trouble to ourselves, to its end at Kendal; this
thoughtfulness saving us much delay and inconvenience, and rendering this
portion of our trip one of the most delightful experiences throughout the
whole of our journey.

Getting afloat in good time next morning, we bade farewell to Lancaster,
and pushed on towards Crooklands, passing Nately and Ashton on the way.

For a great portion of this part of our journey the surroundings were truly
beautiful, the trees meeting overheard in many places, and forming a cool
leafy canopy, while the water was so clear that we could distinguish
objects lying upon the bottom quite distinctly, although the water averaged
a depth of seven or eight feet. Our silent approach allowed us to come
upon shoals of fish, which only darted away when our bows cleared the water
immediately above them, a sight that roused all our angling instincts.

At other spots along the canal the towering hills, with their crests
enshrouded in mist, combined to make up as impressive a picture as can
be conjured up by the imagination.

Wild-flowers, blackberries, and sloes dotted the banks in profusion,
and the occasional starting of a hare or the putting up of a rocketing
pheasant from out of the woods, through which we passed at intervals
conveyed to us a charming impression of Nature in all the glorious
wealth of an early English autumn.

At Hest Bank the canal approached the coast, which we followed for some
distance allowing us to obtain an interesting view of Morecambe Bay.

Arriving at Crooklands about seven in the evening, we left our canoe in
charge there and walked into Milnethorpe, a distance of some three miles,
and sought shelter for the night, with the consciousness that next day
would see us at the end of our canal journey.

Early next morning we are out and about and, breakfast despatched, we get
afloat once more, with the sun shining, the birds singing, and a soft wind
blowing from the south, making the last part of our trip every respect.

We paddled along past the varied scenery on the banks, dotted here and
there with villages and hamlets and occasionally a town. The last day on
the canal we made a regular picnic of, landing on the grassy banks when we
wanted to rest and eat, and pushing onward again when we were so inclined.

In this manner we progressed past Hincaster, Sedgwick, and Natland,
and at about three o'clock in the afternoon reached Kendal, where the
canal system curiously e