THE F0RE8H0BES OF KEA. 273 



From tlie head of Lamb creek round by Kea ferry to 

 Woodbury bar, and from thence to Old Kea Creek, rather a 

 long step, no stream enters tlie river, but half way between the 

 bar and creek last mentioned, is Woodbury Well, guarded by a 

 large ash tree, which might compare with those adorning the isle 

 of Ross in the Lakes of Killarney. This natural spring in the 

 cliff is well known to the river men : the water is unrivalled, and 

 during the warm season Woodbury Well is to this arid region 

 something like the wells of El Teb to the thirsty sons of the 

 desert. 



On Woodbury cliffs there is an oak which every season puts 

 forth its foliage a Aveek or two sooner than any other up all the 

 reaches from Turnaware to Tresillian. This was remarked to 

 me by an old fisherman years ago, and it is invariably the case, 

 though I am not aware that either the tree or the leaf differs in 

 other respects from its congeners. 



Just below this oak in a rift of the rock, a little above high 

 water mark, is a well rooted clump of samphire. It is the first 

 which occurs, and I believe it to be the only instance where this 

 salt sea plant can be found on the foreshores of Kea Whether 

 owing to the absence of water-courses or not, it is a fact that 

 the cuckoo rarely visits AVoodbury slopes — the thrush even is 

 not common, but all through the spring the blackbirds warble 

 from dawn till dark. Squirrels disport themselves in the oak 

 trees here, and the " blow " of the porpoise is sometimes heard, 

 but not so often as formerly. 



From the shadow of the old tower at Kea we pass on by the 

 beautiful little Cove under Trevean, where a laughing rivulet 

 discharges its waters, and rounding the next point soon reach 

 Tolverne Ferry, not far from which under Halwyn is another 

 outcrop of micaceous trap. 



It is yet comparatively a long line to follow the shore under 

 the white cottages and plum orchards of Coombe to the head of 

 Cowling's Creek — in all four miles perhaps from Lamb Creek — 

 to which a crow might fly in one mile from the Watergate here. 



This little peninsula, then, is properly the Lower End of Kea, 

 for though Penpoll, Trevaster (spelt Treuascus in Norden's map) 

 and Trethowell might by courtesy be included, they are yet in 

 a manner outside of the geographical lines. And a more 



