1801.] 
into which the various branches of the 
river Froome empty themfelves. ‘Thence 
their colleéted waters flow onward beyond 
Frefhford, between which and Bathford 
they are joined by another ftream, and 
empty themfelves into the Avon. 
In this dell, we vifited a cloth-mill, 
where we faw feveral women waiting for 
fpare-wool, which they fpin with the 
hand, at 22d. per lb.- Upon inquiry, I 
learned that it was great work to fpin 
two pounds in aday. ‘The children em- 
ployed in the factory earn from 1s. 6d. to 
2s. 6d. per week; for which, in the fum- 
mer time, they work fourteen hours in the 
‘day. 
pallid and miferable. The women, who 
pick knots off the work, earn from 4s. 6d. 
to 5s. per week, to which may be added 
the little perquifite of the wool. picked off 
—perhaps, on an average, about 6d. per 
week more. From hefce, we traced the 
dingle upwards to its abrupt termination 
or boundary, where, amidit a luxuriant 
bed of daffodils, the fairies of the foun- 
tains may be fuppofed to repofe them- 
felves. Here I was fhewn a very curious 
and myfterious fpring, which, I was in- 
formed, flows outward to the river for one 
half of the year, and inward from the river 
during the other half: and, it is afirmed 
by the neighbouring’ people, always to 
changeits courfe (without the leaft refpeéct 
to the act of parliament that altered the 
ftyle) on Old Midfummer’s Day. 
Vales Farm is alfo another of the re- 
markables in the neighbourhood of this 
dingle. The houfe was formerly the 
manor houfe, and hereare ftill the ruins of 
an antique parlour, and of a Roman Ca- 
tholic chapel, now ufed as a woodhoufe. 
The farm confifts only of little better than 
roo acres; yet, I was informed, that it 
paid Gol. a year dire& taxes. 
- Having explored this dale to its upper 
extremity, we now returned to trace it 
downward, and amufe ourfelves with its 
finuous appendages, and expanding varie- 
ties; aniong which muft not be forgotten 
its ufeful lime-kilns, nor its piétureiqne, 
half-ruined bridges—till lefs, the rude old 
excavation in the rock, to which we 
afcended, and at the mouth of which, 
fheltered by a fine {creen of coppice wood, 
we fet ourfelves down to liften to the mur- 
muring of the waters haftening over their 
broken bed, and mark the browzing flock, 
and here and there a cottage that diverfifi- 
ed the fequeftcred feene. Defcending fill 
lower by fome ruined and deferted 
buildings, we came to a confiderable ful- 
ling-mill, over whole dam (after all not 
A Pedeftrian Excurfion through Encland and Wales. 
I need not add, their looks were 
199 
unfrequently the beft of all artificial caf- 
cades, becaufe, in fact, the leait artificial), 
the wide fheet of water, now fwoln by 
‘frequent rains, gufhing with rude roar, 
and driving over its fleep and craggy bed 
finely overfhadowed with trees of all 
growths, prefented us with fome very in- 
terefting {cenery, which, if not piétu- 
refque, was fomething more—was poeti- 
cal, if I may be allowed the expreffion. 
.Purfuing now our road along the ridge 
of the dell to the village of Elm, we were 
prefented with a new icene, of which the 
prominent objeéts were fome iron-mills 
and cots, overhung by rocky and woody 
precipices on the one fide, and the village 
itfelf fituated on the oppofite bank, under 
_which the river rufhed and foamed along ; 
and the correfpondent accompaniments of 
which were new ramifications of the dingle 
in the rear, one of which was cloathed and 
choaked up, as it were, with luxuri- 
ant trees and underwood, forming a 
fort of pent-up fea or torrent of waving 
foliage, through which the real ftream that 
gufhed was rather marked by its murmur-- 
ings than its obvious courfe, till it rufhed 
out to mingle itfelf with the main river. 
Iffuing ‘from this romantic dingle, we 
crofled fome fields to the neighbourhood 
of a leather-manufaétory, and another 
fulling-mill, to amufe ‘ourfelves with the 
reverberations of a double echo. 
We now returned to Froome, and de- 
voted the remainder of the day to friend- 
fhip and conviviality. 
Saturday 8. Froome. ‘The early part of 
this day was devoted to the factories, and 
to the different procefles of card-making, 
carding, and {pinning of wool, and other 
objects that feemed worthy of obfervation; 
among which muft not be forgotten, the 
famous cafk (at the fign of the Bell, if I 
recollect rightly) which is about as high 
as a two-pair of ftairs window, and holds 
I know not how many hundred hogfheads 
of ale. I need not add to this fa&t the 
remark, that Froume is a large and flou- 
rifhing town, It is built upon very 
abrupt hills. The houfes are of fub- 
ftantial fone, and the ftreets are paved, or 
rather pitched. Manufacturers carn from 
Tos. to 128. per week—fome more. Ha(- 
bandmen not more than from 8s.-to gs. 
The church is fpacious and neat ; but 
the majority of the inhabitants are Dif- 
fenters. There are four meeting houfes ; 
one Methodiff, one Prefbyterian, one of 
General, and one (the largeft of all) of 
Particular Baptifts: the Unitarians are 
few ; and of known profelytes to “* the 
Age of Reafon” there are none, 
After 
