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 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in 
 
 cooperation with Cornell University Libraries, 2007. 
 
 You may use and print this copy in limited quantity 
 
 for your personal purposes, but may not distribute or 
 
 provide access to it (or modified or partial versions of it) 
 
 for revenue-generating or other commercial purposes. 
 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
RAMBLES AT HOME 
 
 A TOUR 
 
 TO A FEW OF THE PRINCIPAL 
 
 MANUFACTURING TOWNS OF ENGLAND; 
 
 LAKES OF WESTMORELAND AND CUMBERLAND; 
 
 A VISIT TO EDINBURGH, 
 
 SUMMER of 1839. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY R. H. HUNT, LOWER STREET, ISLINGTON, 
 
 J 840. 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
U 'c ' 
 
 
 C n . _ _ . f, 
 
 2 Digitized byj\ 
 
 Or DR -^ r^ 
 
 digitized by Microsoft® 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 Letter 1. — Liverpool . . . . . . l 
 
 Letter 2. — Manchester, Rochdale, Preston, Lancaster, 
 
 and Kendal . . . . . . . . 9 
 
 Letter 3. — Windermere, Easthwaite Water, C'oniston 
 
 Water, and Ullswater . . . . . . 22 
 
 Letter 4. — Rydal Water, Grasmere Lake, Helvellyn, 
 Thirlemere Lake, Keswick, Carlisle, Cocker- 
 mouth, and Netherby . . . . . . 35 
 
 Letter 5. — Edinburgh . . . . . . 47 
 
 Letter 6. — Kelso, Morpeth, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Tyne- 
 
 mouth Abbey, Gosforth Colliery, and Durham. 54 
 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archi^^g^^^feju31924103708370 
 
RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 Letter I. 
 
 Liverpool, 8th July, 1839. 
 My dear 
 
 As I am inclined to think that a short account of a six 
 weeks ramble at home may not be unacceptable, and per- 
 haps help to amuse you, — I send you the results of my 
 observations, which I hope to continue as I move along. 
 
 Leaving London on the morning of the 6th, I arrived at 
 Liverpool the same evening, and though it cannot be called 
 slow travelling to be in London at 9 o'clock and here at 
 7, still there appeared much delay, and we seldom seemed to 
 go at great speed. This quite bears out the opinion I have 
 heard you express as to the progress which may yet, in all 
 probability, be made in steam conveyance : I entertain but 
 little doubt, that a few years hence, a whole day spent on 
 the road from London to Liverpool, will be considered very 
 slow work. At Birmingham, where we stopped about 
 twenty minutes, we found a spacious room reserved for us, 
 with several long tables absolutely groaning under the 
 
 B 
 
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2 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 weight of refreshments of all kinds, and it was not a little 
 amusing to see the vast numbers of people (who sallied 
 from the coaches, like a swarm of bees from their hive) 
 sitting down and demolishing the viands with such sur- 
 prising rapidity, that their very life seemed to depend upon 
 that meal, which was far more likely to be the death of some 
 of them. To be sure, the horn of the mail is quite enough 
 to choke any man, but the sound of the bell on a rail-road, 
 in the ears of a hungry man at his dinner, is not to be des- 
 cribed. The driver of the mail may at least have a spark 
 of humanity left; he may wait a few minutes, and the 
 guarcl may favour one with two or three blasts of his bugle ; 
 there is a hope — not so with the railway — the bell rings, 
 the passengers rush to their seats, and woe to that unhappy 
 man who has his mouthful at the moment. 
 
 I had heard much about an hotel facing the river, and 
 driving in that direction was conveyed to the Mersey Hotel 
 —the only one near the water. The exterior was well 
 enough, but the Coffee Room was so full of skippers to say 
 nothing of the fumes of tobacco and tbe quantity of brandy 
 and water, that it was of course quite out of tbe question 
 to think of staying there ; accordingly I shaped my course 
 at once for the Queen's Arms where I now am. 
 
 The first thing that strikes a stranger on his arrival at 
 Liverpool must unquestionably be the Docks, which are of 
 great extent and full of shipping, so full that one not only 
 wonders how these Fleets of our Merchant Princes contrive 
 to get in, but still more how they are to get out again. 
 They are from all parts of the world, and bound to all parts, 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 3 
 
 but the greatest proportion of Foreign Ships are Americans. 
 These are generally speaking finer Vessels than our own, 
 though 1 am no great admirer of their wall-sided shape. 
 The New York Packets are beautiful vessels, and the fittings 
 in the cabins of the most handsome description, the pannels 
 being generally of satin and rose wood. The Docks stretch 
 far beyond the limits of the town, of which they are imme- 
 diately in front, and are approached from the river by 
 spacious basins of good masonry, connected with each other 
 by a river wall of fine workmanship; and the Quay, were it 
 not for the interruption of the basins, would form a beautiful 
 promenade, some parts of it being 70 or 80 yards in breadth. 
 As it is, one portion extends about six or seven hundred 
 yards along the river in an uninterrupted line, protected 
 with a parapet wall. This part however does not seem to 
 be much frequented, being rather too low down and away 
 from the spot where the several steamers receive and land 
 their passengers, the great source of amusement to all idle 
 folks, here as elsewhere. It runs parallel with the 
 " Prince's Dock," which is entirely enclosed within walls, 
 and altogether I consider it far superior to the other docks, 
 though not covering quite so great an area perhaps as the 
 " Queen's Dock." On either sides are long sheds under 
 which vessels land their cargoes. All the docks have these 
 sheds, which are very commodious and of great utility. 
 Beyond the Prince's dock, towards the mouth of the Mersey, 
 and at present the first docks on entering the river, are two 
 which are used entirely for steam vessels, and I have never 
 seen so many congregated together, — most of them large, 
 
 powerful vessels. 
 
 b2 
 
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4 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 I am afraid you will say that I am a bad hand at a des- 
 cription, having begun at one end, and must needs retrace 
 my steps to the other, but you must make every allowance ; 
 the fact is, there is little to be said of the other docks, ex- 
 cept it be that they are all remarkably fine, and no less 
 crowded with shipping, chiefly of a smaller class, and be- 
 hind them stands an extensive and lofty range of ware- 
 houses. 
 
 They are now carrying the river wall beyond the furthest 
 extremity of the docks, as far as a little Bay near the en- 
 trance of the river, where, at low water, there is a fine sand, 
 and numerous bathing machines are drawn up at the head 
 of it. It does not however appear to have become a 
 " watering place," being so near the town that the inhabi- 
 tants have only to drive out to the spot, and having en- 
 joyed their dip in the sea to return to their own homes. 
 
 It is almost superfluous to say that the Mersey is a 
 beautiful river, and yesterday, being Sunday, it was as 
 lively as Old Father Thames himself. The little steamers 
 to Seacombe, Birkenhead,Woodside, Rock Ferry, and other 
 favourite places, on the opposite side of the river, were ply- 
 ing backwards and forwards all the day long, — crowded with 
 passengers, thick as they could stow, rivalling in numbers 
 the Gravesend steamers on a Monday morning in Midsum- 
 mer. At low water the landing stairs were crowded to the 
 water's edge with people, eager to jump on board the 
 moment the vessels came alongside, and policemen were 
 stationed at the foot, with a rope, to prevent the folks from 
 pushing one another into the river : no enviable position 
 with such a press behind them. The Quay above was not 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 less crowded with lookers on. It was really a curious sight, 
 and this continued all the afternoon, for as soon as one boat 
 was off, there was another alongside ; every one seemed 
 good humoured and to enjoy themselves. 
 
 In the evening about nine o'clock the boats were bring- 
 ing back the gay parties, and it was somewhat amusing, in 
 more than one, to see a gig on the deck and the horse stand- 
 ing quite at his ease among the passengers, accustomed to 
 it no doubt, and a quiet animal : there was little room 
 however for a kick, even if one should chance to have 
 been left in his jaded limbs. One man had his nag 
 saddled and bridled, and when the steamer arrived quietly 
 led him out, and trotted off to his home. The river is of 
 course a more busy scene on the Sunday, but on other 
 days these little steamers are crossing to the Cheshire side 
 every quarter of an hour, conveying passengers at 2d. a 
 head. These, added to the usual quantity of shipping? 
 afford much amusement to idlers like myself. A visit to 
 the opposite bank should not be omitted. The town with 
 some of the lofty spiers of its Churches, many of which are 
 noble edifices, peeping as it were through the Forest of 
 shipping in the Docks, presents a most imposing appearance. 
 
 Observing in my rambles Her Majesty's Mail steam 
 Packet, ' Medusa,' in one of the Docks, I made a point of 
 going over her. She is apparently a fine boat of about 1,000 
 tons, with engines of 300 horse power, by Fawcett and Pres- 
 ton. There are two other vessels precisely similar to her, the 
 ' Merlin ' and ' Medina,' all built at Pembroke dock-yard, 
 
 after the plan of the intelligent Surveyor of the Navy, Sir 
 b3 
 
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b RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 William Symonds, expressly for this station, the latter not 
 yet completed. The internal fittings of the cabins are as 
 elegant as the arrangement of them is judicious. 
 
 These vessels carry the Mails to Dublin in the day, on the 
 arrival of the train which leaves London at night, and T am 
 sorry to find upon enquiry that the plan does not answer to 
 the Government in a financial point of view; and that the 
 Company's vessels, which start in the evening on the arri- 
 val of the day train from London, carry nearly all the 
 passengers, frequently having upwards of 70 or 80 on 
 board, while the Government vessel seldom carries above 
 20. I hope some other arrangement may be made, as it is 
 a pity that these noble vessels should be nearly deserted. 
 
 1 must now say something about the town itself, which 
 presents no less lively and busy a scene than that on the 
 river. I assure you there appears to be almost as much 
 traffic here as in London ; indeed, with a population of 
 165,175 souls, (according to the last census taken in 1831), 
 it could not well be otherwise ; as many people bustling 
 about, and as many carts, cabs, and omnibusses, but there 
 are not many carriages. 
 
 Some of the streets are handsome, wide and well built; 
 Castle street, in which my Hotel is situated, is perhaps one 
 of the finest. At the top of this street stands the Town 
 Hall, a very handsome building both inside and out, pos- 
 sessing among other elegant apartments a superb ball room : 
 from the summit is seen a beautiful panorama which well 
 repays one for the trouble of ascending : the town stretch- 
 ed immediately beneath, the noble river crowded with 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 7 
 
 shipping, the pretty banks on the Cheshire side, and the 
 Welsh mountains beyond form a very pleasing picture. At 
 the bottom of the street stands the Custom House, a lar,ee 
 massive building recently finished, a portion of which is oc- 
 cupied by the Post Office. Lord street, John street, and 
 many others are also fine streets. Immediately behind the 
 Town Hall there is a quadrangle called the Exchange 
 Building, and in the centre is placed a " Nelson Monu- 
 ment," which I cannot say that I altogether admire. Nelson 
 is represented dying in the arms of Victory who is dropping 
 a wreath upon a sword, which he holds extended above his 
 head, others being placed there already, figurative of his 
 former conquests. He is resting against a flag which con- 
 ceals the loss of his right arm, and on his left is another flag, 
 from the folds of which Death is revealed with his hand ex- 
 tended and placed on Nelson's breast ; it is not pleasing, — 
 a skeleton being anything but an agreeable object in a 
 Public Monument. The figures in Nelson's Monument, 
 are in bronze, placed upon a circular pedestal, at the foot of 
 which are four other figures in chains. There is only one 
 more statue that I am aware of in Liverpool, an equestrian 
 statue, also in bronze, by Westmacott, to commemorate the 
 fiftieth Anniversary of the accession of the good old King, 
 George the Third. It is a fine statue, and I have heard 
 that Chantrey has pronounced it to be one of the best in 
 the kingdom. 
 
