Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/343

 ?vlISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 329

pafTengers, who here enjoy the grateful fhadeof the arbutus, yews, hollies, and many other trees, that cover the rocks in this canal, feve- ral of which hang dreadfully over its fides, and no doubt, had a perfon fufficient leifure thoroughly to fearch up the fides of this glin, and the adjacent places, which would require vaftly more time, labour, and e.xpence, than the en- couragement given to works of this nature will afford, abundance of curious difcoveries might certainly be made here in the botanical way, efpecially in the adjacent forells.

The boatmen have given imagi- nary names to thefe rocks, as to one, the Man of War; a rock, which in fome f-rt reprefents the hull of a large vtflel, the mart and rigging of which is no other than a large branching yew at the top. Having, at length, paiTed this long and narrow ilrait, the upper Uke is difcovered, which is furrounded on all fides with mountains of an amazing height, beautified alfo with woods. For here according to Milton,

— — ^— — Over head up grow, Infuperable height of loftieil fliade, Cedar, and pine, and fir, and

branching palm, A fylvan fcene ; and as the ranks

afcend Shade above fhade, a woody theatre

Of ftateliell view

Luxuriant: Mean while murmur- ing waters fall Down the Hope hills, difperft, or

in a lake, ■ Unite their ftreams :

Paradife Loft, Book IV.

This upper lake is an oblong fquare, expending north and fouth, but is not a third of the sra of the cwcrr lake. The locks and iilands

are here inhabited by eagle?, ofpreys, hawks, and other birds of prey ; as are the forefts on the ad- jacent mountains with red deer.

In certain feafons very confider- able water-falls and cafcades tumble from the mountains into this up- per lakes, which with the echoes, and delightful fcenery of the pro- fpect, are alfo the chief entertain- ment of this place, as in the Irwer lake. In one of thefe iflands tra- vellers generally take a repalt, for few people go fo far into thefe wilds without laying in provifions before-hand. The manner of re- turning is, either back through the fame fcene, or on horfeback over the mountain, on a nc.v road, wi.ich was made by fubfcription of the principal gentlemen of the county.

Towards thefouthern part of the lake, fituated on a kind of psnin- fula. Hands Mucruis, the feat of Edward Herbert, Efq. a fituatioh v/here nature, in her native atti!"e, very little afiifred by art, outdoes every thing that human fancy, fup- ported with the highelc expence, hath vet performed ; for whether we firlt reflefl on the delightful profpecls that this feat affords, as the lofty mountains hanging over the lake, woodea almoll to their fummits ; cafcades pouring down from feveral of them, particularly that already noticed from Manger- ton, which fends down a roaring torrent not far diftant; the beauti- ful expanfe of water tth'ch wafhes the verge of this gentleman's gar- dens and imp-rovements, fcattered over with ill^nds, fo v/codeJ as ;o reprefent feveral well-cultivated fpots ; alfo a particular lake called Mucrufs lake, divided by that pe- ninlula frc m the ^reat one; and on the oppo.^:ie fiiore, a level, ivell_ improved