1528, we find mention made of this ale ; and 

 what is elsewhere called ale is here denomi- 

 nated beer; and the term ale is applied to this 

 beverage, which is "par excellence " the ale 

 of this part of the world. In the parish of 

 Dodbrooke, which is noticed as the first place 

 where this white ale was brewed, closely ad- 

 joining the town of Kingsbridge, a tithe, 

 strangely established in former times, is paid 

 by all inkeepers who brew this beverage to 

 the Rector. It has been gradually raised 

 from tenpence, until it has reached the sum 

 of£l. Is. The bread made with the yeast 

 which works off this white ale, is most excel- 

 lent, and is not to be equalled in any part of 

 England. It is never bitter, and will keep a 

 long time without becoming dry. 



Within a few miles round Salcombe are 

 some of the finest orchards in the world ; 

 and from this place many hundred pipes of 

 excellent cider are annually exported to 

 London, Bristol, Liverpool, and other large 

 towns ; what becomes of it when there would 

 be very difficult to say, for I have tried nearly 

 every place in London where cider is sold to 

 obtain some at all resembling that which 

 leaves Salcombe — always without success ; 

 though possibly the various wine merchants 

 who sell champagne could throw a little light 

 on the subject, if they were so disposed. 



There are six handsome smacks belonging 

 to this place, which are constantly employed 

 in supplying the London markets with 

 lobsters and crayfish, obtained from the west 

 coast of France. They are chiefly owned by 

 two brothers, whose industry and perse- 

 verance are repaid by a great demand for 

 their fish, and a rapidly increasing trade. 



Leaving the town and harbour (which 

 latter is here about a mile in width), the 

 estuary takes a sharp bend round some high 

 land to the northward ; and thence continues, 

 in nearly a straight line, to within a mile of 

 the town of Kingsbridge, which is situated 

 about five miles from Salcombe. A mile 

 above the bend just mentioned, is an exten- 

 sive sand-bank, called the " Dentridge,'' 

 which is only uncovered at the ebb, when 

 extraordinarily low. This occurs about once 

 a year. Sometimes it is not uncovered for 

 several years ; and then only remains dry a 

 few minutes. On this bank are found the 

 Solen Ends and Vagina, and many rare and 

 valuable shells. 



A few hundred yards to the eastward, and 

 further up the estuary, is a large islet or rock 

 called the Saltstone, which is barely covered 

 at high water. The late Colonel Montague, 

 F.L.S. and F.W.S., the naturalist (author of 

 the " Ornithological Dictionary," 'Testacea 

 Britannica," &c. &c), in digging on this islet, 

 discovered the Ampldtrite Infundibulum, 

 which he fully described in the ninth volume 

 of the " Transactions of the Linnean Society. ' ' 



In the same volume, he mentions some inte- 

 resting additions he made to the British 

 Fauna. Among the Crustacea, he* particu- 

 larises Cancer Astacus Subterraneus, a new 

 and curious species, discovered in digging 

 for Solen Vagina, at a depth of two feet 

 below the surface. This gentleman resided 

 at Kingsbridge for nearly sixteen years, and 

 made the greatest part of his collection of 

 valuable and rare birds, and other animals, 

 in this estuary. On his death (which was 

 caused by lockjaw, produced from stepping 

 on a rusty nail in 1815), his collection was 

 purchased for upwards of eleven hundred 

 pounds, by W. E. Leach, Esq., M.D. and 

 F.R.S., for the British Museum, where it 

 very properly now forms part of that ex- 

 tensive national assemblage of curiosities. 



In this part of the estuary, many rare 

 and valuable birds are frequently met with; 

 and a gentleman residing in Kingsbridge 

 has made a very good collection of the most 

 rare. 



Proceeding up the estuary, we arrive at 

 the town of Kingsbridge, which is clean 

 and tolerably well built. In the parish of 

 Dodbrooke, which is only separated from 

 Kingsbridge by a small stream of water that 

 flows beneath the pavement, was born John 

 Wolcot, Esq., M.D., the celebrated satiric 

 and lyrical poet (better known as " Peter 

 Pindar "). He received his education at 

 the grammar school at Kingsbridge, and 

 became an M.D. at the University of Aber- 

 deen. He has the merit of having brought 

 into notice John Opie, R.A., the celebrated 

 portrait painter. In the town of Kingsbridge 

 is the well-known Free Grammar School, 

 founded in 1670 by John Crispin, who was 

 born there in 1607-8. In the year 1691, 

 Mr. William Duncombe, the first master 

 of this school, appointed by Crispin himself, 

 left fifty pounds per annum to a lecturer, 

 who was to preach once on a Sunday, as 

 well as once a month on a week day in 

 the parish church. He also left ten pounds 

 a year to three poor scholars, who should 

 be educated at the free school in this town ; 

 to be enjoyed by them for four years, and 

 help to maintain them whilst at Oxford or 

 Cambridge. The school has been lately 

 rebuilt. There is a shipwrights 1 yard be- 

 longing to some of the inhabitants ; but it 

 is not much employed. The scenery here 

 is very inferior to that round Salcombe and 

 the seacoast. Salcombe and Kingsbridge 

 are reached from the Kingsbridge Road 

 Station, on the South Devon Railway ; and 

 the scenery, &c, will repay the tourist for 

 the trouble of a visit. 



C. F. T. Y. 



Stockleigh Pomeroy, Crediton," 'Devon, 

 February 20. 



