THE GARDEN OF CYMODOCE 107 



fruit of each tree had a separate colour. Some were 

 white, others sparkling and transparent like crystal ; 

 some were red and of different shades ; others green, 

 blue or violet, and some of a yellowish hue ; in short, 

 there were fruits of almost every colour. The white 

 globes were pearls ; the sparkling and transparent 

 fruits were diamonds ; the deep red were rubies ; the 

 paler a particular sort of ruby called balaz ; the green, 

 emeralds ; the blue, turquoises ; the violet, amethysts ; 

 those tinged with yellow, sapphires ; and all the other 

 coloured fruits varieties of precious stones." 



There are many other caves of great interest, and 

 on a calm day most of them can be visited in a boat. 

 Nothing is more enjoyable than a row completely 

 round the island when the weather is favourable for 

 such an expedition. The deep water comes quite 

 near the shore at high tide, and the passenger is 

 taken close under towering cliffs where he may perhaps 

 see, as I did, a couple of thieving ravens carrying 

 away the eggs from the nesting gulls, pursued and 

 screamed at by the bereaved and outraged parents. 

 Round standing pillars, through natural arches, into 

 deep caves, the boat winds its way, and the colouring 

 of the rocks, and the brilliant blue and translucent 

 clearness of the sea are a revelation of contrasted 

 splendour. Sark is a happy hunting-ground for 

 artists, but I know of no one who has reproduced the 

 actual colouring of the cliffs with such patient fidelity 

 and accuracy as the resident artist, Mr. W. A. Toplis, 

 who has kindly permitted me to make use of an 

 extraordinarily delicate pen-and-ink sketch of " Les 

 Autelets " to illustrate this chapter. He has lived in 

 Sark for thirty years, and during that time many of 



