|
|
|
|
|
|
|
title page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
previous page
next page |
|
|
|
Page 73:-
"And oft the craggy cliff he lov'd to climb,
When all in mist the world below was lost.
What dreadful pleasure! There to stand sublime,
Like shipwreck'd mariners on desart coast;
And view th' enormous waste of vapour, tost
In billows length'ning to th' horizon round;
Now scoop'd in gulphs, with mountains now emboss'd,
And hear the voice of mirth and song resound;
Flocks, herds, and water-falls, along the hoar profound!"
About halfway up the mountain, or not quite so high, you
will be above the mist, which lyes thick and white below. It
is quite level, and appears so strong that you might walk
upon it; I can compare it to nothing so much as a vast sheet
of ice covered with snow; not a house or a tree can be seen;
the voice of extremely distant water-falls is heard
perfectly distinct, and not one confusing another. The loud
crowing cock at every cottage, joined to the warbling of the
smaller-feathered choir, comes with an almost magical
sweetness to the ear, whilst the bellowing bulls and cows
form a rural bass to the concert; every sound is much more
distinctly heard than at any other time. The words of men
conversing at two miles distance are perfectly intelligible;
the whistling of a shepherd going to his fleecy care seems
close to you, though he cannot be seen. Nor is the eye less
delighted, for the tops of distant mountains are now as
distinctly viewed with the naked eye, as at other times with
the help of a telescope: but these pleasures are often of
short duration, for as soon as the rising sun gets a little
power the mists quickly disperse, and objects relapse into
their ordinary state.
A person unacquainted with philosophy would wonder what
became of these vapours; for very little ever ascends higher
than the middle of the mountains, and there seems totally
annihilated. I once had two French horns placed in the
valley, and another time I heard the hounds running a hare;
both of these had a very wonderful and pleasing effect. If a
traveller should have an opportunity of reviewing this, I
would advise him to take a fowling-piece with him, to fire
as a signal to his servant (who must remain with another in
the valley) that he is above the mist; then let the servant
fire his, and the magnified report will be a matter of great
curiosity, and exceed any idea that can be formed.
We now return to the boat, and passing Barrow-Beck
foot, we enter the chapelry of Borrowdale, (see plate VI.)
We next pass the wooded rocks, Catt-Gill and
Catt-Cragg; so names I suppose from the wild cats
which inhabit there; and opposite Cat-Gill we see the
Floating Island.
|
floating island, Derwent
Water
|
|
This Island has its name, from its sometimes being visible
for a few days, and then becoming invisible for many weeks,
or even months; at which time it is covered by water to the
depth of two fathoms. It is worthy of remark, that the
island is never visible unless the water in the lake be
high, and then it scarcely appears more than a foot above
the surface. This island is about twenty yards in diameter,
nearly circular, and slopes gradually from the center to the
circumference; and from thence, as far as the eye can
distinguish the sloping is more sudden.
The phaenomena of this island are extremely paradoxical, but
may I think admit of a very enforced solution. It never
appears but when the Lake is swelled with rain, and at that
time a very considerable torrent from the adjacent heights
comes pouring down Cat-Gill, where it sinks among the loose
stones: the bottom of the Lake in this part is all covered
by a very fine, close grass, with remarkable strong matted
roots, seemingly the same kind with the calomnus
aromaticus, and the island lyes but at a small distance
from the shore. All these circumstances I had an opportunity
of observing, not only when I took the soundings, but at
many other times;
|
|
for
|
|
|
|
gazetteer links
|
|
|
-- "Catt Cragg" -- Cat Crag
|
|
|
-- "Catt Gill" -- Cat Gill
|
|
|
-- "Floating Island" -- (floating island, Derwent
Water)
|
|
|
-- "Skiddow" -- (station, Skiddaw)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
next page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
