With a guide, I made an excursion over the

moors to

MALHAM

most celebrated is that between Chapel-in-the-Frith and Tideswell, in Derbyshire, in the description of which, as inserted in the third volume of the Beauties of England and Wales, pages, 454, 455, I attempted to assign the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the water; and as no better explanation has yet appeared, it may not be misplaced, to insert it again here; as the principles on which the water flows and ebbs, must be the same in all wells siinilarly situated.

"This curious phenomenon does not appear to have been satisfactorily explained; as the principles on which the Syphon acts, will only account for the intermittent flowing of the water, the cause of its ebbing being still unresolved. The opinion of a second syphon, as ingeniously advanced by a modern traveller,* which begins to act only when the water rises, or is near its height, is inconsistent with the appearances at the well, as the water continues to ebb for sixty or eighty seconds after its decrease has left a sufficient opening for the admission of the air into the supposed reservoir in the hill. Now, admitting the existence of one natural syphon, may we not account for the return of the water, by supposing an interior cavity, on a level somewhat lower than the passages which communicate with the well, having a distinct outlet, but too contracted to give issue to all the water that flows from the syphon; the overplus will, in consequence, be discharged into the well, where it finds vent, and flows out till the syphon has ceased to act. When this happens, the interior cavity, no longer receiving more water than its distinct aperture can carry off, begins to empty; and receiving back that portion of the water from the well which lies above the communicating passages, discharges it by its own outlet." E.

See an original Journal of a Three Weeks Tour to the Lakes ;' by a Gentleman of the University of Oxford, published in the sixth volume of Mavor's British Tourist.

MALHAM-COVE,

PRONOUNCED Maum-Cove, by the natives. This is a stupendous mass of lime-stone rock, something in the form of an amphitheatre, which crosses a valley like a bridge, presenting its bare and almost uniform front to the eye. A human figure, placed at the base of this immense mass, is reduced to a mere point, by comparison, the central summit of the rock, which is the lowest part, being, according to Mr. Hurtley, 288 feet high.

At the foot of the Cove, a current of water issues out, called Air-Head; it being, in all probability, one of the streams which feed that river. In floods, the subterranean passage is not sufficient to give vent to all the water, which then pours in a cataract from the top of the rocks, forming a most "grand and magnificent cascade." This curious phenomenon is seldom seen by travellers in the summer months. "If the wind blows pretty strongly from the south, or south-west, the whole front of this bluff and age-tinted battlement, standing unsheltered and exposed, very little if any of the expanded current reaches the bottom; but, driven back into the air, or against the projections of the rock, hath the appearance of a curled, foaming mist, impetuously revolving, and

dissipated

dissipated as a whirlwind."* Such a spectacle must afford a high gratification; and it must add greatly to the grandeur of the scene, the almost uniform surface of the rocks wanting such a break.

Passing through the village of Malham, which is composed of a few scattered houses, some of which afford good studies, as they are very picturesque, one mile brought me to

GORDALE-SCAR.†

HERE a stupendous mass of rocks forms a ravine, through the bosom of which flows a considerable stream. This opening contracts till you are led into a corner, where every object conspires to produce one of the grandest spectacles in nature. The rocks dart their bold and rugged fronts to the heavens, and impending fearfully over the head

+ From Settle it will be found about eight miles over the moors to Gordale; but it will be difficult to hit the way without a guide. A post-chaise may be had at the Golden Lion, at Settle; and if the traveller can get John Armstead, an intelligent man, who knows the country well, to attend him, the pleasantness of his journey will be increased. It is about sixteen miles with a carriage from Settle to Gordale; but those who come from Skipton, must turn into the road to Malham at Hellyfield. At Malham is a public-house, which affords but slender viands.

head of the spectator, seem to threaten his immediate destruction. Here rock is piled on rock in the most terrific majesty; and what greatly improves the grandeur of the scene, is an impetuous Cataract, that rushes down their dark centre, tearing up, with its irresistible force, the very foundations of the earth. Good heavens, what a scene, how awful! how sublime! Imagine blocks of lime-stone rising to the immense height of two hundred yards, and in some places projecting upwards of twenty over their bases; add to this the roaring of the cataract, and the sullen murmurs. of the wind that howls around; and something like an idea of the savage aspect of this place may be conceived.

Here the timid will find an end put to their journey: myself and guide, with some difficulty, ascended the craggs up the fall, keeping the water to the right hand, and arrived at a large opening, where massy fragments of rocks are scattered about in the most wild and fantastic manner. Above, through a large hole, at the height of twenty or thirty yards, poured down the collected" force of the whole stream, which forms the cascade below. This is, perhaps, the finest part of the whole place, and should by no means be neglected, however difficult the ascent to it may be. Retreat hence was impossible; we therefore scrambled to the top of the rocks, a height of not

less than three hundred yards from the stream below: here, on looking back into the yawning gulph we had passed, the words of Shakespeare came forcibly into my mind:

The opening in the rocks, which gives passage to the stream, is said to have been caused by the force of a great body of water, which collected in a sudden thunder storm, some time about the year 1730. The lover of drawing will be much delighted with this place: immensity and horror are its inseparable companions, uniting together to form subjects of the most awful cast. The very soul of Salvator Rosa would hover with delight over these regions of confusion.*

None

* Here Nature offers one of the finest general ideas in the world; but the student, in sketching these scenes, must preserve a great breadth in the rocks, for the sake of simplicity, as a boldness of handling is essentially necessary to such wild views. A few great and simple lines will mark the contours, and a slight wash of Indian ink will most expeditiously give the breadths; whilst a tender tinge of Prussian blue, combined with the ink, will easily make the more remote parts recede, provided the blue is added in proportion to the distance. The right-hand canopy, including the waterfall, presents a fine upright view, which shape is the best calculated for the disposition of these rocks. Some of the masses will require their forms to be a little improved.