WINDERMERE 67 



level is 130 feet ; and as the depth of any lake has 

 an important relation to its fish-carrying capacity, 

 it may be stated that the maximum depth of Win- 

 dermere is 219 feet, its mean depth 78 J feet 



The islands of a lake are also important in the 

 same connection, and Windermere has fourteen or 

 fifteen, Belle Isle (formerly Curvven's Island), Ling 

 Holme, Silver Holme, Blake Holme, Lady Holme, 

 and Hen Holme, being among the more important. 

 Of these Belle Isle (nearly opposite Bowness) is the 

 largest. It is about 20 acres in extent, is well 

 wooded, and visitors are allowed to land upon it. 

 The shores of Belle Isle, as well as the shores of the 

 other islands, afford some of the best fishing ground 

 in the whole of the lake. 



The islands are either in the centre or southern 

 reaches of the lake, none being in the upper (deeper) 

 reaches. Commencing at the northern extremity, 

 the principal points of the lake are as follows : 

 Waterhead (Ambleside), whence the lake steamers 

 start ; Low Wood (eastern shore) ; Bowness Bay 

 (roughly the centre of the lake) ; the Ferry Hotel 1 

 (opposite Bowness) ; Storrs Hall (eastern shore) ; 

 and (inappropriately named) Lake Side the 

 southern extremity of the lake, the terminus of 

 the Furness Railway. 



Windermere's principal feeders are the Rothay, 

 the Brathay, the Troutbeck, and Cunsey Beck, 

 The Brathay descends from the Langdale Pikes 

 flowing through Langdale and Elter Water ; the 

 Rothay has its source above Grasmere, and flows 

 through the vale of Rydal. These two effect a junc- 

 tion just before entering the lake at its northern 



1 The ferry-boat plies whenever passengers wish to cross 

 the lake. 



F 2 



