899 



THE ANNUAL EXCUESION. 



The annual excursion was held on Tuesday, 4th September, 

 when the Breage district was visited. The route was from 

 Marazion to Pengersick Castle, Germoe, Tregonning Hill, 

 Grodolphin Hall, Breage, and Helston. The party, who numbered 

 about forty, met at Marazion Station, on the arrival of the down 

 train, shortly before eleven o'clock. The weather was very 

 unpromising, a thick rain falling and making the drive un- 

 pleasant. The rain, however, soon cleared off, although at 

 times the atmosphere was very hazy, much interfering with the 

 view of scenery which would otherwise have been obtained. 

 Passing through Marazion, the first halting-place was at Germoe- 

 lane-end. Here, after a walk down a very muddy lane past the 

 famous Mount's Bay Consols Mines, Pengersick Castle — or 

 rather the remains of that Castle, for only the tower is now left — 

 was reached. It is a sixteenth century castellated building. 

 Most of the party ascended the winding staircase to the top of 

 the tower, from which a good view of Mount's Bay was obtained, 

 with Praa Sands just below. 



The Eev. W. S. Lach-Szyrma related the legend connected 

 with the castle, which was very interesting, and has been embodied 

 by Hunt in his '* Romances of the West." He said the legend 

 was one of the most curious studies in folk-lore that they had in 

 that part of West Cornwall. It was a wild tale, evidently a 

 variant of two or three of the folk tales of Europe put together, 

 but the curious point was that it related in a corrupt form to a 

 real person. The old lord of Pengersick was a proud man, who 

 wished to marry a lady of the Godolphins. This elderly lady, 

 however, unfortunately fell in love with his son, who did not by 

 any means requite her passion, just like the hero of Euddigore, 

 who by no means grudged his ancestor his fiancee. The old lady 

 consulted the witch of Fraddam, who, with her niece Bitha, con- 

 cocted philtres for the young lord. But, unfortunately, in true 



