A VISIT TO BRAUNTON. 279 



margin, it might possibly escape through the inter- 

 stices of the tentacles, for they do not stand in actual 

 contact. To prevent the contingency, the cilia of the 

 tentacles are endowed with an exquisite sensibility; 

 and if an object but touch the tip of one of these 

 most minute hairs, the irritability of the tentacle is 

 excited, and it immediately moves inward with that 

 sudden jerk, which throws the poor animalcule right 

 back into the very whirl of the vortex. 



BRAUNTON BURROWS. 



The next day I set out to visit Braunton, a place 

 whose origin is said to date as far back as the third 

 century. The road, a little way from Ilfracombe, lies 

 between the peak called Carn Top on the right, and 

 the lovely valley of Score on the left. Both of these 

 were beautiful. The conical hill, with its groves of 

 oak, and its top sheeted with furze, is a striking object, 

 and always reminds me, from something in its form 

 and general appearance, of the representations that I 

 have seen of Mount Tabor. From its lofty summit a 

 wide and varied prospect is commanded ; it is, how- 

 ever, precipitous and difficult to climb. There is 

 another reason why its romantic height is seldom 

 scaled ; it has the reputation of being haunted. Some 

 seventy years ago, a tragical deed of violence was 

 committed here. A Jew pedlar, travelling with a 

 richer pack than pedlars usually carry at the present 

 day, was murdered on this lonely hill. The head and 

 a part of the body of the unfortunate man were dis- 



