" Cbrfstopbcr INortb" 173 



Mr. Waugh, in his wanderings in Westmoreland, 

 encountered at Wastdalc Head, in the person of the 

 innkeeper there, one of the most characteristic specimens 

 that could be found of a genuine old Laker, William 

 Ritson by name. " I was most interested," says the 

 writer, " in Ritson's anecdotes of famous men who 

 visited Wastdale. He had wandered many a day with 

 Professor Wilson, Wordsworth, De Quincey and others. 

 Ritson had been a famous wrestler in his youth, and 

 had won many a country belt in Cumberland. He 

 once wrestled with Wilson, and threw him twice out 

 of three falls. But he owned the Professor was 'a 

 verra bad un to lick.' Wilson beat him at jumping. 

 He could jump twelve yards in three jumps with a 

 great stone in each hand. Ritson could only manage 

 eleven and three-quarters. ' T first time Professor 

 Wilson cam to Wastd'le Head/ said Ritson, 'he hed 

 a tent set up in a field, and he gat it weel stock't wi' 

 bread, an' beef, an' cheese, an' rum, an' ale, an' sic like. 

 Then he gedder't up my granfadder, an' Thomas Tyson, 

 an' Isaac Fletcher, an' Joseph Stable, an' aad Robert 

 Grave, an' some mair, an' there was gay deed among 

 'em. Then nowt would surra, but he mun hev a boat, 

 an' they mun all hev a sail. Well, when they gat 

 into t' boat, he tell't un to be particklar careful, for 

 he was liable to git giddy in t' head, an' if yan ov his 

 giddy fits sud chance to cum on, he mud happen tummle 

 into t' water. Well, that pleased 'em all gaily weel, 

 an' they said they'd tak verra girt care on him. Then 

 he leaned back an' called oot that they mun pull quicker. 

 So they did, and what does Wilson do then but topples 



