ENGLAND. 



683 



Torbay. 



*ufeties. Point, one of the most celebrated promontories on the 

 "^c*^ coast of Devonshire, and Froward Point, the bay of 

 Dartmouth is formed : this is a spacious haven, capable 

 of sheltering a large number of ships. The coast from 

 hence winds to the' north-east, and shoots out into a 

 promontory called Berry Point, which makes one side 

 of Torbay. The other side is formed by the promon- 

 tory of Torquay. This bay is in its general form se- 

 milunar, inclosing a circumference of about 12 miles: 

 on both sides its shores are winding, and are screened 

 with grand ramparts of rock; between these, in the 

 central part, the ground from the inland forms a gen- 

 tle vale, falling easily and gracefully to the water's 

 edge. All round the bay, even on its rocky sides, wood 

 grows with great luxuriance. This noble bay fronts 

 the south-east : it has frequently afforded shelter to the 

 navy of England. In the rocks which form the pro- 

 montory of Torquay, there are various fissures of great 

 magnitude, and some of them of singular construction : 

 that of the greatest magnitude is called Kent's Hole ; 

 it is a vast cavern about 680 feet in depth. 



Beyond Torbay, the small river Teign flows into 

 the English Channel, and soon afterwards, the Ex: 

 from the mouth of this river the Devonshire coast gra- 

 dually turns to the south, as it unites with that of Dor- 

 setshire near Lyme. The shore from hence turns to 

 front the south-west, terminating far to the south in 

 Portland Island. Thus is that immense gulf formed, 

 which includes the greater part of the south of Devon- 

 shire, and much of Dorsetshire, together with the 

 several smaller bays of these counties, which lie between 

 the Start Point and the Bill of Portland. To the north 

 of Portland is a safe road for ships ; but it* southern 

 point, called the Kace of Portland, is one of the most 

 dangerous places in the Eiijrli-h Channel. 



mediately below this Mand, the Bay of \Vey- 

 mouth expands itself; on the opposite side of which, 

 that part of Dorsetshire called the isle of Purbeck, 

 stretches out, terminating in the point called St Aid- 

 ham's Head. The eastern extremity of the coast of 

 this county is called Pevrell Point, between which and 

 another promontory, lying to the north, called Hand- 

 fort Point, is included Swanage Bnv. Turning round 

 the extremity of Purbeck, towards the north, the Bay 

 of Studland is seen, the remotest headland of which 

 extends to the mouth of the harbour of Pool. Oppo- 

 site to this tongue of l:md is smother promontory, but 

 not quite so long, which shoots out from the main land 

 of Dorsetshire. Immediately within the entrance be- 

 tween these, lies Branksey Island. There are several 

 other small islands), round whieh the sea forms a vast 

 body of watei, constituting Pool harbour. 



The Isle of Wight terminates the bay which is form- 

 ed by the eastern extremity of Dorsetshire, with a vast 

 range of cliffs in full front. The western side of this 

 island is fenced with ri<! r < , of rocks-, the most remark- 

 able of which are those called, from their sharp extre- 

 mities, the Needles. The appearance of these, and 

 the advancing point of Hurst Castle on the opposite 

 shore of Hampshire, afford strong grounds to believe, 

 that in former times the island and the mainland were 

 united. The southern const of the Isle of Wight is 

 edged with very steep cliffs of chalk and freestone, 

 which, in various parts, are hollowed out into caverns. 

 Between the island and the main land are several sancl- 

 I lecially off the eastern part, where is the safe 

 road of St Helen's. Hurst Castle, which has already 

 mentioned, is situated near the extremity of an 

 extraordinary natural causeway or point of land, which 



Coast of 



Dor <t- 



ihiic. 



Of the Isle 

 f Wight. 



runs two miles into the sea in a south-east direction, Static,-,. 

 and approaches the Isle of Wight within the distance v> "Y""' 

 of a mile. Through the strait which is thus formed, 

 the tide rushes with very great force, and has deepen- 

 ed the channel no less than 28 fathoms. This na- 

 tural causeway, at high water, scarcely exceeds 200 

 yards in breadth : it is a sterile beach, covered with 

 loose gravel and pebbles. Towards the Isle of Wight, 

 there is a bold shore, beaten into ledges or terraces 

 of pebbles by the violence of the waves ; whereas, 

 the other side, from its sheltered situation, is undu- 

 lating, marshy, and undermined, forming the wa- 

 ter, when the tide flows, into a smooth land-locked 

 bay. 



The coast of Hampshire, adjoining to Dorsetshire, Of Hamp.- 

 fronts the south-east, as the Avon descends by Christ- s l' irc - 

 Church. The bay of this name is formed by that ri- 

 ver and the Stour, which unite their streams a short 

 distance below the town. The western termination of 

 the bay is Hengistbury-Head, generally called by the 

 seamen Christchurch-Head, from its apparent connec- 

 tion with that place, as viewed from the sea. It is a 

 bold headland, about a mile from the extremity from 

 which the cliff dips for a considerable distance, and the 

 estuary of the Stour and Avon is there only separated 

 from the sea by a narrow neck of land. A little to the 

 east of this is Lymington Bay, from which, till we 

 reach the mouth of Southampton Water, nothing re- 

 markable presents itself. 



Southampton Water, or Trissanton Bay, is a large Soutliamp- 

 inlet of the sea, commencing at Caldshot Castle, and ton Water, 

 stretching to the north-west upwards of 10 miles : it is 

 navigable to the head for vewek of considerable bur- 

 den. Its shores are extremely beautiful and pic- 

 turesque, being lined on one side by the New Forest, 

 and on the other by the ruins of Netley Abbey. 



The English Channel, after the junction of South- 

 ampton Water, turns round the northern point of the 

 Isle of Wight, gradually making its compass, till the 

 co;ist of Hampshire fronts the south-west, opposite to 

 that part of the Isle of Wight where the river Medina 

 enters the sea. Between the island and the shore of 

 Hampshire, is the noted road of Spithead: it lies di- 

 rectly opposite to the narrow neck of land on which 

 the town of Gosport stands. 



As we proceed to the east from Portsmouth-harbour, Coast of 

 the coast is indented with another large basin, inter- Sussex. 

 spersed with various islands. From this basin, several 

 branches run up into the country, one of them form- 

 ing the harbour of Chichester. This basin is filled in 

 part by the small river Lavent, which flows by that 

 city in a southward direction. The coast here is ex- 

 tremely level, and continues so towards the south, till 

 it is terminated by the bill or peninsula of Selsey. A 

 little further on, a few low rocks appear in the sen, 

 near Bognor, but the coast becomes again low and 

 marshy near Littlehampton. As we proceed to tin- 

 east, the South Downs form a nearer back-ground, and 

 at length advancing close to the coast, break into stu- 

 pendous cliffs, till they are terminated by the bold 

 point of Beachy Head. This promontory lies between 

 Hastings and Shoreham, projecting perpendicularly 

 over the beach, from which it has its name. It is the 

 highest on all the south coast of England. It is noted 

 for shipwrecks in stormy weather, and has several ca- 

 verns made in it by the sea. 



Beyond Beachy Head, the coast turns to the north- 

 east, and becomes u sandy and marshy level near Peven- 

 sey : it continues of this description till it reaches 



