KIV. 
Nor THUMBER- 
LAND. 
Farn Isyes. 
EB No Got wap wD. 
from land. From Sebam to Sunderland are fand-hills and fhallow fandy beaches. 
From Weremouth to near Cleadon, low rocks of lime-ftone form the coaft, here 
and there interfected with fand-hills and ftony beaches, From thence to the 
mouth of the Tyne, and even to Dunftanbrough in Northumberland, the fhore is 
fandy, and the land in a few places rocky ; but from thence to Bamborough, the coafts 
are high and rocky, in many places run far into the fea, and at low tides fhew 
their heads above water. 
Bamborough caftle ftands on the laft of the range of rocky cliffs. This fortrefs 
was founded by the Saxon monarch Jda. After various fortunes it, has proved 
in its difmantled ftate of more ufe to mankind than when it boafted fome potent 
lord and fierce warders. A charitable prelate of the fee of Durham purchafed 
the eftate, and left it for the ufe of the diftrefled feamen who might fuffer fhip- 
wreck on this dangerous coaft, and to unconfined charitable purpofes, at the dif- 
cretion of certain truftees. The poor are, in the deareft feafons, fupplied with _ 
corn at a cheap rate; the wrecked, found fenfelefs and benumbed with cold, 
are taken inftantly into thefe hofpitable walls, and reftored to life by the afliftance 
of food, medicine, and warm beds; and if the fhip is capable of relief, that alfo 
is faved, by means of machines always ready for the purpofe *. 
The Farn iflands, or rather rocks, form a group at no great diftance from 
fhore ; the neareft a mile and fixty-eight chains ; the fartheft about feven. Thefe 
probably, at fome remote period, have been convulfed from the land, but now 
divided from it by a furious tide, rufhing through a channel from five to twelve 
fathoms in depth, The original fea, to the eaft of the Staples, the remoteft rocks, 
fuddenly deepens to forty or fifty +. St. Cuthbert firft made thefe rocks of note: 
he occafionally made the largeft of them the feat of his devotion and feclufion 
from the world ; expelling, fays fuperftition, the malignant fpirits, the pre-oc- 
cupants. Some remains of a chapel are ftill to be feen on it. For ages paft, the 
fole tenants are a few cows, wafted over from the main land in the little cobles, 
or boats of the country; and the Eider Ducks, Aré. Zool. ii. N° 480, ftill 
diftinguifhed here by the name of the Saint. Numberlefs fea-fowls, and of 
great variety of kinds, poffefs the remoter rocks, on which they find a more 
fecure retreat than on the low-cliffed fhores. To the marine feathered tribe 
the whole coaft from Flamborough head to that of St. Ebb’s is inhofpitable. 
They feek the loftieft promontories Where you hear of the haunts of the 
~ Razor-bills and Guillemots, Corvorants and Shags, you may be well affured, that 
* Tour in Scotland, 1769 ; and fuller in Mr. Hutchinfon’s Worthumberland, ii. 176. 
+ Adair. Hammond. Thompfin, 
the 
