104 HOCKEY LANE. 



through the long continuance of dreary east winds. 

 Every thing was lovely, the young fresh verdure of 

 the hedges, the leafing trees, the sun, the sea, the 

 birds, the butterflies, the flowers, — all contributed to 

 make this morning more than usually delightful. 



Leaving behind me the pretty little village of Hele, 

 with its neat houses and cottages, its trim gardens 

 sloping up the steep side of old Hillsborough, and its 

 hedges covered with white garments put out by the 

 laundresses for the benefit of this brilliant sun, — I pass 

 over a brook by a rustic one- arched bridge, and wind 

 up Hockey Lane to the lofty downs. The lane, barely 

 wide enough for a wheelbarrow, has been scarped out 

 of the soft slaty rock; but the ruggedness of its sides 

 is concealed by a profusion of verdure. On the left 

 or seaward bank, all starred with primroses, dog- 

 violets, and daisies, is a hedge of thorn, just now out 

 in its primal greenness. The right side is more per- 

 pendicular, and is for the greater part of its length 

 densely tapestried with ivy, and crowned with bramble 

 and elder bushes. On both sides the cheerful pilewort 

 is abundant, and the spotted arum, now in flower ; and 

 ferns are abundant too, the common Pteris or brake, 

 and the Hart's tongue, especially the latter, whose 

 young yellow-green fronds stand up thickly with their 

 curled points, among the torn and black-stained fronds 

 of last year. 



On the edge of the down at the top of this lane is a 

 limekiln for the burning of the blue limestone which 

 is so rare on this side of the county, but a little vein 

 of which occurs just here in the almost universal 

 grauwacke. Here I stood awhile to look out upon 



