SOUTHAMPTON BAE IN THE OLDEN TIME.
GLIMPSES OF NATURE,
AND
OBJECTS OF INTEREST DESCRIBED,
DURING
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
DESIGNED TO ASSIST AND ENCOURAGE YOUNG PERSONS IN FORMING
HABITS OF OBSERVATION.
BY MRS. LOUDON,
"THE LADIES' COMPANION TO THE FLOWER GARDEN,"
" FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF NATURE," ETC.
*fconD (PBitton
WITH ADDITIONS AND FORTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON:
GRANT AND GRIFFITH,
SUCCESSORS TO
JOHN HARRIS, CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.
M.DCCC.XLVIII.
PREFACE.
ON the 21st of August, 1843, Mr. Loudon, my
little daughter Agnes, and myself, set out, from
Bayswater, to make the tour through the Isle of
Wight which is recorded in the following pages.
That tour has since acquired a melancholy
importance in my eyes, from being the last I
ever took with my poor husband, whose danger I
was quite unconscious of when I wrote the book,
though his death took place in less than a month
from the day of its publication. This circum-
stance made the book painful to me, and I never
looked at it again till now I have been reading
2091110
iv PREFACE.
it over for revision ; and it is impossible to de-
scribe the vivid interest with which I recall every
incident that took place, and every word that
was uttered.
In preparing this second edition, I have added
a chapter on shells and sea-weed, but in other
respects I have made no alteration, save a few
verbal corrections ; as the principal object I had
in view, in writing down all we saw and heard
during this excursion, was to show how much may
be observed and learnt while travelling, even
through a well-known country and under ordi-
nary circumstances. I think it of the utmost
importance to cultivate habits of observation in
childhood ; as a great deal of the happiness of
life depends upon having our attention excited
by what passes around us. I remember, when
I was a child, reading a tale called "Eyes and
No Eyes," which made a deep impression on my
PREFACE. V
mind ; and which has been the means of pro-
curing me many sources of enjoyment during
my passage through life. That little tale related
to two boys, both of whom had been allowed
half a day's holiday. The first boy went out to
,take a walk, and he saw a variety of objects
that interested him ; and from which he after-
wards derived considerable instruction, when he
talked about them with his tutor. The second,
a little later, took the same walk ; but, when his
tutor questioned him as to how he liked it, he
said he had thought it very dull, for he had seen
nothing ; though the same objects were still there
that had delighted his companion. I was so
much struck with the contrast between the two
boys, that I determined to imitate the first; and
I have found so much advantage from this deter-
mination, that I can earnestly recommend my
young readers to follow my example. The use
VI PREFACE.
of travelling is, that it affords us more opportu-
nities of observation than we could have at home ;
but, if we do not avail ourselves of these oppor-
tunities, we may travel over the whole globe
without reaping any advantage. I trust the
young people who may read these pages will so
far profit by them as to notice all they see, and,
particularly, to look for objects of natural history
in their walks, whether at home or by the sea-
side; and, in return, I promise them that they
will find a thousand sources of amusement that
before they had no idea of.
J. W. L.
BAYSWATER,
March 9, 1848.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. — Terminus of the Southampton Railroad at
Vauxhall. — Truth and Falsehood. — Reaping. — Flint in
Straw. — The river Mole. — The Wey. — Canals and Locks.
— Poppies and Opium. — Limestone and Chalk. — Gleaners. —
Ruins at Basingstoke. — Southampton Bar. — Sir Bevis and
the Giant Ascahart. , . . . .8
CHAPTER II. — Passengers down the River. — Sea-nettles.
— Netley Ahbey and Fort.— View of the Isle of Wight.— Ad-
venture of the Portmanteau. — Landing at West Cowes. —
Crossing the Medina. — Salt Works at East Cowes. . 28
CHAPTER III. — Morning Walk through West Cowes. —
Ride to Newport. — Carisbrook Castle. — Children of Charles I.
—Donkey Well.— Chapel of St. Nicholas.— Boy Bishop.
— Archery Meeting. — History of the Isle of Wight. — Bows
and Arrows. . ..%•>. . .53
CHAPTER IV. — Departure from Carisbrook. — Road to
Freshwater. — Yarmouth. — House where Charles II. was
entertained by Admiral Sir Robert Holme. — Freshwater. —
Rocks. — Roaring of the Sea. — Birds. — The Razor -bill and
Guillemot. — Sea-weed. . . . . .75
CHAPTER VI. — Management in Household Affairs. — Under-
cliffe. — Alexandrian Pillar. — Light-house of St. Catherine. —
Little Church of St. Lawrence. — Churchyard. — St. Law-
rence's Well. — Ventnor. — Wishing Well, and Godshill. —
Beautiful Butterflies. — Pulpit Stone. — St. Boniface. — Arrival
atShanklin. ' . . ^ . * . . 135
CHAPTER VII. — Consequences of Carelessness. — Beach
at Shanklin. — Lobster-pots. — Planorbis. — Marsh Snail. — Sea
Rocket. — Starfish. — Crabs and Lobsters. — Sea-weed : — Mode
of drying it.— Mussels.— Shanklin Chine.— The split Shoe.
— Shops at Shanklin. ..... 155
CHAPTER VIII. — Shanklin continued. — Siphonia or Sea-
Tulip. — Zoophytes. — Sponges. — Corals. — Shells : Anomia ;
Scallop-shell ; Cockle-shell ; Whelk ; Solen, or Razor-shell ;
Mactra or Kneading Trough; My a. . "- • - .177
CHAPTER IX. — Sandown Bay. — Culver Cliff. — Sandown
Fort. — High Flood. — Girl and Dog.— Poultry.— Hares. —
Butterflies. — Ichneumon Fly. — Myrtles. — Brading. — Bern-
bridge.— St. Helen's.— Arrival at Ryde. . . .198
CHAPTER X. — Ryde. — Handsome Shops. — Binstead. —
Wootton Bridge. — Newport. — East Cowes. — Horse Ferry. —
Steam Boat. — Arms of the German Empire. — Return home. 213
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
SOUTHAMPTON BAR IN THE OLDEN TIME 25
CARISBROOK CASTLE s 59
ARCHED ROCK AT FRESHWATER 84
GUILLEMOT , 92
BLACK GANG CHINE 133
FIG. PAGE
1. MEDUSA, OR SEA-NETTLE 30
2. SEA-JELLIES 32
3. THE PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR 37
4. TORTOISE 55
5. CARISBROOK GATE 59
6. KING CHARLES'S WINDOW 60
7. GROUND-IVY 83
8. THE SPOTTED MEDICK 83
9. WINGED Fucus ; BLADDER Fucus ; TANGLE 88
10. BURROWING MOLLUSCS 113
11. SECTION OF ALUM BAY 115
12. GRAMPUS .. 116
X ILLUSTRATIONS.
FIG. *AGE
13. THE BEE ORCHIS 120
14. PLANT OF CROSSWORT 124
15. THE KITTIWAKE GTTLL 146
16. THE AZURE BLUE BUTTERFLY 152
17. THE HORNY SNAIL 159
18. THE MARSH SNAIL 160
19. THE STAR-FISH, OR FIVE-FINGERS 162
20. IRISH Moss, OR CARRAGEEN 167
21. DUCK'S FOOT CONFERVA 168
22. FRESHWATER MUSSELS : 171
23. MASS OF FOSSILS CONTAINING THE SIPHONIA, OR SEA-
TULIP 179
24. SPONGES 183
25. CORALS 185
26. SADDLE-SHAPED ANOMIA 186
27. SCALLOP SHELL 188
28. WHELK (BUCCINUM) 190
29. TRUNCATED GAPER ; SOLEN, OR RAZOR-SHELL ; COMMON
COCKLE ; THE KNEADING-TROUGH 192
30. THE MARBLED- WHITE BUTTERFLY, OR MARMORESS ... 203
31. THE CLOUDED- YELLOW BUTTERFLY 205
32. ICHNEUMON FLY ON A FLORET OF THE FLOWERING RUSH 206
33. RYDE-PIER 214
34. RIBBED MUSSEL 215
35. TIGER BEETLES 219
36. HELIX VIRGATA ; BULIMUS ARTICULATUS 222
37. ARMS OF GERMANY 228
GLIMPSES OF NATURE;
OR,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
INTRODUCTION.
AGNES MERTON was one day sitting in rather a
melancholy mood on the swing in her garden, with-
out swinging, and aparently lost in thought. It
was a very odd place for meditation, but little girls
do choose strange places sometimes; and Agnes at
this moment felt very sad and uncomfortable on va-
rious accounts. Her papa had been in a bad state
of health for some time, and Mrs. Merton's attention
had been so entirely occupied by him, that Agnes
had been comparatively neglected by her mother.
Her papa also could not be troubled with her, al-
though he was very fond of her when he was well ;
B
INTRODUCTION.
sick people cannot bear the fatigue of children.
Agnes had no sisters, and only a daily governess,
who stayed with her but a short time, so that during
the greater part of the day the poor child was left
entirely to her own resources, and children so young
as Agnes cannot always be reading. Agnes was at
this time particularly unfortunate, as even her fa-
vourite cat, Sandy, had gone away about three weeks
before, and nobody knew what had become of him.
In this state of things every amusement seemed to
have lost its zest, and after swinging a short time
with the air of a person who was performing a task,
rather than one who was enjoying a pleasure, Agnes
sat, as we have before said, on her swing, apparently
quite lost in thought, and, indeed, so absorbed that
she started when her mother laid her hand upon her
shoulder, and asked her if she would like to go to
the Isle of Wight !
It is impossible to describe what a change these
few words produced in the feelings of the little girl,
and she replied with her countenance beaming with
delight, " Oh yes, mamma, very much indeed ! "
" Your papa," resumed Mrs. Merton, " has been
ordered to try change of air for the benefit of his
INTRODUCTION. 3
health, and he has determined to go to the Isle of
Wight for a week. At first he intended leaving
you at home, but at my earnest desire he has con-
sented to take you with us, upon condition of your
giving no trouble."
" Oh, mamma," interrupted Agnes, " I will not
give any trouble at all."
" Perhaps you are hardly aware of what you are
promising," said Mrs. Merton, smiling ; " your papa
has determined on taking no servant with him, so
that you must dress and undress yourself, and take
care of your own clothes."
" But, mamma," said Agnes, " shall we not have
poor little Susan?"
" No," replied Mrs. Merton ; " there will only be
your papa, besides you and me : and as my time will
be principally occupied in attending on him, you must
contrive to take care of yourself."
Agnes laughed ; "I think I am quite old enough
to do that," said she.
" We shall see," replied her mother. " You must
also dine and take all your meals with us ; as it will
probably not be convenient for us to stay to take any
refreshment at the time you have been used to dine."
4 INTRODUCTION.
This, so far from being a hardship, Agnes thought
the most delightful part of the whole, as she had
long considered dining at six o'clock as one of the
great desiderata of life ; but Mrs. Merton continued :
".You must also never complain of being hungry or
thirsty ; but act as much as possible as if you were
really a woman, since we are going to treat you like
one.11
" I am afraid, mamma," said Agnes, " that will be
very hard."
" If you do not think you can undertake to do all
I wish, you must stay at home ; and I have no doubt
your aunt Jane will be so kind as to take care of you
while we are away. But I think you are quite
capable of all that will be required of you. You are
now ten years old, and you knew how to pack up a
trunk when you were only seven. You shall have
a pretty little black portmanteau entirely to yourself,
and you shall have a list of everything that is put
into it, so that you may know when all your things
are right."
Agnes was delighted with the idea of taking care
of her own trunk ; particularly as her mamma con-
sented, at her earnest request, to leave the choice
INTRODUCTION.
of what clothes she would take entirely to herself.
Agnes was very fond of managing, and of giving
directions to her maid, Susan, who was called im-
mediately ; for as this was Saturday, and they
were to set out on Monday, there was no time to be
lost. Susan was almost as much delighted as her
little mistress with the task ; and both felt of ex-
traordinary importance when they found themselves
alone with the open portmanteau before them, and
close to the wardrobe from which it was to be filled.
Both Susan and her young mistress were, however,
soon very much puzzled to know what to decide on.
Agnes at first had looked out nearly all the clothes
she had, but it was soon found that the pretty little
black portmanteau would not hold half the things
that had been laid out. A fresh selection was there-
fore necessary, and several of the pretty frocks were
put back into the drawer.
" Oh, I must have that, Susan," said Agnes,
stretching out her hands after her favourite blue,
which was being taken away.
" Very well, miss," said Susan. " Then suppose
you take that, and leave this," laying down the blue
and taking up an equally favourite pale pink.
6 INTRODUCTION.
" Oh no," cried Agnes ; " I must have that, it is
so prettily made.11
" Suppose you take all your coloured frocks," said
Susan, " and leave your white ones?"
" But, mamma says she always likes me best in
white," said Agnes.
" Well, then, we will take the whites," said Susan,
" and leave the coloured ones."
Agnes sighed deeply. " Oh dear," cried she, after
a short pause ; "I wish mamma were here to decide
for me. I thought it would be so delightful to have
everything my own way, but now the time is come I
do not like it at all. I see it saves a great deal of
trouble to have some one to direct, and to tell one
what to do. I am sure I wish mamma would come
and tell me, for I am quite tired of being my own
mistress ;" and as she spoke Mrs. Merton entered
the room ; for she had been in an adjoining apart-
ment, and, overhearing the wishes of her little daugh-
ter, had come to her assistance. Under Mrs. Mer-
ton's directions the box was soon packed, and Agnes
was astonished to see how rapidly her difficulties had
vanished.
" I cannot think how it is, mamma," said she,
INTRODUCTION. 7
" that you have been able to arrange in a moment
what gave me so much trouble and vexation. You
have done everything just as I wished, and as I
would have done it myself, if I could have made up
my mind ; and yet my governess often tells me that
I am self-willed, and like to have my own way ;
now, it appears to me that I actually did not know
what my own way was, till you came and showed
me."
" The reason you had so much difficulty in de-
ciding," said Mrs. Merton, " was that your judg-
ment required to be guided by experience, a quality
in which young people are necessarily deficient.
When you are as old as I am, and have travelled as
much, you will be able to decide as rapidly as I did
in this matter ; as you will know by experience what
things are likely to be most useful."
GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
CHAPTER I.
Terminus of the Southampton Railroad at Vauxhall. — Truth and
Falsehood. — Reaping flint in straw. — The river Mole. — The
Wey. — Canals and Locks. — Poppies and Opium. — Limestone
and Chalk. — Gleaners. — Ruins at Basingstoke. — Southampton.
— The Bar. — Sir Be vis and the Giant Ascabart.
ON Monday morning Agnes did not fail to awake
in time, and after an early breakfast the party pro-
ceeded to the railroad. It was a very long ride from
Bayswater to the station at Nine Elms, and Agnes
thought it longer than it really was. At length,
however, they arrived, and Agnes watched with
considerable anxiety her black leather portmanteau
taken off the carriage with the rest of the luggage.
She was once going to tell the porter to take par-
ticular care of it, but observing that her mother did
not speak she also remained silent, and followed Mrs.
Merton into a large room, in which a man stood
behind a kind of counter, receiving money and giving
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
tickets. When it was Mrs. Merton's turn, the
man fixed his eyes on Agnes, and said abruptly,
" How old are you I"
" I was ten last October,1' replied Agnes, very
much surprised at this question. Mrs. Merton then
laid three sovereigns on the counter, which the man
took up, giving her three tickets in return, with
which she walked away in silence, and joining Mr.
Merton they both walked to the railway carriages
followed by Agnes, who could not at all understand
the meaning of what had taken place. She did not
like to ask any questions, as she had promised not
to be troublesome, but she could not help thinking
of the man's strange behaviour; and when her
mamma, who saw her puzzled look, asked what she
was thinking about, she ventured to inquire what
the man meant by speaking to her only, and why
he took any interest in knowing her age. " I sup-
pose," said she, " he must have some little girls of
his own, and that he wanted to know if I were the
same age ; but I wonder whether he thought me
short or tall." Mrs. Merton smiled, and replied that
she really believed the man had never thought about
it.
10 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
"Why did he ask my age, then?" inquired
Agnes, rather vexed at her mamma's indifference.
" To know how much you were to pay for your
place," replied Mrs. Merton. " If you had been
under ten, I should have paid only half price for you."
" But why did he not ask you such a question as
that ?"
"He was probably afraid that I should not tell
him the truth."
" But surely, mamma," cried Agnes, her face flush-
ing, and her eyes sparkling with indignation, " the
man could never think you would demean yourself
so much as to tell a falsehood for the sake of ten
shillings."
" If he had known me," replied Mrs. Merton
quietly, " I hope he would not have suspected me of
telling a falsehood for the sake of any sum."
An old gentleman who was their fellow-traveller,
was very much amused at Agnes's indignation, and
began to tease her by telling her that her mamma
was in the habit of telling stories every day ; and
when Agnes indignantly denied his assertion, he
asked her if she thought her mamma had never
written "your humble servant" at the end of a
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 11
letter, without meaning that she was ready to act
as a servant to the person she addressed; and
whether she did not often say she was glad or sorry
to hear some particular piece of news, when she did
not, in fact, care much about it. Agnes began to
look puzzled, and Mrs. Merton, not liking this mock-
ing style of conversation, as she knew the necessity
of keeping a strict line in a child's mind between
truth and falsehood, tried to turn her daughter's at-
tention to the objects they were passing. It is very
strange that sensible and well-informed men should
often take as much pleasure in confusing the thoughts
of a poor innocent child, as vicious boys do in tor-
menting a harmless dog. This gentleman, whose
name they afterwards found was Mr. Bevan, was a
well-intentioned, good-hearted man, who would have
been shocked at the thought of hurting Agnes by
treading on her foot, or pushing her down ; and yet,
while he would have shrunk from wilfully inflicting
on her a trifling bodily hurt which could only have
caused a temporary suffering, he had no hesitation
in doing a serious injury to her mind. It is true
he only wished to amuse himself by watching the
play of her countenance, without thinking of the
1 2 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
consequences ; and that if she had been his child he
would have heen the first to correct her for telling
a falsehood : but his mocking strain roused the first
doubt that had ever crossed the mind of Agnes as
to whether it was possible to tell a falsehood without
meaning any harm. Hitherto she had been truth
itself, and still nothing would have induced her to
tell a falsehood wilfully : but she was puzzled, as she
was not old enough to distinguish between positive
assertions, and mere conventional phrases, to which
nobody attaches any precise meaning ; and that per*
feet confidence in the holiness and power of truth,
which is so beautiful a feature in the youthful mind,
was shaken. Mrs. Merton wished to prevent her
daughter's mind from dwelling on the subject, and
pointing to a corn-field, she asked Agnes, if she knew
what corn it was. Before, however, the child could
answer, a young man who sat opposite told her with
a patronizing air, that it was wheat.
" You may know it," continued he ; " by its close
heads. Barley and rye have long bristles, and oats
have loose heads."
Agnes now began to be interested in the wheat-
fields they were passing ; and her mamma made her
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 13
observe the curious curved knife called a sickle, which
is used in reaping corn ; and the manner in which
the corn was tied up in sheaves after it was cut, and
the sheaves afterwards placed together in shocks, with
their heads leaning towards each other, and a sheaf
reversed over the top to keep the grain dry.
" But why do women reap ? " asked Agnes ; " you
told me mowing was too difficult for them, and surely
it is nobler to cut corn than grass."
" Reaping requires less strength than mowing, as
the sickle is neither so heavy nor so cumbrous as the
scythe."
" What part of the wheat produces the flour ? "
" Can you not guess ? "
Agnes hesitated, and then said, timidly and blush-
ing, " I am not quite sure, but I think it is the seed.""
" Right," cried Mr. Merton, who, being an excel-
lent botanist himself, was always glad to turn his
daughter's attention to the peculiarities of plants.
"Now tell me if you know any thing particular about
the straw."
" I believe it is hollow and jointed."
44 It is ; and, what is more, it is not composed
entirely of vegetable matter, but partly of stone ;
14 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
for every wheat straw contains enough flint to make
a glass bead."
" Oh, papa," cried Agnes, " now you must be
joking."
" Indeed I am not. If a wheat straw be held
in the flame of a candle, it will first turn to white
ashes ; and, if these ashes be still exposed to the
flame, they will gradually melt into an imperfect
sort of glass. When hay-ricks are burnt, there is
always left a mass of dark, flinty matter, which
closely resembles the dross sometimes thrown out of
a glass-house."
" How very curious ! " cried Agnes.
" Did you ever see wheat hi flower, my dear,*'
asked Mr. Bevan.
" Never, sir," replied Agnes ; and then, turning to
her father, she said : " I suppose the gentleman
wishes to make game of me ; for wheat has no flow-
ers,— has it papa I "
" Certainly, it has flowers, for it has perfect seeds ;
and all plants that have perfect seeds must have
flowers. The flowers of the wheat are, however,
inconspicuous, as they have no petals."
While this conversation was passing, the train had
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 15
kept whirling on, and Mrs. Merton had remarked
two or three things that she thought worthy of the
notice of her little daughter : she now called her
attention to the windings of the river Mole, which
has received its strange name from the manner in
which it creeps along, and occasionally appears to
bury itself under ground, as its waters, are absorbed
by the spongy and porous soil through which it flows.
Agnes was very anxious to hear more of this curious
river.
" It is remarkable," said Mrs. Merton, "that it is
not navigable in any part of its long course of forty-
two miles ; and that occasionally when the weather
has been dry a long time, it disappears altogether.
At the foot of Box- Hill, near Dorking, with regard
to this phenomenon, it is supposed that there are
cavities, or hollow places, under ground, which com-
municate with the bed of the river, and which are
filled with water in ordinary seasons, but, in times of
drought, become empty, and absorb the water from
the river to refill them. When this is the case, the
bed of the river becomes dry, and Burford bridge
often presents the odd appearance of a bridge over
land dry enough to be walked on. The river, how-
1 6 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
ever, always rises again about Letherhead, and suffers
no further interruption in its course."
While Mrs. Merton was speaking, the train had con-
tinued whirling on, and they had long passed the slug-
gish Mole, and had caught a glance of the more useful
Wey ; a river of about the same length as the Mole,
but which has the advantage of being navigable for a
great part of its course ; and Agnes had watched the*
inhabitants of the little cottages which bordered the
line of the railway trimming their gardens, and spread-
ing their seeds out to dry in the sun. She had been
amused, in one place, observing the careful manner
in which a stack of faggots had been thatched, to
keep it from the rain ; and, in another, by observing
the delight of a number of pigs, which had been
turned into a stubble field, from which the corn had
just been carried ; and which ran about, grunting and
capering, in a manner which none but pigs could ever
accomplish. The train now passed another stream ;
and Agnes asked what river it was. "It is not a
river," said Mrs. Merton, " but the Basingstoke
canal/'
" How do you know it is a canal, mamma ! " asked
Agnes.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 17
" Its banks are straight and regular," said Mrs.
Merton, " which shows that they have been formed
artificially ; and the water is as deep close to the
bank as it is in the centre : whereas, in rivers, the
banks are generally irregular, and the water is shal-
lower near them. Besides, there can be no doubt
about this being a canal, for there, you see, is a lock."
