102 ILFRACOMBE. 



out there in the afternoon from one of the houses, 

 with their targets and hows, to practise archery. Cap- 

 stone Hill with its flag- crowned summit and its hold 

 precipitous face, round which a scarped promenade 

 winds, rears itself on the right, hetween which and 

 the slopes is a pretty little peep of the Channel, and in 

 clear weather of the Welsh Coast heyond ; the blue 

 water lying as it were in a cup, and momentarily 

 relieved by the ships and small craft that pass to and 

 fro, whose white sails are seen for a brief space as 

 they emerge from behind the Capstone and glide 

 across the opening. 



Behind the house we step out from our sitting- 

 room window upon a little garden of grass, bounded 

 not by hedge nor walls, but by steep even banks, so 

 that the little inclosure is a sort of grassy basin. 

 The turf was at first gay with daisies and dandelions, 

 and the ripe seeds of the latter presented a tempta- 

 tion to Goldfinches, which came in little flocks, with 

 Chaffinches and Yellow Ammers, to twitter and feed 

 in unsuspecting confidence immediately before the 

 window. But the mower has just been here, who has 

 no mercy on dandelions or daisies ; and now there is 

 only the smooth-shaven turf and the flower-beds that 

 are cut out of it. It looks cleaner and brighter for 

 the change to be sure, but the Goldfinches will come 

 no more to it. Other gardens lie beyond ours, and 

 then the upper part of the town, with the fine old 

 church, and the whole view bounded by an ample 

 amphitheatre of sloping fields and high downs 

 crowned with golden-blossomed furze. It is indeed 

 a lovely view, especially in the morning sun ; and to 



