Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Wehadfinishedbreakfast,andwerethroughCliftonLockbyhalf-pasteight. 

           FromCliftontoCulhamtheriverbanksareflat,monotonous,anduninteresting,but,afteryougetthroughCulhalmLock—thecoldestanddeepestlockontheriver—thelandscapeimproves. 

           AtAbingdon,theriverpassesbythestreets. Abingdonisatypicalcountrytownofthesmallerorder—quiet,eminentlyrespectable,clean,anddesperatelydull. Itpridesitselfonbeingold,butwhetheritcancompareinthisrespectwithWallingfordandDorchesterseemsdoubtful. Afamousabbeystoodhereonce,andwithinwhatisleftofitssanctifiedwallstheybrewbitteralenowadays. 

           InSt.NicholasChurch,atAbingdon,thereisamonumenttoJohnBlackwallandhiswifeJane,whoboth,afterleadingahappymarriedlife,diedontheverysameday,August21,1625; andinSt.Helen’sChurch,itisrecordedthatW.Lee,whodiedin1637,"hadinhislifetimeissuefromhisloinstwohundredlackingbutthree." IfyouworkthisoutyouwillfindthatMr.W.Lee’sfamilynumberedonehundredandninety-seven. Mr.W.Lee—fivetimesMayorofAbingdon—was,nodoubt,abenefactortohisgeneration,butIhopetherearenotmanyofhiskindaboutinthisovercrowdednineteenthcentury. 

           FromAbingdontoNunehamCourteneyisalovelystretch. NunehamParkiswellworthavisit. ItcanbeviewedonTuesdaysandThursdays. Thehousecontainsafinecollectionofpicturesandcuriosities,andthegroundsareverybeautiful.