, and made his way along the moor across
the head of the lake. Coleridge and I, as we sate, had what seemed to us
but a dreary prospect--a waste of unknown ground which we guessed we must
travel over before it was possible for us to find a shelter. We saw a
long way down the lake; it was all moor on the near side; on the other
the hills were steep from the water, and there were large coppice-woods,
but no cheerful green fields, and no road that we could see; we knew,
however, that there must be a road from house to house; but the whole
lake appeared a solitude--neither boats, islands, nor houses, no grandeur
in the hills, nor any loveliness in the shores. When we first came in
view of it we had said it was like a barren Ulswater--Ulswater dismantled
of its grandeur, and cropped of its lesser beauties. When I had
swallowed my dinner I hastened after William, and Coleridge followed me.
Walked through the heather with some labour for perhaps half a mile, and
found William sitting on the top of a small eminence, whence we saw the
real head of the lake, which was pushed up into the vale a considerable
way beyond the promontory where we now sate. The view up the lake was
very pleasing, resembling Thirlemere below Armath. There were rocky
promontories and woody islands, and, what was most cheering to us, a neat
white house on the opposite shore; but we could see no boats, so, in
order to get to it we should be obliged to go round the head of the lake,
a long and weary way.

After Coleridge came up to us, while we were debating whether we should
turn back or go forward, we espied a man on horseback at a little
distance, with a boy following him on foot, no doubt a welcome sight, and
we hailed him. We should have been glad to have seen either man, woman,
or child at this time, but there was something uncommon and interesting
in this man's appearance, which would have fixed our attention wherever
we had met him. He was a complete Highlander in dress, figure, and face,
and a very fine-looking man, hardy and vigorous, though past his prime.
While he stood waiting for us in his bonnet and plaid, which never look
more graceful than on horseback, I forgot our errand, and only felt glad
that we were in the Highlands. William accosted him with, 'Sir, do you
speak English?' He replied, 'A little.' He spoke however, sufficiently
well for our purpose, and very distinctly, as all the Highlanders do who
learn English as a foreign l