tide came in among the trees and went out again, leaving much sand behind. In fact, many of the forests were actually buried thus, and their strong trunks are now met with, standing upright, in solid sandstone rock. After a forest had been buried in this way, other trees could not grow very well on sandbanks; but as ages went on, soil gathered on the sand, and another forest grew in the place of the first, to be buried up in its turn. During countless ages, this growth and covering up went on, until, in some places, as in the South Wales coal-field, there are no fewer than one hundred different seams of coal, under each of which you may see a clay full of the roots of those ancient forests. After the trees had been long buried and pressed down in the depths of the earth, changes began to take place. The mass heated, and turned black, just as a stack of hay does when it has been packed in a damp state. By-and-by, it was changed into a sort of pulp, so that you could not tell leaves from branches; and, at last, it became hard, and black, and bright-the very coal you all know so well. These ancient forests grew by means of the light and heat of the sun, so that a piece of coal is really so much fossil sunshine! And when you warm yourselves by the fire, you are really enjoying the heat of the sun, which was poured down on some forest of those old, old days, and was stored away by its leaves. Map Questions. 1. What sea washes these counties? On which side? What islands lie off the coast? To what countries do the opposite shores of this sea belong? 2. Name in order the rivers which flow into this sea? Which of A these have wide mouths? What river forms part of the boundary between England and Scotland? The town at its mouth? town on the Aln? A town on the Wansbeck? 3. Name six important towns on the lower course of the Tyne. What counties does this river divide? What two rivers join to form the Tyne? What town stands near their junction? The remains of what wall run parallel with the Tyne? 4. Name three towns at the mouth of the Wear. Two important towns higher up the river. What battle was fought near Durham? Date? 5. What counties does the Tees divide? Name a port at its mouth on the Durham side. Name an important town higher up the valley. 6. What are the upper valleys of the Tees and Wear called? Amongst what mountains do these dales lie? What Force is in the upper course of the Tees? Name the four villages which lie most to the west among the Pennine Moors in Durham. 7. Where are the Cheviot Hills? Name the highest point. Its height. Name three battle-fields among the Cheviots, giving the date of each battle. In what direction do the rivers of Northumberland and Durham flow? Where do they rise? CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORELAND. I. THE LAKE DISTRICT. THE lake district lies within the southern half of Cumberland, the western half of Westmoreland, and the piece of Lancashire known as Furness. This is the playground of England, whither the young men go to climb the mountains, and, young and old, to be refreshed by the ever-changing beauty of lake and fell. In the season there are always tourists about, knapsack on shoulder, who make their way on foot, or by the pleasant old stage-coach; railways have only penetrated into the beautiful valleys in a few places as yet. The market-place of Keswick or of Ambleside is a merry scene on a bright morning, when the coaches are about to start. There they are: Ullswater coach, Coniston coach, Windermere coach, Keswick coacheach with its four fine horses. The gay passengers crowd round, everybody mounts to the top, ladies and all-happy they who get the front seats-and, with a merry blast of the horn, off goes the coach. Not leaving us in the market-place, though; we have secured the box seat on the Keswick coach. By the way, what a pleasant village, or rather town, Ambleside is, built of the dark blue-grey rock of the slate mountains, and standing in an open valley with towering mountains round it. Every village nestles in its own dale in this lake country; and a hardy, THE LAKE DISTRICT. 17 upright race the dalesmen are. In the rural villages many of them are shepherds, for shepherding is the only kind of farm work possible among the mountains. The road to Keswick leads between fells fringed with larch trees, and is bordered by the Rotha river, until we reach Rydal Water,-a fairy mere, with little, green, tree-shaded islands dotted over it, and with mountain shadows, and cloud shadows, and gleaming lights upon its waters. That rock, looking over the little lake, is Wordsworth's Seat," and on the slope of the fell is Rydal Mount, which was the home of this "Lake Poet." 66 Mr. Wordsworth was a great walker; he wandered among the dales, and climbed the fells, and knew every mile of the beautiful lake country; and the beauty of it all was the joy of his life, and filled his heart with deep holy thoughts, some of which he has put into sweet words for our enjoyment. Even the musical names of the fells were a delight to him. He tells us how, when he and a lady friend were walking forth one day, the lady laughed aloud, and,— "The rock, like something starting from a sleep, And Kirkstone tossed it from his misty head." It is not always quite so easy to wake the echoes; but the report of a gun, or the baying of the hounds, C CUMBERLA Τ THE lake distric the piece of Lanc: The market-] merry scene on Not leaving secured the bo By the way. Ambleside is,slate mountai towering mo in its own d |