William and Mary returned from Park House by the Patterdale             
road on Sunday Nov^r 4^th

(along with Mr & Mrs Clarkson)             
having made a delightful excursion of three days. They had             
engaged that W^m and I would go to Mr Luff’s on the Wed-             
nesday or Thursday if the weather continued favorable. It was             
not very promising on Wednesday; but having been fine for             
so long a time we thought there would not be an entire             
change all at once; therefore, on a damp & gloomy             
morning we set forward; W^m on foot, and I upon the             
pony, with W’s great coat slung over the saddle crutch,             
and a wallet containing our bundle of needments. As we             
went along the mists gathered upon the vallies, & it even             
rained all the way to Patterdale; but there was never a             
drop upon on my habit larger than the smallest pears

upon a Lady’s ring. The trees upon the larger Island             
on Rydale Lake were of the most gorgeous colours,             
the whole Island reflected in the water, and I remem-             
ber once, in particular, to have seen it with [dear C] Cole-             
ridge when either he or W^m observed that the rocky shore,             
spotted & streaked with purplish brown heath, & its image             
in the water together ^{indistinguishably blended} were like an immense caterpillar,             
such as when we were children we used to call             
Woolly Boys from their hairy coats. I had been a little             
cowardly when we left home, fearing that heavy rains             
might detain us at Patterdale; but, as the mists

                                                                       Thursday Nov^r 8^th

o’clock when it became fair, and W^m and I walked to Blow-             
ick. Luff joined us by the way. The wind [was] ^blew strong; and drove             
the clouds forward along the side of the hill above our heads — four             
or five goats were bounding among the rocks; the sheep mov-             
ed about more quietly; or cowered under their sheltering places:             
Two storm-stiffened black Yew trees on the Crag above

Luff’s house were striking objects close under, or seen through             
the flying mists. I do not know what to say of Blowick; for             
to attempt to describe the place would be absurd, when you             
for whom I write have either been there, or may go thither             
as soon as you like. When we stood under the naked Crag             
upon the Common over looking its ^the woods and bush-besprin-             
kled fields, the Lake, Clouds, and Mists were all in motion             
to the sound of sweeping winds, the Church & Cottages of             
Patterdale scarcely visible from the brightness of the mist.             
Looking backwards towards the foot of ^down the Lake, the scene             
less visionary. Place Fell steady and bold as a lion the whole             
Lake driving down ^onward like a great river — waves dancing             
round the small islands. We walked to the house; the             
Owner was salving sheep in the Barn — an appearance of             
poverty & decay every where visible: he asked us if we want-             
ed to purchase the Estate. We could not but stop frequent-             
ly, both in going & returning, to observe the exquisite             
beauty of the woods on the opposite side of the Lake.             
The general color of the trees was brown, rather that of             
ripe hazle nuts; but towards the water there were yet             
beds of green; and in some of the hollow places in the             
highest parts of the woods the trees were of a yellow             
colour, and, through the glittering light, they looked like             
masses of clouds, as you see them gathered together in             
the west and tinged with the golden light of the sun.             
After dinner we walked with M^rs Luff up the Vale;

I had never ^[before] had an idea of the extent and width of it             
in passing through on the other side. We walked along the             
path which leads from house to house — two or three times it             
took us through some of those copses or groves that cover every             
little hillock^s in the middle of the lower part of the vale,             
making an intricate and beautiful intermixture of lawn             
^{Our fancies could not resist the temptation & we}

and wood. We left William to prolong his walk, and when             
^{fixed upon a spot for a cottage which we built began to}             
he came into the house he told us he had pitched upon a             
^{build & finished as easily as castles are raised in the air}             
spot where he should like better to build a cottage than             
^{We visited the same spot by moonlight that evening.}             
in any other he had yet seen. M^rs Luff went with him             
by moonlight to view it. The Vale looked ^{at that time} as if it were             
filled with white light when the moon had ^having climbed             
up ^{[two cancelled words]} to the middle of the sky; but long before we could ^{had been able to} see her             
face, while all the near hills were in ^{[covered with]}

black shade, those on             
the opposite side were almost as bright as snow. M^rs Luff’s             
large white Dog lay in the moonshine upon the round knoll             
under the old Yew Tree — a beautiful and romantic image —              
the dark Tree with its dark shadow, and the elegant             
creature as fair as a Spirit.

