The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-03
TERDURE SOFTENBD VILLAGES.
1 Stranger Among English Lakes Needs
Some knowledge Of Local Nam8lGla7
tur8-AR Impulse to Ascend SkiddaW
A Matshls@ Panorama Seen From Skid
daW Heights S0uh8y5 Old Home.
Special 10 THE SUNDAY CALI.

daw one can secure on a clear day CYCLIC
ramic view of the entire English Lake re-
gion. With the one grand prospect l have
enjoyed from Heyellyn's summit, and the
several ascents of Skiddaw l have made, l
feel safe in asserting that there is not acces-
sible in the whole world another so satisfy
ing feast fol-. visual ssnse and mental de-
light
The natural elements of sublimity and
beauty, diversified and blended splendidiy,
are surely here in a remarkable degree.
Finer AID Sweeter still, the heart and soul
are thrilled and uplifted through endless
recognitions. l have stood at the edge o.
Etna and seen far over Calabrian 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 mountains
shadow lay all that distance upon its dark
and misty valleys. Thrilling as IS that scene,
1t has in it. for the dolor Of associations, in
.deScribable sadness for the beholder Here
are no buried cities; no dreadful history :;
no Malta and bTigandage; no tyranny OF
fear and dread. Church spires with wealth
er-yanes and church-towers with crosses
stand friendly side by side. Shining towns
lie upon mountain sides, or creep 10 the edge
of CLASSY mereS, IN every mood aud token Of
ened villages speck the lovely dales with
hints Of happiness in homes. And every
"statesman's" lichened cottage, high in up
land dale, or perched along the braes Of
fells, tell brave old tales of independence,
BODYBUILDING labor and heaven given con-
tent No wonder the poets sang here in
this grand, broad paradise.
Geographically speaking, the lake dis
trct comprises Cumberland, Westmoreland
and the northern part of Lancashire. 1t pos
sesses between 100 and 200 mountains. The
best known Of these are Coniston Old Man,
Scateu Pike, UTiukle Crags. Saddleback.
Skiddaw and Helvellyn. There are
hundred other "crags," pixies and 'fells"
which almost equal these in height, and, in
my Judgment, frequently equal them ID
scenic impTeSsiyeness. The principal and
widest knoUn lakes ale UilSWateT, BaSseutn-
waite Water, Derwent Water, Thirlmere,
Grasmere, Rydal Water, Nlndermere, CONS
ton Water, CTummOck Water, Loves Water,
Vast Water Clearwater and Buttermere.
These are exclusive OF very many tiny lakes
ana countless taTnS Many OF the latter lie
beneath the shadows OF majestic crags, more
than 2O00 feet above the sea level. Aside
from these mountains and lakes are fully
fifty noted dales, as many ghylls OF great
beauty, several famous waterfalls, ana me
quaint and beautiful towns OF C0nlSton,
Bowness, Ambeside, Grasmere, Cocker
mouth, Kendall.
THE OLD BORDER-TOWN OF PENRTTH,
At the eastern edge of the region, and beauti-
ful KeswicB, the metropolis OF the entire
district
Some knowledge of local nomenclature. is
needed by stranger among English lakes.
Every lake in the region has the terminal
water" or mere" ThirlmeTe, or
Thorolf's mere; Grasmere. from the old
Saxon 'gTise," swine, the lake OF the swine :
aud DerwentWater. from the Cambro-Celtlc
"derwent" beautiful, are SUFFICIENT Tor IL
luSuation. TIE WORD hOlme Is invariably
applied TO the islands. Of the English lakes,
aad is from the Danish holm" little
island; while tarn, from the Morse "uorn,"
tiny lake, is used to define the silent pool
within the highest mountain swallS and
crags. These are countless IN the lake re-
gion. In the nomenclature Of mountains
are many curious deTivationS. SkaW Or sea,
from the Danish skov," means wood or
forest, and fell, from the Danish " flald,
range of mountains, and provincial English
for any rocky, barren Hill or height, gives
Scaw Fell, the mountain OF the forest Inc
word "fel'' is comprised IN the name OF
nearly every Cumbrian mountain. The de-
rivatOn of pike" as In Langdale Fixes.
