NATURE IN ENG 



has a remarkable crystalline effect. One of the most 

 delicious bits of architectural decoration I saw in 

 England was produced, in the front wall of one of 

 the old buildings attached to the cathedral at Can- 

 terbury, by little squares of these flints in brick panel- 

 work. The cool, pellucid, illuminating effect of the 

 flint was just the proper foil to the warm, glowing, 

 livid brick. 



From Rochester we walked to Gravesend, over 

 Gad's Hill ; the day soft and warm, half sunshine, 

 half shadow ; the air full of the songs of sky-larks ; a 

 rich, fertile landscape all about us ; the waving wheat 

 just in bloom, dashed with scarlet poppies ; and pres- 

 ently, on the right, the Thames in view dotted with 

 vessels. Seldom any cattle or grazing herds in Kent ; 

 the ground is too valuable ; it is all given up to wheat, 

 oats, barley, hops, fruit, and various garden-produce. 



A few days later we walked from Feversham to 

 Canterbury, and from the top of Harbledown hill 

 saw the magnificent cathedral suddenly break upon 

 us as it did upon the foot-sore and worshipful pil- 

 grims centuries ago. At this point, it is said, they 

 knelt down, which seems quite probable, the view is 

 so imposing. The cathedral stands out from and 

 above the city, as if the latter were the foundation 

 upon which it rested. On this walk we passed several 

 of the famous cherry orchards of Kent, the thriftiest 

 trees and the finest fruit I ever saw. We invaded 

 one of the orchards, and proposed to purchase some 

 of the fruit of the men engaged in gathering it. But 



