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[sea]son for about six weeks; it grows fat on the mountains, and
nearly resembles venison. Excellent pike, and perch, here called
bass; trout is now out of season; partridge in great plenty.
Oct. 8. I left Keswick, and took the Ambleside road, in a gloomy
morning: about two miles (rather a mile) from the town, mounted
an eminence called Castle-rigg, and the sun breaking out
discovered the most enchanting view I have yet seen of the whole
valley behind me, the two lakes, the river, the mountains, all in
their glory; so that I had almost a mind to have gone back again.
The road in some few parts is not completed, yet good country
road, through sound but narrow and stony ones, very safe in broad
day light. This is the case about Causeway foot and among
Naddle-fells, to Langthwaite. The vale you go in has little
breadth; the mountains are vast and rocky, the fields little and
poor, and the inhabitants are now making hay, and see not the sun
by two hours in the day so long as at Keswick. Came to the foot
of Helvellyn, along which runs an excellent road, looking down
from a little height on Leathes-water, (called also Thirlmere, or
Wythburn-water) and soon descending on its margin. The lake looks
black from its depth, and from the gloom of the vast crags that
scowl over it, though really clear as glass: it is narrow, and
about three miles long, resembling a river in its course; little
shining torrents hurrying down the rocks to join it, but not a
bush to overshadow them or cover their march; all is rock and
loose stones up to the very brow, which lies so near your way
that not above half the height of Helvellyn can be seen.
Next I passed by the little chapel of Wythburn, out of which the
Sunday congregation were then issuing: soon after a beck near
Dunmail-raise, where I entered Westmorland a second time: and now
began to see Helm-crag, distinguished from its rugged neighbours,
not so much by its height as by
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