30 
FERNY COMBES. 
are rendered necessary by the steepness of the 
ground (which causes one man’s floor to be on the 
level of his neighbour’s roof), giving the inhabi¬ 
tants a small level-way in front of their doors. 
The sea breaks and shimmers below; over the 
bay the yellow sands gleam, and three or four pop¬ 
lars in the foreground cut the picture and add to 
the singularity of the scene. 
As we proceed, broad paved steps render the 
walking anything but agreeable; experience proves 
a short shuffling trot to be the most secure pace. 
Any one who ventures down Clovefly street must 
leave his dignity behind him, and get down as best 
he may, fortunate if he have not a hard tumble or 
two by the way. 
The inn is hardly distinguishable from the neigh¬ 
bouring cottages, except by its sign of the ‘New 
Inn,’ new no longer, and a soldier and sailor ele¬ 
vated in front of it, who periodically attack one 
another in a furious manner with swords, but ap¬ 
parently without doing any material damage; I at 
least have known them five-and-twenty years, and, 
but that their respective red and blue coats are a 
little dimmed by age, they seem much the same as 
ever, as they slowly turn one way at one puff of 
wind, and slowly return at the bidding of another. 
The ‘ Hew Inn’ can boast of clean beds,, and if 
