YARMOUTH A GALE. 79 



CHAPTER XII. 



Varmouth. The "Rows ".A Stiff Breeze. An Exciting Sail. Sparrow- 

 hawk's Nest. A Nasty Fall. Long-eared Owl. Partridge. 



Sandpiper. 



YARMOUTH is a queer old semi-Dutch town, and is often com- 

 pared in shape to a gridiron, the bars of that article corre- 

 sponding to the " Rows " which are such a peculiar feature of 

 Yarmouth. These rows stretching across from the quay-side 

 to the principal street are very narrow, yet contain the houses 

 and shops of a great portion of the population. Many are 

 only wide enough for foot passengers but along others, carts of 

 a peculiar construction can pass. These carts are very long 

 and narrow, and have only two wheels, and a stranger seeing 

 them for the first time would wonder what they were for. 



Below Breydon Water the river narrows very much, and 

 flows past numerous fish-wharves and quays to the sea. The 

 tide rises up this narrow neck with great force, and were it 

 not for the safety-valve which is afforded by the vast expanse 

 of Breydon Water, where the tide can expand and waste its 

 force, it would rush on and flood the low-lying marshes for 

 miles up the river. 



The boys had resolved to start on their voyage up Breydon 

 Water at ten o'clock in the morning, when the tide would be 

 making and would help them on their way, but when they 

 had staggered down to their boat in the teeth of a fierce 

 north-wester, and saw Breydon white with foam, torn off 

 short snappy waves caused by the meeting of wind and tide, 

 they were rather dismayed, and held a council of war as to 

 what should be done. Not a sail could be seen on the wide 

 expanse of Breydon Water. The sky was of a hard and 

 pitiless blue, and clearly foretold a continuance of the gale. 



" Shall we venture or not ? " said Frank. 



" What do you feel inclined to do yourself? " asked Jimmy. 