 There are some pretty gardens at Liverpool, to which 
 the public are admitted upon orders. The Botanic garden- 
 is a very nice place, full of beautiful plants. The- Zoologi- 
 
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» RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 cal Gardens are laid out very much in the same manner as 
 the Surrey gardens in London, and seem to be an imitation 
 of them. They can boast of a Mount Vesuvius, the very 
 one I believe that was in London last yeai - , and Mount 
 Hecla will no doubt find its way down so soon as it shall 
 have finished its awful devastations at the Surrey. There 
 are also two Cemeteries, both very pretty pieces of ground, 
 one called the Necropolis which is kept in beautiful order 
 with fine gravel walks, shrubberies, and flower gardens : 
 the other, where poor Huskisson, who was killed at the 
 opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, lies 
 buried, seems as if cut out of the rock, the spot having I 
 fancy originally been a stone quarry. 
 
 I must now take leave of this busy thriving place, — but 
 not without mentioning the Market Places, one of which, 
 " St. John's Market," is on a very extensive scale, and is 
 said to occupy nearly two acres of ground ; it is under a 
 roof scarcely less elegant, and something resembling that of 
 which one has often heard, the Exercise House for the 
 troops, at Moscow, the largest roof in the world, resting 
 upon nothing but its walls, that of the Market being sup 
 ported by rows of iron pillars. These Market places appear 
 to be well supplied with all the necessaries as well as the 
 luxuries of life. 
 
 Hoping that I shall not have tired you with the little 
 sketch I have attempted to give you of a place so interest- 
 ing from its vast commercial importance, 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 Letter II. 
 
 Kendal, Wih of July, 1839. 
 My dear 
 
 As you have been kind enough to intimate that my ram- 
 bling Ietterabout Liverpool is acceptable, I now send you an 
 account of my movements since quitting that busy place. 
 
 You must know then, that I proceeded on the morning 
 of the 9th by Railway to Manchester, certainly the most 
 finished railway I have as yet travelled upon. One grand 
 cut is through solid rock, and the line, you are aware, 
 passes over Chatt Moss, which much reminded me of the 
 bogs in ould Ireland. It is not very clear to me how they 
 have continued this part of the line, but the work appears 
 perfectly solid, and the carriages run delightfully over it-j 
 more easily I fancied from the elasticity of the bog ; not, 
 however, that it seemed to yield in the least degree, as many 
 of the bogs do in Ireland when crossing them. 
 
 Arriving at Manchester the weather became very wet, 
 and having proceeded to the " Royal Hotel," a very large 
 and much frequented Inn, proporrionably comfortless and 
 extravagant, I sallied forth and procured a superior cotton 
 umbrella of Manchester manufacture for 4s. ! really a most 
 excellent article. 
 
 My first visit now was to a large manufactory belonging 
 to Messrs. Sharpe and Roberts, where the greatest part of 
 
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10 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 the beautiful machinery used at the cotton mills is made, 
 as well as the locomotive engines used on the railway ; 
 many of those on the Southampton and other lines being 
 supplied from this establishment. There are not less than 
 700 men constantly employed on the works, and two steam 
 engines — one of 20-horse power, for the manufacture of the 
 various parts of the machinery for the cotton mills, and the 
 other of 25-horse power, for the manufacture of locomotive 
 engines. 
 
 The work performed by the above engines much re- 
 minded me of that at the block machinery at Portsmouth, 
 with this difference, that at the block machinery, wood is 
 the material chiefly cut by the instruments ; and here it is 
 copper, iron, brass, &c. Nothing, I assure you, can be 
 more gratifying than to witness the operation, nor more 
 interesting than to watch the wheels as they go round,— 
 some of them setting chisels in motion, which pare off 1 
 pieces of iron a quarter of an inch in thickness, without an 
 effort. The machinery required at the cotton mills is of 
 the most perfect description, most complicated, yet most 
 simple, (if I may be allowed to say so,) requiring extreme 
 nicety in its various component parts. As these parts are 
 liable to get out of order from constant use, a large supply 
 is kept in store, made precisely similar to pattern ; so that 
 no sooner does an accident occur to any part of the 
 machinery at the mills than it can be immediately remedied 
 by the manufacturers. Sir George Head, in his_ " Home 
 Tours through the Manufacturing districts," aptly remarks, 
 that it is with a feeling of veneration that one enters an 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 11 
 
 establishment for the manufacture of other machinery, 
 where, he observes, is " a creation in miniature, wherein 
 variety knows no bounds, and the number and complexity 
 of curious engines constructed merely for the purpose of 
 forming small parts of another, baffle all description." 
 
 After going carefully through this interesting branch of 
 Messrs. Sharpe and Roberts' establishment, I went through 
 that were the locomotive engines are prepared, and was no 
 less pleased with my visit. I had often seen these engines 
 on the railroads; often admired them, both on account of 
 their construction, the comparative smallness of their size, 
 and extraordinary powers in moving, like some hnge 
 giant, such enormous trains of carriages at such velocity 
 upon the rails; but I confess I was ignorant of their con- 
 struction, and desirous, therefore, of seeing the anatomy of 
 them. They appear so perfect in their construction that it 
 is difficult to imagine any improvement. The copper 
 boiler is perforated with tubes, and quite different to the 
 construction of those used in marine engines. One simple 
 thing pleased me much, — the way that the different parts 
 of the machinery are supplied with oil, while the engine is 
 in motion, by means of a small reservoir from which several 
 highly polished brass tubes are led, communicating with the 
 different parts of the machinery like so many arteries. 
 
 All these locomotives have their different names, many of 
 which are well selected. We might borrow some of them 
 with advantage for our own steam vessels. By the bye, I 
 shoidd like much to have one of our large vessels called by 
 the name of the "Great Geyser," which from all the 
 
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12 
 
 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 accounts that have been given by those who have visited 
 Iceland, must unquestionably be one of the grandest dis- 
 plays of nature; what can the mind conceive more astonish- 
 ing, than a vast column of boiling water thrown seventy or 
 eighty feet in the air, accompanied with volumes of smoke 
 and steam, and noises like the distant roll of artillery? 
 Surely this would be more appropriate than the " Great 
 Western ; " and if Vesuvius and Stromboli have furnished 
 names, as well as Hecla, for some of our first class men-of-war 
 steam vessels, the " Great Geyser " may well feel indignant 
 at the omission, and look at Hecla, (which is distinctly 
 visible from the Geysers) with a somewhat jealous eye, — 
 for many a mountain in many a part of the world, may 
 boast of similar powers, and make the same grand display 
 as Hecla, while the Great Geyser stands " alone in its 
 glory " throughout the globe. 
 
 I fear this is a great digression but you must excuse it. 
 After my visit to the very interesting establishment of 
 Messrs. Sharpe and Roberts — where I was obligingly admit- 
 ted without introduction — I proceeded toinspect a cotton 
 millhaving previously obtained a letter to Mr. Cooke, who 
 owns one of the largest cotton mills at Manchester, — without 
 which letter it would be hopeless for a stranger to attempt 
 an admission in this, or any other mill in the place. Here 
 there were no less than a thousand people employed, and 
 the inspector who accompanied me round the mill, assured 
 me, that when in full operation they wove in a week as much 
 cloth as would extend in a continued line upwards of 100 
 miles. This certainly seems an amazing quantity but I 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 13 
 
 entertain little doubt of the accuracy of his statement. All 
 the various operations, from the first cleaning of the wool, 
 to the manufacture of the cloth are highly interesting. The 
 machinery at this cotton mill is worked by two 80-horse 
 power engines, and one 60. It is perhaps a little curious, 
 and forcibly reminds one of the great quantity of machinery 
 set in motion, when we find so much power required for 
 this comparatively light work, while a 25-horse engine is 
 all that is wanted for performing the heavy iron work at the 
 manufactory for the locomotive engines. 
 
 Much having been said of late in regard to the factory 
 system, I paid particular attention to the appearances of the 
 people in this mill, they were nearly all women and child- 
 ren. The heat was intense, and there was much dust from 
 the wool. As far as regards the children, they seemed 
 cheerful, and looked much the same as any others; and the 
 generality of the women strong and healthy, some of them 
 really very fine young women, but there were here and 
 there a few who certainly looked deplorably ill, evidently 
 in deep decline. Where the seeds of the disease are, I 
 have no doubt the occupation rapidly brings them forth, 
 and out of so large a number of young people there will of 
 course be found those who have a tendency to that com- 
 plaint, so general to the youth of our country, and which 
 carries off so many thousands annually. Though one must 
 always regret to see the poor little children shut up in such 
 an atmosphere, and doomed to labour so early in life, yet I 
 cannot conscientiously say, that I observed any apparent 
 unhealthiness resulting from their occupation. If all the 
 
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14 , RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 mills were conducted like this, (which there is too much 
 reason to fear is far from the case,) we should hear but little 
 complaint. My stay at Manchester was short. There is 
 nothing to detain one after going carefully through one of 
 the mills. It appeared to me to be as dull and smoky a 
 place as can well be, — with only one good street running 
 through it, of about the same average appearance, perhaps, 
 as Piccadilly ; and very few public buildings to attract 
 attention. Indeed, I was quite astonished to see so large 
 and wealthy a town so entirely deficient of all public orna- 
 ment, for the buildings really are not worth specifying. 
 
 Leaving Manchester, the next day I went to Rochdale, 
 to enjoy the hospitality of some friends, for a day or two. 
 This town is prettily situated among the hills, distant about 
 twelve miles from Manchester, and there are many delight- 
 ful walks in the neighbourhood, but, alas ! it seldom ceased 
 raining during my stay there. However, I made the most 
 of my time, and among other things visited a large woollen 
 mill. The process is very similar to that of cotton, but not 
 quite so cleanly, a great quantity of oil being used in the 
 manufacture of the cloth. Some of the wool which looked 
 beautifully soft and white, I found on taking it up, to be 
 saturated with the oil. I also visited a dying-house where 
 the cloth is soaked in large vats of hot water till it has 
 thoroughly received its colour. The final process is to re- 
 move the oily substance which adheres to the cloth, and 
 this is done by steeping it in a certain fluid, which is the 
 only one that has yet been discovered for the purpose. 
 
 A visit to an extensive corn mill near the town, probably of 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 15 
 
 one the largest in England, was of course not to be omitted; 
 it is worked by steam, and the process of cleaning the grain 
 by allowing it to pass through several revolving selves with 
 brushes within them, is similar to that in H.M. Victualling 
 yard at Deptford. As the mill was at full work, I came 
 out well powdered over, locking very lily-white I assure 
 you. My friend, (who is recently married,) observed to the 
 owner of the mill, that he wished me to follow his exam- 
 ple. — " Ah, sir, he should have thought of that before, he 
 has allowed his best days to go over:" quoth the plain 
 spoken miller. But I was willing to believe that my pow- 
 dered hair had somewhat misled him. All the Lancashire 
 folks hereabouts seem to be remarkably free and easy in 
 their manners. 
 
 Rochdale, like all other manufacturing towns, is a very 
 radical place, and was in a state of much excitement whilst 
 I was there : they were polling for church rates, or no 
 church rates, and an outbreak was of course expected. 
 The military were in barracks under arms, ready to act, if 
 necessary : and the church-yard, which stands on a some- 
 what precipitous hill, was completeiy thronged with peo- 
 ple, but a single charge of infantry would have sent them 
 rolling down the slope in great and glorious confusion. All 
 however, passed off tolerably quiet, and the Conservatives 
 carried it by a majority of only six. 
 
