1839-40 
SCARBOROUGH AND WHITBY 
171 
looked, as they cowered together with their lamps 
close up by the side of the tunnel, like so many 
gnomes ; the combination of sounds, rattling along 
at full speed, the rushing of the rapidly displaced 
air, and the incessant yell-shriek of the steam- 
screamer, kept up to warn the tunnellers, defies 
all description. Pitch-darkness, the sparks from 
the engine darting through the palpable obscure, 
and the cowering figures, like shadows as we 
swept past them, left all that imagination could 
picture of a hurrying off of spirits to Pluto’s dread 
abode far behind. 
‘ All this while Lord Enniskillen would ride 
outside, and my apprehensions were lest the engi- 
neer of the tunnel might not have calculated for 
outside passengers of his altitude.'* I could not 
help stretching out at the window to catch a 
glimpse of his head, if still in its right place, as 
soon as we emerged into daylight. There it was, 
however, and so far both the travellers are all 
right.’ 
On August 6 he writes again to his wife, 
announcing his visits to Scarborough and Whitby. 
While at Scarborough he met for the first time 
Barbara, Marchioness of Hastings, an enthusiastic 
collector, who in later years sent many fossil 
remains to Owen for description. His reference 
to her is characteristic. ‘ W e dined with an old 
^ Owen was six feet in his socks ; but Lord Enniskillen was 
considerably taller. 
