Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-10
Letter from England.

tdSt Will an increasing EipN VI lulitiN hSht-
--Prouidenee Journal
Letter from England.
KEswIcK, CUMBERLAND Co, Enc,
Sept 10Th, 1879.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times:
The Englishman takes his Summer vaca-
tion late in the month of August and returns
to his business by the first Of October. 1t is
not so much question of heat with him as it
is of recreation. Complaint is being made
throughout Great Britain that there has been
no Summer this year. Instead of a long siege
of melting sun and parched earth, 4 constant
falling of cold, April showers, and an inccs
SAINT blowing of raw November wind has
greeted the dismayed but ambitious tour
| ist at every turn. The effect has been to
make every water-course double its usual
size, and to put brighter hue of green on
the landscape. Consequently, Notwithstanding
the inclcmency of the weather and the him
derances of bad roads, the Summer resorts of
Great Britain have been overcrowded for the
last month with London merchants, grumb-
clergymen with large families and dry jokes,
professors from the Universities, eagerly pry-
ing into all questions of natural history, stu
dents, whose name is legion as well as foreign
ers and natives of all classes and descriptions
The Queen and her conrt, as well as many
of the aristocracy, are spending the Summer
in the fashionable region of the north of Scot
land and will return to London at the open
ing of the season in November. The Isle of
Wight and the different watering places
along the coast are the favorite haunts of those
who have large families or who cannot get
far away from business; while the rough and
turesque lakes of Westmoreland and Cum
berland, are receiving the great majority of
those who wish to breath the fresh air of the
mountains and at the same time spend a
limited amount of money. There is no doubt
but that this latter region will always remain
the most universally popular Summer resort
in England, and that for many reasons.
There not only rests upon it a halo of poet
ry, which connects it with the names
of Wordsworth and Southey and Scott
but we also find here and nowhere
else in England on So large a scale, the
old stage coach, country inns, picturesque
cottages, an intelligent and communion
tive class Of farmers and mountains retreats
where the work of mans hand is not to
be seen. To these attractions may be added
the universal comfort of the hotels, delightful !
roads through all the principal valleys and
the comparatively easy ascent of most of the
mountains.
American travellers in their usual indefati |
gable manner, have found out this beautiful |
region and during this season they have COM
posed al least ten per cent of all the tourists !
in the lake district. Their favorite season is |
the early Summer, as they return home from |
the continent. There is a striking similarity |
found here to the hills of their own country /
in fact these mountains and lakes are an eX-
act counterpart of many of the quieter Sec |
tions Of the Green Mountains and the hills Of |
Southern Nrw hampshire. Visiting the I
parish church at Keswick, where Southey |
lies buried, | found registered during this |
season the names of many Americans; among |
which were Prof. and Mrs c. W. Mead of /
Andovcr, Mass, and Ira d. Sankey.
Many Americans purchase expensive guide |
books before leaving home, which is great |
mistake sxpence will secure much more |
accurate and serviceable one on the spot. |
Jenkins and Sons Guide to the English |
lakes puts the traveller in perfect independ- |
ence of all Ignorant natives and astutc guides, |
who are met at every turn and expect 4 |
premium price for their officious labors. 1t !
contains numerous and exact maps of each |
particular section, gives all charges for con-
veyances, full particulars in regard to all
questions of geology, botany and miner
alogy as well as the derivatives and mean
ings of the different local names. 1t de
scribes accurately the best ways of ascending
and reaching every tarn and beck and force
however remote. In fact the writing of
guide books has been reduced to a science by
the enthusiastic author, who Travelled thou
sands of miles on foot and explored person
ally every remote corner that he might give
to the public sample work on this subject
He has edited, besides this neat volume,
several companions 10 it, viz, Practical
Guide to North Wales" Isle of Wight"
Carlisle etc, as well as an admirable
"Epitome of Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter
Scott"
Equipped with this guide and Il volume of
Wordsworth's poems you are prepared TO
explore with both pleasure and justice the
secrets of lake and mountain and tarn and
cascade. Landing at Windermerc you take
passage on one of the delightful steamers
that ply every half hour up and down, and
passing the old home of Mrs. lIemans and
Prof. Wilson stop at Waterhead. Here you
find coaches awaiting you and YOU are soon
rolling north through confined valleys, beside
running brooks and lakes which lie quiet
under the overhanging hills. At Ambleside
you pass the vine-clad house where Miss
Martineau lived, soon you reach Rydal
Mount and Wordsworth's old home, then
successivcly You pass Rydal Water, the
famous "Wishing Gate" the house where
DeQuincey long lived. Grasmerc village
where lie buried in the ancient burial ground
Wordsworth and the unfortunate Hartley
Coleridge, along under Hclvcllyn, beside
Thirlmere Water, st. Johns Vale and down
the hill into the little village of keswick
where Southey and Colcridgc lived SO many
years together at Greina Hall. All this in
two hours over a perfect road. America
possesses many finer single views, but no
such a collection of sights.
Keswick is at present filled with English
and American tourists who may be seen on
any bright morning travelling in all direc-
tions in coaches, on horseback, but principal |
ly on foot, both men and women. You will
meet the young enthusiast in knee -breeches |
and stout shoes lust ont of school who assays |
10 10 ms twenty-five miies nay ''on the |
tops Of the hills" and again young Miss,
all the way from sixteen To thirty, who |
boasts of morning climb TO the summit of |
Skiddard. At Keswick there is museum, |
art gallery, library, churches, a fine model |
of the English lake district and railroad |
which gives good connections north and
south. All these attractions have not failed |
to call the attention of Americans to this |
beautiful region, and none leave it without |
expressing purpose To return at some fu