" Now, mamma," said Agnes, " you have told me
a great many things that I do not understand. I
thought a canal had been only to supply the place of
a river ; and, if that is the case, I do not see why its
banks should be different ; and I do not know what
you mean by a lock."
" It is true," said Mrs. Merton, " that a canal is
intended to supply the place of a river, in as far as it
is useful for carrying boats ; but most rivers are only
deep enough in the centre for this purpose, and a
great deal of ground is lost on both sides : but, when
a canal is dug, it is an object to save as much ground
as possible ; and, therefore, the trench that is dug is
equally deep in all its parts, and perfectly level at
the bottom. Now, when a country is hilly, the only
way in which the canal can be kept level at the bot-
tom is, by having it in two or more parts, of different
c
18 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
levels, each one distinct from the other ; as, other-
wise, all the water from the high part would run into
the low part : and these little canals are joined toge-
ther by means of what are called locks. Each lock
is a kind of oblong well, with a pair of strong, water-
tight gates at each end ; the lock being just the same
depth as the difference between the higher and lower
parts of the canal. When a boat comes along the
higher part of the canal, the gates at that end of the
lock are opened, and a sufficient quantity of water
flows in, to allow the boat to float in at the same
level. As soon as the boat is completely within the
lock, the upper gates are closed, and the gates which
communicate with the lower level of the canal are
opened, when the water flows out, and the boat sinks
gradually down to the lower level."
" See, mamma," cried Agnes, " there is a boat
coming close to a lock ; but it is in the lower part of
the canal : what will they do now ? "
" They will open the lower gates of the lock till
the water has descended to the level of that part of
the canal which contains the boat, which will then
float in ; and, I suppose, you can guess what will
then take place."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 19
• " Oh yes," said Agnes, " the lower gates will be
closed as soon as the boat is completely within the
lock, and the upper ones opened."
" You are quite right," said her mother : " and, in
this way the boat will be raised to the higher level
of the canal."
" I do declare, they are opening the gate now,"
cried Agnes, leaning out of the window of the rail-
way carriage as far as she possibly could. " How I
do wish the train would stop a moment, and let me
see the boat float in."
But it was of no use : the train whirled on ; and
poor Agnes, instead of watching the machinery of the
lock, was obliged to sit down, and listen to a lecture
from her mamma, on the impropriety of hanging out
at the windows of any carriage, and of those be-
longing to rail-roads more particularly. Some time
passed almost in silence, till at last Mr. Bevan asked
Agnes if she did not admire the pretty flowers in the
corn-fields they were passing.
" Those poppies are very pretty, certainly," said
Agnes ; " and I should admire them very much in a
garden ; but I do not like them in a corn field, be-
cause papa says they are a proof of bad farming."
20 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
The old gentleman laughed at this, and asked
Agnes if she knew the use of poppies, and that opium
was made from them.
" Not from that kind, I believe, sir," said Agnes.
"It is the white poppy, is it not, mamma, that pro-
duces the opium?"
" Yes," returned Mrs. Merton ; " and it requires
a hotter and drier climate than that of England to*
produce it in perfection. The best opium," continued
Mrs. Merton, "is obtained from Turkey; and, in
that country, there are whole fields covered with
poppies; and there are people whose principal bu-
siness it is to watch when the petals of the flowers
are falling, and then to wound the unripe capsule
of each flower with a double-bladed lancet, so that
the milky juice may exude. This milky juice be-
comes candied by the heat of the sun ; and, being
scraped off the following morning, forms what is
called opium."
They now passed through a deep cutting of a grey,
partially-shining rock, which Mrs. Merton told
Agnes was limestone. A little further the rocks
became chalky, with narrow rows of flints embedded
in them ; which looked as though the high bank had
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 21
been originally a chalk wall, with a row of broken
bottles along the top, on which other chalk walls of
a similar description had been built. Farther on, the
banks of the cutting were formed of more crumbly
materials, and appeared to consist entirely of loose
sand and powdered chalk.
" What a variety of soils we are going through ! "
said Agnes.
" Not so great as you imagine," returned her mo-
ther. " Chalk is but another form of limestone,
and flint but another form of sand ; and these two
earths are almost always found together."
They had now reached the Basingstoke station ;
and, while some of the passengers were getting down,
Agnes amused herself in counting the number of
gleaners in a field from which the corn had just been
carried.
" There are eighty-two," said she, after a short
pause.
" Eighty-two what 2 " asked her mother.
" Gleaners,1' said Agnes, directing her mother's
attention to the field, which, indeed, was nearly filled
with people. The attention of the other passengers
was now turned towards the field ; and they all
22 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
agreed that the corn must have been carried in a
very careless manner to have left so many ears
behind.
"It is a good thing for the poor people in the
neighbourhood," said Mr. Bevan.
"But," said Mr. Merton, "it is hard for the
farmer, who has been at the expense of ploughing and
manuring, harrowing and sowing, and who is now*
deprived of his just profits by the negligence of his
servants."
The train soon moved on a little, and Agnes's
attention being attracted by the ruins of a church
which stood on a little eminence near the road, she
eagerly asked what it was.
" Those," said the old gentleman, " are the ruins of
a chapel, dedicated to the Holy Ghost, which is said
to have been erected in the reign of Edward IV.,
and to which a school was formerly attached; but
the school was shut up during the Civil Wars, and
the building reduced to the state in which you now
see it."
" It is a fine ruin," said Mrs. Merton.
"Yes," returned the old gentleman ; " and there is
some fine carving about it, (if you were near enough
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 23
to see it,) which was added in the reign of Henry
VIII."
" Was it not at Basingstoke," asked Mr. Merton,
" that Basing-House stood, so celebrated for its de-
fence against Cromwell ? "
" That was at Old Basing," replied Mr. Bevan,
" which was formerly a town, and a larger place than
this : the word stoke signifying a hamlet. But things
are reversed now; for Old Basing has become a
hamlet, and Basingstoke a town."
Agnes was very much interested in this con-
versation ; as she had seen Mr. Charles Landseer's
beautiful painting of the taking of Basing house;
and she now found how much a little knowledge of
the subject adds to the interest you feel in a
picture.
" Is the population of Basingstoke large ?" asked
Mr. Merton.
" There are about four thousand inhabitants, I
think," said the old gentleman, " rather less than
more." He then added, " I believe we are now only
about thirty miles from Southampton."
" Only thirty ! " The distance is nothing on a
rail-road, — an affair of about an hour or so ; but how
24 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
different it would be to a feeble mother, carrying a
heavy child ! How different to an exhausted wan-
derer, struggling to reach his longed-for home ! Then,
indeed, a distance of thirty miles would seem an un-
dertaking almost heart-breaking, and scarcely to be
accomplished ; but time and space are always relative,
and, in measuring them, we are apt to judge by our
feelings, rather than by the reality.
After leaving Basingstoke, the train proceeded
with great rapidity. Andover was the next station ;
and here numerous carriages were waiting to convey
passengers to Salisbury, Exeter, and all the interme-
diate towns. Winchester next appeared in sight ;
and soon that ancient city, with its fine cathedral and
antique cross, lay below them. Then they reached,
and passed, the river Itchen, which winds backwards
and forwards, like a broad riband floating in the
wind. They were now within a few miles of South-
ampton ; and, as they rapidly advanced, they began
to feel the fresh breeze from the water. They still
hurried on, and soon the masts of the shipping
appeared in sight. The train now stopped, that the
passengers might give up their tickets. This was
soon done ; and the train whirled on again to South-
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 25
ampton. They descended at the terminus ; . and
having their luggage conveyed to the pier, they had
it placed on board one of the steam-packets, which,
they were told, would sail in about an hour. Hav-
ing finished this business, Mr. Merton sat down on
one of the seats on the pier, while Mrs. Merton
and Agnes walked back to take a glance at the
town.
The town of Southampton consists principally of
one long, broad street, which ascends from the sea
up a hill. This street is divided nearly in the middle
by a curious old gate, called the bar; and which
was, in fact, one of the gates of the ancient town.
Towards this monument of antiquity, Mrs. Merton
and Agnes bent their steps; and Mrs. Merton ex-
plained to her daughter, that bar was the Saxon
name of gate.
" Oh, yes," cried Agnes, " you know we say Tem-
ple Bar; and I remember that the gates in York are
called bars : but mamma, what are those curious
figures in front?" ,
" They are said to be the figures of a knight, re-
nowned in romance, called Sir Bevis, of Hampton,
and of Ascabart, a giant whom he slew."
26 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" This giant was mighty, and he was strong,
And feet full thirty was he long ;
His lips were great, and hung aside ;
His eyes were hollow, his mouth was wide :
Loathly he was to look upon,
And liker a demon than a man :
His staff was a young and torn-up oak ;
And hard and heavy was his stroke."
"The giant Ascabart is alluded to in the first
canto of Scott's Lady of the Lake ; and many legends
are told of his conqueror Sir Bevis, who appears to
have resided near Southampton, at a place still called
Sir Bevis' s Mount.""
" 1 suppose these figures below are Sir Be vis's
arms," said Agnes; " if there ever was such a
person."11
" I do not wonder that you have not full faith in
Sir Bevis," said Mrs. Merton, smiling ; " but for my
own part, I believe that all the heroes of romance
we hear about in different places are real personages,
though their deeds have been so exaggerated as to
make us doubt their existence."
" But the arms, mamma," repeated Agnes, —
" whose do you think they are 2"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 27
" Most of them are probably those of the persons
who have repaired the gate, at different times ; and
I think those of Queen Elizabeth are in the centre.
The queer-looking animals that sit below, however,
most probably belonged to Sir Bevis, as they appear
of the same date as his figure."
They now took a rapid glance at the very hand-
some shops which lined the High-street on both sides,
and returned to the pier, where they found the steam-
packet just ready to start.
28 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OB,
CHAPTER II.
Passengers down the River. — Sea-nettles. — Netley Abbey and
Fort.— View of the Isle of Wight.— Adventure of the Port- .
manteau. — Landing at West Cowes. — Crossing the Medina.
—Salt Works at East Cowes.
THE pier at Southampton has only been erected a
few years, and it is called Victoria-pier, because it
was opened by her present Majesty, shortly before
her accession to the throne. Mrs. Merton and her
daughter walked rapidly along it ; for the bell had
already rung, and the steam-packet was on the point
of starting when they arrived. For a few minutes
after they came on deck, they were too much hurried
to observe anything particular, but Agnes had the
pleasure of seeing that her dear little portmanteau was
quite safe among the rest of the luggage. The day
was fine, and the water sparkled in the sun-beams, as
the steam-boat pursued its way rapidly down the river.
The first thing that attracted Agnes' s attention, was
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 29
the appearance of some workmen who were taking up
a few of the upright pieces of wood which supported
the pier. These piles were bored through in several
places ; and Mrs. Merton asked her if she could tell
the cause.
" The cause is the Pholas, or Stone-piercer," said
Agnes. " I remember, mamma, you told me all
about that curious shell-fish long ago ; and that the
piles are now obliged to be covered with nails driven
into them, to prevent them from being bored through :
but I never saw any of the piles before." She had
not much time to look at them now ; as, though the
wind was against them, the steam-packet flew on as
rapidly as the railway-train had done : and, as Mrs.
Merton gave her arm to her husband, who was walk-
ing up and down the deck, Agnes knelt on the seat
near the side of the vessel, to watch the little billows
as they rose up rapidly, and broke against it. But
her attention was soon engaged by some curious little
animals which were seen in the water, and which
appeared like fairy umbrellas, opening and shutting
occasionally as they floated along. Some of these
curious creatures were rather large, with a kind of
fringe round the lower part ; and others had what
30
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
appeared to be a fleshy cross on their summit, which
was of a bright purple. They were so numerous
that Agnes thought she should like to catch one or
Fig. 1.
MEDUSA, OR SEA-NETTLE.
two, and she leant over for that purpose ; but her
little arms were not long enough to reach the water.
A young man who saw her trouble was about to
assist her, when the old gentleman who had been
their fellow traveller by the rail-road stopped him.
" You had better not touch them,1' said he; " they
will sting you."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 31
" Sting !" cried Agnes, " can such beautiful crea-
tures sting ? "
" Yes," replied Mr. Sevan, " if you were to take
them into your hand, you would find an unplea-
sant tingling, which would be followed by heat and
pain, like the smarting produced by the sting of a
nettle."
" The vulgar people here, call them Chopped
Ham," said a young man, with a book in his hand ;
" and they say that the sting is the mustard that is
usually eaten with Ham. In the Legends of the
Isle of Wight," continued he, glancing at his book,
" this strange name is supposed to allude to a chief-
tain of the name of Ham, who was killed and chop-
ped in pieces near Netley Abbey, and who has given
his name, not only to Southampton, but to Hamp-
shire."
" I should like to get some of these curious
creatures in spite of their stinging," cried Agnes ;
" they are so beautiful. They look like fairy para-
sols, continually opening and shutting, but made of
the finest gauze, and trimmed with long fringe ; and
see, there are some tinted with all the colours of the
rainbow."
32 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
"Yes,"" said Mrs. Merton, " the poet says,
-' There 's not a gem
Wrought by man's art to be compared to them ;
Soft, brilliant, tender, through the wave they glow,
And make the moonbeam brighter where they flow.' "
" How very pretty, mamma," cried Agnes.
" These lines are very pretty," said Mr. Merton,
" and, moreover, they have a merit not very common
in poetry, for they exactly describe the sea-nettles,
as they are called, with which you are so much
delighted."
" Sea-nettles ! " cried Agnes, " it seems a pity that
they have not a prettier name."
Fie. 2.
SEA-JELLIES (Acalephu).
" They are also called Medusae, or jelly-fish," said
Mrs. Merton.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 33
" Are they alive, mamma?" said Agnes.
" Yes," said Mrs. Merton, " and they belong to
the humblest class of animated nature, called Zoo-
phytes, which form the connecting link between ani-
mals and plants. These creatures have no head, but
only a mouth, which opens directly into the stomach,
and the fringe that you observe consists of nume-
rous slender arms with which they seize their prey
and which are armed with small hooks, so fine as
scarcely to be seen without a microscope. It is these
hooks catching the flesh which occasion the pain that
is felt when they are touched."
" If you were to take one up in your hand," said
Mr. Bevan addressing Agnes, "you could not keep it
long, for these creatures decay, and, in fact, melt into
water as soon as they are dead. They are only seen
on fine warm days like the present ; for when the
weather is cold, they sink to the bottom. They are
very beautiful at night, when they become luminous,
and appear like a host of small stars, rising to the sur-
face, and again disappearing, as though dancing on the
sea. There are a great many different kinds, and those
of the tropical regions are very large and brilliant."
They now came in sight of Netley Abbey, and
34 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
there was a great rush to see it. Agnes, however,
was very much disappointed, as its appearance from
the water was very different from what she had
expected.
" I thought it would be something beautiful like
Melrose Abbey," said she, 4< and it is only like a
common church."
" What you see," said Mrs. Merton, " is the Fort/
and you cannot judge of the beautiful effect of the
ruins of the Abbey unless you were on shore."
" That fort, or castle,"' said Mr.Bevan, "was erected
by Henry VIII. , after the spoliation of the abbey,
which was built about 1238, and the name of Netley
is a corruption of its old name of Lettely, which sig-
nified a pleasant place."
" Are there many legends connected with the
Abbey 2" asked Agnes.
" Several," returned the old gentleman. " Among
other things it is said, that a carpenter of Southamp-
ton, named Taylor, had once bought the ruins, with
a view of taking them down, and selling the materials ;
but a spirit appeared to him in a dream for three
nights in succession, and warned him not to do so.
He disregarded the warning, however, and had just
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 35
taken a person to the Abbey to make a bargain with
him for the frame-work of one of the old windows,
when a part of the ruin fell upon his head and killed
him on the spot."
" That is a very useful legend," observed Mr. Mer-
ton, " as it has probably served to protect the ruins."
" No doubt it has," returned Mr. Bevan, " as it
is firmly believed. There are several other stories of
money being buried, and of the guardian spirit of
the abbey appearing to protect its treasures when-
ever they are in any danger of being found."
" These stories," said Mr. Merton, " are common
to most old monasteries; and they have probably
arisen from the popular belief that much greater
wealth was possessed by the abbots at the time of the
dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry
VIII. than was found by the commissioners, and
that consequently some of it must have been hidden."
" The most remarkable story about Netley," said
the old gentleman, " I will relate to you if you like
to hear it."
The people all crowded round him eagerly, and he
began as follows : " In the ancient times, when Netley
was inhabited by a community of monks, there were
36 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OB,
certain underground passages, the opening to which
was only known to the abbot, the prior, and two of
the oldest monks. When one of these chanced to
die, the entrance to these secret passages was confided
to another; but it was never known to more than
four at a time, and they took a solemn oath never
to reveal it. What was contained in these mysterious
passages was never known. Even the rough soldiers of
Henry VIII. , when they demolished the monastery,
respected its secret ; till, at length, in modern times,
a gentleman of the town of Southampton was de-
termined to explore the subterranean vaults of Netley,
and having with great pain and difficulty cleared an
opening, he entered with a lantern in his hand, and
a lighted candle fixed at the end of a long stick. He
and his light soon disappeared, and those who had
followed him to the opening remained a long time
watching for his return. At length they began to
grow uneasy, and they were just debating whether
they should follow him, when suddenly footsteps
were heard rattling along the subterraneous passages,
and the gentleman rushed out, crying, ' Block up
the opening, block up the opening ! ' He gazed wildly
for a moment and then fell down, and instantly
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
37
expired, probably from the
effects of the dangerous gas
which is generally found in
places that have been long
closed up."
Mrs. Merton, who did
not like the deep interest
with which her little
daughter had listened to
this tale, now again direct-
ed her attention to the
Medusae.
" We call them Portu-
guese men-of-war," said one
of thesailors ashe passedby.
" That is curious enough,"
said the old gentleman,
" for there is a kind of Zoo-
phyte which is common in
the West Indies, the pro-
per English name of which
is the Portuguese man-of-
war ; but it is very different
from these. When seen
Fig. 3.
THE PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR.
38 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR.
floating on the water, it looks like a little weaver's
shuttle ; but it is in fact a bladder inflated with air,
having a ridge down the back like a cock's comb,
beautifully tinted with rose colour, the bladder itself
being of a purplish hue at both ends. Below hang a
number of thread-like appendages, some of which are
straight, and some twisted, and all of which are of a
beautiful dark blue or purplish hue. The animal
possesses the power of contracting and dilating its
bladder, and raising up the narrowest part, so as
to make it serve for the purposes of a sail. There
is also a little hole in the narrow part of the
bladder, only large enough to admit a very fine
bristle ; through this the animal appears to squeeze
out the air when it wishes to descend."
" I have often seen the Portuguese men-of-war,"
said a naval officer who stood near them. u I dare
say there are fifty sorts of these creatures in the
West Indies, and there are a great many also
of the Medusae, which are a thousand times more
beautiful than those we have been looking at here/1
" There are many different kinds of sea-jellies, or
bubbles," said Mr. Merton, " in the British seas, and
it is said that many kinds were found formerly,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 39
which now appear to be extinct. It is even sup-
posed that the curious marks in the old red sand-
stone of Forfarshire, which are called Kelpies1 feet,
are occasioned by sea-jellies having been left by the
sea on the sandstone, and lain there till decayed."
" The Kelpies were supposed to be water-spirits,
— were they not 2 " said the young man.
" Yes," replied Mr. Bevan : "I remember, when
travelling in the Highlands, hearing many strange
stories about them."
While they were conversing in this manner, the
steam-boat made rapid progress, and they now ap-
proached Calshot Castle, a fort situated on a small
head-land jutting into the sea.
" That fort," said the old gentleman, " was built
in the time of Henry VIII., to protect the entrance
to Southampton water ; and it is still used as a gar-
rison, though the force it contains is but small. We
are now in the Solent Sea, which divides the main-
land from the Isle of Wight ; and there," he con-
tinued, " is the Island itself."
They all turned to look ; and Agnes was very
much astonished to find it so near.
" How do you like the Isle of Wight ! " asked her
mamma.
40 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" It looks a pretty mountainous country," said
Agnes ; " and more like Scotland than any thing I
have before seen in England."
" You will find it very different," said the old
gentleman, turning to Agnes, " when you see it
nearer."
" Every thing is on a much smaller scale," said Mrs.
Merton ; " but there is certainly some resemblance."
At this moment the steam-boat stopped, and the
passengers were desired to walk on shore at West
Cowes. Agnes was deeply interested in watching
the porters, who seized the luggage, and were carry-
ing it off without asking where it was to go to ; while
several sailors surrounded the steam-boat, crying out,
" Want a boat, want a boat, sir, — East Cowes, sir."
As Mr. Merton was very much fatigued with his
journey, Airs. Melton's attention was entirely devoted
to him ; and, telling the porter to take their luggage
to the Fountain Hotel, she gave her arm to her hus-
band, to assist him to leave the vessel. Agnes was
preparing to follow them, when, to her great dismay,
she saw a man seize her own dear black leather port-
manteau, and toss it into a boat going to East Cowes.
She positively screamed ; and, running to the edge
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 41
of the vessel, she cried out, " Oh ! do not take that !
That is mine."
" Yours," cried a good-natured-looking sailor, who
was standing in the boat taking in the luggage ;
u and are you not going with this party, then ? "
" No," said Agnes, trembling and panting for
breath, " I am going to West Cowes, — to the Foun-
tain. My papa and mamma are gone there."
" Here," cried the sailor ; "I dare say the child is
right ; " calling to a young sailor who stood on the
deck of the steam-packet ; " Take this portmanteau,
and go with that little girl to the Fountain." At
this moment the mate of the steam-packet came
down to see what was the matter ; and, having heard
Agnes's story, he asked what name was on the port-
manteau ; and, finding all was right, he told the boy
to take it to the Fountain : Agnes following him, in
a state of great agitation, but very much pleased at
having saved her property. They had scarcely step-
ped on shore, when they met Mrs. Merton, who,
having seen her husband comfortably placed on a
sofa, had become uneasy at Agnes^s not following
them, and had returned to the pier in search of her.
When Mrs. Merton saw her little girl pale and
42 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR.
trembling, she was very much alarmed; but, when
she heard the story, she praised Agnes for the cou-
rage she had displayed, instead of scolding her, as
she had been about to do, for her delay. Agnes was,
however, too much agitated to feel her usual pleasure
at her mother's praises. It was the first time she
had ever acted for herself in her life ; and, though
she had done right, she felt the bad effect of the over
excitement. Mrs. Merton now offered sixpence to
the boy who had carried Agnes's portmanteau on
shore, but he refused it. " Oh ! no," said he ; " the
young lady is quite welcome ; " and, declaring that
his father would be very angry with him if he took
anything, he hurried into the Fountain : and putting
down his burthen in the hall, he ran off, without
allowing Mrs. Merton to say another word. As the
pier at West Cowes is, indeed, the yard of the Foun-
tain Inn, Mrs. Merton and Agnes had not far to go ;
but, as Mr. Merton had wished to take some repose
after his fatigue, Mrs. Merton satisfied herself with
ordering dinner at the bar, and walked out into the
little narrow streets of Cowes with her daughter.
