128 DEATH OF A STONE-CUTTEE. 



dividing two waters, both beautiful ; the one undula- 

 ting with the long swells of the Atlantic, the other 

 smooth, or at most but rippled. Wyke crowns the 

 hill just opposite with its tall tower and the hedge- 

 rowed fields chequering the slopes around, and beyond 

 it sweeps a long blue line of coast with dim headlands 

 here and there, as far as Torquay. 



I passed the Quarries rapidly, for I wished to get to 

 the southern end of the island by low-water, desiring, 

 as the time was favourable, to explore the rocky caves 

 and coves that indent the precipitous coast ; — and 

 posted on through two other villages, Highstone, and 

 Wakeham, which, like the former two, merge into one. 

 I met here with a garrulous old man, a characteristic 

 specimen of the island population. Like nine-tenths 

 of his fellows he had united the trades of smuggler 

 and stone-cutter ; gave me some graphic anecdotes of 

 the adventures of his younger days, when " running 

 tubs," and described the sad fate of his hopeful son, 

 a stone-hewer like himself, who was suddenly snatched 

 from his side by a block of stone falling upon him, 

 from the seaward cliff where they were quarrying. 

 " The stone split my poor boy right open," said the 

 old man, and pathetically added, " I've never worked 

 a stroke since !" 



Few specimens of vegetation can Portland produce 

 that attain the dimensions of a tree ; but near the 

 middle there is a pretty grove of horse-chestnut, 

 maple, elm and other trees, of no great altitude 

 certainly, but imparting a rural aspect to the vicinity 

 of Pensylvania Castle, the quondam seat of the gover- 

 nor of the island. Beside this a narrow road scarped 



