Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/201

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point of the promontory ; whence a view of great extent, diversity, and curious combination, is un- folded. Immediately under the abrupt height on which it stands, yawning caverns disclose them- selves, the entrances into the limestone quarries, from whence ever and anon waggons drawn by horses, and laden with the product of the mine, are seen to issue; and in their neighbourhood a series of pits stand ready to receive the stone, vomiting smoke and burning flame. Carrying the eye a little further, it takes in the iron-bridge, the river, and its shipping. Beyond this it reposes in distant vales, and upon the fertile meadows of Shropshire; whilst, once more returning to the nearer picture, it catches that magnificent home scenery, the bank we had before traversed, and its Doric temple, together with die rocks and woods, and windings of the dale.

Taking the Bridgnorth road, we passed over the iron-bridge, and wound up a steep and long hill, drat repaid us on turning round, for the tedi- ousness of its ascent, by a line view of the Severn, Madeley vide, the great iron-works, and the roman- tic bank above them; whilst to the left, a cliif lifted itself high above the bottom, scarred into lime- quarries, which produce inexhaustible quantities oi die coarse stone that is throw n into the furnace w ;:!

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