The first object that Mrs. Merton had in view,
was to order a carriage, to take them round the Island
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 43
on the morrow ; and, for this purpose, she went into
a fruit-shop nearly opposite the front door of the inn,
where she saw a ticket oifering carriages for hire.
Mrs. Moore, for that was the name of the green-
grocer, was a very nice person ; and Mrs. Merton
soon made an arrangement with her, that a little
open carriage should be ready for them at nine the
following morning. Mrs. Merton then asked Agnes,
where she would like to walk ; and Agnes having
expressed a strong desire to visit East Cowes, as
being the place to which her portmanteau had been
so nearly conveyed, Mrs. Merton asked Mrs. Moore,
which was the best mode of going.
" Oh ! there are two ways, ma'am," said Mrs.
Moore. " You can either go by the ferry, at a penny
a piece, or you can go in a boat from the pier, and
pay a shilling."
4 ' Oh, let us go in the ferry boat," cried Agnes ;
" I never was in a ferry-boat in my life."
Mrs. Merton having ascertained that the ferry-
boat was perfectly safe, and that respectable people
frequently went by it, determined to indulge her
daughter, and they set off in the direction that was
pointed out to them. The walk was not a very
44 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
agreeable one ; it was up a narrow street, and a
rather steep hill. This appeared very extraordinary
both to Agnes and her mamma, as people generally
descend to water. At last, however, after a very
disagreeable walk, and inquiring their way several
times, they began to descend the hill, and soon
reached the ferry, where the boat being just ready
to go, they took their seats. Agues and her mamma
were both very much amused at the old man who
rowed them across.
" I thought ferry-boats had generally a rope to
keep them steady," said Mrs. Merton.
" So they have for the horse-ferries," said the old
man ; " but as for this, I can row it as well without
a rope as with one. But it is not everybody that
can do that, that is true enough."
As the old man spoke, he gave a vigorous pull, and
as he did so, his grey hair blew back from his ruddy
and sun-burnt face ; while his whole figure presented
a striking picture of the good effect which a life of
moderate, but regular, labour in the open air has
upon the human frame.
The ferry-boat was soon across the river ; and
when Mrs. Merton and her daughter had landed at
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 45
East Cowes, and were walking on the terrace in front
of the Medina Hotel, Agnes could not help observing
to her mother, that she thought the old man very
conceited ; " and it is such a ridiculous thing for a
man to be proud of, too,1' added she ; " rowing a
common ferry-boat."
" My dear Agnes," said her mother in a serious
tone, " I have several times observed in you a ten-
dency to look with contempt upon persons and things
that you consider beneath you. It is true that you
have many advantages which this ferryman has not.
Fortunately for you, your parents are rich enough to
allow you teachers to instruct you, servants to wait
upon you, and a variety of comforts and indulgences
which this ferryman can neither enjoy himself, nor
give to his children. But these are merely acciden-
tal advantages. Circumstances might arise which
would reduce you in a moment to a greater degree of
poverty than this man, as, in fact, if we were obliged
to live by the labour of our hands, he would be far
superior to us from his activity and vigour. He is,
though an old man, evidently in the enjoyment of
robust health and great strength; and I am quite
sure if your papa and I were obliged to row a ferry-
46 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
boat for our support, we could neither of us do it
half so well as he does.11
"Oh! but mamma," said Agnes, ".there is no
danger of our being reduced to poverty, is there ? "
" Not that I am aware of," said Mrs. Merton ;
" but it is impossible to say what may happen. As
your papa is not in trade he is not liable to those
sudden and violent changes which frequently affect
the commercial part of the community; but still
many things may happen that would occasion a
severe reverse. You know in the time of the French
Revolution, many persons of a much higher rank
than ours were reduced to the greatest distress, and
even Louis Philippe, the present King of the French,
was obliged to teach in a school for his support."
They had now reached a part of the beach where
the pebbles were very rough, and as Agnes was
much interested in what Mrs. Merton was saying,
she did not pay proper attention to where she was
going, and at this moment she stumbled over a piece
of wood. This obliged her to look more carefully
at her feet, and as the road was now become very
rough, Mrs. Merton thought it better not to proceed
any farther along the beach, but to return to the
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 47
terrace, where the road was smooth. They did so,
and had not walked far, when they saw a skate that
had just been caught, lying on the beach, panting,
and opening and shutting its mouth, which was in the
middle of its body on the under side. Agnes shud-
dered as she looked at it. " I wish they would
throw it back into the water, mamma," said she.
" We can hardly expect that," returned her mo-
ther ; " but I wish the fishermen in this country
would stab their fish as soon as they have caught
them, as I have heard fishermen do in the east. The
skate is a kind of ray, and belongs to the same genus
as the Torpedo. The thornback, or maid, belongs
also to this genus. Do you remember the little
things, that looked like little leather purses, that we
used to find among the sea- weed at Brighton ? "
" Oh yes ! the fishermen called them skate bar-
rows ; but you told me they were the eggs of the
skate."
They now walked on in silence for a short time,
till Agnes1 s attention was caught by a building which
some men were busily employed in pulling down.
" What is that, mamma ? " cried she : " and why
are those people taking off the roof? "
48 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Mrs. Merton pointed to a portion of the walls that
remained standing, and on which the words " salt-
works " might still be read.
" Salt-works ! " repeated Agnes ; " what is salt
made of, mamma ? *
" Salt," said Mrs. Merton, " can hardly be said to
be made, as it is a mineral which is formed naturally,
in the earth, and which we procure in three different
ways. Sometimes it is dug out of the salt-mines, as
at Northwich in Cheshire, and in the Austrian do-
minions ; but this kind of salt is coarse and dark-
coloured. Another way of procuring it is from salt-
springs; that is, from water which has become
saturated with salt in its passage through the earth,
as at Nantwich and other places in Cheshire, and at
Droitwich in Worcestershire ; and this salt is what
we have in common use. The last kind of salt is
what is made from the sea- water, and most of the
works that have been erected for this purpose in
England are in Hampshire, particularly in the Isle of
Wight."
" And how do they get the salt out of the salt-
water ? " asked Agnes.
" By boiling it," said her mother, " in large
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 49
shallow pans, such as that which you see before
you."
While they were examining the pans, Agnes asked
her mother a great many questidns respecting the
salt-works, and Mrs. Merton told her, that the salt
obtained from sea-water is of so much coarser kind
than that obtained from the salt-springs, that it is
.principally used for curing meat, and for manuring
the land.
" Ah ! " said Agnes, " that reminds me of a ques-
tion that I have often wished to ask you, mamma.
When I was at Shen stone, my cousin George told me
that salt would be excellent manure for my plants,
and I put some on my annuals, which were just
coming up, and, would you believe it, mamma, it
killed them every one."
" That," said Mrs. Merton, " was because the
manure was too strong for them, and you no doubt
put a great deal too much. Salt, to do good to
plants, should be given to them in very small quan-
tities, as, though all plants require some mineral
substances to be mixed with their food to keep them
in health, it is in such small quantities that in some
plants it is only in the proportion of one to four
50 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
thousand ; and where mineral substances are required
in the greatest quantity for the nourishment of a
plant, it is only in the proportion of about ten to one
thousand."
" I do not think I quite understand that, mamma,"
said Agnes.
" Well," returned Mrs. Merton, " at any rate you.
will remember, that though a very small quantity of
salt may be useful to plants, a large quantity will
kill them, and that, consequently, it is much safer for
inexperienced gardeners not to give them any."
" I remember once being told that all the places
that produce salt end in wich ; but the name of this
place is Cowes."
" I have heard that the word wich is derived from
the Saxon, and that it signifies a salt- spring," said
Mrs. Merton, " but of course that does not apply to
salt procured from the sea."
Mrs. Merton and her daughter had now reached
the beach, and ordering a boat from one of the boat-
men lounging about, they stepped into it to return to
West Cowes.
" But, mamma," said Agnes, who was still think-
ing of the salt- works, " is this the water they use
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 51
for making salt ? This is the Medina, and not the
sea, and the Medina is a river, is it not ?"
" This part of the Medina," said Mrs. Merton, u is
what is called an estuary ; that is, an arm of the sea
mixed with the waters of a river ; the water of this
estuary is salt, and affected by the tides as far as
Newport."
" What makes the waters of the sea salt?" asked
Agnes.
" That is a very difficult question to answer," said
her mother, " but it is supposed that rivers carry salt
from the earth they run through, into the sea ; and
as the water in the sea is continually being evapo-
rated by the heat of the sun, the quantity of salt, in
proportion to the quantity of water, soon becomes
much greater in the sea than in the river, and hence
the water becomes much salter."
" Why, mamma," cried Agnes, "that is just what
is done in the salt-pans."
" You are right," returned her mother. " The
salt manufacturers observing the process of nature,
have imitated it as well as they could, by applying
artifical heat to evaporate the water. What is called
bay-salt, is formed by the sea-water left in the clefts
52 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR.
of the rocks by the tide evaporating naturally, and
leaving a saline crust behind ; and this salt takes
its name from the sea-water being frequently 'thus
left in bays. But see, here is the Fountain Inn,
where I have no doubt your papa is waiting dinner
for us.11
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 53
CHAPTER III.
Morning Walk through West Cowes. — Ride to Newport. —
Carisbrook Castle. — Children of Charles I. — Donkey Well. —
Chapel of St. Nicholas — Boy Bishop. — Archery Meeting. —
History of the Isle of Wight. — Bows and Arrows.
THE next morning Agnes and her mamma both rose
early ; and as Mr. Merton felt inclined to take some
repose, they went out by themselves to take a walk
before breakfast. They were advised to visit the
Parade and the Castle ; and, accordingly, they bent
their way down the main street of the town, and
soon found themselves on the beach. They strolled
gently along a terrace, supported by a sea-wall, till
they arrived at a part which was semicircular, and
which was backed by a small battery, pierced for
eleven guns. This wall forms the boundary of the
garden of a moderate-sized house, which, they were
told, was called the Castle. This building had been
formerly a fort, built by Henry VIII. , at the same
54 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
time as Calshot Castle, for the purpose of defending
the coast against the attacks of pirates, which were
then frequent in this sea ; but it has been so com-
pletely modernised, that it now retains nothing of a
castle but the name. They saw a great many bath-
ing-machines, which are very common here, as the
gravelly beach permits the machines to be used at all
states of the tide. After satisfying themselves with
this walk, Mrs. Merton and her daughter turned up
a beautiful lane, which afforded them a most magni-
ficent prospect ; commanding the Solent Sea, Calshot
Castle, and the tall Tower of Eaglehurst, seated on
the neighbouring cliffs. In a small garden that they
passed, they saw a tortoise crawling slowly alonsf ;
and Agnes, who disliked slow movements exceed-
ingly, expressed her pity at its miserable fate.
" Nothing is destined by the all-merciful Creator
to a miserable fate, Agnes," said her mother ; " and
I am confident that every creature has a particular
kind of happiness allotted to it, though our ignorance
may prevent us from seeing in what it consists. The
tortoise is also curiously and wonderfully made : as
it has neither force to resist its enemies, nor swiftness
to fly from them, it has been provided with a shield
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
55
of amazing strength, under which it can draw its
head, and thus remain in perfect safety from the
Fig. 4.
attacks of birds of prey;
yet it can, when neces-
sary, put forth its head
again, so as to see and
enjoy all around it."
Agnes was very much
interested in this, and
would have willingly
staid some time to watch TORTOISE.
it ; but this Mrs. Merton could not permit, as they
had no time to spare : and, on their return to the
inn, they found breakfast ready, and Mr. Merton
waiting for them. He was, indeed, very impatient
to set off; as it was now after eight o'clock, and the
carriage was to be at the door at nine. " We shall
soon be ready," said Mrs. Merton ; " for everything
is packed up, and we shall not be long taking our
breakfast."
" That is, if you can get anything to eat," said
Mr. Merton ; " for I never saw waiters so slow as
these are."
Not discouraged by these remarks, Mrs. Merton
OO GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
sat down to table ; and she and Agnes, whose appe-
tites were sharpened by their morning walk, soon
contrived to make an excellent breakfast ; though
Mr. Merton, who was rendered more fastidious by
ill health, could scarcely get anything that he could
like. At nine exactly the little carriage was at the
door; and Agnes, after running up stairs into the -
bed-room, to make quite sure that nothing had been
left behind, placed herself beside the driver, rejoi-
cing that she had taken the precaution of packing
up her portmanteau before she went out. Mr. and
Mrs. Merton sat behind ; and thus the whole party
were enabled to have a distinct view of the country
they passed through.
The ride from West Cowes to Newport does not,
however, contain anything very striking ; and, as
the distance is only five miles, they were not long in
reaching the town of Newport, which is remarkable
for its neatness, though it has little else to recommend
it. Our party called at the Post-office ; and Mrs.
Merton and Agnes visited the church and church-
yard, while Mr. Merton was reading his letters.
The Church at Newport was built in the year
1172, in the reign of Henry II., and was dedicated to
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 57
St. Thomas a Becket. There is nothing remarkable
in the Church, excepting the stone which marks the
burial-place of Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I., who
died at the age of fifteen, while a prisoner in Caris-
brook Castle ; and the handsome monument erected
to the memory of Sir Edward Horsey, who was go-
vernor of the island in the time of Queen Elizabeth.
In the church- yard there was pointed out to them
a grave containing six persons of the name of Shore,
who all died on the same day ; and this having at-
tracted the attention of Agnes, Mrs. Merton asked
an explanation, when the guide told them, that this
unfortunate family were coming from the West
Indies, on board the ship Clarendon ; and, as they
intended remaining some time in the Isle of Wight,
a house had been taken for them at Newport, looking
into the church-yard. The Clarendon was wrecked
off Blackgang Chine, on the llth of October, 1836 ;
and this unfortunate family were among the passen-
gers. It is said all was prepared for them in the
house ; and even a dinner had been cooked by order
of a near relative of theirs, who was anxiously await-
ing their arrival when their dead bodies were brought
to Newport.
58 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
As soon as Mrs. Merton and Agnes re-entered the
carriage, they proceeded to the pretty little village
of Carisbrook, catching several views of the Castle
on their route. Mr. Merton, who did not feel equal
to the fatigue of visiting the Castle, remained at a
little public-house, opposite the church, called the
Bugle Inn, while Mrs. Merton and Agnes walked to
the Castle. The wind had been high all the morning,
but it had now increased so much, that, when Mrs.
TVlerton and Agnes ascended the Castle hill, it almost
blew them back again. At the gate were some old
women, sitting at a fruit-stall ; and, though neither
Agnes nor her mamma had any inclination to buy
fruit, one old woman followed them up the hill, and
was so importunate that they could hardly send her
away. " Do ask the lady to buy this beautiful fruit
for you, Miss," said the old woman, holding up a
miserable green peach, that looked as if it had fallen
from the tree before it had attained half its proper
size.
" I don't want such a miserable-looking thing as
that," said Agnes, wrapping her cloak around her,
though it was with great difficulty that she did so,
on account of the wind.
CAKISBROOK CASTLE
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
59
" It 's a peach, and not an apple, Miss,11 said the
woman. Agnes was quite provoked to have it sup-
posed that she, a botanist's daughter, did not know a
peach from an apple ; and, turning round angrily,
told the woman to get away, and not to dare
to be so troublesome. Unfortunately, however,
while Agnes was scolding the old woman for teasing
her, a sudden gust of wind, operating upon the
broad surface of the cloak, actually blew her a short
way down the hill before she could recover herself.
The old woman laughed ; and Agnes, who was quite
indignant, declared that
Carisbrook Castle was the
most disagreeable place she
had ever seen in her life.
" It is rather soon to
say that," said Mrs. Mer-
ton ; " when you have
only yet seen its ancient
gate, and a troublesome
old woman on the outside
of it."
The man whose office
it was to show the castle CARISBROOK GATE-
60
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
now opened the gate, and called their attention to
its antiquity. " These towers," said he, " are of
the age of Edward IV., and look, ladies, at this an-
cient wooden door, it is of equal antiquity." They
looked at the wooden door, which was indeed very
old and very much dilapidated; but Mrs. Merton
could not help suspecting that its workmanship was of «
more modern date than that which the man assigned
to it, particularly as the arms of Elizabeth were em-
blazoned over the gateway. She pointed these out
to the man, who replied,
" The Castle was repaired
and fortified in the reign
of Elizabeth, when the
whole country trembled
with dread at the appre-
hension of the invasion
of the Spanish Armada.
Look at those ruins on the
left. There is the win-
dow at which the unfor-
tunate Charles I. attempt-
ed to escape, but his most
Sacred Majesty being, as
KING CHARLES'S WINDOW.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 61
the historians describe him, of portly presence, the
window was too small to admit of his passing
through it." They now ascended the dilapidated
steps of the keep, but Agnes was too cross and too
much annoyed by the wind, to admire the beau-
tiful prospect that presented itself. They, therefore,
descended again, as well as the wind would permit
them, the seventy-two stone steps by which they
had mounted, and repaired to the well-house, to
visit the celebrated donkey. When they first en-
tered Agnes was a little disappointed to see the don-
key without any bridle or other harness on, standing
close to the wall, behind a great wooden wheel.
" Oh, mamma," cried she, " I suppose the donkey
will not work to-day, as he has no harness on?"
*' I beg your pardon, miss," said the man ; " this
poor little fellow does not require to be chained like
your London donkeys, he does his work voluntarily.
Come, sir," continued he, addressing the donkey ;
" show the ladies what you can do." The donkey
shook his head in a very sagacious manner, as much
as to say, " you may depend upon me," and sprang
directly into the interior of the wheel, which was
broad and hollow, and furnished in the inside with
6' 2 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
steps, formed of projecting pieces of wood nailed on,
the hollow part of the wheel being broad enough to
admit of the donkey between its two sets of spokes.
The donkey then began walking up the steps of the
wheel, in the same manner as the prisoners do on
the wheel of the treadmill ; and Agnes noticed that
ke kept looking at them frequently, and then at the
well, as he went along. The man had no whip, and
said nothing to the donkey while he pursued his
course ; but as it took some time to wind up the
water, the man informed Mrs. Merton and her
daughter while they were waiting, that the well
was above three hundred feet deep, and that the
water could only be drawn up by the exertion of
the donkeys that had been kept there ; he added,
that three of these patient labourers had been known
to have laboured at Carisbrook, the first for fifty
years, the second for forty, and the last for thirty.
The present donkey, he said, was only a novice in
the business, as he had not been employed much
above thirteen years ; and he pointed to some writing
inside the door, in which the date was marked down.
While they were speaking the donkey still continued
his labour, and looked so anxiously towards the well.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 63
that at last Agnes asked what he was looking at.
u He is looking for the bucket," said the man ; and
in fact, as soon as the bucket made its appearance,
the donkey stopped, and very deliberately walked
out of the wheel to the place where he had been
standing when they entered.
" Pretty creature," said Agnes ; " how sagacious
he is ! "
" He is very cunning," said the man ; " and he
knows when the bucket has come to the top as well
as I do."
The man now threw some water into the well, and
Agnes, who had heard that the water made a great
noise in falling, after listening attentively for a second
or two was just going to express her disappointment
at not hearing it, when she was quite startled by a
loud report, which seemed to come up from the very
bottom of the well.
" Oh ! surely," cried she, " that never can be the
same water that you threw down such a long time
ago 2"
" It is, indeed, miss," said the man ; " the water
is five seconds in falling."
" Five seconds !" cried Agnes ; " why, that is only
64 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
the twelfth part of a minute ; surely it must have
been much longer than that ! "
" Time," said Mrs. Merton, " often appears to us
much longer or shorter than it really is, according to
the circumstances in which we are placed. Thus, as
we are accustomed to hear a splash of water thrown
into other water, the very moment we see it fall, the .
time that elapsed between your seeing this water fall
and hearing it splash, appeared to you much longer
than it really was.1' The man then let down a lighted
lamp ; and Agnes, who watched its descent, was as-
tonished to see how it dwindled away, till at last it
appeared like a little star, and she saw its reflection
on the water.
They had now seen all that was interesting in the
" Well House ;" and having left it, they were about
to cross to the chapel on the opposite side of the
court, when they met the old gentleman who had
been their fellow-traveller in the railway carriage
and in the steam-boat. He seemed very glad to see
them again, and was much amused with Agnes^s
account of all the wonders that she had seen in the
" Well House."
" And no doubt," said he, " you have also seen
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 65
the window through which Charles attempted to
escape ; but are you aware that two of his children
were confined here after their father was beheaded ? "
They replied that they had seen the tomb of the
Princess Elizabeth at Newport.
" Ay," said the old gentleman ; " she was said
to be poisoned, but I believe the poor thing died of
grief. She was called Miss Elizabeth Stuart, and
her brother Master Harry ; and it is said that the
poor things almost broke their hearts when they
found nobody knelt to them, or kissed their hands.
It was said that the Parliament intended to appren-
tice Elizabeth to a mantua-maker ; but she died, and
disappointed them, and two years afterwards Crom-
well sent the little Duke of Gloucester to the Con-
tinent.11
" We were going to the chapel," said Mrs. Mer-
ton ; " will you walk in with us ?"
" This chapel," said he, pointing to that to which
they were bending their steps, " is dedicated to St.
Nicholas, the patron Saint of children, students,
sailors, and parish clerks."
" What an odd mixture !" said Mrs. Merton,
smiling.
66 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" St. Nicholas," continued Mr. Bevan as they
entered the chapel, " was a child of extraordinary
sanctity; so much so, indeed, that even when a
baby at the mother's breast, it was said he refused
to suck on the fast days appointed by the Romish
Church. As he grew older his devotion became so
apparent that he was called the boy bishop ; and it .
was in his honour that the curious festival bearing
that name was instituted in the Romish Church/'
" I have often heard of the festival of the boy
bishop," said Mrs. Merton ; " but I was not aware
that it was instituted in honour of St. Nicholas."
" What was the ceremony of the boy bishop?"
asked Agnes.
" It was one of those strange festivals in the
Romish Church,'" said Mrs. Merton, " in which people
were permitted, and even encouraged, to ridicule all
the things which, during the rest of the year, they
were taught to consider sacred, and to hold in the
highest reverence."
" The festival of the boy bishop," observed Mr.
Bevan, "is of remote antiquity, and it is said to
have been practised on the Continent long before it
was introduced into Britain ; though we find that, in
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 67
the year 1299, Edward I., on his way to Scotland,
heard mass performed by one of the boy bishops, in the
little chapel at Heton, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne."
" And even that is above five hundred years ago,"
remarked Mrs. Merton.
"On St, Nicholas's day," resumed Mr. Bevan, "the
6th of December, a boy was chosen, at each of our
principal cathedrals, from amongst the choristers, to
represent a bishop ; and to this boy all the respect
and homage was paid that would have been oiFered
to a bishop, if he had really been one. His authority
lasted until St. Innocent's day, the 28th of December;
and during this time he walked about in all the state
of a bishop, attired in a bishop's robes, with a crosier
in his hand, and a mitre on his head. If one of these
boy bishops died within the period of his office, he
was buried with all the pomp and form of a real
bishop ; and there is, in fact, a monument in Salis-
bury Cathedral, representing a boy, about ten or
twelve years old, attired in episcopal orders."
