FERNY COMBES. 
37 
The path is narrow, rough, and steep, and you 
are obliged to keep out of the way of the donkeys 
with their wet sacks, as they toil up heavily laden, 
or are driven down pell-mell (invariably choosing 
the best and safest part of the road) by wild little 
urchins who, at a certain corner, leave the animals 
to their own inventions, and, seating themselves 
on a large pebble, slide down the smooth face of 
a sloping rock, which is scored with the slides of 
preceding generations. The sand, which is used 
for manure, is only to be obtained at low tide, the 
beach immediately under the cliff being formed of 
what are provincially termed “ popple stones,” large 
pebbles about the size of a man’s head; while lower 
down jagged rocks start up, and between them the 
bright yellow sands gleam like threads of gold. 
Catherine Tor forms the termination of the beach 
on one hand ; on the other, masses of rock thrown 
together in every variety of position, with the waves 
surging and boiling around, prevent aught save the 
seabirds penetrating further. The gem of the place 
is the waterfall. It is difficult to describe the beauty 
of this spot : the stream flows over the smooth face 
of a perpendicular cliff, and then by two lower falls 
reaches the beach, while all around the cliffs close 
in, leaving only room for the foamy river. 
But we must mount the rugged path again, and 
