Keswick is placed in a narrow bottom, under these vast mountains, which seem to hang over our heads. There is a place called Castle-head, a great rock, which has, no doubt, been a castle, I fancy in British times, and called a _caer_, whence the name of the town, _Caerswic_, as _Keston_ in Kent, from the camp there, originally _Caerston_. Here are variety of mines hereabouts; some of lead, some of copper, and others of black-lead, which is no contemptible manufacture: there are scarce any other black lead mines, but what are here; they use it for glasing pots: it lies pretty much above ground. In our way hither we had sight of that vast receptacle of water called Ulles lake; and, when going hence to Cockermouth, we rode all along the side of a great lake upon the river Derwent. These collections of fluid element are owing to the rocks, which suffer not the water thoroughly to drain out of the valleys. When one stands at the end of these lakes, the prospect is exceeding delightful; the mountains on each side rising to a great height, one behind another the whole length, and broke off into short ones, like the scenes at a playhouse: nor need a painter go to Italy for variety and grandeur of prospects. Though the sides of these hills are very stony, and even rocks of marble, yet the valleys every where look very green, and produce great crops, in years when they have a reasonable share of dry weather: but that, I believe, is not very frequent; for the hills will scarce suffer any clouds to pass over from any quarter, but dash them in pieces; so that the frequency of springs and cascades, and the rapidity and force of the brooks and rivers, is wonderful. [Illustration: 70·2ᵈ. _The roman Altar found at Elenborough now at Whitehaven in the seat of James Louther Esqʳ_ _Stukeley. delin._] [Illustration: 71·2ᵈ. _The back view of the Altar at Mʳ Louthers, Whitehaven._ _Stukeley. delin._] [Illustration: 72·2ᵈ. _Two basso relievo’s in the house wall at Elenborough._ _Stukeley delin._] [Illustration: 73·2ᵈ. Roman Monuments _found at_ Elenborough _now in the house of_ Humphry Senhouse _Esqʳ._ _Stukeley delin._ _Sturt sc_] COCKERMOUTH. At this place they manufacture cotton yarn for candlewicks. It owes its name to the river Cocker, here emptying itself into the Derwent. The castle belonging to the dukes of Somerset stands in the angle of union, and very pleasantly: the valley is rich ground: it was a stately building, and strong in the old manner; but now they daily pull it down for the sake of its materials. They report that the earth of the _vallum_ on the outside the walls was fetched from Ireland, whence no venomous creature can pass over it. A fine vault here, which they call the Chapel. OLENACVM. +Elenborough.+ [Sidenote: TAB. LXIII.]