" What a very curious thing ! " said Agnes.
" This, I suppose then," said Mrs. Merton, " is the
reason why St. Nicholas is represented as the patron
of children ?"
68 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
" Yes," said the old gentleman, " and he was con-
sidered the patron of students, from the following
story: — St, Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, and an
Asiatic gentleman, sending his two sons to be edu-
cated at Athens, desired them to call upon St. Nicho-
las at Myra to receive his benediction. They in-
tended to do so, but unfortunately the landlord of the .
Inn where they put up, perceiving that they had
plenty of money, murdered them in their sleep, and
cutting their bodies into pieces, salted them, and put
them into a pickling tub, used for pickling pork. St.
Nicholas had a vision of this in a dream ; and going
the following morning to the Innkeeper, he desired
him to show him the tub where he kept his pickled
pork. The Innkeeper at first endeavoured to excuse
himself, but, at length, he was compelled to obey ;
when St. Nicholas, uttering a prayer, the mangled
pieces of the poor young men jumped out of the tub,
and re-uniting themselves, fell at the feet of the holy
bishop, thanking him for having restored them to life.
It is on this account that, in ancient pictures, Saint
Nicholas is generally represented with two naked
children in a tub."
" I think I have heard, when on the Continent,"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 69
said Mrs. Merton, c< that St. Nicholas was also the
patron of young girls ; and that in convents, when
the novices had behaved well, it was pretended that
he had stuffed their stockings with sugar plums
during the night."
" Yes," returned the old gentleman, " and nearly
the same fiction was resorted to by parents ; who,
when they wished to make presents to their children,
used to tell them that, if they left their windows
open at night, and had been quite good, St. Nicholas
would come through the open window and leave
them something pretty or nice."
"How very strange!" cried Agnes; "I should
have thought the parents would like to give the pre-
sents themselves, and see how happy they made
their little children. Besides, was it not very wicked
to tell falsehoods ?"
" I consider it so," said Mrs. Merton ; " as I
think we should never do what is bad even when we
think it will produce good. We are all naturally
so prone to do evil, that it is necessary to keep
the boundary line between what is right and what
is wrong as distinct as possible. This principle was
not, however, so clearly understood formerly, as it is
70 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
now ; and thus children of the present day have great
advantages over those of the preceding generation."
While Mrs. Merton was speaking, Agnes was
looking at the chapel so earnestly that her mother
asked her what she thought of it.
" I was only thinking," said Agnes, blushing,
" how very odd it was that a saint, who was sup-
posed to be so fond of giving pretty things to children
should have such a very ugly chapel. There is not a
single ornament in it, from one end to the other."
Mrs. Merton smiled, and said she supposed that
this chapel had been stripped of its ornaments at the
time of the Reformation.
" The old chapel of Saint Nicholas was stripped in
the time of Elizabeth," said Mr. Bevan. " When
that Queen repaired, and new fortified Carisbrook
Castle, to enable it to resist the invasion of the Spa-
nish Armada, she stripped this chapel of its orna-
ments, to remove all traces of the festival of the
boy bishop, which she had previously suppressed in
every part of England. But that does not apply to
the present chapel, which was built on the site of the
old one, in its present unornamented state, in the
time of George II."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 7l
They now left the chapel, and proceeded to the
outworks, where they found a number of persons
assembled in the open space, adjoining the castle, to
celebrate an archery meeting. The gay dresses of the
ladies, contrasting with the green around, and with
the grey walls of the old castle, had a most brilliant
and animating effect. Mrs. Merton and Agnes, ac-
companied by Mr. Bevan, walked to the open space
in the outworks of the castle, where the meeting was
to be held.
" This space,1' said Mr. Bevan, " was formerly the
tilt-yard of the castle, where the fetes and tourna-
ments were held ; and here the beautiful Isabella de
Fortibus, the lady of the Island, in the time of
Edward I., used to sit, surrounded by her court, to
bestow her prizes on the victors."
Agnes, who had never seen anything of archery
before, was more interested in the preparations for the
archery meeting than in what Mr. Bevan was saying
of the ancient mistress of the Island ; and her mother
perceiving how attentive she was to all she saw,
pointed out to her the target with its painted rings
of black and white, and the red spot in the centre.
" And what is this red spot for ?" asked Agnes.
72 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OB,
" That 's the bull's eye," said a man who was
employed in setting up the target, " and them 's the
cleverest as hits it, or comes nearest it when they
shoots.1'
Agnes could hardly help laughing at the man's bad
grammar : and she looked at her mother, but, to her
great surprise, instead of Mrs. Merton seeming in-
clined to ridicule the man, she entered into conversa-
tion with him, and asked him a great many questions
about shooting. The man, thus encouraged, showed
them the piece of leather, called the bracer, which is
strapped on the left arm to prevent the wrist from
being hurt by the rebound of the bow-string when
the arrow is let off ; and he told them that a young
lady, who had attempted to shoot without a bracer,
had had her arm so much injured as to be obliged to
have it dressed by a surgeon. " But she wouldn't
listen to nobody," continued the man ; " and she
would have her own way, and that was the end of it.
She was sorry enough, I warrant her, when she saw
the blood running down, and felt the smart ; but it
was too late then."
Mrs. Merton and Agnes looked at each other
again, but this time it was with a perfect community
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 73
of feeling. The man then showed them a shooting
glove, to save the fingers from being hurt when the
archer pulls the string ; and, reaching down the how,
he taught Agnes how it should be held.
" I believe the best bows are made of yew," said
Mrs. Merton.
" Yes," said the man ; " though there 's nothing
that is seldomer seen than a yew bow among the
gentry that comes down from London. All the bows
that they bring with them are some queer kind
of fancy wood or other. I don't trouble my head
with the names of them, for my part ; but I know a
good yew bow will beat them all hollow at any time."
He then showed them the shaft, or arrow, which
was a slender piece of wood, headed with iron and
trimmed with feathers. The best arrows, he told
them, were made of ash, as that wood was light, and
tough at the same time. Agnes was very anxious
to stay and see the archers begin to shoot, but her
mother was afraid that Mr. Merton would be quite
tired of waiting for them; and they therefore left
the castle, without visiting the terraces, which are
usually shown to strangers, on account both of their
own beauty, and the fine views that they command.
74 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
As they walked back to the village Mrs. Merton
observed to Agnes how much they should have lost,
if they had not entered into conversation with the
man who was setting up the target. "He spoke bad
grammar," said she, "because he had not had the
same advantages of education that you have had ; but
you see, in all that he had an opportunity of learning,
he was very intelligent, and that he actually knew a
great many things that we did not know, and that
we were very glad to learn."
By this time they arrived at the Bugle Inn, where
they found the kind hostess had lighted a fire for Mr.
Merton as he felt chilly, and had wheeled the sofa
round to it, so as to make him as comfortable as
possible. Agnes, who had felt some contempt at the
humble appearance of the little Inn, when they first
entered it, was quite ashamed of having done so; and
felt that she had committed another fault of the same
kind as that which her mother had just reproved at
the castle. Nothing, however, was said on the subject,
and as soon as the carriage was ready the whole party
entered it, and proceeded on their journey.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
75
CHAPTER IV.
Departure from Carisbrook. — Road to Freshwater. — Yarmouth.
— House where Charles II. was entertained by Admiral Sir
Robert Holme. — Freshwater. — Rocks. — Roaring of the Sea. —
Birds. — The Razor-bill and Guillemot. — Sea-weed.
MRS. MERTON'S party had not long left Carisbrook,
when she began to think that they were not on the
right road, and she asked the driver.
" Oh ! yes, ma'am," said he, " it is all right; all the
ladies and gentlemen go this road."
" That is not what I mean," said Mrs. Merton ;
" it is of very little consequence to me what other
people do, but I wish to go through Yarmouth."
" Oh ! nobody goes through Yarmouth now,
ma'am," said the man ; "all the ladies and gentle-
men go this way."
Mrs. Merton, though exceedingly provoked, could
hardly help laughing at the obstinacy of the man.
76
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" Well," said she, " you now understand that I
wish to go to Yarmouth ; and as I know there is a
road which leads to it, and that turns out of this
road, I desire you to take us there, as soon as we
reach the turning. You understand me now/1 con-
tinued she.
" It will be five or six miles out of the way," said .
the man muttering.
" That is of no consequence to you," said Mrs.
Merton, "as you know we hired your carriage by the
day, to go where we liked ; and the distance we have
travelled is not only very short, but you have had a
long rest at Carisbrook."
" It is of no use saying anything more," said Mr.
Merton, interposing ; " the man must do as he is
bid."
They now proceeded a long way through narrow
lanes, bordered by high hedges, which Agnes declar-
ed was the longest and most disagreeable ride she
ever had in her life.
" You may find it tedious," said Mrs. Merton,
"but it cannot be very long. The whole island is but
twenty-four miles across, from one end to the other,
and Newport is, as nearly as possible, in the centre."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 77
" It is only nine miles from Carisbrook to Fresh-
water, the best way," said the driver ; " but it will
be a matter of fourteen miles the way you are going.""
The rest of the party looked at each other, and
smiled; and Mr. Merton asked Agnes, in French,
if she did not think obstinacy made a person very
disagreeable.
" But I do not think I ever could have been so
obstinate as this man," said the self-convicted Agnes,
whose conscience reminded her that she had often
been accused of this fault.
"It is difficult to see our own faults in the same
light as they appear to other people," said Mrs. Mer-
ton ; " but I do assure you, Agnes, that your obsti-
nacy has often appeared as unreasonable, and, I may
say, as disagreeable to me, as this man's does to us
all. Judge, then, in what a light you must have
appeared to your governess, to the servants, and even
to your companions, when you would persist in fol-
lowing your own way, in spite of all that could be
said to the contrary ."
Agnes was too much ashamed to reply ; and they
travelled on in silence, till they reached the little
village of Calbourn. They passed through it without
78 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
noticing the turn to Yarmouth, as Mr. and Mrs.
Merton happened to be engaged in conversation, and
the driver went on his own way. He would also
have passed a second turn a few miles farther on the
road, if Agnes's quick eye had not caught sight of the
finger-post. Mr. Merton then insisted on the man
taking them to Yarmouth, which he did, muttering,
and grumbling to himself all the way, and looking so
disagreeable that Agnes resolved, in her own mind,
that nothing should ever tempt her to be obstinate
again.
They had a very pleasant drive, with a fine view
of the sea, and of the numerous vessels in Yarmouth
Roads, as they advanced. When they passed the
turnpike, a fine healthy-looking country-woman came
out with a child in her arms, to receive the toll. She
no sooner saw Mr. Merton than she cried out, " Poor
dear gentleman, how very ill he do look to be sure ! —
but our fine air will soon set him up again.1' Agnes was
inexpressibly shocked at this, and she looked at her
papa to see how he bore it. Mr. Merton smiled at
her look of anxiety, and said, " Do not suppose, my
dear Agnes, that I am hurt at the woman's observa-
tion ; for though such a remark would have been
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 79
exceedingly rude and unfeeling in ordinary life, it was
here evidently dictated by kindness of heart. We
should never forget," continued he, " when we are
judging of the conduct of others, that we ought to
estimate their conduct by their opportunities and
habits of life, rather than by our own. You, Agnes,
are but too apt to forget this, and to fancy that peo-
ple who have been brought up in the simplest and
rudest manner, should be acquainted with all the
refinements and courtesies of life."
They now entered the pretty little town of Yar-
mouth, and had a fine view of the opposite shore of
Dorsetshire, with the projecting point of land on
which Hurst Castle is erected, stretching far into the
sea, and the little town of Lymington in the distance.
Mrs. Merton pointed this out to her daughter, and
also told her that it was supposed that formerly the
Isle of Wight was united to the mainland at this
part. " Indeed," continued she, " the sea at one
place is, I believe, only one mile across ; and it is
said there is a lane in the Isle of Wight leading
directly down to this point, which is abruptly cut off
by the sea, and which is supposed formerly to have
been carried on at the other side."
80 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
" I think, my dear," said Mr. Merton, laughing,
" you must not attach too much importance to that
lane, as it may have merely led down to the beach.
Besides, even if the Isle of Wight was once attached
to the mainland, it must have been a long time ago ;
as the Romans, who took possession of the Isle of
Wight, in the reign of the Emperor Claudius, in the.
year 45, describe it as an island. However,11 he con-
tinued, " after all, it is very possible that the Isle of
Wight was, at some distant period, united to the
mainland, as the soil of which it is composed, being
of a chalky nature, is easily soluble in water ; and,
indeed, the very name of the strait which separates
the island from the mainland, and which is called the
Solent or Solvent sea, seems to express that it has
dissolved the soil which connected it with the main-
land.'"
" Is that an old name ! " asked Mrs. Merton. " I
thought the Solent sea had been, comparatively, a
modern appellation.1'
" It was the common name of the strait before the
time of the Venerable Bede,11 said Mr. Merton.
Agnes, who began to get a little tired with this
conversation, was glad when the carriage stopped at a
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 81
curious old house, that looked more like an ancient
manor-house than an inn ; and which in fact was
the very house in which Charles II. was entertained
in the year 1671, by the gallant admiral, Sir Eobert
Holme.
" I remember this house well," said Mrs. Merton ;
"for I was here with my aunt about fifteen years ago,
at the time when a very melancholy calamity had just
happened. A collier's vessel from Newcastle was
lying in the roads, when the wife of the captain, who
was near her confinement, was taken ill, and sent for
a doctor from the town. The only doctor who hap-
pened to be at home was an elderly man, very much
respected by every body, whose name I have unfor-
tunately forgotten, though it well deserves to be re-
membered. The evening was dark and inclined to be
stormy, and this worthy man was advised not to ven-
ture out to sea in such weather. However, he was
determined to do his duty, and he went. After the
little baby was born, he was about to return, but the
storm had become more serious, and he determined
to remain in the vessel till morning. Unfortunately,
however, a dreadful storm arose, and the ship was
lost. My aunt and I arrived at Yarmouth the very
82 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
day after the accident, and we found the whole town
in agitation and distress. Every body knew the
doctor ; every body respected him ; and every body
was of course distressed at his untimely death. In
the kitchen of the inn were three or four sailors, who
had been saved by clinging to the rigging. I forget
how many hours they had been in this state ; but I-
remember well that when I saw them, their arms,
which were being rubbed to restore circulation, were
quite black, and so benumbed that they could not use
them."
" I remember your mentioning the circumstance
before," said Mr. Merton, " and I am not surprised
at the impression it made on you."
" Yes,*1 said Mrs. Merton, " it is one thing to read
of shipwrecks, and of sailors clinging to the rigging
for hours, and another to see the poor creatures who
have undergone such dreadful sufferings."
Having now satisfied their curiosity with all that
was to be seen at Yarmouth, they re-entered the
carriage and proceeded to Freshwater.
On the road they saw so many beautiful wild
flowers that Agnes begged permission to walk a little
way. that she might gather some. There was the
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
83
beautiful blue Scabious, the yellow Bagwort, and a
bright pink Lychnis. In one place there was a mass
of Ground Ivy, growing so luxuriantly as to look
like a garden flower ; and when Agnes brought some
Fig. 7. Fig. 8.
GROUND-IVY.
(Glechoma hederacea.)
THE SPOTTED MEDICK.
(Medicago denticulata.)
of this to the carriage, her papa told her it belonged
to the order of the Labiatse or lipped plants, and
made her observe the shape of the flower, and how
completely it is double-lipped, the lower lip being
84 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
more than twice the size of the upper one. Then
Agnes found a plant with small leaves like the Tre-
foil, and curiously coiled-up seed pods, which she
said looked like snails, or hedge-hogs. This Mr.
Merton told her was called the Spotted Medick,
and that its curious pod was, in fact, a legume like
that of the pea.
The part of the island which contains Freshwater,
the Needles, and Alum Bay, is almost separated from
the rest by the river Yar, which rises behind the rock
called Freshwater Gate, and runs into the sea at Yar-
mouth. It thus wants only a few yards of going
entirely across the island. The geological construc-
tion of this part of the Isle of Wight renders it pe-
culiarly liable to change ; since, as most of the rocks
are composed of chalk and flint, the softer parts of
the chalk are frequently washed away by the sea, or
heavy rain, leaving the flints and the harder part of
the chalk remaining. In this manner the curious
isolated rocks at the Needles, and at Freshwater
Gate have been formed, and the numerous caverns
and chines scooped out ; and in this way, doubtless,
numerous other changes will take place, as long as
the island continues to exist.
•M
THE ARCHED ROCK AT FRESHWATER
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 85
Agnes was quite delighted with the appearance of
the little inn at Freshwater, which is, in fact, a sum-
mer pavilion, with several rooms, all opening by fold-
ing doors, on a kind of terrace, shaded by a verandah,
and close to the beach.
" What a delightful place !" cried Agnes.
" Yes," said Mrs. Merton, " this little inn has
always been a favourite of mine, and I am really
sorry that the proprietor is erecting a more magnifi-
cent mansion on the cliffs, as I am sure it is impossible
that his guests can be more comfortable anywhere
than they are here."
As soon as Mrs. Merton had ordered dinner, the
whole party walked on the beach, and never was
more beautiful sea-weed than that which lay spread
at their feet. Agnes, who had promised to collect
some sea-weed to take home to her aunt Jane, was
quite embarrassed with the profusion around her; and
she soon collected a great deal more than it was pos-
sible for her to carry away, as she had only brought a
small basket from town with her for the purpose of
holding it. At home, she had thought this would be
quite sufficient ; but now, alas ! she found that one
immense piece of sea-weed that she was dragging
86 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
after her was alone sufficient to fill her basket en-
tirely.
"My dear Agnes!" cried Mrs. Merton, " you never
can take that large plant with you to town."
" No, mamma," said Agnes, sighing, " I am afraid
I cannot ; but only look what a splendid thing
it is."
" It is certainly a very fine specimen," said Mrs.
Merton ; " but it is of the kind called tangle, which
is common everywhere. The frond, or leafy part,
has been found in some places twenty feet long, and
as broad as the leaf of a plantain, to which, you see,
it bears considerable resemblance."
" Here is a piece of the winged fucus," said Mr.
Merton, " which though rare here, is common in
Scotland, where we call it Badder-locks or Henware.
Look, Agnes," continued he, addressing his daughter,
" do you observe the strong projecting rib that runs
up the middle of the leaf? — that part is frequently
eaten in the North ; and in some places the flat part
is eaten also."
" Eaten ! " cried Agnes, very much surprised.
" Yes," returned her father, " I assure you that
this mid-rib, when stripped of its outer covering,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 87
affords a very important article of food to the
poorer inhabitants of the northern islands of Scot-
land."
Agnes looked at the plant which she held in her
hand. " What a curious plant it is ! " said she :
" here is its root ; but it seems to have only leaves :
has it any flowers?"
"No," replied Mr. Merton; "this is one of the
cryptogamous plants ; that is, one of those plants
which have neither flowers nor seeds."
" No seeds ! " cried Agnes : " how, then, are the
young plants produced?"
" By means of what are called sporules, which
serve instead of seeds."
"And what is the difference," said Agnes, "be-
tween these sporules and seeds ?"
" Every seed," said Mr. Merton, " contains an
embryo, — that is, a miniature plant, — which has
one or two leaves, a root, and, generally, an ascend-
ing shoot, quite small, and curiously folded up, but
still plainly to be distinguished, either by the naked
eye, or with a microscope. Now a sporule has no
embryo, and no traces of a plant can be discovered
in it till it has begun to grow."
88
GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
" I am afraid that I do not quite understand you,
papa," said Agnes.
" It can hardly be expected that you should," said
Mrs. Merton ; " but it will be sufficient for you to
remember that cryptogamous plants have no flowers,
and no regularly formed seeds."
" You will observe, Agnes," said Mr. Merton,
" that this sea- weed does not grow in the earth, like
Fig. 9.
WINGED Fucus. BLADDER Fucus. TANGLE.
a land plant, but it is merely attached to any stone
or other object that it finds in the sea, to which it
fixes itself by means of its clasping roots."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 89
Agnes now dropped her long plant of tangle,
which, it must be confessed, was very troublesome
to carry, and which was loaded with the sand that
adhered to it as she swept it along the beach ; and,
instead of it, she picked up a smaller piece of what
she found to be the common Bladder-Fucus.
" This," said Mr. Merton, " is one of the com-
monest of all the kinds of sea- weed ; and its popular
name is Sea-wrack. It is very abundant in the
western isles of Scotland ; where it is gathered in
great quantities for making kelp."
" And what is kelp, papa ?" Agnes asked.
" It is the ashes which remain after burning the
Sea-wrack," said Mr. Merton ; " and which were
formerly constantly used in making glass, and also
in making soap. Large quantities of iodine are still
obtained from them."
"Oh, I remember that iodine!" cried Agnes:
" that was the medicine that did you so much good
when your knee was so dreadfully swollen."
" Yes," said Mr. Merton ; " it is now given in
all cases of swollen joints ; and it is said to remove
even the goitres."
Agnes did not ask any explanation of this ; for
90 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
she remembered that the goitres are swellings in the
throat, to which the inhabitants of Switzerland, and
other mountainous countries, are particularly liable :
and her father then informed her that kelp is now
little used since the duty has been taken off salt;
as that and other forms of soda, and some other
alkalies, which now pay but little duty, have been
found to be more efficacious, in making both soap
and glass, than kelp. " The Sea-wrack, however,"
he continued, " is still collected, chiefly for manuring
the land ; though it is still used as a winter food for
cattle, and sometimes for human beings."
When Agnes heard this, she put a little bit into
her mouth ; but she found, though it had a salt taste,
it was too tough to be eaten without difficulty, and
she therefore amused herself with clapping the air-
vessels in the fronds between her hands, as she went
along, for she liked to hear them crack. The party
now returned home to their dinner, after which Mr.
Merton lay down on the sofa, and Mrs. Merton and
Agnes walked out again on the beach, to enjoy the
roaring of the waves and the delightful breezes from
the sea. It was now nearly dark, and nothing could
be grander than the manner in which the waves rose
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 91
up, and foamed, and curled as they beat against the
beach, looking, as Agnes said, like Neptune's horses.
Mrs. Merton and her daughter stood for some time
watching the gradual advance of the waves, when they
were startled by a large Newfoundland dog which
brushed past them, and almost knocked Agnes into
the sea. Mrs. Merton was very much alarmed, and in-
stantly went farther back to a safer place ; and then
they saw a young man in a shooting-jacket, with a gun
in his hand, advance and take their former position.
The young man was evidently the master of the dog,
which he was urging as much as possible to go into
the sea; but the dog, in spite of all his efforts, stood
still, wagging his tail and looking up in his master's
face, but without making any effort to jump into
the water; though the gentleman threw several stones
in, one after another, crying " Hoy, Neptune, fetch it
out my boy ! fetch it out ! "
" What can be the reason that the dog will not take
the water ?" said Mrs. Merton, addressing an old fish-
erman who stood by her. " I thought Newfoundland
dogs had been particularly fond of the sea. Is it pos-
sible that the dog being brought up in a town can
make any difference !"
