THE ISLE OF USHANT, ETC. 309 



well-to-do ; for a rich and practically inexhaustible 

 harvest of these crustaceans lies among the vast series 

 of submerged reefs and over the rocky sea-bottom, 

 which extend for miles around Ushant. 



There are two lighthouses on the island, namely, the 

 Phare du Stif in the north-east, and the Phare de 

 Creach in the south-west. The latter has long been 

 lighted with electricity, and throws out powerful and 

 rapidly revolving beams which can be seen for many 

 miles. 



At Ushant we had hoped to remain for several 

 weeks, but we had only been six days on the island 

 when an immigrant, radiant in blue and white, arrived ; 

 alas, not a feathered visitor, but a sergeant of 

 gendarmes (there are no police on the island). This 

 myrmidon of the law dogged our footsteps, at close 

 quarters, during our rambles, while our place of abode 

 was under his surveillance early and late. At first we 

 were not disposed to take any notice of his presence, 

 but the espionage at length became intolerable. And 

 this was not all ; the natives who had- hitherto been 

 most friendly, courteous, and obliging, not unnaturally 

 regarded us with suspicion and avoided us, and our 

 host at the little inn, although we had arranged to 

 be his guests for some weeks, was wishful that we 

 should depart. The situation had thus become insuffer- 

 able, and we reported the matter by telegram to the 

 British Consul at Brest, whose acquaintance we had 

 made before leaving that city, and requested him to 

 protest to the French authorities against the vexatious 

 treatment to which we were being subjected. This 

 the Consul most obligingly did, but his efforts were 

 unavailing, for the authorities informed him that the 



11. u 2 



