66 OUR HOLIDAY IN CORNWALL 



Sixteen hours out of twenty-four it is completely 

 surrounded by the sea ; during the remaining 

 eight hours there is a dry causeway by which the 

 island can be reached afoot. 



The interior is interesting from its antiquarian 

 associations ; it was once a religious priory, a 

 State prison, and a fortress. Now it is the private 

 residence of Lord St. Levan, who permits the 

 public to visit it at times during the absence of his 

 family. We went through the apartments, formerly 

 occupied by "monks, nuns, and intriguers," in 

 one of which, now a chapel, we were shown, under 

 an unsuspecting seat, recently discovered, the 

 entrance to an awful dungeon, in which the 

 skeleton of a man, supposed to be that of Sir 

 John Arundel, was found. Down into this fearful 

 hole, of course, I went. It is a stone box, probably 

 ten feet square, and when the door or lid is closed 

 there is absolutely no opening of any kind for 

 ventilation a nice place to spend a lifetime in ! 

 I then screwed myself round a narrow, winding 

 staircase up to the top of the tower, two hundred 

 and fifty feet above the sea. No man over fourteen 

 stone need attempt it, unless his weight consists of 

 length, not breadth he couldn't do it ! On the 

 leads of the square tower, of course, there is to be 

 had a grand view of surrounding sea and country. 

 The causeway did not serve us we had to row 

 from England to St. Michael's, and we returned to 

 England by the same means. 



The island is quite independent and self- 