92 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" The dog,"0 said the old sailor, " knows it 's no use
going into the sea when the tide is coming in, with a
wind in shore. He would be dashed all to pieces
against the rocks in no time. Those dumb creatures
have more sense than a Cockney any day."
The young man, apparently tired of his fruitless
exertions, now whistled his dog off, and climbing up
the bank went off over the cliffs.
" What is he going to shoot-?" said Mrs. Merton.
" Razor-bills and willocks," said the old man.
" There 's plenty of them here ; but I have a notion
the birds will not mind him any more than the dog
did."
" What queer names for birds," cried Agnes ; " I
never heard those names before. How I should like
to see the birds ! "
" Come here, miss," said the old man, " and I '11
show them to you;" and giving her his hand he
helped her down some of the rocks, and lifted her
over others, till he placed her in a situation where
she distinctly saw a large guillemot or willock,
as the man called it, sitting by itself on the bare
ledge of the rocks.
" Oh ! dear," cried Agnes, " what a curious bird
THE GUILLEMOT
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 93
that is. I never saw anything like it in all my
life."
" And those are young ones," said the man, point-
ing down to some little creatures, looking like young
ducks, dabbling in the sea beneath.
" But how can they ever get there ?" cried Agnes,
astonished at the almost immeasurable height at which
the old bird appeared to sit above the young ones.
" The old ones carry them down on their backs,"
said the old man.
This appeared perfectly incomprehensible to Agnes;
but she had already learnt by her travels not to laugh
at things because she did not comprehend them ; and
she therefore said nothing, while the man helped her
back to the place where her mother was waiting for
her.
" I can't show miss a razor-bill to-night," said the
man, " without going a good way ; for every bird
keeps its rock to itself."
Mrs. Merton now gave the man something for his
trouble, and they returned to the hotel, where they
found Mr. Merton waiting tea for them.
Agnes was quite delighted to tell her papa what
she had seen ; " but I suppose," said she, " what the
94 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
old man said about the old birds carrying down the
young ones on their backs, could not be true."
" It appears very strange, certainly," said Mr.
Merton, " but my friend, Mr. Waterton, who I be-
lieve knows more about birds than any other man
living, has often told me the same thing."
" Can you tell me anything more about these
birds ?" asked Agnes.
" The bird you saw," said Mr. Merton, " is gene-
rally called the foolish guillemot, because it lays its
egg on the bare rock, without any nest. I say its
egg, for each female bird is said to lay only one;
on which she sits, in an upright, and, in what appears
to us, a most awkward position, till the egg is
hatched; which is generally about a month. The
young birds are at first covered with a sort of yellow
down, mixed with bristly hair ; and, as they sit on
narrow ledges of rock, only a few inches in breadth,
it seems wonderful how they can help tumbling into
" But, if each bird lays only one egg, I wonder
there are so many young ones," said Agnes ; "for
I should think that a great many eggs must be
broken or stolen. "
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 95
" It is said that, if the female guillemot loses her
egg, she lays another ; and, if that goes, another ;
so that she always has one egg to sit upon ; just as
a spider is enabled to form several new webs, if you
destroy its old ones, though it would not have made
the first any larger or stronger if it had been left
unmolested. Would you like to see a willock's egg,
Agnes?"
" Very much indeed."
Mr. Merton rang the bell ; and, at his desire, the
waiter procured an egg of one of these birds from
an old woman who lived in the neighbourhood ; and
who, after boiling the eggs to make them keep, had
them for sale. This egg Mr. Merton purchased, and
gave Agnes. It was very large, and of a pear-shape ;
and its colour was a fine bluish green, blotched and
streaked with reddish brown and black.
" I cannot imagine how the people can get these
eggs,11 said Agnes ; " since they are laid on such
narrow ledges of rock, and at such a height above
the sea."
" It is indeed astonishing," said Mr. Merton ;
" but the young men who are brought up to the sea
acquire early, wonderful activity of limbs and steadi-
96 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
ness of nerves ; so that they can climb crags almost
as easily as you or I can walk on level ground. Be-
sides, as most of them are very poor, they are glad
to get a few pence by the sale of these eggs, and do
not mind incurring some danger."
" I am sure I never could accomplish such a feat,"
said Agnes.
" Not at once," said her mother ; " but, if it were
necessary for you to learn to climb crags, you might
easily do so by practising a little every day; as
there are very few things, indeed, that patience and
perseverance will not accomplish in time."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 97
CHAPTER V.
Young Londoner and Neptune. — Disobedience of the Young
Fisherman. — Fossils. — Fine Water. — Alum Bay. — The Nee-
dles.—Old Couple.— Dull Road.— Fertility of the Isle of
Wight.
THE next morning Mrs. Merton and Agnes rose early,
and, as usual, walked out before breakfast. Almost
the first thing they saw was the young man who had
attracted their attention the preceding evening ; and
who, with his gun in his hand, and followed by Nep-
tune, was sauntering over the cliffs. Almost as soon as
they saw him, the young man fired his gun ; and in-
stantly a thousand birds rose from hidden places in
the cliffs, screaming and flapping their wings in such
a fearful manner that Agnes was quite terrified, and
clung close to her mother's side, as if for protection.
The young man was evidently pleased with the effect
he had produced ; and, calling Neptune, he threw
a stone for him to fetch out of the sea. Neptune
H
98 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
did not now refuse; for, as his instinct told him
there was no longer any danger of his being dashed
against the rocks, he gladly indulged his natural
fondness for the water, and sprang into the waves
after the stone ; though, of course, it had sunk too
deep for him to reach it. The young man then
threw in a piece of stick, which Neptune brought
out in triumph: and his master, sauntering away
over the cliffs, again fired off his gun ; at which the
sea-birds again rose, but, this time, with a wild
scream which seemed like fiendish laughter. Nep-
tune had just plunged in again, after something his
master had thrown for him, when a young fisherman
came up to Mrs. Merton, and asked her if she would
not give the young lady a sail. Mrs. Merton, re-
membering that she had heard it was a beautiful
sail from Freshwater to Alum Bay, hesitated : she
wished to show her little daughter as much as possi-
ble of the beauties of the island ; and she recollected
that Mr. Merton could easily go round in a carriage,
if he thought the boat would be too fatiguing.
" Oh ! do go, mamma," cried Agnes ; " I should
so like to see the caverns."
Mrs. Merton was well aware that the caverns
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 99
could only be seen to advantage from the sea ; and,
as she was never so happy as when gratifying the
wishes of her darling, she was half inclined to engage
with the man ; but she did not like to do so till she
had consulted Mr. Merton : she therefore told the
man she would consider of it ; and was just turning
away, when the gruff voice of the old fisherman
sounded in her ear, bidding her beware, for there
would be a storm before night. " If you had set
out by day-break," said he, "it would have been a
different thing ; but now you will never be able to
get near enough the shore to see anything without
running on the rocks.'1
" Why, now, father !" cried the young man, " did
ever any body hear the like ? there 's mother waiting
for us at Black Gang Chine ; and here 's a lady that
would have paid for the boat half- way, if it had not
been for you."
44 Nonsense, lad," said the father ; " mother had
rather we had staid away, than went in such weather
as this : she '11 not expect us ; she 's been a fisher-
man's wife too long not to know when a storm 's
coming on."
"Never mind, my lad," cried the young Londoner,
1 00 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
coming down the cliffs ; " I 11 go with you, and to
Black Gang Chine, too; for that is just where I
want to go. Never mind the old fellow's croaking.
It is all very well for women and children," continued
he, glancing contemptuously at Mrs. Merton and
Agnes ; " but we are hearts of oak, my boy : ain't
we?" 3;U
" You had better not go, Jack," said the father
to his son. " You know Black Gang Chine of old :
and she 's a bad one with a tide setting in shore ; as
I know to my cost."
The young man paid no attention to his father's
remonstrance ; but turned aside with the Londoner
to settle what was to be paid for the boat. Agnes,
who was very fond of dogs, in the meantime began
to pat the head of Neptune, who stood beside her,
wagging his tail, as though he knew her partiality,
and was waiting to be caressed.
" Look, mamma," cried Agnes, " how singularly
he is marked : he has a white throat, with a large,
black, heart-shaped mark on the chest."
Mrs. Merton turned to look at the dog, and per-
ceived the mark of which her daughter had spoken ;
which was, indeed, very singular, and very distinct.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 101
The Londoner, having finished his bargain, now
whistled off his dog ; and the young fisherman has-
tened to the beach to prepare his boat. As he passed,
the father repeated his ominous cry of " Jack, you 'd
better not go."
The young man, however, only replied : " Don't
be a fool, father. He 's given all I asked ; and I
could have had as much more, if I had but known."
" Oh ! that self-will," said the old man ; " it '11
be the ruin of you, Jack."
" Never mind, if it is," said the young fellow ; and,
whistling a tune, he hurried down to the beach.
Both Mrs. Merton and Agnes were very much
shocked at the recklessness and disobedience of the
young man ; and Mrs. Merton asked the father, why
he had not warned the young Londoner of his danger.
"And much good it would have done," said the
old man ; " and much good it would have done," he
repeated. " If my own son won't listen to me, how
can I expect that a cockney would ? "
" But why, then, did you warn us?" asked Agnes.
"You," said he, looking at her; "oh! that's
quite a different thing. It may have done you some
good. Besides," muttered he, as he stumped away,
102 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" I 'd a little girl of my own once, and she was
drowned."
The waiter from the inn now approached, to tell
them that Mr. Merton was waiting breakfast ; and
Mrs. Merton asked him, if he thought the water
was smooth enough for a boat.
" By no means, ma'am," said the waiter : " there "s
a young gentleman from London, who 's gone out
shooting, that ordered a boat last night ; and I called
him as soon as it was light, but he would not get up
then, and now it 's too late."
Mr. Mertou, who had become tired of waiting,
now joined them ; and he made Agnes observe the
curious shape of the isolated rocks at Freshwater
Gate. One, that stands at some distance from the
shore, forms an arch ; and another, which is nearer
to the cliffs, is of a conical form, and pointed. This
last is called the Deer-bound Bock ; because a deer,
pursued by the hounds, is said to have leaped on it
from the cliffs, about seventy years ago.
" And then there 's the caverns, sir" said the
waiter. " There are ten or twelve caverns. There 's
Lord Holmes's Parlour and Kitchen, Neptune's Cave,
the Frenchman's Hole, the Wedge Rock, and the
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 103
Lady, — there you see her, sir, sitting as natural as
if she was alive."
u That is," said Mr. Merton, " I suppose you see
a rock that a little imagination may make you fancy
a lady in a cavern."
The man did not seem to like this interpretation ;
but he could not contradict it : and they walked
back to the inn, where they found breakfast waiting.
Agnes had then a glass of the excellent water for
which the place is celebrated, — and which is so
rarely good close to the sea ; — and they left Fresh-
water, delighted with its little inn, civil waiters,
and excellent fare, to visit the Needles and Alum
Bay.
The shape of the Isle of Wight has been compared
to that of a turbot ; of which the point called the
Needles forms the tail. From this point, which is
the extreme west, to Foreland Farm, near Bembridge,
which is the extreme east, the whole island measures
only twenty-four miles in length; and its greatest
breadth, which is from Cowes Castle to Eock End,
near Black Gang Chine, is only twelve miles. It
is, therefore, extremely creditable to this little island
to have made such a noise in the world as it has
104 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
done ; and its celebrity shows that, small as it is, it
contains a great many things worth looking at. One
of the most remarkable of these curiosities is the
point of land towards which our travellers were now
advancing. It has a strange effect upon the natives
of an inland county to hear the sea roaring on both
sides of the tract of land they are passing over ;
and, when the point is reached from which the
tongue of land springs which forms the promontory
called the Needles, and the sea is seen, as well as
heard, in this unusual position, the effect is still more
striking. The part of the promontory on which the
light-house is erected is seven hundred and fifteen
feet above the level of the sea ; but the downs slope
down towards the cliffs. These, however, are still
six hundred and fifty feet above the sea, which roars
awfully beneath them. The promontory is of chalk,
intermixed with flint ; and the isolated rocks, called
the Needles, show that it formerly projected much
farther into the sea than it does at present ; as they
are evidently the remains of a portion from which
the softer parts of the chalk have been washed away,
while the flint and the firmer parts have been left.
When Mr. Morton's party reached the promontory,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 105
they left the carriage ; and Mr. Merton waited at
the light-house, while Mrs. Merton and Agnes walked
over the downs towards the cliffs. They had not
gone far, when they met a man with a small tele-
scope in his hand, coming towards them ; and Mrs.
Merton asked him if he would go back with them,
and help Agnes to climb down part of the cliffs.
He willingly consented : and they advanced as well
as the wind would permit them ; but this was so
violent that Mrs. Merton, who was light, and not
very strong, was in great danger of being blown into
the sea. The man told them first to turn to the right,
that they might descend to the beach, to see the
curious stratification of the Bay; but, just as they
bad reached a sheltered nook, they observed a young
man coming up towards them ; and, to their great
surprise, they recognised a friend of theirs residing
at Godalming. After the first hurried greeting, they
asked him how he came to be there ; and he told
them that he was staying with a friend at Fresh-
water. He no sooner said this, than Agnes asked
him how he had contrived to reach the spot from
which they saw him ascending.
" I came there in a boat," said he.
106 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" I thought it was quite dangerous," said Agnes,
eagerly.
" So it would have been," returned Mr. Russell,
— for that was the name of the young gentleman, —
" if we had not contrived to pass the Needles when
the tide was full."
" And how did you manage that?" asked Mrs.
Merton.
" By leaving Freshwater Gate at three o'clock in
the morning," returned he : " and, I assure you, it
was anything but agreeable. The night air blew
excessively chill ; and the sea was wrapped in such
a thick gloom that it required some courage to plunge
into it. However, the fishermen pushed off the boat ;
and, though there was such a heavy swell, that we
were alternately mounted on the crest of the billows,
and lost in the hollows between them, after about an
hour's hard pulling, we found ourselves under the
highest point of the cliff. The face of the rock is
there nearly perpendicular, and it is six hundred and
fifteen feet high."
" But did you see the caverns?" asked Agnes.
" Oh ! yes ; but I had seen them before. The best
is Freshwater Cavern : surely you saw that ?"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 107
" No, we did not. Pray tell us all about it."
" It is an opening in the rocks about a hundred
and twenty feet deep ; and the principal entrance is
by a bold, rugged arch about thirty feet high. It
has a very curious effect when you look through this
arch, as it is just like a church-window ; and, when
the tide is in, the water looks very beautiful, from
the manner in which it seems to tremble in the irre-
gular gleams of light which penetrate through the
projections of the rocks. Then, there is ScratchelFs
Bay, with the grand arch three hundred feet high ;
and the Wedge Rock, where there is a great mass
of rock detached from the cliff, which looks as though
it had lodged between the rocks, just as it was falling
down. It is the shape of a wedge ; and, when you
look at it, you can't help thinking every moment
that it will fall."
"But the waiter at Freshwater talked of Lord
Holmes's Parlour and Kitchen : what can they be I "
" The first is a cavern in which a certain Lord
Holmes, who lived in the island about eighty or a
hundred years ago, used to bring his friends to
drink their wine in summer; and his kitchen is
another cavern, where, it is said, his wine was kept,
108 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; 'OR,
to cool it ; but I did not pay much attention to the
caverns as my object was to find Razor-bills and
Willocks ; which I wanted to shoot, that I might
stuff some of them for my father's museum.11
" I suppose you saw a good many birds near the
caverns," said Agnes.
" A good many," returned he ; " but the most
were between the highest cliff, — which is marked by a
long streak of red ochre, from a stratum of that earth,
I suppose, — and a place called Sun Corner, where
the cliff overhangs the sea. Here there were hun-
dreds and thousands of Guillemots and Razor-bills,
which were flying about in parties of tens or twen-
ties ; and, far above them, the great grey Sea-mews
were wheeling round and round, and uttering their
loud and piercing cries ; while, in the distance, the
Needle rocks were covered with hundreds of Black-
headed gulls. When we approached this place, the
fisherman pulled right in for the cliff; and, as we
drew near it, I never saw such a scene before in my
life. The whole surface of the cliff was in ledges,
like shelves, one above another ; and these ledges
were perforated, like honey-combs, by the Puffins
and Razor-bills. Every ledge was crowded with
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 109
birds, so thickly, that the only wonder was, how
they could all find room to sit ; and yet every now
and then some fresh birds came popping up through
the holes in the ledges, and knocked off those that
were sitting on them."
" How droll ! " cried Agnes, laughing.
" But that was not all,1' continued Mr. Russell ;
" the birds that had been so unceremoniously tumbled
off, soon returned and settled on the heads of those
that had taken their places ; slipping down behind
them till they gained a footing on the rocks, and
obliged those before them to tumble off in their turn.
You may easily imagine what a noise all this caused,
particularly among the Puffins. These little fellows
as they sat upright on the rocks, turned their heads,
sharply, first on one side, and then on the other, as
if they were scolding and chattering at their dis-
turbers ; and, as they have white cheeks with a black
hood, which looks as if it was tied under the chin,
they had the appearance of a number of old women
met to gossip. A few delicately white Kitti wakes,
which looked like the young ladies of the party, were
perched on some of the projecting crags ; and here
and there was a Cormorant standing, stern 'and
110 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
upright, like a black sentinel, and quite alone. These
birds were very striking, from their black hue con-
trasting with the white cliffs ; but I cannot say that
I much admire them. I think the Razor-bills are
the handsomest of all the Isle of Wight birds; as
they have snow-white breasts, and black heads and
backs. But, as to their cries, I really don't know
which is the worst. Such a horrible clatter surely
never can be heard any where else."
" I can easily conceive that," said Mrs. Merton,
" from what we heard of these birds ourselves."
• *' Oh ! but that could have been nothing to what
we heard," said Mr. Russell. " The fisherman told
me to fire : I did so ; and all the previous din was
quiet compared to the uproar which ensued. The
sky was positively darkened with the multitude of
birds that rose from the cliffs ; and their wild screams
and cries were hideous beyond description. But the
most extraordinary part of the whole was, that
though I fired so close that my shot touched the
plumage of several of the birds, not one was killed."
"How could that be?" asked Mrs. Merton.
"The fact is," replied Mr. Russell, "that the
feathers on the necks and breasts of these sea-birds
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. Ill
are closely matted together, and form a covering, so
smooth and compact, that the shots glance off instead
of penetrating it. The fisherman laughed at my
astonishment when I saw the birds I had hit fly
away ; and told me that the only way to shoot a sea-
bird was to get behind it. I profited by this advice,
and soon contrived to shoot all the birds I wanted,
except a Cormorant ; and that I have come on land
to shoot."
" But why did you not shoot one from the water?"
asked Mrs. Merton.
" Because I could not manage it, my dear madam.
Just under the cliff, where the Cormorants were sit-
ting, there was a narrow slip of beach ; and I landed
there with great difficulty, as the swell of the sea
was very heavy, and the bottom there is very bad.
I was now almost perpendicularly under the birds,
and I could plainly see their long necks, and stiff,
still heads poked out towards the sea ; and in the
same position they continued, without turning their
heads to the right or to the left, though I wasted a
great quantity of shot upon them, and some excellent
powder, which I grudged very much : and so, finding
that I could do no good, shooting at them from below,
112 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
I am now come to try a shot from above; but I
must not be long, for we shall have hard work to get
through the Needles if we let the tide get too low,
and we must be back at Freshwater to dinner."
" Did you see any of the eggs?" asked Agnes.
" Oh ! yes, plenty of the Guillemots and Razor-
bills, which were lying singly on the ledges of the
rocks, and shaking with every puff of wind; for*
they are only just balanced on the bare rocks on
which they lie : but the Puffins lay their eggs in the
long holes they hollow out of the chalk. I have
seen a man put his arm in almost up to the shoulder,
to pull a Puffin's egg out of its hole ; for the birds
always contrive to lay them at the very bottom."
" Well," said Mrs. Merton, " we will not detain
you, since you have such important business in
hand."
He thanked her; but before he went he took
something out of his pocket, which he gave to Agnes.
"Here," said he, "is something curious that I picked
up on the rocks where I landed. I also saw a Gram-
pus on the shore at the Shingles ;" and, so saying, he
wished them good-bye, and ran off.
" What strange things these are that he has given
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 113
me, mamma !" cried Agnes. " Do look ! what can
they be ?"
Fie.lO.
BURROWING MOLLUSCS (Gastrochana Pholodia).
" They are cases made by a kind of Molluscous
animal," said her mother, " that lives like the Pho-
las enclosed in a burrow; but instead of taking up
its dwelling in rocks, it forms itself a curious covering
114 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OB,
with broken bits of Corals and Madrepores, mixed
with fragments of limestone, sand, gravel, and in
short anything it can find. These materials it works
up into the form of a flask, as you see ; uniting them
by a thick glutinous liquid, which exudes from its
own body ; and lining the whole with a kind of limy
substance, which makes it quite smooth. Now we^
will open one of the cases, and I will show you what
a curious little creature it is that makes this singular
case."
Agnes was quite surprised to see how small the shell
was of the little creature that had been working so
hard ; but they were not in a situation to stand much
longer, and, indeed, they could not have remained so
long had they not been in a hollow part of the rock.
They then descended to the beach ; and were quite
astonished when they looked up to the cliff. The
construction of Alum Bay is, indeed, very curious.
On one side, it is bounded by high cliffs of chalk,
and on the other, by horizontal strata of diluvial
soil, which extend to Freshwater; but the most re-
markable feature of the place consists of the vertical
strata in the centre. At one end of these is the
London clay, which is of a bluish grey ; and then
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 115
follow narrow vertical stripes of red and yellow ochre,
fuller's earth, black flints, and grey and white sand :
the colours of all the different kinds being so brilliant
Fig. 11.
M11IL!
SECTION OF ALUM BAY.
as to be seen distinctly at a little distance. While
Mrs. Merton and Agnes stood on the beach, they
saw hanging above them a man engaged in taking
birds'-eggs. He had driven a large stake into the
top of the cliff; to which he had fastened a strong
rope, with two sticks placed crossways, at the other
end, for him to sit on. It made Agnes giddy to
look at this man ; and she gladly turned her head
from him, to listen to what their guide was telling her
mother about Alum Bay, and the manner in which
bottles are filled with the sands.
" But why is it called AJum Bay 2" asked Agnes.
" Because alum is frequently picked up on the
116
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
beach," replied her mother ; " and, I believe, cop-
peras-stones are also found here. The white sand is
used in making china and glass."
The guide now beckoned Agnes to advance ; and,
turning round the projecting rock, she saw the very
Grampus Mr. Russell had spoken of lying on the
GRAMPUS (Delphinus Oreo).
shingles, which were a mass of stones projecting
through the sea, at some distance from the shore.
She was most excessively disappointed at first, as she
thought the creature so very ugly; but, in a little
time, she began to admire its glossy black skin, and
the silvery-grey of the lower part.
"Is it worth any money ?" said Mrs. Merton.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT.
117
" Oh ! yes," said the guide ; " it weighs three tons
and a half; and the fisherman that found it has sold
it for twenty-three pounds."