Friday 9^th Nov^{r  Rain as before  We [visited] the same spot by moonlight}

Next day. It rRained till near ten o’clock, but aA

little after that time, it being likely for a tolerably fine             
day, we packed up bread and cold meat, and, with ^{a friend’s} Luff’s             
Servant to help to row, set forward in the Boat. As we ad-             
-vanced the day grew finer — clouds and sunny gleams on             
the mountains. In the grand Bay under Place Fell             
we saw ^Tthree Fisherman dragging a net, and rowed up to             
them. They had just brought the net ashore; and

hundreds of fish were leaping in their prison. They were all             
of one ^the kind; what are called Skellies. After we had left             
them The Fishermen continued their work, a picturesque group             
under the lofty and bare crags. ^{around which}  The whole scene was very grand             
— a raven ^was croaking on the mountain above our heads. Landed             
at ^{near to in the Bay of} Sanwick; the Man took the Boat home, and we pur-             
sued our journey towards the Village along a beautiful             
summer path — at first through a coppice by the Lakeside;             
then through green fields. The Village and Brook very             
pretty; shut out from Mountains and Lakes — it reminded             
me of Somersetshire. Passed by Harry Hibson’s House. I longed             
to go in for the sake of old times. W^m went up one side of             
the Vale and we up the other, and he joined us again after             
having crossed the one-arched Bridge below the Church, with             
^{[?] according to the custom of the season} its “bare ring of mossy wall,” and simple yew tree. At the             
last house in the Dale we were kindly greeted by             
the Master, who was sitting at the door 

^{with sheep collected around him one of which he was smearing}salving sheep —             
^{with tar for protection against the winter cold} He invited us to go in ^{enter his house} and see a room built by M^r              
Hazel for his accommodation ^{of his friends} at the yearly Chace             
of Red Deer in his Forests at the head of these             
Dales. The Room is fitted up in the Sportsman’s style,             
with a simple cupboard for bottles and glasses &c.             
Some strong chairs, and a large dining-table, and or-             
namented with the Horns of the Stags caught at these             
Hunts for many years back, with the length of the             
Last race they ^{each had} run recorded under each ^{his stately antlers}. We ate             
our dinner here. The good woman treated us with

the Owner. ^{[At the same hour as the day before]} We went down that side of the Lake opposite to             
^{At 10 o’clock we pursued our way on foot on the on the same side}             
Sty barrow Crag. I dismounted & we sate some time on the             
^{of the Lake which we had coasted in a Boat the day before.}             
same Rock as before above Blowick. Owing to tThe

bright              
^{[?] above the Farm of} -ness of the sunshine ^{concealed from us} the Church and other buildings were              
even more ^{than the haze & vapour had done the day before} concealed from us than by the mists two days              
before. It had been a sharp frost in the night and             
the grass and trees were yet wet. We observed the lemon-colour-             
ed leaves of the birches in the wood below, as the wind turn-             
ed them to the sun, sparkle or rather flash like diamonds.             
The day continued unclouded to the end. ^{& I shall not} We had a delight-              
^{describe either the scene or relate our little adventures but will}

ful Ride and walk, for it was both to both of us. We led             
^{only [add?]} the horse under Place Fell, and though I mostly rode when             
the way was good, yet William sometimes mounted to rest             
himself. Called at Eusemere, the Miss Greens not yet             
settled in their house. Went by Bower Bank, intending             
to ford the Emont at the Mill, but the Pony could not             
carry us both; so after many attempts, I rode over myself             
& a Girl followed upon another Horse to carry back the Pony             
to William. Very cold before we reached Park House             
— Carpets & chairs spread upon the grass. Derwent ran              
out to meet us. Sate in the kitchen till the parlour fire              
was lighted; & then enjoyed a comfortable [dish] ^cup of tea.              
After tea W^m went to Thomas Wilkinson’s & to Brougham.

