He saw that it
was only at the upper or eastern end, where the mountains of the
Waste went round about it, that the Dale was narrow; it soon widened
out toward the west, and for the most part was encompassed by no such
straight-sided a wall as was Burgdale, but by sloping hills and
bents, mostly indeed somewhat higher and steeper than the pass
wherein they were, but such as men could well climb if they had a
mind to, and there were any end to their journey. The Dale went due
west a good way, and then winded about to the southwest, and so was
hidden from them thereaway by the bents that lay on their left hand.
As it was wider, so it was not so plain a ground as was Burgdale, but
rose in knolls and little hills here and there. A river greater than
the Weltering Water wound about amongst the said mounds; and along
the side of it out in the open dale were many goodly houses and
homesteads of stone. The knolls were mostly covered over with vines,
and there were goodly and great trees in groves and clumps, chiefly
oak and sweet chestnut and linden; many were the orchards, now in
blossom, about the homesteads; the pastures of the neat and horses
spread out bright green up from the water-side, and deeper green
showed the acres of the wheat on the lower slopes of the knolls, and
in wide fields away from the river.
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