1863.] PLANTS OF BRAUNTON BURROWS. 357 



moaning" in tbe distance. The lighthouse is rather uglier than 

 most structures of its kind, but we were glad enough of its vici- 

 nity, for a drenching mist came in suddenly from the sea, and 

 made us hasten our steps as well as the loose sand would allow. 

 Here a new difficulty met us : the lighthouse-keeper's wife re- 

 fused us admittance, which, knowing that parties are constantly 

 in the habit of eating their luncheon within the walls, we thought 

 rather odd, and got hold of the assistant-keeper, who seemed in- 

 clined to admit us to Iiis portion of the building, when out came 

 the master and accused us of tampering with his servant : " the 

 Government orders were strict," etc. However, after some blus- 

 tering, his official wrath subsided, and he shut his eyes to the 

 iniquitous fact that his assistant allowed us the use of an unoc- 

 cupied room in his dwelling, where we might get out of the rain 

 and refresh ourselves. In about half an hour the mist cleared 

 off and we emerged from our shelter, and recommenced our 

 search. Not far from the lighthouse we found Ligustrum vulgar e, 

 which is frequent all round the skirts of the Burrows, Urtica pilu- 

 lifera, Echium vulgare, Lecopsis, Cakile maritima, and lUeceb rum 

 verticiUatum. After this we were ambitious of discovering the 

 plant of the locality, Scirpus Holoschmnus, but our friend the 

 assistant-keeper would not allow us the pleasure of doing so for 

 ourselves, and insisted on guiding our steps in the proper direc- 

 tion. " Ladies and gentlemen from Ilfraconibe, and London, 

 and Yorkshire, come every year to find the big Hush/' he in- 

 formed us. However, there is enough of it, though only in a 

 few spots, and consequently no fear of its extirpation, so we had 

 little scruple in supplying ourselves with specimens. Hitherto 

 we had kept together, but now agreed to divide our party, and to 

 meet again at the gate where we had first entered. I and my 

 friend went down to the sea to try to get a view with a small 

 camera I had with me ; but the scenery was not adapted for our 

 purpose, so we betook ourselves to the common objects of the 

 seashore, among which latter we found a " Portuguese man-of- 

 war," but he was unfortunately deceased and stinking, and 

 swarming with sand-hoppers. A few days before, we had secured 

 a live one in a rock-post at Mutchoe. The dew was now shining 

 brightly on the wet sand, and barefooted fisher-boys with golden 

 hair and deep blue eyes, si\ch_asJHgok Jfives_,t,oj)aintj were run- 

 ning merrily and noisily on the shore. Rain however warned 



