beauty of the lake is only seen in the boat, and it is very surprising. The bottom resembles a mosaic pavement of party-coloured stone. The fragments of spar at the depth of seven yards either shine like diamonds, or glitter in diversity of colour; and such is the purity of the water, that no mud or ooze defiles its bottom. Mr. Pennant navigated the lake; and as his description is more compressed than any other, and gives a distinct idea of its appearances, I shall here subjoin it. "The views on every side are very different; here all the possible variety of Alpine scenery is exhibited, with the horror of precipice, broken crag, overhanging rock, or insulated pyramidal hills, contrasted with others, whose smooth and verdant sides, swelling into immense ærial heights, at once please and surprise the eye. "The two extremities of the lake afford most discordant prospects: the southern is a composition of all that is horrible; an immense chasm opens, whose entrance is divided by a rude conic hill, once topt with a castle, the habitation of the tyrant of the rocks; beyond, a series of broken mountainous crags, now patched with snow, soar one above the other, overshadowing the dark winding deep of Borrowdale. In the recesses are lodged a variety of minerals, &c. "But the opposite, or northern view, is in all respects a strong and beautiful contrast. Skiddaw shows its vast base, and, bounding all that part of the vale, rises gently to a height that sinks the neighbouring hills; opens a pleasing front, smooth and verdant, smiling over the country like a gentle generous lord, while the fells of Borrowdale frown on it like a hardened tyrant. "Each boundary of the lake seems to take part with the extremities, and emulate their appearance: the southern varies in rocks of different forms, from the tremendous precipice of Lady's-leap, the broken front of Falcon's-nest, to the more distant concave curvature of Lowdore, an extent of precipitous rock, with trees vegetating from their numerous fissures, and the foam of a cataract precipitating amidst. "The entrance into Borrowdale divides the scene, and the northern side alters into milder forms; a salt-spring, once the property of the monks of Furness, trickles along the shore; hills (the resort of shepherds) with downy fronts, and lofty summits, succeed, with wood clothing their bases to the water's edge, "Not far from hence the environs appear to the navigator of the lake to the greatest P advantage, for, on every side, mountains close the prospect, and form an amphitheatre almost matchless. "The isles that decorate this water are finely disposed, and very distinct, rise with gentle and regular curvatures above the surface, consist of verdant turf, or are planted with various trees. The principal is Lord'sisland, above five acres, where the Ratcliff family had some time its residence, and, from this lake, took the title of Derwentwater. "St. Herbert's-isle was noted for the residence of that saint, the bosom friend of St. Cuthbert, who wished, and obtained his desire of departing this life on the same day, hour, and minute, with that holy man*. "The water of Derwent-water is subject to violent agitations, and often without any apparant cause, as was the case this day; the weather was calm, yet the waves ran a great height, and the boat was tossed violently, with what is called a bottom wind.” In the register of Bishop Appleby, in the year 1374, there is an indulgence of forty days to every of the inhabitants of the parish of Crosthwaite, that should attend the vicar of St. Herbert's-island on the 13th of April, yearly, and there to celebrate mass in memory of St Herbert. Nicholson's Cumberland, page 86. Dr. Brown recommends, as a conclusion of the tour of this lake, that it be viewed by moon-light. He says, "a walk by still moon-light (at which time the distant waterfalls are heard in all the variety of sound) among these enchanting dales, opens a scene of such delicate beauty, repose, and solemnity, as exceeds all description." moon. An expedition of this kind depends much upon the choice of time in making the tour. It is better a little before, than after the full If the evening be still, the voices of the water-falls are re-echoed from every rock and cavern, in a manner truly singular and pleasing. The setting sun tips the mountain's top with the softest refulgence; and the rising moon with her silver rays just continues in vision the glories of its base. The surface of the lake, that in the day reflects the azure sky, the deep green woods, or hoar-coloured rocks, is now a sable mirror, studded with the reflected gems of the starry heavens; a plain on which are pencilled by the moon the fair outlines and shadows of the hills behind which she labours. All now is in faint light, grave shade, or solemn darkness, which apparently increases the vastness of the objects, and enwraps them in a solemn horror, that strikes the mind of the be holder with reverential awe, and pleasing melancholy.. The characteristic of this lake is, that it retains its form viewed from any point, and never assumes the appearance of a rivert. Here the reader's mind may be fitly prepared for perusal of the following beautiful night-piece of Dr. Brown, preserved to us by Mr. Cumberland, in the dedication of his Ode to the Sun. Now sunk the Sun, now twilight sunk, and night Sigh'd to the grove, which in the midnight air X. + The following sketch of the appearance of this amphitheatre, in a hard frost, appeared in the Cumberland Pacquet, February 10, 1784. Derwent lake has been frozen over for several days, and quantities of timber have been drawn across it by horses. The appearance of this celebrated piece of water and the surrounding mountains is described by numbers who have seen it, as |