Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-05
MILDRED RUSSELL'S LETTER.
A TRIP UP THE THAMES.

Cnlssina a Lesdoners Holiday -nosts OF
Ever, Description The ~ nsrs A'e"s the
Reute. kc.
Especial correspondence Of the Dispatcn'i
LONDON, June IS, 1885.
We accepted an invitation 70 join
party OF friends who were going to
make q trip up the Thames in steam
launch, and in that way had au oppor-
tanity Of enjoying holiday peculiarly
and essentially Londoner's. We
started from Paddington at 9 o'clock
and went as far IS Taplow by train,
then took aeab, and in a few minutes we
were at Maidenhead, where the launch
Law. We went on board at 10 O'Clock,
laden with umbrellas, waterprcois, and
rugs, which the sky at our early start
had deludod MS into bringing. How
ever. we consoled ourselves with think
ing il might have rained deluges. A
great many locks are necessary in the
Thames because Of the fall Of the
water and to prevent the land
being flooded. These locks are
great nuisance TO pleasure-seekers
under any circumstances, as they re-
tard progress, and much time is wasted
in passing through them. Though Of
ample size to accommodate ordinary
demands, there is often tedious waiting
on holiday before all can enter, and
il is not unusual TO have delay Of an
hour il it is fine. AS we were bent on
making the most Of our trip, and going
up the river at least as far as Medmen-
ham, we determined to hurry forward
so as not to be kept waiting longer than
absolutely necessary at the beginning.
All Of our party had not yet arrived,
but those who had, leaving word
for the rest to drive along the
bank, FASTENED on to the first lock,
which is usually the most crowded, so
as to pass through it before the next
train-load Of people claimed it. An
other reason why we thought 1t better
to do this was that the row-boats have
n right of precedence, though they did
not exercise it towards us, as we went
in several times when many of them
were left out to wait for the next turn.
The river was already astir with boats
Of every description known on it.
House-boats, steam-launches, four
cared and six-oared boats, punts,
diDgeys, were pressing ahead with the
common object in view Of squeezing
into Boulter's lock.
THE REAL START.
After we emerged from BOulter'S we
had leisure Of mind to look at the love
ly and peaceful scenery before the lag
CARDS came up, and as soon as they ar
rived We made the real start on our
water excursion, which was most en-
joyable from beginning to end. The
weather was perfect-an item Of no |
small good luck in English holiday |
making-and the engine Of our launch |
afforded us the negative qualification Of
not giving out greasy odOrs or constant
ly enyeloping us in thick smoke. Cloud
less heavens Of tint here called sky
blue induced an Englishman Of our
party TO suggest that they were as bright
as in America. But that was be-
cause he had never crossed the Atlantic
and seen the pure blue Of our skies.
which is criSper and much more in
tense than in England, where the hazy
atmosphere tones down everything to a
soberer hue. One Of the greatest
charms Of the banks Of the Thames
lies in variety always possessing a
calm, soothing character. Antiquity
is here, but it is only in dim remem-
brance. 1t has been good enough to
sweep away everything that could re-
mind us that past generations were at
all imposing or more important then
We, or that we are so much ahead of /
them that their very remains excite our
pity.
THE SCENERY.
AS we steam up the river we see a
succession Of meadow-lands, slopes
covered with dense masses Of trees or
with single ones standing out in quiet
beauty, villages with romantic and his
torical associations, villas varying from
that Of the country-house type to the
tiny ones which seem to consist Of no.
thing but a gabled front hidden with
masses Of roses and honeysuckles.
Many Of the houses have lawns of the
green turf that is such a boosted pro-
duct of England, where ornamental
forest trees tower up and display their
beauty of outline or their majesty
gained by age. Chefden, a princely
house belonging to the Duke of West
minister, is large enough to be a palace,
and is in full view Of us as we pro-
coed a couple Of miles up to Cook
ham. The same scene Of crOwding |
into the lock goes on here as at the |
other one. The graceful, fragile row.
ing-boats look very small and send up
contemptuous and antagonistic glances |
at the launches and numbering house
boats, yet with practical condescension !
catch hold Of them to steady themselves
in the water.
A SOLITARY FISHERMAN.
The reach between Cookham and
Marlowe affords the best fishing, and
here We saw fisherman so deeply alb
sorbed in his pursuit that he must have
solaced the soul of Isaak Walton if it
still haunts these banks. The fisher
man was dressed in loose dark-gray
clothes and SLOUGH hat, wore spectscleS,
and had long beard, and looked like
regular deyotee and as if he had slept
in his clothes for the last three
weeks for fear Of arriving late
and missing a nibble. lie was as
serious as if he had the weight
Of the world on his shoulders,
and formed a curious contrast in dress
and general appearance to the holiday
making boatmen. From another lock
we emerge into q wider reach of the
river, where both banks are bordered
with level meadows. This is the best
part for the sailing-boats, as the breeze
rarely fails here. Then We come to
the village Of Narlowe, model of pic
turesquc grouping ofivy- covered houses,
gray church and tower. Two more
locks are gone through while we are
in the cabin for luncheon, aud then comes
Medmenham. Here we disembark and
SteD on 10 n Smooth slonino furf which