Scaw Fell Pike, etc, Is not so clear. 1t
is applied here to peaks of great elevation
and rugged prominence; but there seems
to be a curious link between the term and
the ancient fires kindled on these heights
for pagan worship and sacrifice. Sears"
are broken, craggy and usually precipltOus
mountain brOws. 'Slacks" are lofty passes
OF dips 10 mountain-peakS, between lottler
heights. And riggs" as In LoJghrigg,
L1tTigg and Castlerigg, are rldgy SUBMITS,
the derivation Of the word being. suspect,
from the Celtic ri, ''Tigh." the King OF
head. To an American the appeilatl0ns OF
the beautiful mountain streams and water
falls are peculiar and often confusing. a
gil, or ghyl, Is swift stream running
through a gorge or glen with very RAPID
descent, and where it breaks into water
fail it IS always called force. Thus
Stock Ghyll Force, the famous waterfall OF
Ambeside, which has its source among the
romantic crags about Kirkstone Pass, IS the
waterfall Of the stream which deseends the
glen Of Stock.
Ii one enters the lake region from the
north the first impulse is to ascend Skid
daw, the second highest mountain OF the
region. which is almost as near hesWlck.
10 the north, as the slightly lotter Hell
Yellyn is to the south. keswlck lies IN the
noble vale Of DerWentwateT, between these
TWO monarch Sentinels of the lakes. The
ascent of Skiddaw is no severe task upon
the powers Of one accustomed TO mountain
climbing. and can be easily reached IN
three hours time from KeSwlck Unlike
that of HelyelVn ii is unattended with
bodily risk. but the view Is vaster and
more varied one. In three different aseentS
/ have only been able
TO SECURE ONE PERFECT VIEW,
Owing to the interference of fog and mist,
upon which no absolute calculation can be
made To ATTEMPT any adequate descTlD-
ton of what perfect day Will reveal from
tile summit OF Sklddaw would require
cataloguing OF every majestic and beautiful
object among the lakes and a camera-like
exposition of every eXultant emotion OF the
human heart The .vastness OF the
.panoroma may be family suggested when
ff- ar far ic Ell al ? fc RI
exceed 800 miles. Cumberland and West
moreland with their majestic clusters
of mountains, lakes and rivers, are, as it
were at ones feet. To the eastward the eye
ranges over the backbone" OF England, the.
billOwy PenGine hills and through verdure-
less dips Northumberland and Yorkshire
can be scanned to the German Ocean. To
the west myriads of felis and dales IN wild
confusion Then. the Irish Sea- and with
glass the mighty walls OF Antrim, with the
sunlight upon them shining thread. upon
the horizon. To the southwest across
turbulent mass Of peaks and fells and sill
very reach Of the sea, lone SnaefeIl, the
giant of the Isle of Man. seems TO float upon
the waves. To the south and southeast,
where huge Heivellyn does not shut out the
sight, Cumberland, WestmoTeland and Lam
cashire seem an inteTminable maze OF bill
loWv scenic splepdor. To the north, across
the Solway. those sweet old shires wherein
Burns lived, sang ana died, spread their
sunny dales, even tnelr very nelus ana
homes TO view, sentneled by hoary Criffel,
at Solway side, and blend into puppies and
grays along the range Of misty hills behind
There is another matchless panorama
that with the eye Of fancy and the heart Of
memory can be- seen and felt from grim old
Skddaw's heights. The eyes mist with
tears as they trace the ssffrony Solway and
recall the struggles and endless tragedy of
that mighty heart that broke In the bitter
fight and is now at peace between the maui
solenm In old Dumfiies town; while every
true man that lives pays tender tribute to
the memory of Robert Burns. The melan-
choly Gray, author of the "EIegy," on foot
o. nd with the nrattV inv the Clandn-I Or