320 MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



which stands on a mound in the centre of the great quadrangle, 

 and overtops the modern portion. A narrow staircase leads to 

 the top of the walls, from which you overlook a very rich 

 landscape. The keep is roofless, but a net is spread over the 

 top, under which a number of large owls are kept. They build 

 in the ivy and yew, and live on the bounty of the noble owner. 



We visited both Salisbury and Exeter Cathedrals, but our 

 day at Exeter was spent chiefly in Yeitch's famous Nursery 

 Garden, which is an immense establishment. We were much 

 interested in his collection of plants, both open air and hothouse. 

 One of the latter had in it about thirty kinds of Pitcher plants — 

 more by far than any other garden in the world could show. 

 Mr. Veitch employs collectors in various countries, and by this 

 means he has introduced more new and fine plants into England 

 than any other private person. We dined with him, and he 

 was very kind to us. 



Penzance was our head-quarters for nearly a week, from 

 whence we diverged to sundry places, including the " Land's 

 End," but it hardly repaid us for the trouble, the sea cliffs, of 

 which we had heard so much, being greatly inferior in height 

 and boldness to those in many parts of Ireland and Scotland. 



You have probably read of St. Michael's Mount, a conical 

 islet connected with the land by a causeway covered at high 

 water, and on which is situated a very picturesque monastic 

 building, now converted into a private dwelling. A family 

 named St. Aubyn, to whom the Mount belongs, live much, here 

 in the summer, and certainly it is the snuggest eyrie I have 

 ever seen. They showed us old carved bedsteads and chairs of 

 oak, which they said were five or six hundred years old. On 

 the wall of the central tower is St. Michael's chair, famous for 

 the privilege it confers on man or wife who first sit in it : if 

 husband, then he rules ever after ; if wife, she is mistress and 

 more. 



Another excursion was to the Scilly Islands. What most 

 interested us there was a curious garden, commenced about 

 thirty years ago by the gentleman who leases the islands, and 

 who has successfully grown a number of plants in the open air 

 which in England are usually seen only in greenhouses. There 

 are great hedges of geraniums, and a multitude of Australian, 

 Cape of Good Hope, New Zealand, and Californian plants. 