go to Lowther, & accordingly Sara mounted Tom’s horse, I the pony,             
& William & Miss Green set out on foot; but she had not             
walked far before she took a seat behind Sara. — Crossed             
the Ford at Yanworth. We found Thomas Wilkinson at work             
in one of his fields: he chearfully laid down his spade, &             
walked by our side with William. We left our horses at             
the Mill below Brougham & walked through the woods             
till we came to the [illegible cancel] Quarry where the road ends, the             
very place which has been the Boundary of some of the hap-             
piest of the walks of my youth. The sun did not shine             
when we were there; & it was midday, therefore if it had             
shone, the light could not have been the same; yet so vivid             
-ly did I call to mind those walks, that when I was in the              
wood I almost seemed to see the same rich light of             
evening upon the trees which I had seen in those happy             
hours. [Cancelled sentence, illegible.]

                                                      At this time the             
Path was scarcely traceable by the eye, all the ground             
being obscure with withered leaves, which I was very sorry for,             
William having described the beauty of it with so much de-             
light after having been at Lowther in the summer.             
         Scrambled along, under the Quarry — then came to T.             
Wilkinson’s new path. We spent three delightful hours             
by the Riverside & in the woods. We were received              
with much kindness by Richard Bowman & his Wife             
-dinner was presently prepared; & we were officiously

upon

by little Hannah, whose light motions and happy              
looks plainly expressed the hospitality of the house.             
Went with Miss Green to Penrith — drank tea at M^rs             
Ellwoods —Read Collingwood’s dispatches— went to M^r James’s             
Shop & called upon Miss Monkhouse at M^rs Coupland’s.             
Mary Monkhouse & Sara mounted at the George. I             
walked with W^m through the town to Mrs Ellwood’s door—             
the first time I have been in Penrith streets [after day-]             
[light] at that time of the night since Mary & her             
Sister Margaret, and I used to steal out to each other’s             
houses and when we had had our talk over the kitchen             
fire, to delay the moment of parting, paced up one street             
and down another

to delay the moment of parting, paced              
up one street and down another by moon or star light.             
S. and I stopped at Red Hills while William went over             
the Ford to T. Wilkinson’s — the house untidy & not             
comfortable — a little Girl never ceased rocking a Baby             
in the Cradle. We asked if it would not sleep without             
being rocked, & the Mother answered “No; for it was used             
to it.” Reached Park House at ten o’clock. Joanna had             
waited dinner and tea for us.

in Tom’s field, & I was obliged to dismount. Went over Soulby             
Fell. Before we reached Ulswater the sun shone, ^{The morning had been wet but now the sun shone [?]} and only              
a few scattered clouds remained on the hills except at the              
tops of the very highest — the Lake perfectly calm. We had             
a delightful journey. At the beginning of the first Park             
William got upon the pony, and, betwixt a walk and             
a run, I kept pace with him while he trotted to the             
next gate — then I mounted again. We were joined by             
two Travellers, like ourselves with one white horse be-             
tween them. We went on in company till we came             
near to Patterdale, trotting all the time. The trees in

^{[in interest]} Gowbarrow Park were ^{in that state when what is gained} very beautiful, the hawthorns ^{by the disclosure of their Bark & Brambles compensates [?]}              
leafless, their round heads covered with rich red berries             
and ^{almost for the loss of foliage [? ? ?]} adorned with arches of green brambles and Eglantine              
hung with glossy ^{they exhibited [?] that variety which} hips — Many birches yet tricked out ^{characterizes the point in time between autumn & winter}              
in full foliage of bright yellow — oaks brown or leafless             
— the smooth ^[silver] branches of the Ashes bare — most of the              
Alders green as in spring. I think I have more plea             
-sure in looking at deer than any other animals; per             
-haps chiefly from their living in a more natural             
state. At the end of Gowbarrow Park a large troop             
of them were either moving slowly or standing still             
among the fern. I was grieved when our ^{a chance} Companions             
^{who had joined us by the way} startled them with a whistle, disturbing a beautiful             
image of grave simplicity & thoughtful enjoyment,             
for I could have fancied that even they were partaking             
with me a sensation of the solemnity of the closing