Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-05-30
LAKES OF KESWICK
Wakeman's Description of the
English Lake District.
A Tramp Through Cumberland.
Westmoreiand and the North
ern Part OF Lancashire.
copyrighted, 1871

copyrighted, 1871
KEswIcK, ENGLAND. April 25. 1891. -
From the ridge OF IIelvellyn or tho
peak OF Skiddaw one can secure on a
clear day cycloramic view of the en-
tire English lake region. With the one
grand prospect have enjoyed from
Helyellyn's summit, and the several
nscenis OF Skiddaw have made, feel
safe in asserting that there is not acces-
sible In the whole worll another so sat
isfying feast for visual sense and men
tai delight
Tho natural elements of sublimity
and beauty, diversified and blended
splendidly, are surely here in re-
markable degree. Finer and sweetcr
still. the heart and soul are
thrilled and uplifted through end
less recognitions. / have stood at the
edge OF Etna and seen far over Call
ADRIAN, Italy, to the east as the suns
disk burst above the Ionian sea, and
the whole length Of Sicily to the west,
when that mighty mountain shadow
lay all that distance upon its dark and
misty valleys. Thrilling "a is that
scene, 1t has in 1t, for the dolor OF asso-
Citations. indescribable sadness for the
beholder. Hero are no buried cities; no
dreadful history; no Malta and brigand-
age; no tyranny Of fear and dread.
Church spires with weather vanes and
church towers with crosses stand
friendly side by side. Shining towns
lie upon mountain sides, or creep
70 tho edgs OF CLASSY meres,
in every mood and token OF peace.
Gray old hamlets and verdurc-
softened villages spect the lovely dales
with hints of happiness In homes And
every ''statosman's" lichened cottage,
high in upland dale. or porched along
the braes of fells, tell brave old tales of
independence, homo building labor and
heaven given content No wonder the
poets sang here in this grand, broad
paradise.
Geographically speaking, tho Lake
district comprises Cumberland, West
moreland and the northern part OF Lam
cashirc. 1t possesses between 100 and
200 mountains. The bes. known OF
these are Coniston Old Man. Scafell
Pike, Crinkle Crags, Saddleback, Skid
daw and Helvellyn. There are an hum
dred other ''crags," pixies" and 'fells"
which almost equal these in height,
and, in my judgment, frequently
equal them in scenic impressive
ness. The principal and widest known
lakes are uiiswater, Bassenth waite
Water, Derwentwater, Thirlmere. Gras-
mere. Rydal Water. Windermere, Conis-
ton Water, Crummock Water, loves
Water, Vast Water. Clearwater ana
Buttermere. These ar& exclusive of
very many tiny lakes and countless
larns Many OF the latter lie beneath
the shadows OF majestic crags, more
than 1000 feet above the sea level
Aside from those mountains and lake s
are fully fifty noted dales. as many
ghylls OF great beauty, several famous
waterfalls and the quaint and beautiful
towns of Coniston, Bownoss, Ambleside,
Grasmere, Cockermouth, Kendall, the
old border town OF Penrith. at the east
ern edge sof tho region, and beautiful
Keswick, the metropolis Of the entire
district
IL one enters the lake region from the
north tho first impulse is 20 ascend
Skiddaw, the second highest mountain
Of the region which is almost as near
iotler heiSeifya i Is q the ss sSt6l hes. a
wick lies In the noble vale of Derwent-
water between these TWO monarch SEN
tinels OF the lakes. The ascent OF Skid
daw Is no se.ere task upon the powers
of aA fe tot, ,I9
ing, and can be easily reached in threo
hours time from Keswick. Unlike that
of Helveiiyn IL is unattended with
bodily risk, but the view is a vaster ana
more varied one. In three different
ascents, l have only been able to
secure one perfect view, owing to the
interference OF fog and mist upon viii. h
no absolute calculation can be made.
To attempt any adequate description OF
what q perfect day will reveal from the
summit OF Skiddaw. would require a
cataloguing OF every majestic AMI beaut-
full object among the lakes and a camera
like exposition OF every oxultant emf :
tion OF the human heart The vastness
Of the panorama may be family sug-
gested when its inference is statol.
1t IL known to exceed 800 miles. Cum
berland and Westmoreland with their
majestic clusters OF mountains, lakes
and rivers, are, as il were, at
ones feet To the eastward the eve
ranges over the backbone OF En-
gland, the billowy Pennine Hills, ana
through verdureless dips, Northumber-
land and Yorkshire can be scanned to
the German Ocean. To tho west.
inyriads OF fells and dales in wild con.
fusion. Then, tho Irish sea. and with
Q glass, the mighty walls of Antrim,
with the sunlight upon them shining
thread upon the horizon. To the south
west, across turbulent mass OF peaks
and fells and q silvery reacs OF the sea,
lone Snaeiell. tho giant OF tho Isle OF
Man. seems to float upon the waves
To tho south and southeast, where huge
Helvellyn does not shut out the sight,
Cumberland. wcstmoreland and Lam
cashire seem an intcrminable maze OF
billowy scenic srlerdor. To the north
across ths Solway. those sweet old shires
wherein Burns lived, sang and died.
spread their sunny dales, even their
very fields and homes, 10 view, senti-
neled by hoary Criffel. at Solway side,-
and blend into purples and grays along
the range OF misty hills behind.
Thcfe Is another matchless panorama
that with the eye of fancy and the heart
OF memory can be seen and felt from
grim old Skiddaw's heights. Tho eyes
mist with tears as they trace the SAT-
irony Soiway and recall the struggles
and endless tragedy OF that mighty
heart that broke in the bitter fight
and 10 now At peace beneath the
mausoleum In old Dumf,ies town:
while every true man that lives
pays tender tribute to the memory of
Robert Burma Tho melancholy GRAY,
author OF the ''Elegy." on foot and with
the pretty toy, the Claude Lorraine
glass In hand, In the autumn OF l7O9,
wandered past Skiddaw. on his tour OF
discovery. which first opened the eyts
OF England to the beauties of the Cum
brian Lakes, and made 1t possible fer
all the host that followed to know their
Inspiration. Here. at your feet in cd
Keswick town. dwelt. sang and lies
buried In Crossthwaite churchyard near
the murmuring Of the river Greta he so
loved, that high-souled poet Of pensive
rememhra and meditative calm, Rob-
ert Southey. Here. too. the unhappy
Coleridge passed the most fruitful,
though still the most miserable years Of
his baleful slavery 70 = deadly drug