assenthwaite-mere at this day is familiarly called Broadwater; but
the change in the appellation of this small lake or pool (if it be a
corruption) may have been assisted by some melancholy accident similar
to what happened about twenty years ago, when two brothers were drowned
there, having gone out to take their holiday pleasure upon the ice on a
new-year's day.

A rough and precipitous peat track brought us down to our friend's
house.--Another fine moonlight night; but a thick fog rising from the
neighbouring river, enveloped the rocky and wood-crested knoll on which
our fancy cottage had been erected; and, under the damp cast upon my
feelings, I consoled myself with moralising on the folly of hasty
decisions in matters of importance, and the necessity of having at least
one year's knowledge of a place before you realise airy suggestions in
solid stone.

Saturday, November 10th.--At the breakfast-table tidings reached us of
the death of Lord Nelson, and of the victory at Trafalgar. Sequestered
as we were from the sympathy of a crowd, we were shocked to hear that
the bells had been ringing joyously at Penrith to celebrate the triumph.
In the rebellion of the year 1745, people fled with their valuables from
the open country to Patterdale, as a place of refuge secure from the
incursions of strangers. At that time, news such as we had heard might
have been long in penetrating so far into the recesses of the mountains;
but now, as you know, the approach is easy, and the communication, in
summer time, almost hourly: nor is this strange, for travellers after
pleasure are become not less active, and more numerous than those who
formerly left their homes for purposes of gain. The priest on the banks
of the remotest stream of Lapland will talk familiarly of Buonaparte's
last conquests, and discuss the progress of the French revolution,
having acquired much of his information from adventurers impelled by
curiosity alone.

The morning was clear and cheerful after a night of sharp frost. At 10
o'clock we took our way on foot towards Pooley Bridge, on the same side
of the lake we had coasted in a boat the day before.--Looked backwards
to the south from our favourite station above Blowick. The dazzling
sunbeams striking upon the church and village, while the earth was
steaming with exhalations not traceable in other quarters, rendered
their forms even more indistinct than the partial and flitting veil of
unillumined vapour had d