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mountains of Scotland melting gradually into mist. The town of
Cockermouth seemed near us, and we could here and there trace the
course of the Derwent as it made its way towards the ocean. We
distinctly saw the Isle of Man with its bifid summit, and some
vessels were observed putting out to sea from the ports of
Workington and Whitehaven. Now a cloud, which had been hovering
some time upon Saddleback, suddenly transferred itself to our
mountain, and we were once more enveloped in vapour which shut
the sun awhile from our view, but on its departure served only to
supply us with new and uncommon effects; for by the time we had
begun to descend, the clouds again opened southward, and the lake
of Derwentwater, with the glorious sunbeams playing upon its
bosom as on a mirror, burst into view with the most ravishing
beauty! The basin of the lake appeared entire - the mountains on
its margin and in the more distant parts of Borrowdale, mottled
with refulgence, and others nearer to us slowly stripping
themselves of their vapoury vestments - together constituted one
of the most noble spectacles that mortal eye could behold. We had
full leisure to survey it, for our progress downward was
necessarily slow, especially as we deviated from the usual route,
in order to visit one of the deep chasms that cut the mountain.
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