 The chartists were said to be numerous in the neighbour- 
 hood. — The friend with whom I was staying, and who is 
 one of the most active magistrates at Rochdale, a staunch 
 Conservative, had managed to procure specimens of the 
 
 c 2 
 
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16 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 weapons with which many of these misguided and ignorant 
 men had armed themselves. They were of two sorts, both 
 formidable enough, being sharp spear heads of steel, not 
 less than a foot in length, and one of them with a sort of 
 reaping hook attached to it, for the purpose, probably, of 
 cutting the bridles, in case of a rencountre with the cavalry 
 — not that the cowards would ever face them. To what a 
 state is our country brought in these piping times of peace ! 
 
 Leaving Rochdale, by coach, on the afternoon on the 
 12tb, I arrived again at Manchester in time for the five 
 o'clock train, to Preston, where I dined and slept. 
 
 Preston, is a prettily situated town with a good street of 
 some extent running through it, and in the centre of this 
 street, stand two large inns, immediately facing each other. 
 Numerous coaches are at all times passing through, so that 
 there is always something going on, and frequently a busy 
 and bustling scene in front of the inns. The river Ribble 
 flows in a serpentine course, at the foot of the town, bend- 
 ing its way to the sea through the stately woods, which 
 cover its banks, on either side, and the " weary sun" mak- 
 ing a "golden set" beyond them, leaving behind "the 
 bright track of his fiery car," formed, as I thought, one or 
 the most pleasing landscape views, that could well be se- 
 lected for the pencil. There is a fine church at Preston, 
 the steeple of which I ascended the following morning, and 
 obtained from it a fine panoramic view, and a peep at the 
 sea, which, whether distant or near, is always to me a 
 pleasing object. 
 
 I now took my leave of Preston, and proceeded to Lan- 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 17 
 
 caster, by a novel conveyance, novel to me at least, by 
 canal, and as you have never performed a similar voyage, 
 I shall claim your indulgence, by endeavouring to give 
 you some notion of it. The boat I embarked in was 
 called the Waterwitch : it is built I believe of sheet 
 iron, is very sharp, and measures 75 feet 6 inches in 
 length, and is about 5 feet broad ; a covering or awn- 
 ing is built upon the sides of the boat, extending entirely 
 from one end to the other, and full of windows, and there 
 is a bench on either side the whole way along it, so that 
 both as regards the motley groups of passengers within, 
 and the tout ensemble of the affair, it may not inappropri- 
 ately be called a floating omnibus. This omnibus, or Noah's 
 ark, was as full, perhaps, as she could well stow. The 
 chief cabin fare was 3s, (for there is a little distinction 
 made,) and this cabin is divided off from the remainder of 
 the boat by folding doors. All the luggage of the passen- 
 gers, and there seemed to be no small quantity, was stowed 
 in a well at the bows, and between this and the doors of 
 the cabin, there was room for about four passengers to 
 stand, who might prefer an outside berth, which was cer- 
 tainly my case. 
 
 The distance by canal to Lancaster is thirty miles, the 
 route being very circuitous. 
 
 The Waterwitch having embarked her passengers and 
 cargo, was pushed from under the shed where she receives 
 them ; in a minute the horses were hooked on and we were 
 fairly under weigh. She was drawn by tVvo, the driver 
 sitting on one, and whipping on the other before him. We 
 c3 
 
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18 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 travelled at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour, and 
 changed horses apparently at intervals of four or five miles, 
 when the poor animals seemed to be panting vehemently, 
 and were altogether much distressed. The change of horses 
 is more rapid than that of the mails. They have only to 
 unhook — and again hook the tow rope to the trace : the 
 speed of the boat is slackened, but that is all, it does not 
 actually stop. A quick canter is preserved the whole 
 way, amounting at times almost to a gallop, and the boat 
 then darts through the water at the rate of ten or twelve 
 miles an hour, nor does the driver slacken his speed in go- 
 ing under the numerous bridges which occur, when, from 
 the lowness of the arch, both horse and rider are under the 
 necessity of leaning their weight considerably over towards 
 the canal ; and the towing-path under the archjbeing very 
 narrow, the slightest trip of the horse would doubtless pre- 
 cipitate both horse and rider into the water. No such mis- 
 fortune however occurred. The boat was well managed ; 
 the steersman gave the word of command to the driver by 
 means of a shrill whistle, and a horn ; the former to indicate 
 a progressive motion, the latter to " ease her," or " stop 
 her." 
 
 In the narrow part of the canal the water was often 
 knocked up as much as it is by a steam vessel, and in the 
 most confined and circuitous parts it was forced up into a 
 long unbroken wave, stretching across the canal right 
 ahead of the boat, when a few blasts of the bugle intimated 
 to the driver that it was necessary he should slacken his 
 speed, to allow it to subside ; for be it known that so far 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 19 
 
 as he, the driver is concerned, he would not be a whit the 
 wiser if the boat was half under water or wholly so. The 
 only real danger seemed to be a collision with some of the 
 barges, for in the winding parts of the canal, we some- 
 times came rather more suddenly upon them than was 
 altogether agreeable. 
 
 I went no farther than Lancaster, but the canal continues 
 to Kendal, and between these places six or seven locks 
 occur, which are passed one after another, the rise being 
 about eight or nine feet for each lock.* 
 
 * This mode of travelling upon canals, is likely through the 
 exertions of Mr. McNeill, civil engineer, to undergo as great 
 a change as that upon the roads, by a similar application of 
 locomotive engines upon rails, along the towing paths. 
 
 Experiments, it would seem by the Glasgow Chronicle, have 
 been made in the early of part of October on the Forth and 
 Clyde canal, the result of which has been highly satisfactory ; 
 a passenger boat, laden with an average number of passengers, 
 having attained a speed of twenty miles an hour ; the wave 
 produced, though large, is said not to have been by any means 
 so formidable as to create any fear of its proving an obstacle to 
 this mode of conveyance. 
 
 Eight small vessels of different tonnage, amounting in all to 
 364 tons actual load, appear to have been towed at a rate of 
 two miles and a half per hour, with about the fourth of the 
 power of the engine, while it is stated that twenty horses 
 would have been required under the most favorable circum- 
 stances to have moved them at the usual rate of one mile and 
 a half per hour. 
 
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20 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 Lancaster is prettily situated, and there is a fine old 
 castle, which I should have been glad to have inspected if 
 I had had time. Finding there was a coach on the point 
 of starting, I went on to Kendal, a town delightfully situ- 
 ated among the hills, with the river Kent, a pretty stream, 
 flowing rapidly through the valley. 
 
 At Kendal there is a new church, which I attended in 
 the morning — a very elegant structure. The preacher gave 
 us an extempore sermon, and the service was well attended. 
 In the afternoon I went to the old church, which is very 
 large, and probably among the oldest of the churches in 
 England, but I could meet with no account of it. The 
 roof seems remarkably ancient. A portion of it is wood, 
 worked and fitted together like the rich stone ceilings you 
 have seen in abbeys, with their pendant ornaments. In one 
 part of the church are the royal arms, with Charles II., 
 painted thereon ; but this I imagine to have been placed 
 there when the church underwent some repairs, as it is 
 evidently older than his time. — Sunday was a very wet day 
 but the evening cleared up. I walked to the top of a little 
 hill on the opposite side of the river above the town, where 
 there are the remains of a Roman encampment, or keep, 
 the walls of which, and part of a tower, are still remaining, 
 though in a ruinous and delapidated state. I then walked 
 up the river to Burneside, a distance of about two miles 
 from Kendal, a very pretty little village, with a small 
 church close to the Kent, which here becomes much con- 
 tracted, but flows rapidly over a rocky bed, winding beauti- 
 fully through the valley. Some parts of the walk are close 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 21 
 
 to this rapid stream, which is as clear as crystal, and conti- 
 nues so to Kendal. It is very shallow, and not navigable 
 for boats. I do not know whether there are other fish than 
 trout, but this was all I was able to procure at the inn, 
 and I should think there was nothing else. Hoping to 
 address my next from Windermere, 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
 Digitized by Microsoft® 
 
Letter III. 
 
 Windermere, July \7th, 1839. 
 
 My dear 
 
 T have now the pleasure of addressing a few lines to you 
 from the banks of the beautiful Lake of Windermere. 
 
 I took my departure from Kendal, on the morning of 
 the 15th. The clouds were thick, heavy, and lowering : 
 I could not forget that it was St. Swithin's day, proverbi- 
 ally, the most unpropitious day in the calendar, and parti- 
 cularly so, you will allow, to commence a " tour to the 
 Lakes." Bad as my memory is, had I chanced to have 
 forgotten St. Swithin, a very smart shower, just as I was on 
 the point of starting, could not have failed to recall him for- 
 cibly to my mind. Having waited patiently till this pass- 
 ing cloud had expended its fury, and pretty well drenched 
 the streets of Kendal, I stepped into my car, a little four- 
 wheeled phaeton, for the hire of which I paid at the rate of 
 a shilling the mile, the usual charge in the districts of the 
 lakes : and as the different cars will always accommodate 
 two persons, and what little baggage they may have with 
 them, the lakes may be pleasantly visited in this manner at 
 a trifling expense. Unfortunately I was alone, which 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 23 
 
 greatly detracts from the enjoyment of a "Ramble," 
 besides adding very considerably to the expense. The dis- 
 tance to Bowness, whither I proceeded, is nine miles. This 
 is a delightful little spot, situated upon a sloping bank, on 
 the east side of Windermere, and commanding a beautiful 
 view of the lake. It consists of a few houses, and two 
 large hotels, at one of which, the White Lion, I took up 
 my quarters. 
 
 Being anxious to make the most of my time, and to visit 
 Easthwaite and Coniston Waters, I immediately made 
 arrangements for the trip, and shall therefore attempt to 
 describe my " day's work," before I tell you anything of 
 Windermere, the largest of the English lakes. 
 
 Greatly pi*eferring to ride on these sort of excursions than 
 to be stuck in a vehicle of any description, I requested to 
 be furnished with a horse, when, to my great surprise, I 
 was informed that there were no saddle horses let out on 
 hire. How different at Killarney ! where the difficulty is 
 to avoid being furnished with more ponies than one wants, 
 so eager are the good folks to persuade you to hire their 
 steeds. The landlord, however, was a civil obliging person, 
 and though he had no regular saddle horses, was willing to 
 do the best he could to meet my wishes. Accordingly a 
 rough long-backed raw-boned poster was trotted out of the 
 stables, and having first scrutinized his fore-legs, and ascer- 
 tained the most important fact that he had never been down, 
 I was soon seated in the saddle. He was exceedingly un- 
 couth in his gait, and, when put in motion, yawed about un- 
 commonly, probably missing the rattling noise at his heels, 
 
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24 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 and wondering, no doubt, what had become of the chaise 
 which usually followed them. Arriving at the Ferry, which 
 is nearly half a mile from the inn, in the narrowest part and 
 about the centre of the lake, my poster was somewhat shy of 
 the water, and had evidently never crossed it before ; but a 
 little coaxing soon persuaded him to walk into the ferry- 
 boat. Once afloat, he was sorely puzzled to get out, 
 and sufficiently sagacious not to make the attempt. The 
 wind being rather high, the boat was tossed about a little, 
 which appeared to be anything but agreeable to the quad- 
 ruped. We were soon landed in safety on the opposite 
 bank, the lake being very contracted at this spot. I now 
 proceeded to Hawkshead, skirting along the banks of a 
 pretty sheet of water, called Easthwaite, at the head of 
 which the little village is situated. This lake is about two 
 miles in length, and half a mile in breadth, and is one of 
 the feeders of Windermere. As there seemed to be nothing 
 to attract attention at Hawkshead, I trotted on, and leaving 
 Easthwaite water, and pursuing a westerly course, soon 
 came upon Coniston water, the object of my ride. The 
 road passes close to the very end of the lake, and is washed 
 by its waves. It is about six miles in length, and viewed 
 from Braithwaite's inn, Waterhead, is certainly a fine ex- 
 panse of water, discharging itself at its southern extremity 
 into a little river called the Crake, which flows into the Le- 
 ven. I now went on to the village of Coniston, at the head 
 of the valley, where having obtained luncheon, curiosity led 
 me to stroll on horseback up to the recesses of the moun- 
 tains to see if there might not be a waterfall. 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 25 
 
 Tracing the stream, I came to a small one, and higher 
 lip, to another, and owing to the late heavy rains, the fall 
 of water was here verry pretty, but the channel would no 
 doubt be dry, or nearly so, at other times. I found, at the 
 upper fall, a copper mine, and several people employed 
 washing the ore, &c, but it is carried elsewhere to be 
 smelted. 
 
