408 
beauty of the scene, A winding path 
conducts down the Chine to the shore. 
The rocks on each side of this magnificent 
entrance, fourm a curve, whose. base 
the sweeping ocean laves, adding so- 
Jemnity to grandeur. 
The road from this place is extremely 
interesting : it wands circuitously over 
long and steep hills, sometimes approach- 
ing so near the Alpine precipice, that a 
degree of solemnity, if not of terror, 
mingles with the grand sensations it in- 
spires. In some parts a few paces only 
can be traced; and it appears as if the 
carriage must either ascend the clouds, 
or be ‘precipitated into the ocean. Thus 
aré expectation and fancy kept fully 
awake, till we enter on a scene which 
imagination never dared to picture. 
Feeling is at a loss for language m which 
to describe the extraordina ary combina- 
tion of the romantic and beautiful, the 
grand and the sublime, which that won- 
derful phenomenon, a land- slip, presents, 
An inunense.range of mountain extends 
on the right, on ‘the left the ocean: the 
dntermediate ground has been rent from 
that above; and detached cottages, scat- 
tered hamlets, little fields covered with 
corn, and waving woods, are intermingled 
with a magnificent chaos of rocks, and 
hill the valley. .Tumultuous sensations 
of delight rush on the soul at the con- 
templation of a scene like this, which 
must be felt in order to be comprehen- 
ded. The Inn justly denominated Steep- 
hill, (as the house is placed at the foot 
of an almost perpendicular meuntain,) 
aiforded us an. agreeable halting-place ; 
as by a short walk we could revisit this 
enchanting scenery, and with feelings 
mare calm, contemplate i its beauties. 
he little village of Bonchurch, is at 
the entrance of this striking valley, and 
here the hand of Taste has created some 
of the most lovely retreats amidst the 
wild. Mr. Hadfield’s is singularly imte- 
resting. The house is situated on a rock, 
and halfconcealed by a luxuriant shrub- 
bery. A long level space on the rock 
admits an irregular lawn, to which a 
shaded walk from the heuse leads; a 
httle elegant paimted payilion is placed 
on the green, commanding a fine view of 
the sea, and of the intervening valley. 
On one side of the lawn, irregular masses 
of rock appear half-covered with wild 
foliage; and little devious paths wind 
about the steep, leading to places which 
ailord extensive views of bold projections 
of rock, where we meet ashade and a 
seat. Thus happily are garden-beauties 
Tour in the Isle of Wight. 
[June f, ° 
blended with the wild. majesty of nature, 
On the other side, the slope is planted 
with laurels, &c. and at the bottom a 
thick grove, reared by the hand of nature, 
overhangs a pellucid lake, fed by a stream 
10) celebrated for its purity, that. “ for- 
merly in passing this place, the seamen 
used to lower their topmasts in reverence 
to St. Boniface, its patron saint.” Through 
the grove runs the public road, where 
travellers are dimly seen winding amongst 
its shade. Beyond that is a mass of gro- 
tesque rocks, tossed in a style of irregular 
grandeur, from the range of mountains 
which back the whole, and now forming 
a barrier to that ‘ceed of waters mihi 
waves break at their feet. The church 
of St. Boniface stands in a shaded recess 
near the shore ;.and the whole is enlivened 
by pasture-ground with cattle grazing, 
and fields of ripened harvest. The lawn 
commands the whole. of this scenery ; 
which cannot be adequately imagined, 
nor fully described. St. Boniface Cot- 
tage, the seat of the highly respectable 
Mr. Bowdler, 1s an elegant retreat, in 2@ 
recess beneath the same range of rocks, 
and partaking all the beauties of the 
scene. On an eminence opposite the 
house, a covered seat affords an exten- - 
sive view of the boundless ocean; and a 
fine terrace leads on to other views, and 
other seats, till it terminates near the 
church, 
Mill Bay is an interesting cove, a mile 
or two beyond this scene. A consider= 
able fall of water rushing down the rocks, 
turns a mill in its course, and then pre- 
cipitates itself into the sea. A few fish= 
ermen’s huts on the neighbouring bank ; 
huge fantastic limbs of trees stripped of 
their bark, and placed in the ground, on 
which are suspended fish to diy for the 
winter; and boats moored in front; are 
very picturesque objects. Lady ¥. 
it has fitted up a small cottage near 
this spot, which is finely sheltered amidst 
woods and rocks. Through the former, 
and on ledges of the latter, to which a 
fight of almost perpendicular steps leads, 
she has cut private close walks, imper- 
vious even to a mid-day sun, which lead 
to a neighbouring seat.* 
Tord Dysart’s Paradise is situated 
amidst 
* Could this lady have heard the boat- 
men, who were rowing a party in the bay 
below, just at the crisis when her cottage was 
on fire, exclaim, ** Ah, it were no matter if 
Lady F was in the midst,” she would 
robably learn to restrain that indulgence and 
; 4, expences 
