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214 Hick: A Ramble in the Isle of Lindisfarne. 
he asked me if I would not like to go out in his boat for a short 
time. The water certainly did look inviting, and I much wished 
to go over to the Beacons on the mainland, so I consented and 
we set out. The boat leaked a good deal, so I was thankful 
when we arrived at the other side, for I remembered that 
a coastguardsman had been drowned one night owing, it was 
supposed, to the entire absence, or partial removal, of the cork, 
which usually plugged the bilge-water hole in the bottom of the 
boat 
Near the Beacons is an oyster fishery, not nearly so profit- 
able now as in past years. The sand round the Beacons is 
strewn with beautiful shells, razor, cockle, etc., and oyster 
shells tinged with hues of purple, yellow, and green. I got 
a) 
yellow to brilliant orange, from brown to red, or with more 
sombre shades of blue-grey and heliotrope. I call them 
‘sunset’ shells, in default of a better name, as with a dextrous 
touch of the brush, a splendid chaos can be changed into 
a peaceful sea, behind which the sun is sinking to rest, as 
it often did in those September days, in a glorious robe of 
and sizes, were profusely scattered aroun The fisher folk 
make these tiny coloured shells into anaes and leaves, 
together with the two small cranial bones of fish, which are 
finally grouped into wondrous erections under glass cases. 
Among the sea coal were numbers of little white heart 
urchins ranging from % to % of an inch, which a little maid 
of six summers told me were ‘skaties,’ a term which was 
explained to me afterwards, when I saw a large specimen 
in a private collection carefully labelled ‘a skate’s egg.’ 
With my umbrella filled with shells, I returned to the boat 
and Peter having put up a sail, we were soon blown over to_ 
the island. Peter promised to convey my umbrella with its 
precious contents to the inn, so I was free to continue my. 
ramble. I passed the castle, most happily situated on a hill, 
n 
hill are a number of lime-kilns used now as cattle sheds. 
would be safer for visitors if they were enclosed by a 