 1 did not, upon this occasion, go into the bowels of the 
 earth, but contented myself with picking up two or three 
 specimens of the ore, which seemed to be abundant, and of 
 a good rich quality. On the right of the mountain stream 
 rises Coniston Old Man, the highest point of land, at the 
 summit of which there appeared to be a large heap of 
 stones; and I am told they are going to increase it, and 
 to make a place of shelter at the same time. 
 
 I regretted that I could not possibly afford time to make 
 an ascent, being particularly fond of climbing hills ; and, 
 as an additional inducement, there is a large slate quarry 
 opened on the side of the Old Man, which I should liked 
 to have seen. 
 
 The mountains at the head of this valley are denuded 
 and wild in their appearance, and were sufficiently high to 
 intercept the clouds in their progress, which ever and anon 
 curled over their summits, obscuring them in a mist from 
 the view. The other hills which surround Coniston Water, 
 being verdant enough, formed a pleasing contrast, and the 
 digitalis was everywhere most abundant, and in full blossom. 
 The heaths too were numerous and very beautiful, as also 
 the wild geranium. 
 
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 Retracing my steps to Easthwaite Water, I again had to 
 cross the Ferry to Windermere, to which my long-backed 
 raw-boned poster had now got more accustomed, and so 
 returned to dinner, pleased with my ride though somewhat 
 a rough one, the distance, there and back, being about 
 twenty miles, and my steed requiring much of the persua- 
 sive and somewhat irresistible argument of the heel to move 
 along, which added not a little to the fatigue of the rider. 
 The weather was remarkably fine for the trip ; and, not- 
 withstanding St. Swithin, not a drop of rain fell during the 
 day, although I am informed it seldom does anything else 
 but rain in these parts, the truth of which assertion seems 
 borne out by the large wooden clogs, two inches thick in 
 the sole, tipped at the toe and heel with iron, with which 
 the women and children in all the towns in Lancashire, go 
 clattering over the pavements, to the no small annoyance 
 of strangers like myself. 
 
 After dinner I strolled up to the top of a barren rock, 
 above the little village, from whence there is a fine view oi 
 the lake, which is almost ten miles in length, a noble sheet 
 of water, surrounded by gently sloping hills, verdant and 
 well wooded, and studded with several pretty little islands. 
 Like Coniston Water, Windermere discharges itself at its 
 southern extremity, and joins the Leven. 
 
 Curwen's Island, so named after its proprietor, is the 
 largest island on Windermere, and lies immediately oppo- 
 site to Bowness. The others indeed, are of small extent. 
 They all lie in a cluster in this part of the lake ; and both 
 above and below them, appears one uninterrupted sheet of 
 water 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 27 
 
 Having procured a boat across, I walked round the 
 island. It is said to consist of about thirty-six acres of 
 land ; and, tracing the gravel walk the distance performed 
 may perhaps be about two miles. Owing to the late heavy 
 rains, the lake had made considerable encroachments upon 
 the footpath, which was here and there completely under 
 water ; but a little detour through the swampy grass 
 brought me again upon terra firma. There are some fine 
 trees upon the island, particularly oaks and chestnuts, the 
 latter of which were almost equal to any of those in the 
 noble avenue of Bushy Park, one of the finest avenues in 
 existence, and probably the most beautiful in the spring of 
 the year, when the trees, being one mass of blossom, seem 
 as if sprinkled with the purest snow. The house on Cur- 
 wen's Island is of an octagonal form, and has been com- 
 pared, not inappropriately, to a beehive, to which, at a little 
 distance, it certainly bears the resemblance. 
 
 The islands, I believe, all belong to different proprietors, 
 and one was pointed out to me, just large enough for a 
 small pic-nic party, and which, I learned, was purchased 
 for that especial purpose for the sum of 3001. 
 
 The view of the head of the lake, in crossing the water, 
 was very striking. It was a lovely morning, and the lights 
 and shades upon the mountains (for so I shall call them,) 
 were really enchanting, not a cloud concealed their sum- 
 mits ; they were floating far above the earth, and just in 
 sufficient quantity to cast every now and then the most 
 pleasing shadows on different parts of the heights, while 
 p 2 
 
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28 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 the bright sun shone forth in all its splendour upon the re- 
 mainder of the landscape. 
 
 It may be as well to mention here that the highest point 
 ofland in the lake district scarcely exceeds 3000 feet, which 
 I must request you to bear in mind, as everything is by 
 comparison ; and a traveller over the Andes might think 
 my mountains nothing but mole-hills. 
 
 The little boat in which I crossed to Curwen's Island 
 was a rowing boat : there was in this, as in the other boats 
 upon the lake, a peculiarity which I have seen no where 
 else ; the oars, instead of being worked in the common row- 
 locks, are worked on an iron pin, which pierces them, and 
 upon a circular piece of iron extending beyond the gun- 
 wale. This gives a good purchase, and enables one man to 
 pull the boat with great rapidity. My boatman was one of 
 the char fishermen, and has followed the occupation three 
 and twenty years, " and his father and grandfather before 
 him," as I was duly informed. 
 
 The char fishing is only carried on during the winter 
 months, when the several landlords of the inns in the vici- 
 nity of the lakes, purchase the fish for the purpose of pot- 
 ting. There were, altogether, about a dozen fishermen upon 
 Windermere, and it seemed generally to be a tolerably lucra- 
 tive occupation. Upon my inquiring of the boatman how 
 far it might answer his purpose, he replied, that during 
 the last winter, for instance, the landlord of the White Lion, 
 to whom he supplied his fish, could not have paid him less 
 than 601.: this, with what he may pick up during the sum- 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 29 
 
 mer, by the hire of his boat, must afford him a tolerable 
 livelihood. The greatest quantity of char he had ever 
 taken in one day was, he told me, twenty-four dozen and a 
 half; and fifteen dozen the most in one haul. 
 
 It has been stated in some of the Guide Books that there 
 are no char in Easthwaite Water, the shallowness of the 
 lake being attributed as the cause ; but my informant 
 laughs at this, and says that they are caught in various 
 depths, and that the assertion in the Guide Book, that they 
 are only taken in deep water, is quite nonsense. The fact 
 of there being no char in Easthwaite Water is undoubted, 
 but he assigns as the far more probable reason, the great 
 number of pike, who have there the dominion of the waters 
 of the lake. Pike are also very abundant in Windermere. 
 I was treated with some for my dinner, but it seemed to me 
 to be a perfectly tasteless fish. 
 
 There were a few small yachts and cutters lying off Bow- 
 ness and several little pleasure boats. In some parts the 
 lake is very shallow with rocks, sand-banks, &c, although 
 deep enough in others. In many of the shallow parts 
 staves have been driven in to mark them, but these marks 
 have apparently been much neglected, and either from the 
 rising of the lake, or settling of the staves, they appear in 
 some parts only just above water, and are really very 
 dangerous. 
 
 My boatman told me that he and another were pulling 
 along at a quick rate, and ran their boat upon one of them : 
 it was through her in a moment, and they had to pull for 
 their lives, but fortunately they were near the shore, 
 
 d3 
 
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 and readied it up to the thwarts in water, one of the men 
 having had the sagacity to place his foot over the hole, and 
 thus to a certain extent keep out the water. 
 
 My visit !to Curwen's Island was early yesterday morn- 
 ing (the 16th). The day being remarkably fine, I was deter- 
 mined to make the best of it, and to proceed to Ullswater, 
 through the valley of Troutbeck, and thence to retrace my 
 steps a portion of the way and return to Ambleside, at the 
 head of Windermere, from whence this letter is addressed 
 to you. 
 
 For this purpose I hired a gig. Shortly after leaving 
 Bowness, at a distance of about a quarter of a mile, there 
 is a little green hillock on the left of the road, which I as- 
 cended on foot, and from whence there is a delightful 
 view of Windermere, and particularly of the range of hills 
 at the head of the lake, which I had so much admired 
 when crossing to Curwen's island. I do not suppose that 
 the lake is anywhere to be seen to greater advantage than 
 from this spot ; the view from which includes the whole 
 extent of it. The first part of the road is a pleasant drive 
 a little above the lake, and at a short distance from it. 
 It then takes an easterly direction, leaving Windermere 
 behind, and enters the contracted and picturesque valley 
 of Troutbeck, shut in on either side by lofty hills, through 
 which it proceeds to the very head of the valley. The lower 
 part nearest to the lake is well wooded, and verdant : and 
 a rapid stream flows through it. 
 
 Proceeding up the valley, we passed the little village 
 of Troutbeck, along straggling row of houses, extending 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 31 
 
 probably about a mile, and built on the brow of the hill, 
 a little above the right bank of the stream, with a church 
 on the opposite side, detached from the village. The cha- 
 racter of the valley now begins to change, and approach- 
 ing towards the head of it the mountains are lofty and 
 denuded, their sides being covered with the debris. The 
 road continues to ascend till it attains a considerable 
 elevation, and the scenery becomes wild: no houses nor 
 huts are any where to be seen : all is solitude. On reach- 
 ing the farthest point, where this valley terminates, the 
 road winds round the mountain, and on looking back, 
 down a valley which lay beneath us, there is a very pretty 
 peep of the head of Windermere, near the little village 
 of Ambleside. The road comes in at the head of this val- 
 ley, upon which our backs were for the present turned, 
 which was of little moment however, as on returning 
 from Ulls water, whither I was proceeding, it was neces- 
 sary to retrace my steps, and pass through it. 
 
 We continued still to ascend, winding round a moun- 
 tain called Kirkstone, till the road had attained its 
 highest point, when we entered upon another valley 
 through which there is a somewhat rapid descent to 
 Ullswater. 
 
 The view that bursts upon the sight on entering this 
 latter valley is very imposing. On either side are lofty 
 precipitous mountains, with many a silvery streamlet 
 trickling down their sides, which, crossing under the road 
 in some parts, fall into a rapid stream at the foot of the 
 mountains, hurrying onwards to a little placid lake called 
 
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 Brother Water, which is seen on entering the valley, 
 apparently backed by the lofty mountain of Placefell. 
 
 This little sheet of water, from whence a stream flows 
 into Ullswater, is one of the principal feeders of that lake, 
 which, discharging itself at its northern extremity into 
 a river called the Eamont joins the Eden, and pursuing 
 a north-west direction flows into the Solway Frith. 
 
