e a boat. It rained heavily, but we went on, hoping
the sky would clear up.

Walked through unenclosed fields, a sort of half-desolate country; but
when we came to the mouth of the river which issues out of Loch Awe, and
which we had to cross by a ferry, looking up that river we saw that the
vale down which it flowed was richly wooded and beautiful.

We were now among familiar fireside names. We could see the town of
Bunawe, a place of which the old woman with whom William lodged ten years
at Hawkshead used to tell tales half as long as an ancient romance. It
is a small village or port on the same side of Loch Etive on which we
stood, and at a little distance is a house built by a Mr. Knott of
Coniston Water-head, a partner in the iron-foundry at Bunawe, in the
service of whose family the old woman had spent her youth. It was an
ugly yellow-daubed building, staring this way and that, but William
looked at it with pleasure for poor Ann Tyson's sake. {145} We hailed
the ferry-boat, and a little boy came to fetch us; he rowed up against
the stream with all his might for a considerable way, and then yielding
to it, the boat was shot towards the shore almost like an arrow from a
bow. It was pleasing to observe the dexterity with which the lad managed
his oars, glorying in the appearance of danger--for he observed us
watching him, and afterwards, while he conveyed us over, his pride
redoubled; for my part, I was completely dizzy with the swiftness of the
motion.

We could not have a boat from the ferry, but were told that if we would
walk to a house half a mile up the river, we had a chance of getting one.
I went a part of the way with William, and then sate down under the
umbrella near some houses. A woman came out to talk with me, and pressed
me to take shelter in her house, which I refused, afraid of missing
William. She eyed me with extreme curiosity, asking fifty questions
respecting the object of our journey. She told me that it rained most
parts of the year there, and that there was no chance of fine weather
that day; and I believe when William came to tell me that we could have a
boat, she thought I was half crazed. We went down to the shore of the
lake, and, after having sate some time under a wall, the boatman came to
us, and we went upon the water. At first it did not rain heavily, and
the air was not cold, and before we had gone far we rejoiced that we had
not been faint-hearted. The loch is of a con