TALBOT813

Keswick ¹

August 14^th 1818.

Having seen most of the lions of this neighbourhood, I intend proceeding southerly tomorrow. Pray write to me, and direct your letter to Chester, through which place the Fates decree that I must ultimately pass. The weather being and having been extremely fine, these environs are in all their beauty, all but the cascades which are dwindled to nothing.

I made an excursion à pied ² to Buttermere ³ (where is the finest Alpine cream I ever tasted) and so round over the fells, a dreary fatiguing road, into Borrowdale.

Turn Over

Being an admirer of extensive views, I have climbed up to the top of Skiddaw three times, but the weather has been each time unpropitious, so that I have seen it very imperfectly after all. What I did see, however, were –

The lakes of Derwentwater & Bassenthwaite & Over Water.

The whole of Solway Firth, and a great extent of the Cumberland coast besides.

The opposite coast of Scotland for a long way: and, the Isle of Man. I observed a vessel lying in one of the Scotch bays, <illustration> behind a headland.

From the Summit of another great hill called High Stile, five of the lakes were visible, viz. Derwentwater, Buttermere, Cromackwater, Loweswater, & Ennerdalewater. –

As far as I have seen them, the Lakes are just what I expected: but the hills are far wilder. Some that I saw yesterday in the direction of Wast water, I should not have supposed to exist anywhere save in the island of Desolation. Quite destitute of vegetation, furrowed and shattered and apparently quite inaccessible. –

Whilst I was musing upon these dreary scenes and looking for the road, I suddenly came upon a little pastoral Elysium, whose name I would set down could I possibly discover how to spell it. The change was most striking, so I conclude with

subscribing myself

Y^r Aff^te Son

W. H. F. Talbot

Pray let me hear from you. My love to all.