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page 114
beyond, to the Sea itself, in dazzling brightness. Turning
round we saw the Mountains of Wastdale in tumult; to our
right, Great Gavel, the loftiest, a distinct, and
huge form, though the middle of the mountain was, to
our eyes, as its base.
We had attained the object of this journey; but our ambition
now mounted higher. We saw the summit of Scaw-fell,
apparently very near to us; and we shaped our course towards
it; but, discovering that it could not be reached without
first making a considerable descent, we resolved, instead,
to aim at another point of the same mountain, called the
Pikes, which I have since found has been estimated as
higher than the summit bearing the name of Scawfell Head,
whence the Stone Man is built.
The sun had never once been overshadowed by a cloud during
the whole of our progress from the centre of Borrowdale. On
the summit of the Pike, which we gained after much toil,
though without difficulty, there was not a breath of air to
stir even the papers containing our refreshment, as they lay
spread out upon a rock. The stillness seemed to be not of
this world: - we paused, and kept silence to listen; and no
sound could be heard: the Scawfell Cataracts were voiceless
to us; and there was not an insect to hum in the air. The
vales which we had seen from Ash-course lay yet in view;
and, side by side with Eskdale, we now saw the sister Vale
of Donnerdale terminated by the Duddon Sands. But
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