SAMSONS CAVERN. 293 



yellow-wort, which, though I had not met with it else- 

 where, was somewhat numerous in Hockey Lane above 

 Hele. The enchanter's night-shade, the eyebright, and 

 the centaury were likewise growing here; and near 

 Watermouth the mountain willow-herb, and the com- 

 mon vervain were numerous. 



At the most elevated part of the coast-line where 

 the down comes to a precipitous edge some hundreds 

 of feet above the sea, there is a narrow but deep cleft 

 in the land, into which we can gaze down from the 

 road. It is an awful chasm, with nearly perpendicular 

 sides ; and was formed, as I was told, in one night, 

 about a year ago, by the sudden falling in of the earth . 

 There was still the hedge running along the margin 

 of the precipice, interrupted by the chasm, which had 

 cut it right through. These land-slips are by no 

 means of rare occurrence, and they frequently alter 

 and modify the appearance both of the cli£fs and of 

 the sea-margin below. 



A little way beyond this point the traveller looks 

 down upon a cove called Sampson's Bay ; it is girt in 

 with rocky cliffs of great massiveness and wild gran- 

 deur, too abrupt and perpendicular to be scaled, even 

 by the most expert climber. An ample cavern yawns 

 on the western side of the bay, into whose depths, as 

 the tide was high, the surf was dashing, with a roar 

 that rivalled the discharge of artillery. I thought of 

 the fine simile of Moore ; — 



Beneath, terrific caverns gave 

 Dark welcome to each stormy wave. 

 That dash'd, like midnight revellers, in.' 



