AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 241 



persons from drowning. Interesting facts might be recorded 

 to illustrate this noble trait in the habits of these intelligent 

 and sagacious animals, who well merit our respect as well 

 as admiration. Here is a fisherman's story : — " A dog was 

 sitting up on the cliff above the quarry, and all at once he 

 pricks up his ears, and cuts away right into the sea, of his 

 own accord, and brings out a little drowning child. He 

 carefully laid her on the shore, and began licking her face, 

 but there was no sign of life, so he thinks to his self, 'what's 

 to be done next ? I can't bring her to ? ' So away he goes 

 to the nearest cottage, and pulls the clothes of the people to 

 attract their attention. Guided by the dog, they soon 

 brought in the poor child, and the means used were suc- 

 cessful in restoring animation." 



The sands, which extend almost uninterruptedly in 

 crescent form for seven miles, are in reality one vast bank 

 of regular beach pebbles, extremely heavy to walk on. The 

 accumulation is due to the exposure of the shore to a long 

 range of breakers, and to the circumstance of the shingle 

 being unable to travel, so as to escape out of the bay. 



A gentleman, once a resident at Slapton, says, "What 

 Brighton is to London, Weston-super-mare to Bristol, and 

 Scarborough to the great cities of the north-east of England, 

 Slapton (or rather, we should say, Torcross), is to the 

 humbler towns of Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, and Totnes. It 

 could not be passed unnoticed in any description of the 

 South Hams; but as Kingsbridge claims it for most civil 

 purposes, it deserves especial mention among the environs 

 of that town." 



There are several lodging houses at Torcross; none of 

 them grand ones, but very pleasant, nevertheless ; and there 

 is a good inn facing the sea, and quite on the beach — a great 



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