THE -WONDERS OF THE SHORE. Oo 



of all true English "Whigs ; and close by stands 



the castle of the settler of Newfoundland, Sir 



Humphrey Gilbert, Raleigh's half-brother, most 



learned of all Elizabeth's admirals in life, most 



pious and heroic in death. And as for scenery, 



thouf^h it can boast of neither mountain peak or 



dark fiord, and would seem tame enough in the 



eyes of a western Scot or Irishman, yet Torbay 



surely has a soft beauty of its own. The rounded 



hills slope gently to the sea, spotted with squares 



of emerald grass, and ricli red fallow fields, 



and parks full of stately timber-trees. Long 



lines of tall elms, just flushing green in the 



spring hedges, run down to the very water's 



edge, their boughs unwarped by any blast ; and 



here and there apple orchards arc just bursting 



into flower in the soft sunshine, and narrow 



strips of water meadow line the glens, where the 



red cattle are already lounging knee-deep in 



richest grass, within ten yards of the rocky 



pebble beach. The shore is silent now, the tide 



far out : but six hours hence it will I)c hurling 



columns of rosy foam high into the sunlight, 



and sprinkling passengers, and cattle, and trim 



gardens whidi liardly know what frost and snow 



may be, but see the flowers of autumn meet the 



