Lincoln.
Aug. [August] 20:- Morning cloudy with one
heavy shower. Afternoon sunny  
  To Cathedral at 10.30 A.M. meeting 
there C. [Caroline] & E. R. S. [Elizabeth R. Simmons] who went earlier to
attend services. Exterior of building very
beautiful  & imposing, finer in fact
than anything we have hitherto seen.
Much of the interior also beautiful
or interesting.
  Next to old Roman Gate over
1800 years old but the arches still in
perfect condition.
  Went down the steep street (too steep
for horses) past the house of Aaron
the Jew to the Old Jew's house. Both
very old and interesting.
  In P.M. drove down to the lower
part of the town visiting High Bridge,
St. Mary's church, & John O'Gaunt's
house. Then back to the hotel
whence we walked over the Castle
grounds. A few Swallows & Swifts.
Lincoln to York
Aug. 21. Forenoon cloudy with showers. P.M. clear.
  In A.M. visited some of the shops and
the ruins of the Bishops' Palace, the latter
worth seeing. Revisited Cathedral.
  Left Lincoln by 2.37 train for York,
changing at Doncaster. Country flat, open,
under high cultivation; much of it reclaimed
fens with a few small tracts of primeval
bog with stagnant pools surrounded by
cat-tails. Passed a very broad canal
down which a heavily-laden barge was
progressing under sail. Saw two flocks
of Lapwings (one a perfect cloud of birds
- not less than 300) in low-lying pastures.
Station Hotel at York: large, modern
excellent in every way but too cosmopolitan
in character to be interesting. Walked
about a mile on top of ancient city
walls. A fine view of chimney pots and
tiled roofs but little else. Went nearly to
William the Conqueror's Castle & then
returned. Many Swallows skimming about
but no Swifts.