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with a sort of terror and aversion. Armathwaite-house is a modern
fabric, not large, and built of dark red stone, belonging to Mr.
Spedding, whose grandfather was steward to old Sir James Lowther,
and bought this estate of the Highmores. The sky was overcast,
and the wind cool; so after dining at a public-house, which
stands here near the bridge, that crosses the Derwent just where
it issues from the lake, and sauntering a little by the water
side, I came home again. The turnpike is finished from
Cockermouth hither, five miles, and is carrying on to Penrith.
Several little showers to-day. A man came in who said there was
snow on Cross-fell this morning.
Oct. 7. I walked in the morning to Crow-park, and in the evening
up Penrith road. The clouds came rolling up the mountains all
round, very dark, yet the moon shone at intervals. It was too
damp to go towards the lake. To-morrow I mean to bid farewell to
Keswick.
Botany might be studied here to great advantage at another
season, because of the great variety of soils and elevations, all
lying within a small compass. I observed nothing but several
lichens, and plenty of gale, or Dutch myrtle, perfuming the
borders of the lake. This year the wad-mine has been opened,
which is done once in five years: it is taken out in lumps
sometimes as big as a man's fist, and will undergo no preparation
by fire, not being fusible: when it is pure, soft, black, and
loose-grained, it is worth sometimes thirty shillings a pound.
There are no char ever taken in these lakes, but plenty in
Buttermere-water, which lies a little way north of Borrowdale,
about Martinmas, which are potted here. They sow chiefly oats and
bigg here, which are now cutting and still on the ground; the
rains have done much hurt; yet observe, the soil is so thin and
light, that no day has passed in which I could not walk out with
ease; and you know I am no lover of dirt. Fell mutton is now in
sea-
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