Freeman's Life of Kirby. 3541 



side of the bridge. After seeing our poor black-legged beast safe hal- 

 tered in the stable, with a supply of food, we go into the house and 

 inquire what we can have for ourselves. The bill of fare consisted of 

 pork-steaks solely, with which we were well satisfied, save that we 

 could not conjecture from what part of the animal they were taken. 



" At half-past 3, after paying our small reckoning, viz., 8d. a-piece 

 for dinner, and 4d. for the horse, we leave Ponds-bridge. As the af- 

 ternoon seemed pleasant, and we were desirous of seeing if any of our 

 pigmy friends were on the wing, we agreed to walk, the ostler follow- 

 ing with our vehicle. We enter a drift-way, pleasant and green, which 

 tempted us to loiter by the way-side of a dyke to fish for snails and 

 aquatic insects. This way was adorned with many flowers, common 

 here, but not with us. We had observed the clouds in various direc- 

 tions pouring out their contents upon the country beneath them, but 

 without giving us more than a few passing drops ; but now we no 

 longer escape." [The difficulties of the road increase rather than di- 

 minish, and I doubt not the fears of the untravelled journalists have 

 already provoked a smile to which none would have bid them a more 

 hearty welcome than the writer ; let the reader mark how the bright 

 spot was seized upon when it did present itself.] " Wet and uncom- 

 fortable as we were, we frequently turned round to solace ourselves 

 with the sublime spectacle which the heavens exhibited : indeed, this 

 extensive level of fens, where the eye commands the whole hemisphere 

 of sky that is bounded by the visible horizon, without interruption 

 from elevation, is peculiarly favourable for observing the appearances 

 of the atmosphere, and these we had an opportunity of beholding in 

 their full beauty. The prismatic colours were frequently seen to the 

 east, not in a well-defined perfect arch, but in one whose continuity 

 was often interrupted by the passing of black clouds, — at another time 

 they appeared in a mass of unusual width : I could not account for 

 the variations from the common appearance of this appointed signal 

 of Heaven's wrath suspended and reconciled, and of man's security in 

 future from a deluge of waters. The sun, which was seen to shine in 

 various directions on the spots of the country widely asunder, would 

 sometimes finely illuminate a single object, at a great distance, which 

 we could see through the rain which was pouring upon us. The 

 clouds themselves were beautiful and sublime, their summits some- 

 times tipped with silver, sometimes with gold, — again, at another time 

 with fiery red, as if they were ignited. Storm chasing storm, with 

 intervals in which the azure vault of heaven appeared unclouded. 

 The shifting scenery of the heavens made up for the uniform face 



