OXFORD: THE UPPER RIVER 203 



the surface of the water, it turns tail upwards, and with \ 

 its two hindermost legs takes literally a piece of air, j 

 which it carries as a bubble down below. Conveying '' 

 the bubble to the mouth of the bell, it lets it go. The 

 bubble floats up inside the bell, and the first move- 

 ment is complete. It only remains to do this again 

 and again, until gradually the bell is full of air, and 

 hangs there as large as a silver thimble, and as bright — 

 as a ball of mercury. 



And here is King's Weir, and there is a large trout : 

 on the rise. You may put any common brown trout 

 into the Thames, and soon they shall be as big as 

 this. The Thames men say it is from feeding on 

 the bly. 



There, now, we must be getting back to Medley 

 Lock. Medley itself belonged to the abbey ; it was 

 given to the nuns by Robert of Witham. The old 

 writers say it was the " middle-way " — that is, between 

 Godstow and Oxford ; and that it was a place of great 

 resort for " divers pleasures." 



Now you have seen a little of the upper river by 

 day, but you must not think you know it yet. When 

 you have seen it in the dawn — when you have felt 

 your way at night, round every winding reach, and 

 listened to and learnt the meaning of some of the 

 night-voices — then, and not till then, may you fairly 



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