THE FERNY MOORLANDS. 
67 
with the delightful blue of the sky, as the hill- 
top cuts the sheen. The blue sky, the green 
woods, the graceful waving ferns, and the brawl- 
ing river, combine to make an exquisite picture. 
After a peep at the bridge scenery, we followed 
a path which led down to the left, along by the 
river side. Huge granite boulders were scattered 
about in mid stream ; and some of these, clustered 
in the form of a rocky islet, and approachable by 
stepping-stones from the river side, offered a dry- 
shod passage for the tourist. Here on this boulder 
islet we rested for refreshment — the cool stream 
flowing on each side, gurgling and splashing and 
flashing in the sun, the calm surface of its silent 
pools, where the current was pent by the rocks, 
being broken only from time to time by the splash 
of the rising trout, as they dashed at the flies 
which skimmed the surface of the water. From 
this point, on the same side of the bridge, a 
path skirted for some distance the brawling 
course of the stream. We followed this path 
for some way. Such a walk as this might well 
repay the fern-hunter for a long journey across 
