200 .' SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



hygienic superiority in favour of Scilly. Mucli arable 

 land there is not, but an occasional upland smiles 

 prosperity at you ; and in the sheltered nooks of Holy 

 Vale you are startled with the appearance of what 

 almost looks like a tree. In the other parts of the 

 island no tree is discoverable — without a lens. The 

 lanes are formed of stone hedges, as in Devonshire 

 and Cornwall ; but these hedges are not, at this early 

 season, prodigal of ferns and wild-flowers as they will 

 be soon. Yet they have already abundant ornament. 

 On the summit grows the furze, with its profuse 

 bunches of gold ; from the crevices peep the stone- 

 crop, the leaves of the fox-glove, pennywort, and a 

 multitude of other wall-loving plants, dear to my eye, 

 though unknown by name ; already the dog-violet and 

 celandine are gay with colour, and the lichens tint the 

 stone with delicate pale greys or greeus, deep orange, 

 or bright gold. 



The grouping of the islands is very picturesque, 

 forming several good Sounds, where vessels of great 

 tonnage find secure anchorage, and give a pleasant 

 aspect to the scene. Standing on any of the eminences, 

 we gaze down upon the deep blue of the bays, the 

 white sweep of sands, and rugged reefs, and purple 

 masses of the opposite shores ; the plaint of the sea- 

 gull, floating overhead, being almost the only sound 

 audible, except the never-ending symphony of the 

 waters. As we ramble round the coast, the successive 

 scenes of the unfolding panorama make us long to 

 have the artist's power of transferring them to our 