 Nothing can be prettier than the disposition of the 
 hills at the head of this lake where there is a little village 
 called Patterdale, and a small inn for the accommoda- 
 tion of visitors. They are really, lofty some of them being 
 upwards of 2,000 feet. Placefell which I have mentioned 
 before, stands in an imposing manner on the right shore, 
 at the head of the lake. Herds of red deer are said to 
 frequent it ; and foxes are plentiful in the neighbour- 
 hood. I walked up the side of Placefell to a spot where 
 they are working a slate quarry, from whence there is a 
 fine view of the other mountains and Helvellyn towering 
 above them in the following form,— A — v. In one of the re- 
 cesses of the mountains opposite to Placefell there is 
 a lead mine, and the white smoke arising from the smelt- 
 ing of the ore, and ascending into the air, amidst the 
 surrounding darkness of the ravine, added not a little to 
 the effect. There are one or two other lead mines which 
 we had passed in the valley descending to the lake. 
 
 I now procured a little poney at the inn, Scarcely bigger 
 than a Shetland, and rode along the margin on the west 
 side of the lake, some four or five miles, to look at a 
 waterfall called Airey Force the situation of which, in a 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 33 
 
 deeply-wooded glen in Gowbarrow Park, at a little dis- 
 tance from the lake, is pleasing enough. The path that 
 leads to it is only wide enough for one person. I took 
 my little poney up to the fall, but had some little diffi- 
 culty in turning him round in so narrow a place. There 
 is no road on the east side the mountains - sloping ab- 
 ruptly down into the lake. The ride back from the fall, 
 towards the head of the lake, well repaid me, and I 
 should imagine that Ulls water cannot be seen from any 
 better point of view. 
 
 Having gratified my curiosity, and satisfied my appe- 
 tite, which the mountain air had rendered rather more 
 than usually craving, I hired another gig and horse, and 
 retraced my steps to the head of the valley. They are 
 here building a little Inn, probably one of the wildest 
 spots in the neighbourhood. The road now enters the 
 other valley, at the extremity of which lies Ambleside. 
 
 This truly may be called a beautiful vale, embracing 
 as it does a rich view of verdant fields and fine sloping 
 woods, with a small portion of Windermere, terminated 
 by several ranges of mountains, of somewhat regular for- 
 mation ; and beyond them I fancied I caught a glimpse of 
 the sea. The descent to this little village is very pretty, 
 the houses not being visible till you come close upon 
 them. It is situated at the foot of the hills, some little 
 distance from the lake, of which there is no view from 
 Ambleside, without ascending the hills. Behind the Inn 
 where I am staying, the " Salutation," there is a pretty 
 little cascade, some half mile off, called Stock Gill force, 
 
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 As I had missed a favourite spot on the left bank of 
 Windermere, about a mile and a half from Ambleside, 
 called Low Wood Inn, by going through the valley of 
 Troutbeck, T walked to look at it. The inn is prettily 
 situated near the lake, and commands a fine view of the 
 upper part, with the surrounding mountains. There were 
 several little pleasure yachts moored off this place. 
 
 Fearing that I shall already have tired you, and having 
 little else to say of the spots I have visited, I shall conclude 
 my present epistle, intending to address my next to you 
 from Edinburgh, and to continue my rambling account of 
 my progress through the district of the lakes. 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
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35 
 
 Letter IV. 
 
 Edinburgh^ 26th July, 1 839. 
 
 My dear 
 
 Having taken my leave of the beautiful lake of Winder- 
 mere, on the morning of the 17th, the day on which I last 
 wrote to you, I proceeded in a car to Grasmere. About a 
 mile and a half from Ambleside, I left the road to view two 
 waterfalls, which are much spoken of in the grounds of 
 Lady Fleming, at a place called Rydal Hall, a charming 
 richly-wooded estate, with many trees upon it of remark- 
 ably fine growth. The walk to the upper cascade is through 
 a narrow glen, the path following the course of the stream, 
 which gurgles over its rocky bed : a more delightful stroll 
 than this on a hot summer's day, under the shade of the 
 trees which thickly overhang the channel in the rocks, 
 cannot be imagined. The distance to this upper fall is 
 about a mile, and the ascent rather steep. The water flows 
 through a chasm or creek in the rocks in one continuous 
 sheet, which opens out into a broader sheet ; but this se- 
 cond sheet is not so high as the one immediately over it. 
 
 At some little distance from this waterfall, and lower 
 down in the ground, there is another which is shewn to 
 
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 strangers through the windows of a little wooden building) 
 erected at the foot in front of it, and the effect is really very 
 striking ; the stream being seen as it flows under an arch, 
 before it reaches the spot where it falls over. The building 
 appears to have stood there for centuries, and I observed 
 the date, 1617, carved on one of the shutters. 
 
 Having visited these falls, I crossed over the road which 
 skirts Lady Fleming's property, and walked into a little 
 garden immediately in front of the cottage of the poet 
 Wordsworth, who most kindly allows any visitor to go into 
 his garden in the very front of his windows, — to mount 
 a circular mound, or grass-plot, and to enjoy one of the 
 most beautiful and picturesque views that can well be 
 conceived, comprising every requisite for a landscape — 
 hills, dales, wood, and water; the very spot of all others 
 for a poet. Wordsworth, I am told, will often come out 
 and talk to the people who may visit this charming spot, 
 which he has so judiciously selected as his retreat in the 
 evening of life ; but I was not so fortunate as to see this 
 distinguished poet and kind-hearted venerable man. 
 
 Pursuing my journey, we drove through a little valley in 
 which there is a small lake, called Rydal Water, which, 
 after receiving its supplies from Grasmere, flows into Win- 
 dermere, and shortly afterwards we entered the pretty and 
 luxuriant valley of Grasmere itself, with its little lake,— 
 somewhat larger than Rydal Water, shut in with hills on 
 all sides; a sweet retired spot, at least, as regards the effect 
 produced upon the mind by the surrounding scenery, but 
 so overrun with tourists, that I was unable to procure ano- 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 37 
 
 othfr car to proceed on my journey, and had to wait several 
 hours before they could furnish one from the Red Lion, 
 the little inn where I stopped. I made good use of my 
 legs, and varied the views of the valley by ascending differ- 
 ent points ; it is, perhaps, seen to the best advantage on 
 ascending the road which passes through it, and which leads 
 to the foot of Helvellyn : the retrospect is charming — a 
 rich contracted valley completely hemmed in by lofty barren 
 hills ; those on the north-west of the vale being jagged and 
 irregular, worn away by time and the elements, two de- 
 structive agents, the ruin of all things. 
 
 One of the rugged hills alluded to is known by the 
 name of Helm Crag, whose summit is covered with frag- 
 ments of rock, appearing, as one of the guide books not in- 
 aptly remarks, "like a mass of ruins occasioned by a vol- 
 cano," which perhaps is altogether not unlike the appear- 
 ance it presents; but what think you of the following com- 
 parisons drawn by men of talent? Mr. Gray (I quote my 
 guide book,) "likens it to some gigantic building demo- 
 lished." — Mr. West, " to a mass of antediluvian ruins." — 
 Mr. Green, "to the figures of a lion and lamb." — Mr. 
 Wordsworth, " to an astrologer and an old woman ! " — 
 Another compares it " to the wheel of a water-mill,"— "very 
 like a whale" certainly : but so they go on ad infinitum, as 
 if every one was in duty bound to find out some resem- 
 blance. How one and the same thing can be like any two 
 of the foregoing very rfis-similar things, I am quite at a 
 loss to know. My own poor brains, I confess, could con- 
 
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 jure up no imaginary resemblance to anything beyond 
 the ruins of a volcano. 
 
 Quitting the delightful vale of Grasmere, one of the 
 prettiest spots in the district of the lakes, and attaining 
 the summit, the bold mountain of Skiddaw, rises to the 
 view, directly in front, presenting a very imposing appear- 
 ance ; and shortly afterwards, the base of Helvellyn — the 
 "mighty Helvellyn," (so says the guide-book,) is seen on 
 the right, the road winding at the very foot of it : the 
 little inn, the Nag's Head, Wythburn, as the spot is 
 called, standing on the opposite side of the road immedi- 
 ately under Helvellyn, so close indeed under it that the sum- 
 mit is not at all visible ; and, though it does certainly seem 
 a tough hill to walk up after dinner, it did not inspire me 
 with that awe I had expected, on seeing the highest moun- 
 tain in England, — which, however, it must be x-emembered, 
 is only 3,070 feet. I took up my quarters at this little inn, 
 intending to pass a quiet night, being somewhat fatigued, 
 and to ascend Helvellyn the next morning, but I spared 
 my shoe leather, at any rate, for it proved a most unpro- 
 pitious day, blowing very hard, with thick and constant 
 squalls of rain. 
 
 Alas ! how often are our fondest hopes blighted in a mo- 
 ment. I had scarce got into my bed, and placed myself in 
 the arms of Morpheus, the God of dreams, to enjoy my quiet 
 night, when a violent battering at the door of the inn set 
 me on the qui vive, feeling fully convinced that it would 
 not long stand such a bombardment; and in another 
 
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 minute the poor landlady, whose husband was a cripple, 
 came up to my bedroom-door in the greatest state of alarm, 
 followed by all her children, vociferating, that "the men 
 had returned to the house ! what was to be done?" Be it 
 known to you that the men were three drunken blackguards 
 whom I had observed quarrelling and fighting by the road 
 side, when I drove up to the inn, followed by a woman, — 
 and one of them was so pot-valiant that he was swearing 
 with many a strange oath, that " he would fight up to his 
 knees in blood." — A pretty business this, thinks I to my- 
 self — but I lighted a candle, and went down to make the 
 best I could of a bad job, not knowing at all what the result 
 might be, but I confess, to my great satisfaction and peace 
 of mind, I found that a gamekeeper, and one or two worthy 
 clods of the soil who had not left the house, as the poor 
 landlady thought, when she came in such despair to my 
 bedroom door, had just sallied forth with sticks in their 
 hands, and so unexpectedly cudgelled the intruders that 
 they took to their heels, no doubt seeing, at least double the 
 number of men who had come out to attack them. They 
 never came near the place a second time. All this is well 
 enough by way of variety, but in a lonely spot like this 
 with not a house, save the little church opposite, anywhere 
 near it, and rendered still more lonely by the howling of 
 the wind and rain, the night being very tempestuous, it 
 was anything but agreeable I assure you — particularly as 
 the Nag's Head would not stand a seige, for even 'if they 
 had failed to force the door, the house is so low that the 
 beseigers would not have had much difficulty in gaining 
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 admittance at the bedroom windows*. — so much for my 
 quiet night. 
 
 Having given up all hope of ascending Helvellyn, I pro- 
 ceeded on to Keswick in the afternoon by the mail, which 
 changed horses at Wythburn. The day continued so rough 
 and boisterous that I saw little of the beauty, though some- 
 thing of the grandeur of the scenery. The road passes 
 close to Thirlemere Lake, situated about 500 feet above 
 the level of the sea, and the highest elevation of the lakes. 
 The scenery around it is somewhat of a wild character, and 
 continues so until after passing an extensive peat moss, 
 when it shortly enters the fine vale in which Keswick lies. 
 