They now began to re-ascend the path they had
taken to descend ; and soon reached the summit of
the cliff: after which they proceeded along it, till
they arrived at the best point of view for seeing the
Needles.
" How dreadfully the wind blows ! " said Agnes,
as she wrapped her cloak more closely round her.
" The wind always blows at the Needles, miss,"
observed the guide.
"And are those the Needles 2" cried Agnes, as
they descended the down low enough to catch a view
of these celebrated rocks. " I declare they look
more like thimbles."
" That remark has been made before," said Mrs.
Merton ; "and yet they appear to me as little like
thimbles as needles. The fact is, I think that they
are more like mile-stones than anything belonging to
the work-table ; or, what bears a closer resemblance
to them, they are like the awkward stone stiles I
have seen, when I was a girl, in Gloucestershire."
They had now reached the point beyond which
118 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Mrs. Merton did not wish to go ; and she sat down
on the turf, while the guide helped Agnes sufficiently
far down the cliffs to enable her to see the birds sitting
on their ledges of rock, uttering strange sharp cries,
and then chattering, as though they were talking to
each other. There were Cormorants, and Gulls, and
Puffins, and Guillemots, with several smaller kinds,
each sitting on its separate rock, and alternately
muttering and shouting, till Agnes's head grew giddy,
and she begged the man to take her back to her
mamma.
u Do not most of the birds generally leave you
about this season ? " said Mrs. Merton to the guide,
when they returned.
"They are later than usual this year, ma'am,"
replied the man. " It was a late summer."
" I thought there had been five Needles, mamma,"
said Agnes ; " and I can see only three."
" There are five, miss," said the man, "but you can
very seldom see them all at once, unless you ^r on the
water."
" I wonder how these rocks ever came to be called
the Needles ?" observed Agnes, — " since they are not
conical."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 119
" There was one formerly,'" replied the man " that
was like a needle exactly. It was above one hun-
dred feet high, and quite thin and pointed. It used
to be called the pillar of Lot's wife ; but it fell down,
and some of the cliffs have fallen down since then,
and more will go soon I have no doubt of it. These
cliffs are always a-falling, I think.*1'
" I have heard," said Mrs. Merton, " that the
name of Needles is a corruption of two Saxon words
signifying Undercliffe ; and there appears little doubt
that these rocks once formed part of the cliff, as you
see they are dotted with rows of flints."
Agnes here stooped and gathered a flower from the
down. It sprang from a little hollow place in the
turf, and was thus sheltered from the cold by the
higher part of the hollow. " Oh ! do look mamma,"
cried she, " I declare I thought there was a bee in
the flower."
•" It is the Bee Orchis," said Mrs. Merton, " which
is common on these chalky downs, though it is rarely
found in flower later than July."
She then showed Agnes the curious construction
of the flower, and told her that the pollen of the
Orchis tribe, instead of being like fine dust, was in
120
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
wax-like masses. " Here is another flower," con-
tinued she, " which is of the same species, but some-
Fig.IZ.
THE BEE ORCHIS (Orchis apiferd).
thing different, for nothing can equal the variety of
nature."
Agnes compared the two, and was astonished to
find how different they were, though at first she had
supposed them to be the same.
They now turned back in search of Mr. Merton ;
and as they ascended the hill, Agnes began asking
her mother some questions about light- houses.
u They are buildings,*1' said Mrs. Merton, " erected
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 121
on rocks near the sea-shore, in which lights are exhi-
bited all night, for the direction of mariners."
" They are sometimes called pharos, are they not ?"
asked Agnes.
" That name," said Mrs. Merton, " was given to
them from the first light-house of which we have any
record having been erected on the island of Pharos,
near Alexandria, about two hundred and eighty years
before Christ. The principal light-houses in Britain,
however, are that on the Bell rock, opposite the Firth
of Tay, and that on the Eddystone rocks, opposite to
Plymouth Sound."
"Why are light-houses made so high 2" asked
Agnes.
" In order that the light may be seen at a greater
distance," replied her mother; "and for the same
reason the light is always placed in the upper part of
the building."
" Of what does the light consist ?"
" It is an Argand lamp," replied Mrs. Merton,
"with a reflector behind it, made of silver strength-
ened with copper and highly polished."
" I wonder," said Agnes, " how the sailors know
when it is a light-house. I should think that when
122 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
they are at sea, they must be in danger of mistaking
it for the light of a common house.11
" Yes," said Mrs. Merton, " that has been done ;
and to prevent the possibility of such a mistake occur-
ring again, as it would be a very serious one, con-
trivances have been devised for making the lights
turn round, or of placing two in the light-house of
different colours, so that the light of the light-house
can never be mistaken for any other."
" I suppose that on the Bell rock is one of those
that turn round,"' said Agnes, " for I remember when
I was in Edinburgh and down at Leith, seeing it-
appear, disappear, and then appear again, till I was
tired of looking at it."
They now reached the light-house where they
found Mr. Merton, who had been amused during
their absence, hearing the history of the old couple
who formerly lived there, and who, for nineteen years,
had never, either of them, had a single hour's illness.
They now resumed their seats in the carriage, and
returned in the way they came, till they were within
a short distance of Freshwater, when they turned to
the left, to take the road to Black Gang Chine. The
road was extremely uninteresting, consisting of a
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 123
series of narrow lanes between high hedges like those
of Devonshire ; but without the beautiful views, which
in that county delight the eye, whenever a field-gate
makes a break in the hedge.
" What a dull country !" cried Agnes.
" It is a very fertile one, however," said her father,
" as it has been found, on calculation, that the Isle of
Wight produces seven times as much corn and other
articles of human food as would suffice for the wants
of its inhabitants."
To relieve the monotony of the road, Agnes now
began to tell her papa what she had seen at the
Needles ; and even their surly driver mingled in the
conversation. " Ah ! miss," said he, " the greatest
sight that was ever seen near the Needles was a whale
that was cast on shore on the Shingles, in the year
1814. It was before my time," continued he, "but
I have often heard talk of it."
Agnes yawned ; and her mother advised her to get
out of the carriage, and walk a little, as she had been
so much amused in gathering wild flowers the pre-
vious day. Agnes willingly complied, and soon re-
turned with a piece of the weed called Crosswort,
with an insect feeding on it. " What can this be?"
124
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
cried she. " It does not look like a common cater-
pillar."
Fig. 14.
PLANT OF CROSSWORT (Galium cruciatum),v,'ith the larva and
perfect insect of the BLOOD Y-NosED BEETLE ( Timarcha tenebricosa).
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 125
4i It is the larva of the bloody-nosed beetle," said
Mrs. Merton. " Its colour is a deep green, and it
has six legs near the head, with two other legs at the
extremity of the body which assist it in climbing
from leaf to leaf."
" But why has the beetle to which it belongs such
a strange name 2" asked Agnes.
44 Because when attacked it ejects from its mouth
some drops of a reddish fluid which look like blood.
The eggs of this insect are of a bright orange, and its
pupa case is green."
Agnes now shook the insect off, and was about to
tread on it, when her mother stopped her. " Do not
hurt it," said she, " it only feeds on weeds ; — do you
not remember what Cowper, who was pre-eminently
the poet of Nature, says : —
' I would not enter on my list of friends
(Though graced with polished manners, and fine sense,
Yet wanting sensibility,) the man
Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm.'
Yet I would not wish you to show a morbid sensi-
bility. As when it is necessary that animals should
be killed, even the same poet says : —
126 GLIMPSES OF XATURE ; OR,
'The sum is this : — If man's convenience, health,
Or safety interfere, his rights and claims
Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs.
Else they are all — the meanest things that are, —
As free to live, and to enjoy that life,
As God was free to form them at the first,
Who in his sovereign wisdom made them all.' "
" Thank you, mamma," cried Agnes, " I am glad
I did not kill the caterpillar."
"Call it a grub," said Mrs Merton, smiling, "if
you wish to give it its right name. The larvae of
butterflies and moths are called caterpillars ; those of
beetles, grubs ; and those of flies, maggots."
They now entered the little hamlet of Mottis-
tone ; a pretty little place, with a very picturesque
church, and a curious upright stone, supposed to be
part of a temple of the Druids. Then they passed
through Brixton, a village containing nothing worth
seeing but a donkey that had lain down, with a
lady on his back : after which the road made a sharp
turn to the right, and they now approached the sea ;
though the scene was devoid of beauty, from the
barrenness and gloomy hue of the downs. They
were, however, tired with their journey, and glad
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 127
to approach a newly-erected Gothic cottage, which,
they found, was the inn. The house was nearly full;
and it was some time before they could be accom-
modated with a room. They were, however, at last
shown into a tolerably large one, with two windows,
one of which looked on the downs they had passed, and
the other on the gloomy rocks of Black Gang Chine.
Mrs. Merton ordered an early dinner; and, while it was
preparing, Agnes ran out under the veranda, to play
with a large black dog belonging to the people of the
house, and Mrs. Merton turned over the leaves of an
album which lay on the table. When dinner was over,
Mrs. Merton having seen her husband comfortably
placed on the sofa, inquired the way to the Chine,
and set out, accompanied by her daughter. They
first entered a kind of field, by a gate ; and, crossing
a small wooden bridge, they arrived at a fanciful-
looking cottage, filled with toys ; where they engaged
a guide. While waiting for this person, Mrs. Mer-
ton bought Agnes a curiously-shaped bottle, — filled
with sand from Alum Bay, arranged so as to repre-
sent the Needle Rocks washed by the sea, and some
hideous trees, — with some other trifles; and Agnes
was amused watching a large Kittiwake Gull, which
128 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
seemed quite taine. The guide at length arrived ;
and they proceeded down the steep descent which
leads to the Chine ; the gull hopping before them, as
though it were helping to show the way. The de-
scent was very steep and slippery, and the rocks rose
black and stern above them. The night was closing
in more rapidly than Mrs. Merton expected ; and,
in fact, she began to get alarmed. " Do you not
think it is getting dark very soon to night V said
she to the guide.
" Why, yes, it is," returned the man ; " but I
think we shall have a storm.
" A storm ! " cried Mrs. Merton, looking at Agnes
with terror.
" Oh ! you '11 have plenty of time to see the Chine,
and get miss back before it begins."
They continued to descend till they reached the
bridge, where they paused for a few moments to look
around them ; and a more gloomy scene can scarcely
be conceived. They were surrounded by precipitous
cliffs, which rose high on every side, and looked as
black as night. Not a single sprig, not a blade of
grass, not a tuft of moss, was to be seen ; all was
dark, save a few bands of a dusky yellow colour,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 129
which gleamed on the dark sides of the rocks. But,
if the scene was thus dreary when they looked above,
what was it when they cast their eyes below? There
a fathomless abyss seemed to yawn to receive them.
Mrs. Merton shuddered. " I think we had better
return," said she ; " for it is getting late.'1
" Oh ! mamma," cried Agnes, " don't let us go
back without seeing the Chine."
"We are more than half-way down," said the man;
"and the rest of the road is not half so bad as it looks."
Mrs. Merton suffered herself to be persuaded ; as,
indeed, she seldom could refuse anything her darling
wished, unless she thought it would be injurious to
her; and she recollected that she had never heard
of any accident occurring from visiting the Chine.
Shipwrecks were, indeed, common on the coast ; but
that was another thing. She, therefore, gave her
consent to go on ; and they continued their descent.
The path now became very steep ; but they advanced
more rapidly, and soon reached the point from which
the best view of the Chine is obtained. Agnes was,
however, excessively disappointed when she saw the
small size of the water-fall.
" What !" cried she ; " is that all ?"
K
130 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
The man in vain assured her that the cascade was
larger in winter ; Agnes would not be pacified. She
had seen the falls of the Clyde ; and she could not
be persuaded that the little paltry stream that she
saw trickling over the ledge of the rocks could ever
be worth looking at. Her mother, however, at last
turned her attention to the rocks themselves, which,
in some places, are five hundred feet high ; and to
the vast chasm, called the Chine, which has been
scooped out of them, and looks like the crater of an
extinct volcano. The cliffs did, indeed, now look
awfully grand ; and the wind, which blew from the
sea, howled among their recesses. The tide was
coming in ; and the high-curling waves broke against
the rocks with a deafening roar ; and then retired,
murmuring as if they had rushed upon an enemy
that they had hoped to overpower by their might,
and had been beaten back again.
" Now, let us go," said Mrs. Merton.
" Oh ! stay a moment !"' cried Agnes. " There is
something in the sea that looks like a man's head."1
Mrs. Merton and the man both looked, and saw,
though it was now nearly dark, something black and
hairy that was beating about by the waves.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 131
" Bless you ! miss," exclaimed the man : " that 's
a dog."
The next wave carried its burden nearer shore, —
so near, indeed, that they saw distinctly the large
shaggy head and white throat of a Newfoundland
dog. The wave retired, carrying its prey with it;
but soon, with deafening roar and redoubled fury,
it came again ; and again they saw the dog, with its
black head and white breast ; and, more, — that there
was a black heart-shaped mark on its breast, which
Agnes instantly recognised. " Oh ! mamma," cried
she, turning pale and trembling, " it is Neptune ; but
where is his master ?"
"Where indeed?" exclaimed Mrs. Merton, shud-
dering, and turning away her head.
They now saw distinctly that Neptune was not
merely struggling to reach the shore himself: he was
dragging something with him that was frequently torn
from him by the waves, and that he dived for again
and recovered, and then seemed to lose again. They
watched his progress with the most intense anxiety;
but always, when he seemed just on the point of
reaching the shore, something appeared to rise out of
the sea, and to dash him back again.
132 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
" It 's the ground swell,"" said the guide ; " there 's
few Newfoundland dogs strong enough to stand
against it."
At this moment a large wave carried Neptune and
his burden fairly on shore; and though its recoil
swept them back again, the effect which a ftill sight
of them produced upon the guide was electric.
"It's a man!" he shouted. "Help, help!" and
instantly several persons started from recesses in the
cliffs, and ran upon the beach. Agnes saw that
one was an old woman, who seemed in an agony of
despair ; and then she saw something black dashed
against the rocks, and she heard a crash, and a shrill
and piercing scream — and then she hid her face in
her mother's gown, for she could bear no more.
Mrs. Merton bent over her and both remained silent
for a few minutes. When they looked up, all was
bustle on the beach. Lights were flashing to and fro,
and numerous voices were heard. The idea suddenly
struck Mrs. Merton that her husband would be alarm-
ed and might come to seek them, and endanger his
life by the descent. " Oh ! let us go," she cried.
" Stay a moment," said Agnes, softly laying her
hands upon her mother's arm. " Let them pass first."
BLACK GANG CHINE
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 133
Mrs. Merton shrank back, and let four men pass
bearing the body of the young fisherman. He was
apparently quite dead, his long black hair hung back
from his pallid face, which was distinctly seen by the
torches carried by some of the men, and his aged
mother walked beside him, hiding her face in her
apron. The young Londoner still lay on the beach,
with his faithful dog panting by his side ; for it
seemed that the people had gone to seek for him
some more suitable mode of conveyance ; but he was
not alone, for several persons crowded round him ;
and among them Mrs. Merton was glad to perceive
their guide. She beckoned him to approach, and
under his guidance they began to retrace their steps.
The way was long, and in some places the ascent
was frightfully steep. It had become quite dark, and
the flame of the torch carried by their guide qui-
vered so tremulously in the sudden gusts of wind
that howled round them, that they feared every
moment it would be extinguished. The rain now
began to fall — slightly at first, but gradually in thick
small drops, that chilled them to the heart, and
made the soft clay over which they had to climb, so
slippery, that they could scarcely keep their feet.
134 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
At last they reached the bridge ; and they had no
sooner done so, than they saw distinctly the figure of
Mr. Merton on the cliff above, surrounded by a num-
ber of men carrying torches ; and he was waving a
handkerchief to them to encourage their exertions.
Then two men descended ; one bore a torch ; and the
other, as soon as he reached the ascending party,
took Agnes in his arms, and Mrs. Merton had soon
the happiness of seeing her darling child safe by her
father's side. Mrs. Merton now felt new strength,
and in a short time she reached the summit of the
cliff herself. The men who were assembled round
Mr. Merton waited a moment to see she was safe,
and then hurried down the rocks to bring up the body
of the young Londoner — the rapidity of their descent
being marked by their torches, which appeared to
slide down the different cliffs. The Mertons did not
stay to witness the result of their labours, but has-
tened to the inn ; and when Mrs. Merton and Agnes
offered up their evening prayers, they did not forget
to add a fervent thanksgiving for the mercy that had
saved them from a dreadful catastrophe similar to
that they had beheld.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 135
CHAPTER VI.
Management in Household affairs. — Undercliffe. — Alexandrian
Pillar. — Light-house of St. Catherine. — Little Church of St.
Lawrence. — Churchyard. — St. Lawrence's Well. — Ventnor. —
Wishing Well, and Godshill.— Beautiful Butterflies.— Pulpit
Stone. — St. Boniface. — Arrival at Shanklin.
THE night at Black Gang Chine was dreadful ; the
rain came down in torrents ; and the wind rushed by
in such furious gusts that the slight fancy building
they were in shook to its foundation. The Mertons
had a double-bedded room, but none of them slept
much ; and once, when the house absolutely rocked,
from the violence of the wind, Mrs. Merton rose, and
throwing a dressing-gown round her, she knelt by the
side of Agnes's little bed, and took the poor child's
cold and trembling hand in her own, till Agnes,
soothed and comforted by the pressure of her mother's
hand, at last fell asleep.
136 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Mrs. Merton, herself, however, could not sleep, and
she lay counting the tedious hours till the break of
day, when she arose weary and unrefreshed.
The morning was extremely beautiful ; and even
the dark and gloomy hills of the Chine looked less
fearful in the bright rays of the early sun. Mrs.
Merton dressed herself, and was just going down
stairs, when Agnes woke and begged her to wait for
her. Mrs. Merton consented, and as soon as the
little girl was ready they went down to the room in
which they had sat the night before ; one of the
windows was open, but Agnes had no longer any
pleasure in running out under the veranda ; and
she shuddered at the sight of the rocks, though the
sea, which curled gently round them, at a depth of
above five hundred feet below the situation of the
inn, was now as smooth as glass. She could not
even pat the black dog she had been so fond of the
day before, and she sat on the sofa with her back to
the window, while Mrs. Merton rang the bell to ask
the waiter what had become of the sufferers of the
night before. The account was unfavourable. The
young fisherman was dead ; and the Londoner, though
alive, lay in a very enfeebled state, and his complete
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 137
recovery was considered doubtful. Even the poor
dog appeared to have sustained some severe internal
injury, for it had refused its food, and seemed in great
pain. A doctor had been sent for from Niton ; but
the young man had not yet been able to speak to tell
where they could write to his friends. Neither Mrs.
Merton nor Agnes felt inclined to walk out before
breakfast ; though, previously to their unfortunate
visit to the Chine, they had intended to visit the
medicinal spring, and to taste some of its nauseous
waters. Now, however, they were only anxious to
quit the place ; and they were quite delighted to see
Mr. Merton walk into the room a few minutes after
they had finished their inquiries. Breakfast was im-
mediately ordered, but not so easily obtained — first,
there was no milk, and next the butter had to be
sent for; then the cook had boiled only one egg, and
the others had to be waited for; — till, with all this
waiting and sending, the coffee became cold, and all
the comfort of the breakfast was destroyed. To
complete the whole, the waiter, who was a most re-
spectable-looking person, and had the air of an old
soldier, appeared so anxious to oblige them that it
was impossible to scold him ; and even the landlady
138 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
was so civil, and so sorry for the delay, that nobody
could blame her.
" What an uncomfortable breakfast ! " cried Agnes,
when they rose from table.
" And yet every thing was good of its kind," said
Mrs. Merton.
" But something must have been wrong," said
Agnes ; " for I never saw so much trouble in getting
a breakfast before ; and yet we had nothing different
to what we have in general. What can have been
wanting?"
" Management and arrangement," said Mrs. Mer-
ton. " When I ordered breakfast, the waiter ought
to have told me that there was neither milk nor
butter in the house ; and we should then have waited
till all was ready, before we sat down, and our coffee
would have been kept near the fire till it was wanted.
Remember, Agnes, if ever you should have to act as
a housekeeper, that you can never make a family
comfortable unless you exercise your forethought and
judgment, so as to provide every thing that is likely
to be wanted beforehand. I do not mean to recom-
mend you to have a profusion of anything ; for it
is a common fault with young housekeepers to pro-
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 139
vide too abundantly ; but I hope you will always
take care to have a sufficient quantity of the common '
articles of food ready in the house ; as nothing can
more decidedly show bad management than to have
to send out for anything required for a meal after
that meal is served."
The carriage being now ready, they drove along
the road which led to the UnderclifFe ; and soon lost
sight of the horrible Black Gang Chine. This re-
markable part of the Island has been formed by a
landslip, — or, rather, a succession of landslips ; from
the effects of which, a considerable portion of land
has slipped or settled down from the lofty cliffs called
St. Catherine's Down, so as to form a sort of inter-
mediate cliff between the down and the sea. The
summit of the UnderclifFe forms a fine terrace about
six or eight miles long, and from a quarter of a mile to
a mile broad, along which the road is carried, with St.
Catherine's Cliffs frowning above, and the remains,
into which it was partly shattered by its fall, lying
between it and the sea, and assuming a thousand fan-
tastic shapes. The terrace is bordered with villas,
shaded by trees, which grow with the greatest luxu-
riance and beauty ; in some cases even down to the
140 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
water's edge. Many of the cliffs, however, which
face the sea rise from sixty to a hundred feet above
it, and these are crowned hy the road ; but, in other
cases, the road is thrown to some distance back, and
villas are erected among the broken rocks between it
and the sea. During the whole length of the ter-
race, it is sheltered from the north by a bold line of
rocks, rising from two hundred to three hundred feet
above it ; which, in some places, form a kind of wall
composed of horizontal beds of sand-stone, and, in
others, a less abrupt slope covered with green sward.
Agnes was very much interested in this singular
region, and began conversing with her papa on the
causes of this remarkable convulsion of nature. " Is
it supposed to have been occasioned by an earthquake
or a volcano ?" asked she.
" No,1' replied Mr. Merton ; " the cause is sup-
posed to be the numerous beautiful little springs,
which you will see presently, meandering among the
fallen rocks ; sometimes collecting into little pools,
and sometimes forming miniature cascades, in their
progress towards the sea. The springs, it is thought,
formerly flowed under this sunken cliff, and must
have melted some of the softer under strata, which
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 141
being washed away, the upper part would gradually
sink down, as we see it has done."
" Is it long since the fall took place?"
" All memory of the first land-slip of this cliff has
passed away; but in the year 1779 a large portion of
the upper cliff, about eighty or ninety acres, was sud-
denly seen sinking, and sliding towards the sea ; the
surface cracking in various directions, and chasms
opening here and there as it fell. This was near
the very spot we are now traversing."
"But have there been any slips since then?"
asked Agnes, looking somewhat frightened.
" Yes," said the driver, u there was a house swal-
lowed up near Niton, not many years ago."
" There was also a land-slip, in the year 1811, at
the other extremity of the under cliff, near Bon-
church," said Mr. Merton, uby which about fifty
acres were displaced."
