WATERHEAD. WINDERMERE. 321 



the mode of fishing, and have an opportunity of 

 seeing more of this, the largest, and on the 

 whole, I think, the most beautiful of our English 

 lakes. I have ordered a boat to be in readiness ; 

 and the fisherman to whom it belongs, and who 

 will acccompany us, is skilled in the kind of 

 angling to which you will be introduced, but 

 which, being little better than poaching, as I 

 think you will consider it, I am sure you will 

 never follow. We will drive down to Waterhead. 

 A pair of swallows that for several years have 

 built their nests and reared a family under the 

 eaves above the window of my dressing-room, 

 made their first appearance this morning (May 

 20), and have already commenced repairing 

 their home, broken into by the house-sparrows. 

 I hail their advent as a sign of settled mild 

 weather. How pleasant it was, as the harbinger 

 of so much that is agreeable, to hear again 

 their gentle twitter ! 



AMICUS. So, this is Waterhead. Why, here is 

 a little fleet of boats, and all, you say, for hire ; 

 and there is a steamboat, and you tell me there 

 is another, indications these of a busy place, 

 and, I infer, exclusively for pleasure. 



PISCATOR. Your inference is right. As beauty 



