AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 179 



one extremity to the other, has never been fully identified; 

 none of those who have entered the respective openings 

 having had the resolution to proceed sufficiently far to 

 ascertain the fact." 



A little beyond the Bolt Head is a small cove, called Stare- 

 hole Bay. Stare (or Stair) Hole is supposed by some to 

 derive its name from a steep roadway by which sea-weed 

 is carried up from the beach. 



This bay is remarkable (again we quote from Hawkins) 

 "for a cavern that is reported (or, rather, imagined) to 

 terminate near Malborough Church, which stands three miles 

 off. The dripping of water, however, by extinguishing the 

 torches, added to the fear of otters, which resort thither, 

 has hitherto compelled the curious to abandon every design 

 of penetrating to the end, few having advanced above a 

 hundred yards. On the left of the bay, and near the 

 mouth of the cave, is an excavated rock, eight or nine 

 feet high and about five broad, forming a natural arch, 

 opening towards the sea. It is not improbable that Bull- 

 hole and the interior of Stare-hole cavern form a junction." 



The neighbourhood of Salcombe, and of the Bolt Head, 

 are peculiarly rich in the variety of animal life existing 

 there. While strolling along the cliffs near the signal 

 house on a fine summer's day, you may see in the waters 

 below, shoals of porpoises, tumbling and rolling about, and 

 searching in the creeks for the fishes, of which they consume 

 great quantities. In the caverns of the rocks close to the 

 sea there are numbers of otters, who take an early bath 

 and a breakfast at the same time. They may be heard 

 whistling and calling to their mates and young ones. After 

 their repast they return to their caverns, and remain in 

 sleep and solitude until hunger again drives them forth 



