CAPTAIN TOM LEE. . 69 



were cunning workers in steel and iron ;" for there is 

 little doubt that the monument is an accessory of the 

 pile raised over the tomb of Baereg, the Danish chief- 

 tain, slain here in a great battle with our King 

 Alfred. It is possible that the construction, the open- 

 ing of which we saw at Lundy, may have an antiquity 

 as great as its counterpart in Berkshire, or perhaps 

 even greater, seeing that the huge upper slab was 

 here quite covered with the common mould ; and, in 

 default of any evidence to the contrary, we may con- 

 jecturally assign to it a similar commemorative pur- 

 pose. 



The next day was to find us upon the sea. Cap- 

 tain Tom Lee was going out to haul his pots, and we 

 were to avail ourselves of the opportunity of becom- 

 ing personally familiar with the vagaries of lobster- 

 catching. A worthy fellow is Captain Tom ; kind- 

 hearted and obliging, one that has read a good deal, 

 and has seen somewhat of the world, and free in 

 communicating the knowledge he has acquired. We 

 found him to be quite an agreeable companion, when 

 he favoured us with his society. He unfortunately 

 lost his ship on the African coast not long ago ; and 

 since that time he has devoted himself to the fish- 

 eries of the island, which he prosecutes with energy 

 and success. Captain Tom has been an attentive 

 observer of the habits of animals. One anecdote of 

 his was so good, that I think it worth preserving. 

 But the captain shall be his own narrator : 



" A curious animal is a pig, gentlemen ! Very 