 The morning of the 19th was, if possible, worse than the 
 preceding day, and it never ceased raining. I need not, 
 therefore say, that I saw little or nothing of Derwent water, 
 which is about three miles in extent, and not much of the 
 mountains, Skiddaw and Saddleback : they were covered 
 with mist and clouds, but as these occasionally cleared off, I 
 could see their outlines tolerably well. Wet as the day was, 
 I trudged out with two other gentlemen whom I had met 
 at Grasmere, as far as a spot called Crow Park, and after- 
 wards to Friar's Crag, which overhangs the lake ; and from 
 whence, on a fine day, there is a good view of it ; but I 
 saw it under the most unfavorable circumstances, and could 
 only now and then, as the mist cleared away, get a glimpse 
 of Lowdor Waterfall — the Niagara of Derwent water! as 
 my guide book is pleased to call it. The fall of water is 
 stated to be 150 feet, and it is considered the principal 
 cascade among the lakes. 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 41 
 
 The town of Keswick stands at some little distance from 
 the lake : it seemed to be a dull town ; but what place does 
 not appear so upon a dull day ? There was exhibiting in 
 the Town Hall, a very clever plaister-of-Paris model of the 
 lake districts, which I studied with great interest, and which 
 helped to wile away the time. There was also a delightful 
 little museum, collected by Mr. Hutton, in which I passed 
 an hour or two, and was much surprised at seeing a stuffed 
 animal, wholly unlike any quadruped I had before seen or 
 heard of; although the Annual Register * calls it a dog, 
 between a mastiff and a greyhound, and gives its measure- 
 ment from the head to the tail end, five feet eight inches, 
 and its weight six stone. It is here called the sheep- 
 destroyer, the pest of the farmers some few years ago, from 
 the ravages it committed, and so fleet was it said to be, 
 that although it had often been seen and hunted, they had 
 never been able for a great length of time to get within 
 shot of it. I wish I could tell you more about it, but any 
 enquiries you make about so singular an animal would cer- 
 tainly repay you. 
 
 Before taking leave of the lakes, you must allow me to 
 digress a little, and to point out to you the remarkable simi- 
 larity of names to those used by the Norwegians. The 
 waterfalls are all designated by the word Force, Airey- 
 force, Stockgill-force, &c. In Norway, Foss is invariably 
 used for a fall of water. Here, too, the islands are called 
 Holm : in Norway the same, Munk-holm in the Trondhjem 
 
 * Annual Register, vok LIII. p. 107.. 
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42 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 Fiord, &c. Here, the word Fell is in constant use for the 
 mountains ; in Norway, Fi-eld, the latter being strongly 
 accented. 
 
 I now made up my mind to take my departure from the 
 lakes, for the weather seemed " set in " for bad ; and find- 
 ing that the best, and indeed, the only way by coach to 
 Carlisle, whither I was going to pass a day or two with 
 some friends, was via Cockermouth, I went on to that 
 place, although quite out of my way, leaving Keswick in 
 the afternoon of the 1 9th by the mail. 
 
 The road skirts along the margin of Bassenthwaite Water, 
 which is a fine lake of about four miles in length, and Skid- 
 daw rises in great majesty above it ; but the day continued 
 so wet that I saw it to much disadvantage. This lake re- 
 ceives its supplies from Derwent Water; and emptying itself 
 at its northernmost extremity into the River Derwent, falls 
 into St. George's Channel. 
 
 Arriving at Cockermouth to dinner, I found that I had 
 run into the risk of passing even a less quiet night, than in 
 the little hedge-alehouse at the foot of Helvellyn. 
 
 The Chartists had constantly been assembling in for- 
 midable parties, and much anxiety was prevailing in the 
 town : night after night the crisis was expected, and the 
 town was to be fired. The magistrates had taken it in turn 
 to sit up all the night through, and were now sitting at the 
 Globe, where I had taken up my quarters, and where I soon 
 learnt a detachment of soldiers had likewise taken theirs. 
 Two post-chaises had just arrived with some of the metro- 
 politan police, who evidently created a little sensation, I 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 43 
 
 candidly admit I wished myself any where else than at 
 Cockermouth ; but the rain continuing to pour down in tor- 
 rents, I had no great fear of a conflagration at any rate, and 
 indulging in the hope that the Chartists would not be such 
 fools as to sally forth on such a night as this — in which 
 conjecture I was not mistaken, — I went to bed and forgot 
 all about them till the following morning, the 20th, when I 
 left Cockermouth for Carlisle, in the same continued dis- 
 mal rain, consoling myself by the reflection that I shoidd 
 have gained nothing by remaining another day at Kes- 
 wick. 
 
 The friends to whom I paid a visit, reside near the little 
 village of Wetheral, which is situated on the banks 
 of the Eden, at this spot a river of considerable breadth, 
 and a beautiful bridge, or a viaduct, has been thrown 
 across it for the engines and trains of the Carlisle and 
 Newcastle Railway. This is a fine piece of masonry, the 
 arches rising to a height of very nearly 100 feet above the 
 river, with a span of eighty feet for each. There are alto- 
 gether five arches, and the total length of the bridge is up- 
 wards of 600 feet. 
 
 Passing a Sunday at Wetheral, I went to the church ; it 
 is romantically situated above the river, which sweeps 
 round the finely wooded estate of Corby, on the opposite 
 bank, and which, being much swollen from the late rains, 
 was flowing with great rapidity through the arches of the 
 bridge. 
 
 There is, in a little vestibule, or gothic chapel, attached 
 to the church, a monument, by Nollekins, one of the most 
 
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 exquisite pieces of sculpture that I ever remember to have 
 seen : — it is to the memory of Mrs. Howard, who died in 
 child-birth, the wife, I believe, of the present Mr. Howard, 
 of Corby. The figures are most beautiful : she is repre- 
 sented in a reclining posture, with the still-born infant in 
 her arms, supported by a figure of a female whose hand 
 is pointing upwards, and is no doubt intended to represent 
 Religion. The expression of the countenance in both 
 figures is most excellent, — the one so calm, and so re- 
 signed ; the other so full of hope, that it is impossible to 
 view it without being affected. There is in Westminster 
 Abbey, a monument that has always struck my fancy, from 
 its beautiful simplicity. It is one by Westmacott, to the 
 memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Warren, who was a lady of emi- 
 nent virtue, and unbounded charity. It represents the 
 figure of a girl in rags, in a kneeling posture ; but a more 
 beautiful and expressive work of art I have seldom 
 seen. 
 
 Taking leave of my friends on the 23rd, I returned by 
 the railway to Carlisle ; and proceeded by the Edinburgh 
 mail as far as Longtown, where I passed the night at the 
 Graham Arms, a most comfortable hotel, which I had not 
 expected to find at this place, having passed through it in 
 1 835, when I well remember thinking otherwise of the 
 accommodation the town afforded. 
 
 I remained at Longtown the next day, and visited 
 Netherby, the noble estate of Sir James Graham, Bart., 
 through which flows the river Esk. I had seen it once 
 before, when the mansion was undergoing great im- 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 45 
 
 provements : these are now completed. I also rode across 
 the Sol way Moss, which has in a great measure been brought 
 into cultivation by Sir James. 
 
 The little vicarage at Arthuret, where Sir James Gra- 
 ham's brother resides, is one of the most charming places 
 imaginable. The cottage with its little garden, stocked 
 with beautiful flowers, stands on the slope of a hill, and is 
 backed by a fine wood which grows to the summit, from 
 whence, on a clear day, I am told, there is an extensive 
 view of the country. 
 
 Leaving Longtown on the 25th, I went on to Edinburgh 
 by a somewhat slow coach ; but the drive is pretty and 
 full of interest. The road follows the river Esk, whieh 
 flows through a prettily wooded glen, as far as Langholm. 
 It then enters among the hills, which, though pleasing, 
 seemed interminable. These are fine sheep-walks, and 
 some of the more rugged, where the furze and heath 
 abound, are full of black-cock and grouse, many of which 
 we saw from the road. Passing through those hills we 
 came to Hawick, having come upon the banks of the 
 Trent, a very pretty stream. Hawick is - delightfully situ- 
 ated among the hills, but it seemed to be a dirty slovenly 
 looking sort of a place, and the streets crowded with idle 
 people, who came hanging round the coach while we were 
 changing horses, very much in the Irish fashion. 
 
 Selkirk, through which we passed, is also agreeably 
 situated, but was apparently just such another place as 
 Hawick, but perhaps not quite so bad. We now came 
 upon the Tweed, and passed Abbotsfovd, which stands 
 
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 prettily above its banks. Between Hawick and Selkirk, 
 behind a small range of hills on the right, stands the 
 property of the Earl of Minto, but it is not visible on 
 the road, — and beyond, in the distance, lie the Cheviot 
 Hills, a very extensive and imposing range, which add 
 much to the beauty of the scenery. 
 
 After passing all these places, as also a town called 
 Galashiels, on the Tweed, a rather populous place, and 
 like Hawick and Selkirk, a manufacturing town, for 
 woollen articles, I do not know that there is anything 
 of interest on the way. Approached by this road Edin- 
 burgh makes no appearance, and we drove quietly 
 into it just as it was getting dusk. 
 
 How agreeably surprised I was with this noble city 
 the following day, I shall tell you in my next. 
 
 I wanted to get housed at Douglas' Hotel, which I 
 heard was the best, but there was not a room to be 
 had, and I took up my quarters in the same square 
 St. Andrew's, at the London Hotel, which seemed to 
 be frequented chiefly by commercial men; but it was 
 the nearest place at hand. 
 
 I remain &c 
 
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47 
 
 :r V. 
 
 Edinburgh, July 29th, 1839. 
 
 My dear 
 
 As I have taken up my pen to address you, while seated 
 in the coffee-room, which is as full as it can well he, you 
 must not expect a long letter, particularly as Edinburgh is 
 a city well known to most people, — nor be surprised at 
 any inaccuracies, for it is no easy matter to collect one's 
 thoughts amidst the incessant din that prevails ; the laugh- 
 ing, talking, and clattering of knives and forks, — to say 
 nothing of the sundry calls to the waiter : — one vocifera- 
 ting for " a glass of whiskey and some hot water/' — 
 another — "Bring me a herring, waiter;'' — a third — 
 " Waiter, when am I to have my tea?" — " Send boots to 
 me, with a pair of slippers." — " Bring me a tooth-pick, 
 waiter." — and so they run on, taxing the poor fellow's 
 memory most unmercifully. But, to the point — Edin- 
 burgh is in all respects as fine a city as I had pictured to 
 myself, although I had imagined it to be of greater extent. 
 The houses, however, in the old town are lofty, generally 
 nine or ten stories high, so that it is a very populous city, 
 
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 and the streets at all times well thronged with foot pas- 
 sengers. 
 
 Every one has heard often enough of " the Old and New 
 town ;" and that the contrast between them forms the prin- 
 cipal character, giving the agreeable effect to the city ; but, 
 you may not know (as certainly T did not) how the two 
 towns lie with reference to each other. They are completely 
 separated by a long and narrow valley, at the upper end 
 of which, at the foot of the Calton Hill, there are a parcel 
 of old houses, but the remaining, and by far greater 
 portion of this valley is laid out in gardens. 
 
 The Old town is built on the slope of a hill which rises 
 abruptly, but to no great height ; and the New town 
 stands on a hill on the opposite side of the valley. The 
 latter rises gradually, and on the level part, along the ridge 
 of the hill, there is a beautiful street, nearly a mile in 
 length, perfectly straight and ornamented at two of the 
 offsets or streets which cross it, with fine bronze statues of 
 George the Fourth, and of Pitt : the latter by Chantrey, 
 and apparently cast from the same mould as that which 
 stands in Hanover square, London. This street is ter- 
 minated by a planted inclosure on one side of which 
 stands St. George's Church, an imposing building. 
 
