MORIiCAMBE BAY 
2og 
of ice hummocks, many of great size. Seals often appear, but 
are promptly captured and exhibited. In the great cave at 
Humphrey Head, above the once famous spa well, the last 
“native” British wolf resided, but was slain in a great hunt 
organized at Wraisholme (Norse), the old “ peel ” town close by. 
Arnside Tower, high up the Kent estuary, was in fairly perfect 
preservation until some years ago when the western wall was 
blown down by a great gale. This peel stands on high ground 
overlooking the sea, close to the “screes” of Arnside Knot. 
Hazelslack Tower is close by. These three towers were built 
by three sisters. They are found only on the outskirts of the 
lakes. The interior was safe against invasion. Cannon-balls 
are frequently unearthed at Wraisholme. These towers were 
much needed in the “good old days.” 
The horned poppy, wild privet, deadly nightshade, sea aster, 
glasswort, sea lavender, sea pink and samphire are to be found 
on the great saltmarshes. In the woods, sloping to the shore, 
are great masses of lily of the valley, Lent lilies (daffodils), prim- 
roses and hyacinths. Ferns are abundant and children eagerly 
hunt for the scarlet fairy cups. Shells are scarce with the ex- 
ception of the cockle, and this introduces the great industry of 
the sands. Cocklers follow the fast ebbing tide to the distant 
beds, maybe “Yeoman’s Bank” or “ Cartmel Wharf,” and in 
all weathers men and women clad in weird but serviceable 
apparel earn their living in procuring cockles, which are sent 
off from Cark and other stations to Manchester and the South. 
In a good year 700 tons of fish leave Cark station. 
Seaweeds are scarce. Crabs are to be found in a few rock 
pools which exist. Jellyfish of large size are sometimes seen. 
A dead starfish is sometimes carried far up the Bay by the tide 
head which in places resembles a mill race. Porpoises and 
sturgeon have been captured near Ulverston. Salmon are 
caught at Greenodd. Flukes are netted in the hollows and they 
can also be speared in the Channel, but as it is all chance 
whether one hits one or not, this may have started the phrase 
“ That’s a fluke.” Fossils of many kinds, ammonites, encrinites 
and others occur in abundance at Arnside and Humphrey Head. 
The “ channel ” or “ la ” is the name given to the river when it 
has flown out into “ the sands.” These channels are constantly 
shifting either by a gradual edging away or by the sudden 
formation of an absolutely new bed. The old bed or “ brak ” is 
apt to become deep in places before filling up and is a danger to 
those crossing. Formerly the Kent flowed past Grange and 
Kent’s Bank. Suddenly the river left, the sand silted up, and the 
piers have been allowed to go to ruin. In 1905 the river was 
four miles from Grange eating away the whole of a great salt- 
marsh at Silverdale. The river and the tide together removed 
1,500 acres of turf in a few weeks. Silverdale is now once again 
at the seaside as it was eighty years ago, and steamers anchor 
where recently sheep grazed at high water. Formerly the Bay 
was deeper but narrower. In many places there are traditions 
