Viewing page 51 of 149

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

31

After we finished lunch we walked back to the boat to go further, we had to get over a dame, so Gifford got a man who was working in the fields near by to help carry the boat over by land. Then we rowed on up to Chalcot about six miles from Stratford. The Avon flows through the Lucy Estate and the public is not allowed to go through. The Lucy Estate is where Shakespeare was arrested for killing deer. So we landed and walked over the fields to get a good view of the Lucy house to sketch. It was delightful to sit in the shade of one of the lovely trees in the midst of the warm fields and looking over the estate to see the tame deer grazing and the rabbits skipping around.

It was one of the pleasantest days we had spent, so peaceful and it was the first time we had real exercise, for we both took a pair of oars. The willows with other trees along the banks, gave us pleasant shade and the swans and woodduck looked very pretty swimming about. 

I think the Avon runs through as picturesque country as Devonshire.

July 30, 1908