The daily gazette., 1880-08-24
SECOND EDITION
ENGLISH HIGHLANDS.
ENGLAND'S LAKE DISTRICT-THE
THE GRAVES OF HER GREAT
PoETs-MELRosE ABBEY, &C.,
&c.
Special correspondence of the GAZETTE.
AMBLEsHIRE, England,
Auonst a 1890.


AMBLEsHIRE, England,
August 4, 1880.
We are spending a week in the
charming lake district of England
which somewhat resembles the New
England lake district, except for the
greater concentration here of lakes
and mountains. Throughout the
mountains are the summer homes of
many rich and titled families, and the
lakes, especially, are bordered by
beautiful houses, set always in gar
dens of lovely flowers and fine
shrubbery. Here have been the
homes of many of England's finest
poets, and here are their graves. In
a small country churchyard at the
head of Lake Windermere we found
the graves of Cooleridge and of Will
liam Wordsworth, side by side,
marked by stones as humble as the
church itself. At Reydal Mount,
near by, is the old home of Words
worth, now offered as Apartments"
to tourists. The residence of the
once popular Harriet Martineau is
here. So is ''Doves Nest" the
home of Mrs. Hemans, the home of
DR.. Arnold and many others of
greater or less note. At Keswick,
at the head of Lake Buttermere, is
Southey's grave, in the widest part
of the lake region.
From the hills and noun ntains here
are obtained most of the states used
for building purposes, and as the
best are found near the top of the
highest peaks, the work of the
quarrymen is attended with consid-
cradle peril. From some quarries
the states are carried down on the
backs of the men whose only means
of ascending and descending is by
iron ladders fastened to the per-
pendicular rock.
A smart workman may make ten
loads on good day, for which he is
paid one shilling each. Where practi-
cable the states are loaded on sleds
fitted with brakes, and the carrier
rides ON the lever of the brake and
steers the sled with his foot.
Should the sled get beyond control
the carrier is almost sure to be dashed
to pieces on the rough rocks. Such an
accident happened just before our ar
rival. Altogether the work is done in
a primitive way. A Yankee would
have hoisting contrivance that would
do the work of score of carriers.
Here, as everywhere in England, we
are lost in admiration at the number
and variety of the wild flowers. The
heather covers every rock, and is just
now in full bloom. "Love Entangle"
makes golden every thatch and every
tiled roof and Towering vines wreathe
all the stone walls. The trees them
selves are often covered with the ivy
that grows wild everywhere. The
whole country is filed with bloom and
fragrance.
We leave the lakes regretfully, over
which we have sailed and rowed with
something like home feeling of free
dom and abandon, and go on to the
less fruitful soil of Scotland.
We reach Carlisle just in time to see
the last of the Royal Agricultural Ex-
hibition. From Troutbeck to Ulls-
water we cross by stage moor, the
first of any extent we have seen. This
is a high level covered with coarse
grass. A few half starved sheep stray
over it, otherwise it is as lonesome as
desert of sand. No sign of human
habitation is visable for miles. On
one side we see line of distant noun
tains ON the other the far away level
extending in the distance like the sea,
until it meets the horizon. Here and
there are turf-pits with remains of last
years turf, but no fresh tracks are
about them. 1t was relief to come
in sight of Ullswater lake, and we hail
ed with Joy the waiting steamer with
it's gay flags which was to bear us the
length of the lake. Hence we took
stage again for Penrith, whose inhabi-
tants show large circular mound of
turfted earth as the famous Ground
Table of the knights of Arthur"
From Sheffield to Leeds, two large
manufacturing towns, we pass through
the coalregion. The cities themselves
are like Pittsburg, smothered in btu
minous coal smoke. The country is
without interest to the tourist except
that Haworth, the residence of the
Bronte Sisters is here, and here was
the favorite haunt of ths bold Robin
Hood.
At Melrose is the famous Melrose
Abbey, and near by it is Abbotsford
the home of Sir Walter Scott. A niece
of the great novelist now owns and re-
sides at Abbotsford and admits visitors
at shilling per head. The day pre-
ceding our arrival some two hundred
and fifty persons visited the place.
Melrose Abbey is a beautiful old
ruin. 1t is richly adorned with fine |
and curious sculpture, and the tracery
on doors, windows and everywhere re-
sembles fine lace work. Roses, lilies,
thistles, ferns, heaths, cabbage leaves,
oak and ash leaves are chiselled in
stone with remarkable grace and beau
ty. There is the head of grinning
negro, an angel flying away with a
figure representing the
blind carrying the lame, monk hold
ing a scroll on which is written
"Lo! lie comes, Jesus the Saviour;
Darkness will cease"
There is pig playing bag pipe, !
an exquisite hand holding bunch of |
SO many beautiful bits of |
sculpture that were they gathered to
petber would fill museum Of exceed
ingly attractive objects.
The floor of the chancel is filed with
graves of the illustrious dead. The