304 In Cocjuetdale. 



curtailment of their freedom in many ways — no doubt 

 a very sensible view to take, but certainly not savour- 

 ing much of feudal devotion, which just shows how far 

 and how fast we are now travelling from the romance 

 and sentiment of the feudal times. 



Looking out from the ramparts of the castle seaward, 

 we could behold Coquet Island lying perhaps a mile 

 out, like a vast black-backed fish basking in the sun, 

 with the lighthouse, dwindled to a small point, like 

 a high whitish fin just behind the head. We made 

 inquiries about the best means of getting out to it, 

 but were told that unless when the boat goes out with 

 supplies for the lighthouse men there is no course but 

 specially to employ a fisherman or boatman to row one 

 out. But on asking whether Coquet Island Cell was 

 worth the journey, all to whom we spoke answered 

 decidedly no, that Coquet Island was, in their idea, 

 best looked at from a distance, that the only portion 

 of the famous cell that remained was now a part of 

 the foundation of the lighthouse or keeper's house, and 

 that if it could be seen at all it was with difficulty, and 

 they dissuaded us from the enterprise. Wrecks, in old 

 days, were all too frequent on Coquet Island, so that 

 it was a cause of great rejoicing when on 1st October 

 1 84 1 the first light was exhibited from the lighthouse. 

 In 1643, during the Civil Wars, the place was taken, 

 with all its garrison, by the Scots, and thus attained 

 for the time some importance. 



Instead of rowing to Coquet Island, therefore, we 

 acted on the suggestion received and visited the Her- 

 mitage, which lies about a quarter of a mile up the 

 river from the castle in the centre of a wood, one of 

 the most remarkable places we have ever visited. As 

 we approached, and came within view of this interesting 



