1891.  
July 6
(No 4)
England.
Wells to Soynton. - The descent from these upland moors
to the little village of Lynmouth was rather gradual
at first with frequent beautiful views of the
sea, crinkled and foam-capped by the strong wind
which, at times, actually rendered our breathing
 difficult. A Cormorant was flying along the edge
of the cliff at one tie, at another a Herring Gull
soaring high above us. I saw no other birds.
  The final pitch down to Lynmouth is very
steep but less so and very much less crooked
and dangerous than the half-mile of road
which scales the almost vertical wall from
Lynmouth to Lynton by a succession of zig zags
up one side of the bed of a small river
that tumbles down over a series of cascades and
is said to furnish good salmon and trout
fishing.
  Just as we turned into the street which leads
past t he hotel in Lynton I heard a sound
as of the cawing of a thousand Crows united
into one continuous roar and looking up saw
at least five hundred Rooks circling over a
small piece of woods which cling to, rather than
grow on, the hillside almost directly over
the town.
  The rushing wind drowned all bird
voices this evening if indeed there are
any singing birds in this cliff village of Lynton.