KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL, 



131 



nance, a benevolent heart, love to God and 

 his fair creation, — be these, one and all, the 

 object of our life, now on the wane Then 

 will our last days assuredly prove our best 

 days, and we will cheerfully sing with the 

 poet, — 



" Whatever is, is right." 



This is true philosophy ; and we never wish 

 to go beyond it. 



DEVONSHIRE AND ITS ATTRACTIVE 

 EEAUTIES — No. III. 



A WALK FROM SALCOMBE TO HOPE. 



I HAVE ALREADY NOTICED (ante p. 6) 



that Salcombe lies between those two well- 

 known points, the Prawle and the Bolt Head. 

 I now propose to take the reader from Sal- 

 combe along the edge of the coast, to the 

 village of Hope, a distance of about five 

 miles. 



Starting from South Sands (which join the 

 Moult on the western side), and ascending 

 to the top of the cliffs, we come to a small 

 indentation, called " Splat Cove, " which in 

 the summer is greatly resorted to by parties 

 of pleasure, who come by water from Kings- 

 bridge and the neighborhood, to enjoy the 

 majestic scenery and the refreshing sea 

 breeze. In this cove, some attempts were 

 made a few years since to work a copper 

 mine ; but after two adits, each above a hun- 

 dred feet in length, had been driven into the 

 side of the cliff, the undertaking was (for 

 some reason unknown) abandoned. On the 

 lands above this cove, a spot was selected 

 in 1812, by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the gentle- 

 man-usher of the black rod, with the intention 

 of erecting a marine residence; unfortunately, 

 however, he did not carry out his intention. 

 This is to be lamented, as the situation is 

 most beautiful. 



The property belongs to ther Bastard 

 family. Between Splat Cove and South 

 Sands, and nearly level with high water mark 

 is a subterraneous passage called " Bullhole," 

 which the common people in the neighbor- 

 hood believe runs under the earth, to another 

 place of a similar name in a creek of the sea, 

 called " Sewer Mill," about three miles further 

 westward. The tradition is, that a bull should 

 enter at one end, and come out at the other. 

 Whether these two openings communicate, 

 has never been settled ; for none who have 

 entered have had enough courage to proceed 

 sufficiently far to ascertain the fact. Leaving 

 this place, and proceeding towards the Bolt 

 Head, which, rising to a tremendous height, 

 exhibits the resemblance of a human profile, 

 we come to a vast assemblage of craggy rocks, 

 fringing the side of the head just mentioned, 

 and inclining at an angle of sixty degrees, 

 until they end in a perpendicular cliff at least 



one hundred feet in height. These rocks 

 are called " The Sharptors." 



From the high ground at this place, a most 

 delightful panoramic view is obtained of 

 the harbour, the town, the estuary, and the 

 country surrounding. Looking northward, 

 the eye stretches over the fertile country 

 known as the South Hams, bounded at the 

 extreme distance by the barren hills of Dart- 

 moor. Looking eastward, the view embraces 

 a great extent of varied scenery, which ends 

 in the hazy distance — for, as the Irishman said, 

 " you can see out of sight " in this direction. 

 Southward and westward, the sea, with its 

 ever varied aspect and its fleet of ships — each 

 pursuing their allotted track, affords a pleasant 

 prospect to all who have the least taste of 

 a seaman in their composition. 



Passing round the most elevated of these 

 rocks, we come to the almost perpendicular 

 cliff, at least six hundred feet in height, form- 

 ing one side of a small cove called " Starehole 

 Bay. 1 ' This bay is chiefly remarkable for a 

 cavern, that is imagined to terminate near 

 Marlborough church, which stands three m<les 

 off in a north west direction. Many persons 

 have entered the said cave with the intention 

 of settling this question ; but the dripping 

 of the water, which extinguishes the torches, 

 added to the fear of otters, which resort here, 

 has compelled the curious to abandon every 

 design of penetrating to the end. Few have 

 advanced above a hundred yards ! The path 

 is narrow and winding, gradually lessening 

 from the entrance, which is about seven feet 

 in height by four in breadth. 



On the left side of the bay, near the mouth 

 of this cave, is a rock, perforated by an 

 opening eight or nine feet in height by about 

 five in width, forming a natural arch, which 

 opens towards the sea. It is not improbable 

 that the cavern just mentioned forms a 

 junction with " Bullhole," to which I have 

 before alluded. 



In Starehole Bottom, is a large tumulus, 

 rampart, or barrow, in perfect preservation, 

 fifty-six paces in length, vulgarly called 

 the " Giant's Grave." Popular tradition pos- 

 itively affirms, that the whole of the bottom 

 is the site of a Danish settlement or encamp- 

 ment, and that there was a town in it ; or, to 

 use the words of the tradition itself, as repeat- 

 ed in the neighborhood, " By the records 

 of England it was a Danish town and had 

 sixty dwellers." It is said by some of the 

 old people residing in the neighborhood, 

 that in ploughing and digging on this land 

 brass coins have been frequently met with. 

 The summit, or top ridge of this rampart or 

 tumulus (which seems to have been for 

 defence, rather than sepulture) preserves its 

 original sharpness ; and being composed 

 of stones (I believe entirely), is not likely to 

 be deranged. One reason for supposing it a 



