200 SPRINGS, ftlVEKS, CANALS, LAKES, 



the wood round the bottom of the hill, came forth where the Ecman 

 issues out of the lake, and continued my way along its western shore 

 close to the water, and generally on a level with it. Saw a cormo- 

 rant flying over it and fishing. The figure of the lake nothing re- 

 sembles that laid down in our maps : it is nine miles long; and at 

 widest under a mile in breadlh. After extending itself three miles 

 and a half in a line to the south-west, it turns at the foot of Place- 

 Fell almost due west, and is here not twice the breadth of the 

 Thames at London. It is soon again interrupted by the root of 

 Hevellyn, a lofty and very rugged mountain, and spreading again 

 turns off to south-east, and is lost among the deep recesses of the 

 hills. To this second turning I pursued my way about four miles 

 along its borders beyond a village scattered among trees, and called 

 Water-Mallock, in a pleasant grave day, perfectly calm and warm, 

 but without a gleam of sunshine : then the sky seeming to thicken, 

 and the valley to grow more desolate, and evening drawing on, I 

 returned by the way I came to Penrith. 



Oct. 2. I set out at ten for Keswick, by the road we went in 1 f6? ; 

 saw Graystock town and castle to the right, which lie about three 

 miles from Ulswater over the fells; passed through Pemadoch and 

 Threlcot at the foot of Saddleback, w hose furrowed sides were gilt 

 by the noon-day sun, whilst its brow appeared of a sad purple from 

 the shadow of the clouds as they sailed slowly by it. The broad 

 and green valley of Gardies and Lowside, with a swift stream glit- 

 tering among the cottages and meadows, lay to the left, and the 

 much finer but narrower valley of St. John's opening into it; Hill- 

 top, the large though low mansion of the Gaskarths, now a farm- 

 house, seated on an eminence among woods, under a steep fell, was 

 what appeared the most conspicuous, and beside it a great rock, like 

 some ancient tower nodding to its fall. Passed by the side of Skid- 

 daw and its cub called Latter-rig ; and saw from an eminence, at 

 two miles distance, the vale of Elysium in all its verdure; the sun 

 then playing on the bosom of the lake, and lighting up all the moun- 

 tains with its lustre. Dined by two o'clock at the Queen's Head, 

 and then straggled wit alone to the Parsonage, where I saw the sun 

 set in all its glory. 



Oct 3. A heavenly day ; rose at seven and walked out under the 

 conduct of my landlord to Borrowdale; the grass was covered with 

 a hoar-frost, which soon melted and exhaled in a thin bluish smoke ; 