 All the streets in the New town are regularly laid out, 
 well built, and handsome, and the houses are apparently all 
 occupied. The descent towards the Frith of Forth is rapid, 
 and the streets steep but not long. At the foot of the hill 
 between the town and the sea, there are numerous culti- 
 vated fields on a comparative flat of some extent ; New- 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 49 
 
 haven and Leith, however, occupying a portion, and ad- 
 joining the town by a straggling road with houses on either 
 side. 
 
 The first spot I sought, to get some :dea of the locality, 
 I need scarcely say, was Calton Hill. From thence there 
 is a delightful prospect of the old city, and the beautiful 
 expanse of water in the Frith, with a few vessels at anchor, 
 and Her Majesty's ship "Benbow," proudly conspicuous 
 among them, adding not a little to the panoramic view. 
 As she is the first line-of-battle ship that has floated on 
 the waters of the Frith for this many a day, thousands and 
 thousands (I mean it literally,) have pressed on board to 
 see her ; and myself, of course, among the number. I 
 went in one of the fishing-boats, as it was the only boat 
 I could procure at Newhaven, and at the same moment 
 the Benbow's cutter shoved off. It was blowing fresh, and 
 the cutter fell to leeward so much, that they were obliged 
 to lower their sail and take to their oars, while the good 
 stiff fishing-boat kept her way, and got alongside some 
 time before the cutter ; the Benbow lying at a distance of 
 about three miles from the shore : but I fear I am sadly 
 digressing as I have left you on the Calton Hill, where 
 there is a tower erected as a monument to Nelson, and 
 from the top the view is extensive. Besides this monument 
 there are one or two others on the Hill — an unfinished 
 " Waterloo monument," which has stopped for want of 
 funds ; but, even as it now stands it is a very fine and 
 effective temple, — standing on a hill which rises so abruptly 
 from the town. Beyond the Calton Hill there is one of 
 
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 considerable elevation, probably 800 feet, tbe summit of 
 which is called Arthur's seat. I went vxp to the top, but 
 after having attained a certain height, it did not improve 
 the view, as the clouds overhung, and entirely obscured 
 it ; but on descending a very few steps all was again clear, 
 and the panorama most beautiful. A portion of this hill 
 shows the basalt to great perfection. It rises from the hill 
 much in the same way as the basalt at the Giant's cause- 
 way ; but I did not observe any distinct columns, nor any 
 apparent approach to columnar formation. 
 
 As it is only my intention to give you a faint outline, 
 and as I hope, general idea of this beautiful city, I will 
 now say a few words about the Old town ; one of the 
 principal features in which is, perhaps, the castle, standing 
 as it does, on a steep rocky hill, rising precipitously from 
 the valley at the further end and opposite side from the 
 Calton Hill ; I went over it and was allowed to walk 
 through the several ramparts and batteries. At the highest 
 battery there is an enormous gun, not quite so large, per- 
 haps, as that in the Kremlin at Moscow, but very nearly so. 
 It is a curious old affair, and we learn by the inscription 
 on the gun-carriage, that it was forged at Mons, in 1486 ; 
 taken at the siege of Norham castle in 1497 ; sent to the 
 tower in 1754; and restored to Scotland by George the 
 Fourth in 1829. On each side of it are two small mortars. 
 On the battery immediately below this are nine twenty- 
 four pounders, and five twelve-pounder carronades. On 
 the next battery there are ten eighteen-pounders, and on 
 the lowest battery six six-pounders. I believe this to 
 
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RAMBLE3 AT HOME. 51 
 
 be a correct account, but I took only a hurried 
 glance. 
 
 Walking from the castle I came to a fine church, called 
 the High Church, behind which is a somewhat imposing 
 range of buildings, now occupied chiefly by banks and 
 other offices. This is called Parliament Square, and in the 
 centre stands an equestrian statue, erected, as the pedestal 
 informs us, " Augustissimo, MagmRcentissimo, Carolo 
 Secundo, Britaniarum, Galliarum et Hibernicas Monarchal, 
 Invictissimo." The head of the horse is badly put on, and 
 the figure of Charles sadly wanting in ease and elegance 
 — anything, in short, but what the inscription would lead 
 one to expect. 
 
 I visited the Canongate of course, (as well as the Cow- 
 gate,) and in passing through the former, on my way to 
 Arthur's seat, took the opportunity of going over Holyrood- 
 house, the abbey and palace of which I need scarcely 
 say afforded me the greatest possible interest. The abbey, 
 or as it is generally called the chapel-royal, is a very fine 
 ruin ; the pillars of the aisle being in a tolerably perfect 
 state, but it is roofless. In the time of George the Third, 
 a roof of stone was added, but the walls v/ere unable to 
 sustain the weight, and it fell in, creating much injury to 
 the beautiful ruin. There are many people, renowned in 
 history, buried within the abbey, but little time is afforded 
 to a visitor to read and reflect upon the tablets on the walls. 
 George the Fourth, struck with the beauty of the ruin, 
 intended that the abbey should be restored, as well as the 
 palace, but I suppose the funds voted out of the Crown 
 
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 Revenues for Scotland, for a certain period only, would not 
 admit of it, and the palace alone has undergone repair. 
 Beyond the interest that must ever attach to the palace, 
 and particularly to the closet in which the unfortunate 
 Rizzio was murdered, and dragged into the very presence 
 of Queen Mary, in her own apartment, I do not know 
 that there is much to engage the attention. It is a 
 quadrangular building, rather imposing than otherwise. 
 
 Passing a Sunday at Edindurgh, I went to the Scotch 
 church, as well as to our own, and I am glad to say that 
 at the English church, called St. John's chapel, a very 
 pretty building, the service was well attended. In the 
 church yard I observed a tablet erected to the memory of 
 an officer of the Company's service, the simple device of 
 which, (a sailor leaning against a broken anchor,) had at- 
 tracted my attention. As there is, to me, always something 
 very affecting in the untimely fate of the intrepid mariner, 
 and as the inscription on the tablet is so creditable to the 
 party, I make no apology for transcribing it. It is as 
 follows : — 
 
 " To the memory of Mr. Charles Moir, late chief officer 
 of the ship Duke of York, in the service of the Honorable 
 East India Company, who died at Whampoa in China, 
 on the 19th of September, 1818, aged 33 years. This 
 monument was erected by the officers of the Honorable 
 Company's Fleet, then in China, in testimony of their es- 
 teem for him as an officer and a man. 
 
 " His brother officers of the Duke of York, have also 
 erected one over his grave at Whampoa." 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 53 
 
 I will not inflict you with any prolonged account of Edin- 
 burgh, but must not forget to mention a visit I paid to 
 the Castle Mills, a fine extensive building erected for the 
 purpose of working up refuse silk, and converting it, by 
 passing it through machinery of the most appropriate and 
 admirable construction into an article, not only fit for use, 
 but which would quite surprize you if you saw it, consi- 
 dering what a hopeless material it is manufactured from. 
 They have adopted at the Castle Mills, a simple and inge- 
 nious plan, for which a patent has been taken out by Mr. 
 Ivison, for lessening the consumption of fuel, and entirely 
 preventing the escape of any smoke from the chimney, 
 merely by a small pipe passing over the furnace, and emit- 
 ting jets of steam in very small quantities. It answers 
 in the latter respect perfectly — for the moment the steam- 
 communication was cut off, the smoke issued forth from the 
 tall chimney, and was instantly suppressed when the steam 
 was again let on. It would, I should think, prove highly 
 advantageous, if applied to the furnaces of marine engines. 
 
 My next will be addressed to you from Newcastle. 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
 f 3 
 
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54 
 
 Letter VI. 
 
 Newcastle, 10th August, 1839. 
 My dear 
 
 This the last of my rambling letters, I address to you 
 from Newcastle. 
 
 I left Edinburgh on the morning of the 30th of July, 
 passing through Dalkeith Park the property of the Duke 
 of Buccleugh, and arrived in the afternoon at Kelso, where 
 I remained till the following morning. 
 
 Kelso is a remarkably picturesque spot situated at the 
 junction of the Teviot with the Tweed. The town is not 
 large, but there is a fine market place; and recent improve- 
 ments have apparently taken place in some of the streets. 
 I passed an hour at the Museum, which reflects much cre- 
 dit upon those who have set it on foot. It is a very pretty 
 little Museum, and among the collections are many interest- 
 ing natural as well as artificial productions ; of the former, 
 the specimens were generally exceedingly fine, and often 
 rare. The whole was judiciously arranged, according to 
 the several departments, and altogether I felt much grati- 
 fied with the visit I had paid to it. 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 55- 
 
 The fine estate and noble Mansion of the Duke of Rox- 
 burgh, stands on a gentle eminence above the left bank of 
 the Tweed. I much regretted that I was unable to walk 
 through the grounds and visit the mansion, which stran- 
 gers are allowed to do when the Duke is absent, but as ill 
 luck would have it, his Grace had only arrived the previous 
 day. On the opposite or right bank of the Tweed, or I 
 should rather say overhanging the left bank of the Teviot 
 — for the streams taking the same course flow nearly paral- 
 lel, being separated only by a few fields — stands Roxburgh 
 Castle, an ancient ruin of considerable extent, of which how- 
 ever, little more than the walls of the foundation now 
 remain. There is still sufficient to shew that it was in bye- 
 gone days a place of considerable strength and importance, 
 built on a commanding situation ; the mound upon which 
 it once reared its proud battlements, rising abruptly from 
 the river to a height of some fifty or sixty feet. Nothing 
 can be more pleasing than the "meeting of the waters," and 
 I should have thought them quite as enchanting as those in 
 the sweet vale of Avoca, had they been somewhat of a more 
 limpid character, but, owing I suppose to the late heavy 
 rains the waters were of a very dingey and brick-dust colour. 
 — It is however to be feared that the Teviot is seldom 
 otherwise, for even Scott tells us that 
 
 " it sweeps the glade, 
 
 Brawls over rock and wild cascade, 
 And foaming brown with double speed 
 Hurries its waters to the Tweed." 
 
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 There is a very handsome bridge thrown across the 
 Tweed, from which looking up the river the prospect is at 
 once striking and beautiful. I have only now, as far at 
 least as my observation extends, to mention the Abbey at 
 Kelso, a fine old ruin of which some of the arches still 
 remain in a tolerably perfect state, and serve to recall to the 
 mind what must once have been the elegance and grandeur 
 of the structure. One of the towers still rises to a consi- 
 derable elevation, and I was anxious to ascend it to obtain 
 the fine view which must present itself from the summit ; 
 but after two or three ineffectual attempts to procure the 
 key, the holder of it being away from his home, I was 
 forced to give it up. 
 
 Leaving Kelso I went on to Morpeth, about a stage or 
 so from Newcastle. This is a poor little place, remarkable 
 for nothing that I could see but its gaol, which is a fine 
 massive building. I could not help feeling somewhat 
 amused while seated in the coffee-room alone, and just 
 about to commence my mutton chop, when the door was 
 suddenly and violently opened, and as suddenly and violently 
 shut, the waiter evidently in a state of great excitement, — 
 in which, of course, he supposed I should participate, — ex- 
 claiming as fast as he could give utterance to the words,— 
 " Its a verdict of manslaughter ! " Is it 1 thought I to my- 
 self, as I recovered from the start, and quietly fell to work to 
 discuss my meal, pondering in my head what the case might 
 be, and thinking as the Chartists were at this time parading 
 the streets of Newcastle, something might have recently 
 happened there, but a gentleman with a bag, but no wig, 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 57 
 
 a " traveller," (who are very numerous in these parts,) and 
 not a lawyer, informed me that it was the case of Bolam, 
 who was supposed to have committed a horrible murder in 
 one of the banks at Newcastle, the trial of which had 
 caused great excitement, for some days past. 
 
