UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 235 



or rock, had often the appearance of the remains 

 of an ancient city, abounding with the ruins of 

 castles, churches, and monuments, with other 

 large and conspicuous buildings. The hills often 

 appear to be surmounted with turrets, battle- 

 ments, spires, and pinnacles, while others, sub- 

 jected to another kind of refraction, seem to be 

 large masses of rock, suspended in the air, at a 

 considerable elevation above the actual termina- 

 tions of the mountains to which they refer. The 

 whole exhibition is a grand and majestic phan- 

 tasmagoria ; scarcely is the appearance of any 

 object fully examined and determined, before it 

 changes to something else ; it is perhaps alter- 

 nately a castle, a cathedral, or an obelisk, and 

 then expanding and coalescing with the adjoining 

 mountains, it unites the intermediate vallies, 

 though they may be miles in width, by a bridge 

 of a single arch, of the most magnificent ap- 

 pearance." 



29th. We have been visiting Franklin's farm 

 to-day, and have had a very pleasant walk, late 

 as it is in the year. He is so diligent, that he has 

 done a great deal to it since we were last there. 

 Between it and the next land he has made a 

 ditch, with a high firm fence of flat stones placed 

 edgeways, in three rows, each row sloping a little, 

 and all supported by a bank of earth behind them ; 



