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Page 82:-
Judging from the contents list of book 2, chapter 3
should be started somewhere about here, but there is no
chapter heading for it.
in sheets of foam; now it leaves the more perpendicular
rock, and forms a chrystal arch; and now it runs almost
invisible among pointed, broken projections. During a flood,
this, like every other cascade, appears with redoubled
magnificence. The stream now almost entirely leaves the
rock, and pours down, in one-continued sheet, 200 feet high.
Should it accidentally catch the point of some projecting
cliff, the water is dashed on all sides with inconceivable
violence; the noise and roaring of this impetuous torrent is
beyond description, and may be heard at several miles
distance.
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Grange, Borrowdale
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Next, travel past High-low Door to Borrowdale
Grainge, over a bad stone bridge, built in 1678. The river
is navigable hither, when the water is pretty high, for
boats, which carry down blue slate, wood, charcoal, oak,
bark, lead-ore, &c. to Crow Park, or
Transhag-End.
We next arrive at Grainge, a pretty well-built village. Mr
Gray speaks with raptures of this little place, and after
describing his hospitable and kingly feast that was given
him, says "‡ And she brought me butter on a lordly
dish, which Sisera himself would have envied me the eating."
Behind the house of Mr Ab. Banks is a delightful view; for
here the river runs close to your feet, and the different
objects are disposed in an extremely beautiful and
picturesque manner.
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Bowder Stone
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Many travellers go to see a prodigious large stone further
up Borrowdale, called Bowder-Stone, Powder-Stone, or
Bounder-Stone. It is a loose stone laid upon a rock, and is
almost in the form of an egg; some have compared it to a
ship lying upon her keel. It measures thirty-one yards in
length, and eight yards perpendicular height; it must,
therefore, weigh upwards of six hundred ton, and is said to
be the largest ‖ self-stone in England.
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Castle Rock
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Upon the spiral rock behind Grainge, called Castle,
is the appearance of a fort, castle, watch-tower, or other
building. It does not, however, appear that it has been a
building of any great magnitude, and the difficult ascent
rather confirms it; there have been dug out here freestone
like tomb-stones, pieces of brick, an iron pott, &c. It
is worth the traveller's while to go upon it for the view's
sake, though it does not exceed the view from behind Barrow
before described. There is a back view of Borrowdale from
it, which is such, that a stranger would imagine he saw the
world's-end, and that no person could travel further. Beyond
here, about two miles, are the black-lead mines; the value
and use of this mineral I need not here mention, as they are
so well known throughout the whole world.
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copper ore
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The species of mundie, or marcasite, formerly was made no
use of by the inhabitants but for marking their sheep,
(unless it was by the Dutch;) I am led to this opinion
because many of the Dutch miners lived upon Vicar's Island,
St Herbert's Island, &c.; and in digging the foundation
of Mr Pocklington's house, ploughing the ground, and on the
shore, several pieces have been found amongst the earth.
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black lead
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Since the discovery of its several uses in medicine, dying,
glazing of crucible, keeping iron from rust, combs for
fair-haired ladies, &c. it has been sold as high as 30s.
a pound weight. The Borrowdale black lead is the most
valuable of any in the world: they boast of having it in
Scotland, Gibraltar, Russia, &c. but all are inferior to
it; all are, however, sold for Borrowdale lead, by which
many people have been deceived, and have been the cause of
many actions at law, as few purchasers are real judges of it
till they make trial of it.
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By
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‡ See Gray's Journal.
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‖ Self-Stones, those which do not appear ever
to have been connected with general strata.
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gazetteer links
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-- (black lead mine, Seathwaite)
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-- "Bowder Stone" -- Bowder Stone
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-- Grange Bridge
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-- "Grainge" -- Grange
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-- "Cataract of Low Door" -- Lodore Falls
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-- (settlement, Borrowdale)
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-- "Transhag End" -- Strandshag Bay
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