26 the ornithologist's guide 



dangerous, this portion of the route was not 

 without its inconveniences. There is no regular 

 road between these places, and the traveller may 

 take any direction most agreeable to himself. 

 There is one small public-house at Catfirth, where 

 I remained during the time the landlord was pro- 

 curing the necessary number of men and horses 

 to- convey us to Osnafirth. When the signal was 

 given that all was ready, I found our troop to 

 consist of two men, two women, two horses, my 

 man, my son, and myself. One of the horses, 

 which had been selected for his strength, carried 

 140 pounds of shot, on the other I placed my son 

 and a little luggage ; my guns and the remainder 

 of the luggage were carried by the guides and 

 women. We now commenced our pilgrimage 

 from Catfirth, and from leaving \hat place ta 

 arriving at Osnafirth we did not meet a single in- 

 dividual, either to ask any impertinent questions or 

 to laugh at our grotesque appearance. The greater 

 part of the way we travelled in a glen, or rather 

 on the side of the hiil, which was chosen on ac- 

 count of its being better ground. The prospect was 

 beautiful, with lofty hills on both sides of us, in 

 many places scantily covered with vegetation, 

 while in the valley were many lakes, some sepa- 

 rated from each other by a slight rising ground, 



