On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills: Pilgrimages to Snowdon and Scafell

"On Cambrian and Cumbrian Hills: Pilgrimages to Snowdon and Scafell" by Henry S. Salt is a reflective travelogue written in the early 20th century. This work delves into the author's personal experiences and deep appreciation for the Welsh and Cumbrian mountains, particularly Snowdon and Scafell. The book explores themes of nature, solitude, and the spiritual connection one can have with these landscapes, emphasizing the importance of preserving their beauty. The opening of the book sets the stage for Salt's exploration, highlighting his view that one need not venture to foreign lands to find grandeur in mountains. Instead, he argues that the British hills, particularly in Carnarvonshire and Cumberland, hold equal majesty. Salt introduces the concept of the "mountain pilgrim," those who appreciate mountains not only for their physical challenges but for the profound peace and inspiration they can provide. He contrasts the modern climber's quest for adventure with the deep, soulful reverence of nature wrested from centuries of rustic life, inviting readers to appreciate the transformative power of these mountainous sanctuaries. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Henry Shakespear Stephens Salt was a British writer and campaigner for social reform in the fields of prisons, schools, economic institutions, and the treatment of animals. He was a noted ethical vegetarian, anti-vivisectionist, socialist, and pacifist, and was well known as a literary critic, biographer, classical scholar and naturalist. It was Salt who first introduced Mohandas Gandhi to the influential works of Henry David Thoreau, and influenced Gandhi's study of vegetarianism. Salt is considered, by some, to be the "father of animal rights", having been one of the first writers to argue explicitly in favour of animal rights, rather than just improvements to animal welfare, in his book Animals' Rights: Considered in Relation to Social Progress (1892).