested Tandle-hill lie at 

 our feet, Manchester may be seen with the aid of an 

 opera-glass; beyond Littleborough there are the piles of 

 hills that have Brown-wardle for their centre, (so called 

 because formerly a place for "watch and ward,") and 

 again at our feet lies Hollingworth Lake. 



Plenty of curious plants may be found in the Dean. 

 In searching for them beware, however, of the treacher- 

 ous beds of bog-moss, for wherever its bright green en- 

 riches the surface, the ground is saturated with wet, and 

 we may sink deeper than our shoe-tops. It is safest in 

 these parts to place the foot, wherever possible, upon a 

 stiff brown clump of crowberry or heath. Descending 



