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3rd edn addenda, page 232:-
of a great circular ditch that incloses the summit, but the
extensive and variegated prospect seduced me from
conjectures and learned surmises. The southern prospect is a
rugged barrier, that seems to turn the eye towards the fine
plains of Lancashire and Cheshire; with our glasses we could
easily distinguish the Dee separate the plain from the Welch
mountains;- the fine indentations made by the bays of
Liverpool and Preston, lead the eye northward to that of
Lancaster, which appeared beneath our feet as a map, full of
capes and inlets. But the sea in front, and the Westmorland
mountains to the right, make the sublime of this prospect;-
before us the flat fields and woods insensibly melt into
union with the sea - while the black mountains frown over
that element, and seem to spurn it from their feet. The
Hill-bell, Langdale-pikes, Black-comb, &c. are easily
distinguished in this chaotic assemblage; while the coast of
Galloway, in Scotland, and the Isle of Man, seem as clouds
in the back-ground. The east prospect is a range of rich
sheep moors, of which Ingleborough appears the surly sentry.
In our road to Settle we met with the Ribble, which tumbles
into a deep cavern, and is lost in the bowels of the
mountains for upwards of three miles, when it issues again
into day-light, and with a continued roar makes its way to
Settle. From hence I rode through a dreadful fog to Malm (or
Malham) about six miles to the east, and the road ending in
a sheep-track upon the high moors, was in much danger of
losing my way; but a blast of wind giving me a glimpse of
the vale, I got there very safe.
My first excursion was to the tarn, (or little lake) skirted
on one side by a peat bog, and rough limestone rocks, on the
other; it abounds in fine trout, but has little else
remarkable, except being the head of the river Air, which
issuing from it, sinks into the ground very near the lake,
and appears again under the fine rock which faces the
village. In the time of great rains this subterraneous
passage is too narrow; the brook then makes its way over the
top of the rock, falling in a most majestic cascade full 60
yards in one sheet. This
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