They had stopped the carriage while they were
looking at the cliffs, and now when they began to
move on again, the driver pointed to what appeared
an upright black stick, at the extremity of the hori-
zon, and told Agnes that it was the Alexandrian
Pillar. Agnes remembered that her mother had told
]42 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
her that light-houses were sometimes called Pharos,
from the name of the island on which the first was
erected ; and she thought, as Pharos was near Alex-
andria, perhaps the Alexandrian Pillar was another
name for a light-house, so she said, u Oh yes, the
light-house ; I see it just below us."
" No," said the man, " I don 't mean the light-
house, but the pillar Squire Hoy built on the
Downs."
Mr. Merton now explained to Agnes, that Mr.
Hoy, who possessed a good deal of property in that
part of the Isle of Wight, had been a Russian mer-
chant ; and that he had erected this column, out of
gratitude for the kindness he had experienced from
the Emperor Alexander, in commemoration of that
monarches visit to Great Britain, in 1814.
St. Catherine's Down," continued Mr. Merton,
" is about nine hundred feet above the level of the
sea, and is the highest part of the island."
" Yes, but it is lower now than it used to be," said
the driver. " They say it is not above eight hundred
feet high now in most parts, and that it is gradually
sinking."
" I wonder they did not put the light-house
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. *143
on the top of the Down, as it is so high," said
Agnes.
44 There was anciently a chapel," replied Mr. Mer-
ton, "which was built in the year 1323, by the lord
of the neighbouring manor ; and a certain yearly sum
was assigned to it to maintain a monk there, whose
duty it was to sing mass, and keep a constant light
burning to guide mariners. But at the Reformation
the poor monk's revenues were swept away, and his
chapel has become a ruin. There was, however, a
light-house erected near it about fifty or sixty years
ago, but I believe it soon fell into disuse."
" The sailors could not see the light on account of
the fogs," said the driver.
" What ! are there fogs on the summit of that
down?" cried Mrs. Merton.
" So thick that you could not see your hand before
you. It is not very long since the landlord of that
very house you stopped at walked over the cliff one
foggy night, when he thought he was going home to
his own house. So they had no light-house at all
here till the loss of the 'Clarendon5 made such a talk;
and then they built the light- house of St. Catherine's,
that you see down yonder."
144; GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
They had now just passed a pretty romantic-look-
ing Gothic cottage called the Sand-rock Hotel ; on
the fine lawn before which were several persons sit-
ting, enjoying the cold morning breeze. It was, in
fact, a delightful scene : the air was fresh and plea-
sant, though the sun shone brightly ; and the sea,
instead of the boisterous force which it had shown the
preceding night, curled gently round the cliffs, with
a snow-white crest mantling on its edge, and seemed
as if it were smiling at the mischief it had done.
They had now a good view of the light-house which
the driver had mentioned. It was an octagon build-
ing about one hundred and twenty feet high, standing
upon a cliff about fifty feet above the level of the sea.
Advancing rapidly, they soon reached the pretty
little church of St. Lawrence ; which is said to be
the smallest parochial church in Great Britain ; as
it is only twenty feet long, twelve feet wide, and six
feet high, in the lowest part ; though, from the roof
being of a steep slope, it is much higher in the middle
of the church. Mrs. Merton and Agnes got out
of the carriage, and walked round this curious little
building, which appeared to have been constructed
for Lilliputians, rather than for human beings of the
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 145
ordinary size. They walked round the church-yard,
and found one of the tomb-stones erected to the
memory of a gentleman, upwards of ninety years of
age, who had lost his life by falling from the downs
just above the church, while travelling through the
island. After satisfying their curiosity fey inspecting
the church, Mrs. Merton and Agnes returned to the
carriage ; and they drove on to St. Lawrence's Well,
where the water of a delightfully clear and pure
spring is received in a stone-basin, protected by a
kind of alcove, which forms an elegant little stone
building surrounded by trees. Fortunately the party
had a travelling case with them containing a glass ;
and they were all, except the driver, very glad to
refresh themselves with some of this delicious water,
which tasted as cool as if it had flowed through ice.
They now approached Steephill, a modern castle,
which has been erected on a spot formerly called the
Queen of the Undercliffe ; and the grounds of which
certainly appeared as pretty as wood and smooth
turf could make them. On the road-side, sitting
by a little stream of water which gushed out of
the broken rocks, sat a large Kittiwake Gull.
" Look, mamma," cried Agnes, pointing to the bird,
146
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
"there is the very gull we saw at Black Gang
Chine."
Fig. 15.
THE KITTIWAKE GULL (Laws rissa).
"Not the same, I think," said Mrs. Merton.
" There are a great many of these gulls in the neigh-
bourhood ; and there was one, some years ago, kept
by some cottagers at Bonchurch, which they had
had twenty-seven years. EVery spring, when the
wild gulls arrived, it used to fly away with them.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 147
and amuse itself with them all the summer; but,
about August, when they desert the island, it used
to return to its old quarters, and would remain there
all the winter."
They now passed rapidly on, and soon reached
Ventnor, where Mr. Merton had intended to stay for
some time. He changed his mind, however, as soon
as he saw its hilly situation ; as, though Ventnor is
now a fashionable place for consumptive patients, it
is impossible to find anywhere a hundred yards of
level ground; and every body knows how difficult
it is for a person with weak lungs to climb a hill.
Besides, new houses were building in every direction,
and the smell of lime and mortar, an<J the jarring
of stone-cutting, have an unpleasant effect on the
senses and nerves of an invalid. He, therefore, de-
termined to go on; and, after a short stay, they
proceeded to Bonchurch.
" I have heard," said Agnes, " of two things near
Ventnor that I should like to see ; and these are
the Wishing Well and the church at Godshill."
"And why should you like to see these things?"
asked Mr. Merton.
;' Because," replied Agnes, blushing, " they say
1 48 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
that if you go up the hill to the well without once
looking back, and drink of the water without turning
round, you will have three wishes."
"How can you believe such nonsense?" said Mr.
Merton.
" I don't believe it, papa ; but I should only like
to see the well.""
" And, supposing you could have three wishes
granted, what would they be?" asked Mrs. Merton.
"First," said Agnes, "I would wish papa o^ite
well ; then I would wish you plenty of money, mam-
ma ; and then I think I should like to be very
clever."
" Your papa and I ought to be very much obliged
by your first wishes ; but I think I could put you
in the way of getting the last wish fulfilled without
a wishing- well."
"Ah! I know what you mean, mamma. You
mean that if I study hard I may make myself as
clever as I like."
" You are quite right, and, if you confess the truth.
I think you will allow that I am right also."
"But, mamma, I want to be clever without —
without — "
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 149
" Taking any trouble at all ; — but that, my dear
Agnes, surpasses the lot of humanity. It is true that
some persons are more highly gifted than others ; but
there is generally some serious drawback that reduces
their lot to the level of that of other people ; and,
generally speaking, no talents are so useful as those
which are in a great measure the result of our own
industry."
" But why did you wish to see the church,
Agnes?" said her father.
" Because, papa, they say the stones of which it is
built would not lie still in the valley where the people
first wished to build the church ; but ran rolling and
tumbling along up hill as though they had been
mad."
" And the people must be mad who could believe
so absurd a story."
" Look, Agnes," said Mrs. Merton, " at that but-
terfly ! Is it not beautiful?"
"Oh, yes!" cried Agnes ; "and there is another
more beautiful still. How I should like to catch
them."
" We can admire them without catching them,"
said her mother ; " for I don 't like to torment poor
150 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
innocent creatures merely because they are beautiful.
Besides, that is a butterfly, called the Purple Empe-
ror, which it is very difficult to catch, from the great
height to which it flies."
" Even if it were not, mamma," said Agnes,
laughing, " I do not think the Undercliffe would be a
good place for a butterfly chase ! But see, there is
another butterfly of the same kind. — No, I see it is
not, for it has red upon its wings."
" That butterfly," said Mrs. Merton, " is called
the Alderman, I suppose partly from his gravity, and
partly from his scarlet cloak, which you see he wears
with great dignity. The caterpillar of this butterfly
feeds on the nettle ; and, generally, about July the
female butterfly lays a single egg upon each leaf of
the plant. The egg to the naked eye is scarcely
bigger than the point of a pin ; but when examined
in a miscroscope, it is found to be curiously ribbed,
almost like a melon cactus. As soon as the cater-
pillar is hatched, which it is by the heat of the
sun, it begins to spin a kind of web, by means of
which it draws the leaf together into a roundish hol-
low shape, so as to form a kind of boat, open at both
ends. In this boat, or tent, the caterpillar lives;
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 151
and it feeds on the lower part of the leaf, till, in a
little time, it becomes perforated with holes."
" How very much I should like to see some of
these caterpillars, mamma ! " said Agnes, " but no
doubt I may some day, as I suppose if ever I find a
caterpillar upon a nettle that this will be it."
" You must not be too sure," said Mrs. Merton,
" for there is another caterpillar that feeds upon the
nettle, which produces the peacock butterfly; but
that caterpillar is black, with small white spots, and
red hind legs. The caterpillars of the peacock but-
terfly, also, are found several together, while those of
aldermen, are always solitary; — and there," conti-
nued Mrs. Merton, interrupting herself as a butterfly
flew past, " is another, whose caterpillar lives on the
nettle. It is called the small Tortoise-shell, and
it is extremely beautiful from the rich reddish- orange
of its wings. This butterfly when it sits on a branch
with its wings closed is not beautiful at all, as the
inside of the wings is of a dusky brown ; the cater-
pillar also is brown."
" You should tell Agnes," said Mr. Merton, " that
it was from the golden hue of the pupa case of the
small tortoise-shell butterfly, that the words chry-
152
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
sails and aurelia have been applied to pupa cases ge-
nerally. Both words signify golden, though the first
is derived from the Greek, and the second from the
Latin. Observe, also," continued he, addressing
Agnes, " that all the three nettle butterflies your
mamma has just been telling you about, belong to
the genus Vanessa."
Fig. 16.
THE AZURE BLUE BUTTERFLY (Polyommatus Argiolus).
" But there is a butterfly of another genus," said
Mrs. Merton, "that is, the lovely little azure blue.
Look, my dear," continued she, addressing her hus-
band, " it is just settled on that holly."
Mr. Merton looked, and expressed his surprise
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 153
as these butterflies are rarely seen so late in the
season.
They now passed a very pretty villa, called St.
Boniface, and very soon after they arrived at Bon-
church, which Agnes said she supposed was an ab-
breviation of St. Boniface. Just before they reached
Bonchurch, however, they passed a curious stone
called the Pulpit-rock, and the driver stopped, in
order that some of the party might get out of the
carriage, and climb up it. Mrs. Merton declined as
she did not feel well; but Agnes was delighted to
do so, as she was particularly fond of climbing ; just
as she got out of the carriage, however, her mother
observed that a pretty little pink silk handkerchief,
that she wore round her neck, was neither tied nor
fastened by a pin.
" You had better tie your handkerchief, Agnes,"
said Mrs. Merton, " or give it me to take care of
till you come back."
" Oh ! no, thank you, mamma,'" cried Agnes, " I
will fasten it with a pin," and she did, indeed, put
a pin into it, but so carelessly that it fell out imme-
diately, without her being aware of it. In fact,
Agnes's head was so full of the Pulpit-stone, that
154 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
she could not stay to think about her handkerchief,
and she ran away as fast as she could, pacing
through the narrow entrance, and climbing up be-
hind the stone with the greatest agility. The pul-
pit-rock commanded a fine view, which Agnes stayed
to look at ; and, indeed, the rock itself took rather
more time for Agnes to climb up and return than
her papa had expected ; so that, as soon as she re-
entered the carriage, he desired the driver to go
on. They passed through Bonchurch, and by Luc-
combe Chine, without stopping, and soon arrived at
a very pretty little inn, called Williams1 Hotel, at
Shanklin.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 155
CHAPTER VII.
Consequences of carelessness. — Beach at Shanklin. — Lobster-pots.
— Planorbis. — Marsh-snail. — Sea-rocket. — Starfish. — Crabs
and Lobsters. — Seaweed — Mode of drying it. — Mussels. —
Shanklin Chine. — The split shoe. — Shops at Shanklin.
WHEN the carriage stopped at Williams1 Hotel at
Shanklin, Mrs. Merton asked Agnes what had become
of her little pink silk handkerchief. Agnes mechani-
cally put her hand to her neck; but, alas ! no handker-
chief was there. It was gone ; and, though Agnes
knew nothing about it, the probability was, that, at
that very moment, it was dangling from one of the
rough corners of the pulpit-stone. Agnes was quite
in despair when this thought struck her ; and she was
most anxious to go back to seek it ; but this Mrs.
Merton would not hear of.
" No," said she ; " I could forgive any loss that
happened accidentally ; but this was from downright
carelessness."
156 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Agnes was excessively vexed, and could not help
crying ; as the handkerchief had been given to her
by her aunt Jane, and was a great favourite : Mrs.
Merton, however, paid no attention to her tears, but
walked into the inn with her husband, leaving poor
Agnes to follow by herself. The little girl felt this
neglect bitterly, and she wept so much before she
could summon courage to appear again before her
mother, that the mistress of the house, who was a
very good-natured person, on her return from showing
Mr. and Mrs. Merton to a room, began to pity the
poor child, and advised her to go into the garden for
a few minutes to recover herself. Agnes complied,
and sat down, very sorrowfully, under a tree within
sight of the window of the room in which her parents
were. What appeared to Agnes a tremendously long
time passed before they appeared to notice her ; but
at last Mrs. Merton, having placed her husband com-
fortably on the sofa, opened the glass door of their
room, and walked across the lawn to where Agnes
sat. The little girl started up immediately, and,
meeting her mother, begged to be forgiven.
" I will not promise never to lose anything
again," said she ; " but, if you will but forgive
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 157
me, mamma, I will never again be inattentive to
your advice."
Mrs. Merton kissed her; and, telling her that
was all that could be expected of a child of her
age, proposed a walk to the beach. Agnes gladly
complied ; and the good-natured landlady seemed
quite pleased when Mrs. Merton inquired what
road they were to take, to see that the poor little
culprit had been forgiven. In compliance with the
directions they had received, they walked first up
a short lane, till they came to an open shop dig-
nified by the name of a bazaar, opposite to which
was another lane which led down a steep hill to
the beach.
" What a dreadful hill ! " cried Agnes; " how shall
we ever get up it again ? Do look, mamma, at those
horses, how they are striving to drag that cart up
the hill ; and yet it cannot be very heavy, for it is
full of nothing but sea-weed. What can they be
going to do with so much sea- weed?"
" Have you forgotten that I told you sea- weed is
often used as manure 1"
" I had forgotten it, I declare. It seems such a
strange thing to use as manure. But look, mamma,
158 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
what a fine view we have of the sea here ? and yet
how high we still are above it."
The descent now became more rapid ; and Agnes
ran down the remainder of the road, which, after
various windings, at last conducted them to the beach.
When they reached it, and looked back at the cliffs,
they found the scene very striking. A long, almost
perpendicular line of rocks spread along, as far as
they could see, occasionally jutting out almost to the
sea, and then falling back in deep bays. The face of
the cliff was of a pale brown, or yellow ochre colour,
streaked with a deeper or red shade. After looking
around for a few minutes, Agnes cried, "mamma,
do you remember that scene in the Antiquary,
where Isabella and her father are surprised by the
coming in of the tide, and in great danger of being
drowned I I think it must have been in such a place
as this."
Mrs. Merton was about to reply, when Agnes's
attention was attracted by some curious-looking
wicker-work cages which lay in a heap at the end
of the terrace on which they had been walking.
" What can these be ?"" cried she. A boy who was
lying beside them, and tying them together with
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
159
pieces of string, looked up in her face, without dis-
turbing himself, and answered, " they are lobster-
pots."
u Pots ! " repeated Agnes : " I think they are
more like baskets than pots. And why are these
snails put in them ?"
" They are the bait," said the boy, without even
looking at her this time.
" Do look, mamma," said Agnes, " what enormous
snails ! And here is a large flat snail like that Susan
found for me in the kitchen, only it is such a great
deal larger."
" That shell was placed among the snails by Lin-
nseus," said Mrs. Merton; "but
it is now called Planorbis, or
the coil-shell. Look what a
horny, almost transparent, sub-
stance it has ; indeed, I believe
it is sometimes called the
Horny Snail. It does not
live in the sea ; but it is found
in ditches, or any stagnant
water that is nearly dry in
summer. When attacked, it emits a dark reddish
Fig. ]7.
THE HORNY SNAIL
(Planorbis corneus).
160
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
liquid, to hide itself from its enemies, by rendering
the water so dark that it cannot be seen."
" How clever ! "
" Instinct teaches many molluscous animals to do
the same. The violet snail emits a beautiful lilac-
fluid; and the cuttle-fish a liquid as black as ink.
But this is not all that I have to tell you about the
Planorbis : it lays its eggs upon a leaf, where they look
like those of the spider, or of some kind of insect."
" Look mamma ! Here is another shell, quite
different from the Planorbis."
"It is different in shape, but
it is nearly allied in other re-
spects, for that is the Marsh-snail,
or Lymnea. Some of the species
of this genus crawl with their
backs downwards along the under
surface of the water, if I may
so describe it, just as you have
seen a snail crawl on a glass;
and the species of the genus Phy-
THE MARSH-SNAIL sa, which is another little black
(Lymnea communis). PI -i i
' fresh-water-snail, not only creep
in the manner I have described, but let themselves
Fig. 18.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 161
down by a thread in the water, just as you may have
seen some kinds of caterpillars do on land."
As they strolled along the beach they noticed
several immense plants of Sea-rocket, which grew
close to the cliffs, and some of the fleshy leaves of
which Agnes gathered and ate. " I know I am
safe in eating this," said she; "because I see by the
four opposite petals of the flower that it is one of the
Ouciferse, or cabbage-tribe, and I know the plants of
that tribe are wholesome."
" Take care, however, lest you should some day
find that though the Cruciferous plants are eatable
they are not always agreeable ; for, remember, Horse-
radish, and some other pungent plants, belong to that
tribe : but I am glad to find that you have remem-
bered what I told you about the shape of the flowers,
which are called cruciferous, or cross-bearing, from
their four petals being arranged in the form of a
Greek cross."
Agnes now found a specimen of the Star-fish, or
five-fingers, a species of which she had often seen in
Scotland; but she did not attempt to pick it up,
as she remembered that one she found at Dunbar
began to decay before she could reach the inn. She
M
162
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
stood, however, looking at it, and her mother, who
told her these Star-fishes were usually only caught
Fig. 19.
THE STAB-FISH, OR FIVE-FINGERS (Asterias glacialis).
in the Northern seas, made her remark its mouth,
or rather the opening to its short hag-like stomach,
which is placed in the very centre of the rays; and
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 163
the numerous holes through which the creature could
project its feet, having the power of shortening or
extending them at pleasure, and also of adhering,
by the flat disk at their base, to any substance it
might be near; the part which may be called the
sole of the foot, acting like a sucker.
" What poor helpless creatures these Star-fish
seem to be !" said Agnes ; " I wonder how they con-
trive to live, for they seem to have no means of
catching anything."
" You will be surprised, then, to hear that they
are accused of catching oysters; and that it is as-
serted in many books on natural history, that there
was formerly a penalty inflicted by the Admiralty
Court on every dredger who caught a Star-fish and
did not kill it."
"But how could the poor Star-fish, with its soft
body, attack an oyster, protected as it is by two
strong shells?"
" It was said to wait till the oyster gaped, and
then to thrust one of its rays in between the valves
to suck out the oyster."
"Oh, mamma!" cried Agnes, laughing; "how
very stupid the oyster must have been not to shut
1 64* GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
its shell and crush the ray, instead of letting itself be
sucked out ! "
" The story is as old as Aristotle ; and, like many
other stories told by the ancients, it has been handed
down to our times, without any one, till lately,
taking the trouble to examine whether it was true
or false. I believe the fact is, that when oysters or
any other molluscous animals become sickly, they
are attacked by Star-fish and other similar creatures,
just as a dying snail is attacked and devoured by
slugs ; but I think with you, that if a Star-fish were
bold enough to attack a healthy oyster, it would soon
have reason to repent it."
" I have often thought, mamma," said Agnes ;
" what miserable lives oysters and other similar
creatures must lead in the sea; fixed as they are
to rocks, and incapable of hearing or seeing anything
around them."
" You forget," replied her mother, " how often
I have told you that our Beneficent Creator has pro-
vided not only for the nourishment, but for the enjoy-
ments of all his creatures. I think it is Paley who
remarks, that when we recollect the happiness we
feel when in perfect health and high spirits, without
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 165
any particular cause, we may easily comprehend the
enjoyments of the inferior animals."
" I can understand that, mamma ; and so I sup-
pose that these poor oysters enjoy the warmth of
the sun and the flowing of the tide, as much as I
do the fresh breeze when it blows against me as
I run.1'
" Exactly so. Every creature has a capability of
happiness adapted to the situation in which it is
placed; and when we do not perceive how this is
effected, we may rest assured that the fault is in
ourselves, and not in the system of Nature."
While they were conversing in this manner, they
had strolled to a considerable distance along the
beach, and were beginning to think of turning back,
as they were going from the Chine, which they in-
tended to visit before they returned to the inn, when
Agnes's attention was attracted by a splendid mass
of tangle, that had been thrown on the beach by
the sea ; and catching hold of it, she picked up at
the same time a little crab not bigger than the end
of her finger. The little crab was of a pale yellow,
and as soon as it was caught, it began to run side-
ways as fast as possible. Agnes had often heard
1 66 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
of crabs running sideways, but she had never seen
one do so before ; and the motions of this little
creature struck her as so very odd that she burst
into a violent fit of laughter. Mrs. Merton came up
to know what was the matter ; and when she saw
the little crab running sideways as fast as possible
with only half of its legs, and then back with the
other half, she could not forbear smiling also. The
next moment, however, she checked herself.
" We ought not to laugh at this little creature,"
said she, " since there is nothing really ridiculous
that is natural ; but it only strikes us as absurd be-
cause we are not used to it."
" What curious creatures crabs are?" cried Agnes.
" They are called Crustaceous animals," returned
her mother, " because they are covered with a crust
or shell ; and they are said to be articulated, because
their limbs are jointed so that they can throw one off
without suffering much inconvenience."
" Lobsters can do the same thing, can they not?"
" Yes, they also belong to the Crustacea, and so
do shrimps, and prawns, and cray-fish, besides many
other creatures you are not acquainted with. All
the Crustacea have also the power of throwing off
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
167
Fig. 20.
their shells when they have grown too large for
them, and forming new ones, as I think I explained
to you some years ago when we were speaking of
cray-fish."
" They must suffer a great
deal of pain when they change
their shells."
" They do ; and some are
said even to die under the
operation ; but I suppose they
must also suffer a good deal
from the old shell being too
tight for them, before they
throw it off."
Agnes now picked up some
sea-weed which struck her as
being like what her mother IRISH Moss? OR CARRAGEEN.
had once taken, boiled with (Fucus crispus.)
milk, for a troublesome cough.
" It is the same," said Mrs. Merton ; " the popular
name is Carrageen, or Irish moss, but it is a kind of
Fucus."
