Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-02-07
LETTER FROM SCOTLAND.
EDINBURGH, Nov. q, 1877.

EDINBURGH, Nov. q, 1877.
I have told you nothing as yet OF
my visit TO the English Lakes, SO
Justly celebrated for their beautiful
scenery. OF these there are about six
teen, situated among the mountains
of Lancashire, Cumberland and West
moreland, and varying in size from
one-half to three-fourths mile. to one
mile by ten. l SAW ten OF these lakes,
with good portion of the interesting
country, which / could easily do In 8
visit of a few days, since they are
grouped SO closely together. My WIS.,
It among friends Ia Lancashire being
reluctantly brought to a termination,
accompanied by my cousin, who kind
ly volunteered to act as guide, l start
ed for the Lake District" In d few
hours we were at Windermere Station,
overlooking the lake OF that name, the
largest of these lakes. This being the
railroad terminus, we slowed away
baggage in coach which was to go
on in two hours. and started ahead on
foot, first walking through Elleray
Wood, a charming place, from the top
of which we had a view of the Winder-
mere, which the mist, however, some
what interfered with. This WAS the
property OF the late Prot. and Bishop
Wilson, formerly of this city. Az we
wandered on, the scenery all about US
being beautiful, / was reminded Of
home by seeing house covered with,
our Virginia creePer, and which /
never saw at home-it was one Of the
most deep red color, which rendered il
very attractive. afterwards saw these
vines in many places through this dis.
trict, but have saen them no where
else outside OF Virgins. We were
soon Overtaken by our cOfch, and Ia.
king an outside passage To have an up-
portunity "to view the landscape o'er,"
we were carried along at lively
speed over splendid road, and In the
midst ofsplendid prospects all the time.
We were soon at Ambleside, town Of
1000 inhabitants at the head of Win
defmere. This is in fertile, lovely
valley, which is filled with the houses
of noted people. Here, at "The Knoll"
vas Harriet Msrtineau's home, with
Wansfel( Mt. )1600 #. high, ,overhanging.
After short rest, we were off again, in
u few minutes passing "Rydal Mount"
the poet Wordsworth's former home,
and on our left at the roadside was
pointed out to us huge rock, with
steps cut up t. its summit, and this is
called "Wordsworth's Seat" This
overlooks Rydal Water, one of the
smallest Of the lakes, and here the po
ct is supposed to have sat to Inspire
from the glorles of rocky mount and
beautiful, secluded valley and placid
Rydal Water, the "divine affiatus"
from which poets derive their mental
nourishment. Not far from this spot
is the old seat of the opium eating De-
Quincy, which was called "The Nab"
DIR. Arnold of Rugby, also had home
near AmbleSide. -Four miles from this
town Is the little village of GraSmere,
with its church yard where lie the re-
mains Of Wordsworth and CDleridge, :
and little way on Grasmere itself,
lake one-third by one half mile in sir,
with single island rising like whales
back from its center, and on which is
solitary house with a few sheep lazi-
ly picking at the somewhat scanty
visited by the Prince of Wales when
poy, and naughty then IA now, he
amused himself by chasing the sheep,
mot the ones | saw, but possibly some
Of their ancestors), for which conduct.
40 very unbecOming in bona tide
Prince, an old woman residing in the
house, very properly gave him good
scOlding, not su+pecting she was
reproving King in embryo. Had
she pitched the lad into the lage, which
is only $50 feet deep, it wouldn't have.
been a Uery heavy loss to England. He
certainly will not find more enchant-
ing spot for final resting place. or
this lake and its surrounding scenery
Mrs. Hemans has thus sung:
80 vale and lake, within your mountain urn,
Smiling 30 TRANQUILITY and set so deep!
Oft doth your dreamy loveliness return,
Coloring the tender shadows OF my sleep
With light Elysian; for the hues that steep
Your shores in melting lnstre, seem to float
On golden clouds from spirit-lands remote,
Isles of the blest; and in our memory keep
Their place with holies; harmonies."
After leaving Grasmpre, number
of us preferred to walk for time, up
long hill, whose summit i, nearly
800 feet high. On our left WAS Helm
Crag, on whose summit .thesiion and
the lamb" lie down in peace tngether,
(such is the appearance OF the rocks
against the sky). We had long but
very interesting walk up the steep hill,
down which, alOngsid. the road the
whole distance, dashed n crystal noun
tain stream over its rocky bed making
innumerable little cascades that produ.
ced sweet music for Us as we tramped
along. Dnnmail Raise, the top of this
hill. Is the boundary line between
Cumberland aud WestmOreland coun-
ties. Here is an immense pile of
stones which is said to mark the spot
where battle was fought in the year
945 between Edmund, the Saxon king,
and Dunn ii, king of Cumberland, the
latter being defeated and killed; and
1t Is said further that "that pile of
stones, htaped over brave king Dun
m iil's bones" Is. 1 didn't attempt to
verify the statement by searching for
the old fellows bones, (althOugh they
would come handy over here in the
prosecution of anatomical studies),
neither have searched history. My
informant was a minister OF the En-
glish Church, and that's high (church)
authority, isn't 1t? The waters of
Thirlmere came into view soon after
we commenced the descent Of this hill,
with Mt. Hslvellyn towering above
US to height of BIS feet. This little
lake, only y miles long by ! wide, is
the centre of piece Of the most charm
ing scenery / have ever beheld. The
mountains, almost the highest in En-
gland, mount upwards almost from
the waters edge, and down their
rocky. barren sides dance numerous
small streams, that In the distance
"look like silver Cords" as my COM
panion remarked. A succession of
mound-like hillocks along the waters
edge, covered with green grass and
trees, afford pleasing contrast to the
surrounding wildness. Some of our
fellow passengers. who live in this To-
cality, were very indignant at the
Fafhnr rIfittforiun - h. In