STADDON HEIGHTS IN MAY. 261 



narrow-leaved soft grass ; which forms an elastic and 

 pleasant resting place ; it is variegated with very deli- 

 cate, slender-stalked, white flowers, in large clusters, 

 and with others resembling the clover blossom, but 

 much stronger. The precipitous walls of rock, in many 

 places, are overgrown with ivy, the young shoots 

 of which with their clear, transparent, glossy, green 

 leaves look like graceful living things clasping the 

 frightful dead. 



At the fourth stile from Mount Batten, a panoramic 

 view may be obtained which is unmatched in the neigh- 

 bourhood. The interminable sea lies to the extreme 

 left, on which it sometimes happens that there is but 

 one visible obj ect the Pharos of the Eddy stone. Pen- 

 lee, Cawsand, Kingsand, and Redding point, one by 

 one, lead the eye to Mount Edgecumbe, where, at this 

 time, may be perceived almost every hue and shade of 

 leafage, Homoaze and Devonport are reposing under 

 the " hills of Old Cornwall/' which rise solidly blue 

 in the distance. Stonehouse, Plymouth , the busy port, 

 the Laira, Saltram, and the brown summits of Dartmoor 

 form the remaining part of the picture, which of a clear 

 sunny day, is uncommonly pleasing, as there is very 

 seldom any obscuring smoke or shadow resting upon 

 the towns. Passing this stile, you will, in a few mi- 

 nutes, arrive at the bottom of a dell ; here the footpath 

 diverges into two, one traverses the upper part of the 

 Heights, the other will conduct you through the un- 

 derwood to a second and entangled path nearer the 

 edge of the precipice : chose the latter. Though you 

 may not be a naturalist, technically so understood, yet 

 you will find many obj ects well deserving notice. There 

 are no majestic trees, no smooth shaven lawns, no lucid 

 lakes, no shining river ; yet there is abundant matter 

 for contemplation. Examine the many, various sorts 

 of flowers from the odorous blue bell to the diminu- 

 tive heart'sease which are springing around you under 

 the shelter of interwoven brambles, or near the margin 

 of the thread-like streamlets : you will perceive that 

 some are not less fragrant than many of our cherished 

 exotics, and others are as delicately pencilled as the 



