THE ARCHIPELAGO OF BREHAT. 71 



flowers, among which the birds were chirping and 

 incessantly flitting about. The noise made by 

 my clattering vehicle created an immense panic 

 amongst the feathered throng: the sparrows took 

 suddenly to flight in large troops ; the robin-red- 

 breast fled to its coverts ; the greenfinch hopped to a 

 high branch, where, encouraged by distance, he 

 warbled forth a joyous song as we passed ; whilst the 

 large crested lark, waiting till we were close to him, 

 would suddenly rise, and, remaining suspended in 

 the air for an instant, would again alight at a stone's 

 throw from us upon some elevated mound of earth, 

 from whence he watched us, shaking the while his 

 little crest of grey feathers. The sky itself lent 

 variety to the scene, as at every moment the tints of 

 the landscape changed from the bright hues of a 

 golden sunlight to the sombre colouring imparted 

 by some heavy cloud, as it was driven across the 

 heavens before a keen breeze from the west. This 

 wind, which at first was very supportable, gradually 

 became sharper and sharper, penetrating through 

 my clothing with a peculiarly searching intensity, 

 which made me suspect that we were approaching 

 the ocean. I looked around to catch a glimpse of 

 the Atlantic ; and, on turning a hill, at the extremity 

 of a short valley covered with meadows and inter- 

 spersed with clumps of trees, the boundless expanse 

 of waters lay spread before me like some immense 

 green plain, seamed and veined with the white lines 

 of its foaming waves. 



Another half-hour brought us to Paimpol, and the 

 next day I embarked for Brehat. My first care on 



F 4 