 On the 1st of August I reached Newcastle, and was 
 agreeably surprised to see so fine a town. There are some 
 very handsome streets in it with stone fronts, and many 
 superb shops. Grey street, with its handsome column at 
 the top, and statue of Lord Grey, is as fine a street as any 
 I have seen, and though not so long as Regent street is 
 infinitely superior ; the houses being of stone. There are 
 many other streets in this new part of the town of great 
 beauty, and the extensive improvements which have been 
 carried into effect within the last few years, and are still 
 progressing, owe their origin, as well as their continu- 
 ance, to the enterprise of one man — Mr. Grainger. 
 
 The News-room, or Central Exchange, as it is called, is 
 really splendid. I was quite astonished when I entered 
 the room : it was originally built for a Corn Market, but 
 has been appropriated to the above purpose. The building 
 is a semicircle, of grand dimensions, with an inner circle, 
 divided off with pillars : here all the newspapers are spread 
 out upon the tables, and I never saw so many in any news- 
 room, and among them strange as it appears, the London 
 newspapers of the preceding day. The ceiling is lofty, 
 and the light is thrown in from the top only, by two rows 
 of glass windows, one above the other ; the roof being of a 
 somewhat remarkable, and at the same time handsome con- 
 
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OB UAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 struction. I am inclined to say that it is one of the finest 
 rooms I have ever seen, certainly it is quite unlike any 
 other. Strangers are admitted into the news-room, for a 
 month, upon their names being inserted by members, whose 
 subscription is only 11. per annum, and there are already 
 about 2000 subscribers, the room having only been opened 
 about a month. Attached to the news-room is a conveni- 
 ent and comfortable coffee-room, which any person may 
 frequent, and there is a separate entrance to it. 
 
 There is also an excellent Museum at Newcastle, which 
 I have twice visited. Among the specimens of mineralogy 
 there are several from Norway and Iceland. The museum 
 is thrown open to the public. 
 
 The market-place is admirably arranged, each market 
 being quite separate from the other, but connected by spa- 
 cious, Jofty, and well aired passages. 
 
 The Old Town is dirty and disagreeable ; and I fear the 
 New will soon be soiled, for it is a very smokey place, quite 
 equal to London in this respect. 
 
 While at Newcastle I attended a Pic-nic party to Tyne- 
 mouth, on some rocks by the sea side. There is a railway 
 from Newcastle to this little watering place which is a great 
 convenience, as the distance occupies only 20 minutes. 
 The old ruined Abbey of Tynemouth stands very beauti- 
 fully on an eminence immediately above the sea, and not 
 far from the mouth of the river, on either side of which at 
 the entrance stands North and South Shields. 
 
 One day I rode across the country to Durham, by a short 
 cut, a distance there and back of about 30 miles, and over 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 59 
 
 some unusally rough roads, which caused me some fatigue, 
 as it required more than ordinary caution in picking the 
 way to prevent accident. The Cathedral was an object 
 that pleased me much. The river Weir takes a singular 
 serpentine sweep round the hill upon which the Cathedral 
 stands in all its majesty, and the banks on either side are 
 beautifully wooded. There is a delightful walk round this 
 sweep of the river, shaded by fine trees called the Pre- 
 bends walk : nothing can be more pleasing, or picturesque. 
 The interior of the Cathedral is grand and different in archi- 
 tecture to any I can call to mind ; the arches are large 
 and supported by massive pillars, something I should say 
 in the Moorish style of architecture. The town seemed 
 dull and stupid enough ; there is not a single fine street in 
 it, and nothing apparently doing. Having seen the cathe- 
 dral I made the best of my way home, as there was nothing 
 to induce me to remain at Durham a moment longer than 
 necessary. 
 
 On another day I went towards the head of a pretty 
 valley to a favorite spot called Shotley Bridge, where there 
 are some mineral springs : — this is becoming a sort of 
 watering place for the folks at Newcastle. There is at this 
 place a very extensive Paper Mill, belonging to Mr. Anan- 
 dale. Never having seen one, I went through the mill, 
 and was much gratified. The process is so simple, and the 
 result so extraordinary, that there are few things more in- 
 teresting: — to see the dirtiest rags converted in a short space 
 of time to a beautiful white pulp, is curious and interesting. 
 They are bleached in vitriol and magnesian salt, (according 
 
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CO RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 to my informant,) and remain in tins solution about 24 
 hours, being then quite white they are placed in a large 
 sort of trough, when they are turned round and round in 
 the centre performing a regular circle in the tub, till they 
 become of a pulpy substance. They are then removed into 
 another large reservoir, and still kept in motion in hot 
 water, and when reduced to a substance resembling thick 
 cream, the stuff is drained off on to a sheet of closely woved 
 wire, (from whence the wove paper is called,) and the water 
 passing through, leaves this creamy substance on the sheet 
 of wire : — it is then drawn through sevei'al rollers, —pass- 
 ing gently over them, and finally over two or three larger 
 rollers filled with steam, which partially dry it, and the 
 paper comes out as you see this upon which I am now 
 writing, except that it is afterwards necessary to use" 
 size, I believe, in order to make it receive the ink, 
 which would otherwise sink into it, like blotting paper. 
 The pulp is drawn out in one continuous sheet of many 
 hundred yards in length, and after passing the heated 
 rollers it is rolled round and round and looks just like so 
 much calico wound up. It is then removed to the cutting 
 machine, the prettiest thing imaginable, invented by 
 Fourdrinier. 
 
 Wove paper is made entirely by machinery, Laid paper 
 by hand. The laid paper instead of being placed on the 
 fine wove wire, is placed on wires placed pretty closely 
 in regular succession, and kept together by seams, as you 
 may see by holding a sheet of the laid paper up to the 
 light. The colouring of the paper is produced by Danish 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 61 
 
 blue, a most exquisite colour in powder ; what we generally 
 call vellum paper is coloured with the same material, only 
 less of the powder is used. So much then for the paper ma- 
 nufactory, and now, if you have no objection, I will proceed 
 to a very different subject, from white to black; a visit 
 to a colliery, the Gosforth Colliery, one of the largest 
 hereabouts. The descent is by a perpendicular shaft, of 
 181 fathoms, or upwards of one thousand feet. Having 
 dressed myself in proper costume, and metamorphosed 
 myself into a very quere looking character, as you may 
 suppose, I stepped into a high basket, myself on one side 
 and the Underviewer on the other, standing upright, and 
 holding on by the iron chain. The shaft may probably be 
 about three or four feet square, just wide enough to let the 
 basket run easy, and it is boarded, as I was told, and as far 
 as I could see from top to bottom. In a moment away we 
 went into total utter oblivion, " darkness visible, " and 
 in less than a minute and a half, reached the bottom, 
 when I found myself in the arms of some kind and con- 
 siderate but invisible gentleman, who whipped me out 
 of the basket, and placed me on my feet : I could see 
 nothing more than a small glimmering light, like that of a 
 glow-worm. When I had recovered my footing, for 1 felt a 
 little giddy at first, and had been down a few seconds, I be- 
 gan to recover my sight ; and my friend the Underviewer 
 and myself having lighted a little tallow candle or rush 
 light, we trudged onward. I now began to see still bet- 
 ter, a little time having elapsed, but the sudden transition 
 from daylight to darkness had tried the eyesight. I found 
 
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62 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 myself in a rather spacious gallery cut out in the rock, and 
 the roof in many parts finished off with masonry, and on 
 the floor, were two tram-ways or iron rails. Scarcely had I 
 regained my footing, and begun to feel a little at home, 
 when in a few minutes I heard a loud rumbling noise 
 which sounded immediately over head, but in the distance I 
 observed a spark of light which appeared to be approach- 
 ing rapidly towards us, and presently up came twenty bas- 
 kets of coal all in a line, drawn by one horse, which was 
 proceeding at a quick trot ; a boy was seated on the fore- 
 most basket singing loudly and merrily as he went along. 
 The effect in this dark subterranean passage was quite 
 curious. On the approach of one of these trains, it is 
 necessary to stand close up against the gallery, to allow it 
 to pass without grazing, and it was rather close stowage I 
 assure you. There are 40 horses employed entirely under 
 ground, and w r ho never see daylight, with 181 fathoms of 
 the mother earth overhead ! they are kept in stables cut 
 in the rock, and it is really a most curious place, reminding 
 one of the " Robbers cave ; " strange to say, their mode 
 of life seems to agree with them. They all looked well and 
 healthy, and their coats were as sleek as those of a race- 
 horse. Some had been down in the Colliery 1 0, some 8 
 years ; the weight they drag is said to be about 8 or 10 
 tons, which on the rails is nothing. On arriving at the shaft, 
 two baskets-full of coal are whisked up at a time, with sur- 
 prizing rapidity ; proceeding onward, we had now to turn 
 off into another gallery, running parallel with the main 
 gallery, and used as a sort of foot path, for man and horse, 
 
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RAMBLES AT HOME. 63 
 
 as there is here a bank as it is termed, and the coals are car- 
 ried down it on the tram-ways by their own weight, de- 
 scending with great rapidity, and at the same time, drawing 
 the empty baskets up the inclined plane. It would not be 
 safe to walk by that route, and no one is allowed to do so. 
 Having walked along this parallel gallery we regained the 
 main gallery, at a part where horses are again put in re- 
 quisition, the way being now level. I had gone about 900 
 yards under ground, and had not time to proceed farther, 
 which I much regret, but you may suppose what a place it 
 is when I tell you that I had still near a mile and a half 
 to go before I could reach the spot where the men are at 
 present employed digging the coal. The heat was intoler- 
 able as I ascended the little gallery, where the current of 
 air was in our backs ; it was almost suffocating, but by 
 turning round we could feel and enjoy the air. The ven- 
 tilation of the Mine is very remarkable ; the air which de- 
 scends the shaft traverses a space through all the various 
 galleries of about 38 miles, and it is kept in its proper 
 channel by means of double doors to some of the galleries, 
 on the same principle I fancy as water is kept in the locks 
 of a Canal. They have as few of these doors as possible 
 to prevent accidents, for the current once interrupted, 
 the consequence would no doubt be calamitous. 
 
 On again reaching the shaft I was lifted into the basket 
 with the underviewer, and a little boy wanting to ascend was 
 desired to lay hold of the rope, at a few feet above the chain 
 to which the basket was attached, and round which he 
 clung with his legs. Having put out our lights, away we went 
 
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64 RAMBLES AT HOME. 
 
 again into utter oblivion, and as if by magic in a little more 
 than a minute, we were again brought into broad day light, 
 the effect of the rapid ascent in the dark was singular ; 
 the sensation was precisely that of descending, and this 
 without reference to any optical delusion. The underviewer 
 I observed every now and then placed his stick against the 
 boarded sides to steady the Lasket. When we descended the 
 shaft the basket occasionally touched against the side 
 and twisted about unpleasantly, which probably may have 
 caused the little giddiness I felt when lifted out of it 
 by my invisible friend at the bottom, whose harsh and 
 sepulchral voice I forgot to tell you was well suited to 
 the spot. 
 
 I believe I have now told you all I have to say, and 
 hoping that you will not have been fatigued with my 
 " Rambles at Home," and that they may help to afford you 
 some little amusement. 
 
 I remain, &c. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Hunt, Printer, Lower Street, Islington. 
 
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