THE SCENE ON THE CLIFFS. 151 



There was a great drawbridge over one of the openings 

 into the harbor, made for the passage of railway trains to 

 a great station on the pier opposite the steamer landing. 

 After examining all these things our travelers went into 

 the town, and thence up a long ascending road with 

 flights of stone steps branching off from it here and there 

 which led up to the cliffs on one side, where they found 

 long rows of handsome houses, the summer residences of 

 fashionable people from London. There were lawns and 

 other ornamental grounds in front of these houses, between 

 them and the road ; and between the road and the margin 

 of the cliff was an open space, serving as a promenade. 

 There were seats here and there, with children playing 

 around them, while those who had charge of the children 

 were sitting upon the seats, sewing or knitting. In other 

 places ladies and gentlemen were walking to and fro, en- 

 joying the magnificent prospect which was spread before 

 them over the sea. 



This handsome esplanade, with the sea on one side far 

 below, and long rows of elegant houses on the other, ex- 

 tended a long distance a mile or more along the cliffs. 

 In one place John went near enough to the brink of the 

 cliffs to look over. He saw, at a great distance below, a 

 road running along close to the margin of the water, with 

 people walking upon it, and here and there a cart going 

 along. The road looked very narrow, and the men and the 

 carts very small. 



After continuing their walk until their curiosity in re- 

 spect to this place was fully satisfied, Lawrence and John 

 returned to the town in the valley by another way, on the 

 farther side of the range of houses facing the sea. 



They reached the hotel an hour before time for dinner, 

 so they took another walk around the harbor, examining 

 the structure of the piers, and looking at the different 



