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A DESCRIPTION OF DUNALD-MILL-HOLE
By Mr. A. Walker.
TAKEN FROM THE ANNUAL REGISTER FOR 1760.
Lancaster, August 26th, 1760.
LAST Sunday I visited a cavern about five miles from hence, near
the road to Kirkby Lonsdale, Called Dunald-Mill-Hole, a curiosity
I think, inferior to none of the kind in Derbyshire, which I have
also seen. It is on the middle of a large common, and we are led
to it by a brook, nearly as big as the New-River, which, after
turning a corn-mill just at the entrance of the cave, runs in at
its mouth by several beautiful cascades, continuing its course
two miles under a large mountain, and at last making its
appearance again near Carnforth, a village on the road to Kendal.
The entrance to this subterraneous channel has something most
pleasingly horrible in it. From the mill at the top, you descend
for about ten yards perpendicularly, by means of chinks in the
rocks, and shrubs of trees; the road is then almost parallel to
the horizon, leading to the right, a little winding, till you
have some hundreds of yards thick of rocks and minerals above
you. In this manner we proceeded, sometimes through vaults so
capacious, we could not see either roof or sides; and sometimes
on all four, from its narrowness; still following the brook,
which entertained us with a sort of harmony well suiting the
place; for the different height of its falls were as in so many
keys of music, which all being conveyed to us by the amazing
echo, greatly added to the majestic horror which surrounded us.
In our return we were more particular in our observations. The
beautiful lakes (formed by the brook in the hollow part of the
cavern) realize the fabulous Styx; and murmuring falls from one
rock to another, broke the
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