" And what is this pale brown?" asked Agnes.
" That is called Duck's Foot Conferva," said Mrs.
1 68 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Fig. 21.
DUCK'S FOOT CONFERVA (Flustra foliacea).
Merton, " and when burnt it smells like lemons ; but
it is not a true Conferva."
"Do look at this beautiful pink sea-weed, mamma,"
said Agnes.
" That is called Delesseria by botanists,11 said Mrs.
Merton, " but I do not know its English name. It
is very beautiful from its delicate texture, and its
brilliant colour. Its seeds are produced on the back
of the leaves, or fronds, as in ferns."
" I should like to take some of it," said Agnes, —
" may I ? "
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 169
" Certainly," said Mrs. Merton, " but take great
care in drying it, as it is very apt to adhere to
the paper. I think you know how to dry sea-
weed."
" Oh ! yes,"" said Agnes, " Miss Green taught me.
You first put the sea-weed in water, and then put a
piece of writing paper under it, so as to let the plant
lie upon the paper as it did in the water ; and then
you take it up carefully, so as to let the water run
off without disturbing the plant."
" You are quite right," said Mrs. Merton; "but
you must observe that some sea-weeds are spoiled by
putting them into fresh water, and will change their
colour, while others will crackle, when taken out, like
salt when thrown on a fire. Some kinds, when laid
on a plate in fresh water, will start and curl up as if
they were alive ; and nearly all sea animals, such as
the Star-fish we saw just now, are killed instantly by
putting them into fresh water. However, to return
to the sea-weed, I am so well pleased at your re-
membering what was told you, that I will give you
some more paper to dry your sea-weed on, if you
should not have enough; and you may gather as
much as you like."
170 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Agnes did not suffer this permission to lie dor-
mant ; and she gathered sea-weed of a great variety
of shades of pink, brown, green, black, and even
white ; as, however, she could not carry half the
quantity she had collected, her mother promised to
bring her back to the beach the following morning, if
the weather should be fine, when she might provide
herself with a basket.
They now found the tide coming in so rapidly
that they judged it most prudent to return ; though
Agnes, who was fond of excitement, would willingly
have gone on a little farther, in spite of the danger ;
which, indeed, was not very great, as the tide seldom
rises very high on the back of the Isle of Wight,
and there was a considerable space between the cliffs
and the shore. The billows, however, came in with
considerable force, and they brought with them a
piece of board that looked as if it had belonged to a
ship. Agnes picked it up, and found some Mussels
sticking to it ; one of which was attached by what
looked like a tuft of coarse brown thread ; but, when
she asked what it was, her mother smiled, and told
her it was the Byssus.
"The Byssus!11 cried Agnes: "I thought that
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
171
was produced by the Pinna, or Sea-wing. Don't
you remember, mamma, showing me a pair of gloves
made of the Bvssus of the Pinna at the British Mu-
seum ! I am sure you said the Pinna."
Fig. 22.
FRESH-WATER MUSSELS (Dreissena polymorpha).
"I remember it perfectly; but other shell-fish
produce Byssus besides the Pinna."
" Indeed ! and are gloves made of it ?"
172 GLIMPSES OP NATURE; OR,
" I believe not ; because it is not produced in other
shell-fish in sufficient quantities."
"Do not some Mussels produce pearls?" asked
Agnes.
" Those are the River Mussels," said Mrs. Merton.
" Remember that there are several kinds of Mussels :
as, for example, the River Mussel, or Unio, which
produces what are called British pearls, and which
is common in njany British rivers, particularly in
the Conway, in Wales, and in the Tay, in Scotland ;
the Sea Mussel, or Mytilus, the animal of which is
eaten, and which produces the Byssus; and the Horse
Mussel, or Modiola. The kind you have found,
however, belongs to none of these, as it is a fresh-
water species generally found in docks ; and it must
have adhered to some vessel that has been ship-
wrecked here soon after it left the dock in which
it had been repaired."
" Oh ! mamma, don't talk of shipwrecks," cried
Agnes, shuddering.
They had now reached a little terrace, raised to a
considerable height above the beach, where there was
a little shop, the proprietor of which sold fruit, and
also engravings of various kinds, in the manner which
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 1 73
seems fashionable at Shanklin; as the shops there
generally contain articles of the most heterogeneous
kinds. Here Mrs. Merton inquired the way to the
Chine, and they were directed to apply at a little
cottage a good way farther up the beach. They did
so ; and a most uncivil person came out, who, unlock-
ing a gate, told them to go through there, and then
left them to find their way how they could. They
went straight on along a narrow path, which was ex-
ceedingly slippery and disagreeable from the recent
rains, and they soon came to a place where the road
divided into two, and they did not know which way
to take. As Mrs. Merton was very much fatigued
by the want of sleep the previous night, Agnes ran
forward along one of the paths, while Mrs. Merton
waited her return. She soon came back, saying that
the path merely led to a seat ; but, as she descended
the hill, Mrs. Merton noticed that her shoe had
burst open behind, and that she had great difficulty
in keeping it on her foot.
" My dear Agnes," said her mother, " these shoes
were never intended for walking along such roads
as these. Why did you not put on your walking-
shoes r'
174 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Agnes looked at her feet in dismay ; for, alas !
the walking-shoes had been left at Black Gang Chine.
They had been very wet the preceding evening ; and
when they were brought up after being cleaned, they
felt so damp that Agnes begged to have them dried,
intending to put them on just before she came away ;
but this she had forgotten to do ; and her present
shoes, being totally unfit for walking on wet clayey
soil, had burst open in the manner described.
" What shall I do, mamma ? " said Agnes : "I
think I must try to fasten my shoe together with a
pin."
Mrs. Merton smiled and shook her head ; but, as
no better means presented themselves, the pin was
obliged to be used.
They now walked on very uncomfortably ; the pin
pricked Agnes every step she took ; and her shoe
was so loose that she had the greatest difficulty to
prevent it from falling off. She was, besides, en-
cumbered with her sea-weed, and some engravings
they had purchased at the little shop on the beach
for aunt Jane, though of these last her mamma soon
relieved her. Mrs. Merton, on her part, did not
feel much more inclined to enjoy the beauties of the
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 1 75
Chine than her poor little daughter, for the path
was very narrow, and was not only wet and slippery
from the recent rains, but in some places had given
way altogether, and been rudely propped up with
the branch of a tree, apparently just cut down for
the purpose. Several other paths also branched off
from that which appeared the principal one, and
thus the constant fear of having to retrace their
steps was mingled with their other troubles. What
is called a Chine in the Isle of Wight, means a
cleft in the rocks, which has been produced by the
action of a stream running through them, and thus,
wherever there is a Chine, there is always a stream
of water running into the sea. At Shanklin Chine
the cleft has penetrated to a considerable depth into
the rocks ; and thus a deep ravine is formed, on one
side of which the rock is almost perpendicular, while
on the other it shelves gently downward, and is co-
vered with trees and bushes, among which are a
few cottages very picturesquely placed. The cascade
is somewhat larger than that at Black Gang Chine ;
but still it possessed very little grandeur, and Mrs.
Merton and Agnes were both very glad when they
reached it to see a girl approaching with a key in her
176 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OB,
hand to let them out, as it was a proof that they had
nearly reached the end of the Chine. They had
still, however, a flight of broken, slippery steps to
ascend, after which they found themselves once more
on solid ground. Mrs. Merton's object was now to
get her little daughter a pair of shoes, or boots ; as,
though she generally wished Agnes to suffer a little
when she left anything behind from want of care, she
considered the melancholy scene they had witnessed
at Black Gang Chine was sufficient to excuse a little
forgetfulness. They therefore walked into the vil-
lage to find a shoe-shop; but this was a very difficult
task. They were first directed to a shop where the
people sold eggs and bacon, cheese and butter, in-
termixed with articles of haberdashery, and boots
and shoes ; but, unfortunately, there were none there
that fitted Agnes; and they had to walk a long
way on the dusty road, and even to pass through a
turnpike, before Agnes could obtain a pair of boots
to suit her ; but she could not help sighing as they
retraced their steps back to the inn, and frequently
exclaiming, " How glad I am, mamma, that we do
not live at Shanklin !"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 177
CHAPTER VIII.
Shanklin continued. — Siphonia, or Sea-Tulip. — Zoophytes. —
Sponges. — Corals. — Shells — Anomia — Scallop-shell — Cockle-
shell— Whelk — Solen, or Razor-shell — Mactra, or Kneading
Trough — Mya.
THE first thing Agnes thought of the following
morning was her mamma's promise to take her again
to the beach to pick up the shells and sea-weed
which she had been compelled to leave behind her
the preceding day. Mrs. Merton thought it prudent
to stay till the tide was in and had begun to turn, in
order that they might explore the cliffs as far as they
felt inclined without danger ; and it may be easily
guessed that Agnes grew rather impatient at the
length of time she had to wait. Fortunately, how-
ever, there was a beautiful little garden attached to
the inn, in which, with the aid of two or three dogs,
a kitten, and, what was better than all, a little girl
of about her own age, who was also travelling with
N
178 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
her parents through the island, Agnes contrived to
amuse herself till her mamma was ready. Before
proceeding to the beach it was necessary to purchase
a basket, and for this purpose they entered the bazaar
which they had seen the day before. Agnes had
some difficulty in finding a basket to suit her, as the
pretty ones were all far too small to hold the quan-
tity of sea-weed and other things she intended to*
bring from the beach ; and it was with the greatest
difficulty that her mamma could persuade her to be
satisfied with a basket of moderate size, though even
that Mrs. Merton feared when full would be much
too heavy for the little girl to carry. Just as they
were leaving the bazaar the woman showed them a
curious specimen of the Siphonia, or Sea- Tulip,
which she said had been picked up on the beach.
The siphonia was intermixed with various fossil re-
mains, and the whole presented so singular an appear-
ance that Agnes, who had never seen any thing of
the kind before, could talk of nothing else while they
were descending to the beach.
" What a curious thing the sea-tulip is," said
she. " Is it a plant, and are there any like it grow-
ing now f"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
179
" It is not a plant," said Mrs. Merton, " but a
zoophyte, and I believe it has only been found in a
fossil state."
Fig. 23.
MASS OF FOSSILS CONTAINING THE SIPHONIA, or SEA-TULIP.
" Zoophyte !" said Agnes ; " that is half a plant,
and half an animal, is it not, mamma ? "
" The word zoophyte," returned Mrs. Merton,
" signifies literally an animal plant ; and it was for-
180 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
raerly applied only to those singular creatures which
grew in the ground like plants, and were yet fur-
nished with tentacula or arms which they could
extend or contract so as to provide themselves with
food. But it is now used in a more enlarged sense,
and it includes various kinds of polypes, animalcules
and other animals of the lowest class. Some of these
creatures seem to consist merely of semitransparenf
jelly, and when disturbed they contract themselves
into almost shapeless lumps."
"Have I ever seen any of these animalcules?"
asked Agnes.
" You probably have without being aware of it,"
returned her mother : " for in summer when the sun
is warm they may generally be seen in ponds and
slowly running waters, looking like little lumps of
transparent jelly, and hanging to plants or any other
object that may be in the water."
" I think I have seen them, then," said Agnes ;
" but I had no idea that they were living creatures."
" And yet," returned her mother, " if you were to
take one of these jelly-like lumps, not larger than a
small pea, and examine it in a powerful microscope,
you would find that it possessed six or more arms,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OP WIGHT. 181
which it has the power of stretching out in an extra-
ordinary manner, so as to seize any insect that may
come in their way, and which they convey to an
opening in the centre of the polypus, which serves as
its mouth, and which leads directly to the stomach."
"Ah, mamma!" said Agnes, "then these crea-
tures are polypes. I have been frequently going to
ask you what kind of creatures they were, ever since
papa was reading to us that curious account of the
manner in which they form islands in the Australian
Seas. But surely,*" continued she, after thinking
for a moment, " these soft jelly-like looking animals
cannot possibly form any thing so hard as coral ! "
" It is, indeed," replied Mrs. Merton, " extremely
difficult for us to conceive that animals so simple and
jelly-like can form solid stone ; but the way in which
it is effected is, that the creature has the power of
depositing, in a solid form, the earthy matter which
is continually floating in the waters of the ocean,
and which it swallows with its daily food."
While Agnes and her mamma were thus speaking
they continued descending the cliffs till they came to
the part where the road turns, and leaves a little
level space before it again descends. Just at this
182 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
place they found an old woman sitting at a kind of
stall covered with shells and various kinds of fossils ;
and Agnes, whose curiosity was always easily excited,
stopped to look at them.
" I wish we could find any polypes here," said
she to her mamma.
" It is impossible," said Mrs. Merton, " to find
any here in a living state ; but you may see some of
their labours in these curious specimens of sponge."
"Sponge, mamma P cried Agnes. "Surely you
do not mean to say that the polypes form sponge as
well as coral !"
" Indeed I do," said Mrs. Merton, " for though
sponge was once supposed to be a marine plant, it
has long since been discovered to be an animal.
About the year 1752 a gentleman, named Ellis, was
at Brighton forming a collection of marine plants for
the instruction of some part of the Royal Family in
botany, and amongst other things he collected some
curious specimens of sponges, which he examined
through a powerful microscope with a view to obtain
a knowledge of some peculiarities which he consi-
dered necessary to be ascertained before they could
be properly classified. By this examination he disco-
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
183
vered that the sponges possessed a system of vessels
through which the sea-water circulated, and which
opened by means of innumerable pores. Subsequent
Fig. 24.
SPONGES.
examinations proved that what we call sponge may
be compared to the shell of the snail or the oyster,
and that it acts as a covering to the jelly-like animal
184 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
or animals which reside in it, being as necessary to
them as shells are to the molluscous animals. Mr.
Ellis, after making these discoveries, examined dif-
ferent kinds of coral, and found that they were also
furnished with pores containing animals, the tentacula
or feelers of which were continually expanding and
contracting as if seeking and seizing prey."
" How very curious !" cried Agnes ; " and what"
do these creatures live upon?"
" Probably," returned her mamma, u on some ani-
malcules contained in the water, the forms of which
are too minute to be visible to human eyes even
though aided by powerful microscopes."
" I can easily imagine they must be very small,"
said Agnes, " as the creatures which feed upon them
are so little themselves. But I think I have seen the
pores in the coral."
" I have no doubt you have," said Mrs. Merton ;
" the pores in some of the kinds of sponge are also
quite large enough to be visible to the naked eye."
"But where is sponge found, mamma?" asked
Agnes.
"It is generally collected from rocks in the sea,"
replied Mrs. Merton, "about twenty or thirty feet
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
185
deep, by divers, who in time become very expert in
obtaining it. It grows so rapidly, that it is said
rocks have been found covered with it that were com-
pletely cleared only two years before."
" What kinds of coral are these mamma f said
Agnes, picking up two or three pieces which lay upon
the stall.
Fig. 25.
CORALS.
" I do not know the names of all of them," said
Mrs. Merton ; " but I believe that kind which looks
as though it were formed of small beads is called the
chain coral, or Catenipora ; and that other kind which
186
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
appears covered with star-like flowers is called
Aulopora."
Agnes's attention was now caught by some shells,
Fig. 26.
SADDLE-SHAPED
ANOMIA.
and she begged her mamma to
purchase for her a beautiful little
Scallop-shell which was streaked
with reddish bands, delicately
shaded off into white ; and also
one of those shells which are
called Anomia. They then pro-
ceeded on their walk, and as
they descended the remaining
cliffs Agnes asked her mamma what the use was of
the hole in the upper valve of the anomia.
" It is that," said Mrs. Merton, " which has given
rise to the popular English name of the Antique
Lamp, by which the shell is generally known, as it re-
sembles the opening through which the flame of the
ancient lamps used to ascend ; but its real use is to
admit the passing through it of a strong muscle, at
the end of which is a calcareous mass, by means of
which the animal contained in the shell attaches itself
to the rocks. Where the creature has fixed itself, it
cannot be pulled off without killing it ; but when it
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 187
wishes, it possesses the power of drawing its muscle
into the shell so as to close the hole in the upper
valve with the calcareous mass, which exactly fits it."
Agnes did not reply to this, and after a short silence
her mamma asked her if she did not wish to know
any particulars respecting the other shell they had
purchased.
" Oh no !" said Agnes, carelessly, " as it is only a
common scallop, I suppose I know all that you can
tell me about that."
"Indeed!" said Mrs. Merton, "and pray may I
ask how much you do know about it 2"
Agnes was about to speak, but after considering a
moment, she hesitated, stammered, and at last said,
" it is such a common shell."
" But what particulars do you know about it ?" per-
sisted Mrs. Merton.
" Everybody knows a scallop-shell," said Agnes.
" Everybody may easily know it as well as you do
apparently," said Mrs. Merton ; " for the fact is that
you appear to know nothing of it but its name ; and
yet there are some particulars respecting the animal
of the pecten or scallop which are extremely interest-
ing. For instance, you are probably not aware that
188 GLIMPSES OP NATURE; OR,
it possesses the power of leaping ; and that a basket
full of scallops just caught, which was set down on the
beach, was found speedily emptied
of its contents by the pectens
springing out of it and returning
to the water. The animal of
the scallop has also the power of
making such frequent and sudden
contractions of its muscles as to
force itself rapidly forward through
SCALLOP SHELL. the w&ter; ^ ^^ & recent
writer on the subject tells us, that it requires con-
siderable agility to catch it as it flutters among the
corals where it dwells. The name of pecten, which
signifies a comb, was given to the scallop-shell from
a supposed resemblance in the fluting of the shell to
the teeth of a comb. The scallop-shell was formerly
.the badge of pilgrims who had been to the Holy
Land, and was worn on their caps and cloaks.*"
They had now reached the beach, and Agnes was
in such high spirits, that, though she was encumbered
with her large basket, she could not refrain from
running backwards and forwards several times, just as
we often see little dogs do, who never seem thoroughly
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 189
to enjoy a walk unless they are permitted to make it
twice or three times as long as it ought to be.
Agnes ran round a projecting cliff so that her
mother lost sight of her. She soon, however, came
running back with two or three Cockle-shells in her
hand. " Look mamma ! " cried she, " what I have
found!"
" Nothing very remarkable, certainly," said Mrs.
Merton, smiling ; " for I believe the cockle-shell is
common on the sea-beach in every part of the world.
Yet something interesting may be told even of this
common shell. In the first place it is what is called
a bivalve, that is, the shell is in two parts, or valves,
like those of the oyster and the scallop, the two parts
being united by a hinge, formed by two projecting
teeth in the centre, and two side teeth."
" But what do you call teeth, mamma !"
" Look, here are two projecting parts with a hollow
part between. The projecting parts are called the
teeth, and you see they are so placed that the teeth
of one valve fit into the hollow part of the other.
The creature, which is something like an oyster, and
is eaten, can open and shut these valves at pleasure,
and it can push out a long elbow-like part of its
190
GLIMPSES OP NATURE ; OR,
body and spring forward to a considerable distance
when it wishes to leave the sand and return to the
sea. Look, too, how delicately this valve that you
have found, is ribbed, and observe the form of the
shell. You see it bears some resemblance to a heart,
and hence the scientific name of the genus is Car-
dium, which signifies a heart."
Fig. 28.
Agnes now picked up'
another shell, and her
mother smiled when she
discovered that it was a
Whelk, or Buckle. "My
dear Agnes," said she,
" you certainly cannot
boast of finding any very
rare shells in your travels;
WHELK ( Buccinum Kurfofe.). for the whdk ig ^^ ^
common as the cockle. However, there is a material
difference between them, for the whelk, or buccinum,
is a univalve, that is, its shell is only in one part, like
that of the snail. Look at this shell, and you will
perceive a curious little notch at the lower end ; and
when there is this mark we know that the animal
inhabiting the shell is carnivorous, that is, it lives on
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 191
other creatures of its own kind. The common
garden snail, which, you know, lives on vegetables,
has no notch."
Agnes now saw several shells lying scattered about,
but she scarcely condescended to look at them, till at
last, one appeared so curious that she could not help
calling her mamma's attention to it. It was a long
narrow shell, something resembling the handle of a
pocket knife. What she picked up, however, was
only the half of what was evidently a bivalve-shell,
and to Agnes' s great annoyance, it was by no means
perfect. Mrs. Merton, however, told her that it was
what was called a Solen, or Razor-shell, or, some-
times, a Sheath-shell, from its resemblance to the
handle, or sheath of a razor. She also showed her
the hinge that united the two valves together, and
which, though very slight, was curiously formed.
While Mrs. Merton was speaking, Agnes saw
another shell nearly similar to the first, but smaller
and prettier, and the little girl ran with great delight
to pick it up. Just before she reached it, however,
she saw it raise itself on one end, and then instantly
disappear in the sand.
It is scarcely possible to express the astonishment
192
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
and almost terror which seized Agnes at this sight ;
and she ran back to her mamma almost too fright-
Fig. 29.
TRUNCATED GAPER.
SOLEN, OR RAZOR-SHELL.
COMMON COCKLE. THE KNEADING TROUGH.
ened to ask the cause of what she had seen. Her
mamma, however, explained to her that it was the
nature of the animals belonging to these shells to
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 193
bury theselves in the sand when they were alarmed ;
and she added, that the disappearance of the shell
was a certain proof that it was inhabited.
" Oh mamma ! " cried Agnes, " how I should like
to see the animal. Can^t we get it up out of the
sand without hurting it?"
" I am afraid not," said Mrs. Merton ; " for these
animals have been known sometimes to descend to
the depth of two feet, and I believe they generally
go at least a foot beneath the surface, which is a
greater depth than I could possibly dig to, with the
point of my parasol, and I have no other instrument
at hand."
" But then," cried Agnes, " how will the poor
solen return itself, for I suppose it will not always
remain buried in the sand ?"
" If you will look attentively," said Mrs. Merton,
" you will see that the solen has left a little hole, by
which he can return to the surface whenever he
thinks proper, which no doubt will be as soon as we
have disappeared ;" and, in fact, when Agnes looked
at the little narrow tube which the solen had left in
the sand, she fancied she could see some slight ap-
pearance of its shining pinkish shell in the hole. Her
194 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
mamma, however, would not suffer her to attempt to
get the shell out, lest she should destroy the tube, and
thus convert the poor solen's retreat into its tomb.
She, therefore, stood for some time looking at the
hole in silence ; and at last asked her mamma if there
was not any way of bringing the creature out with-
out injuring it.
" It is said," returned Mrs. Merton, " that when a*
fisherman wishes to catch one of these creatures alive,
he can bring it to the surface by throwing a little salt
down the tube ; but, strange to say, this plan is only
successful once, and the fisherman must be on the
watch to seize the shell the moment it makes its
appearance, as if the animal becomes alarmed and
descends a second time, the salt has no longer any
effect upon it, and no efforts on the part of the fisher-
man can induce it to rise again."
" How very curious!" said Agnes; " but I do hope
we shall find another of these creatures in time to
seize it. Are they common on this coast, mamma T
" Not very, I believe," said Mrs. Merton; "and I
think the kind of which you have the half valve is not
a British shell at all, but has been washed here from
some other country."
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 195
They now walked on, and Agnes picked up the
half of another bivalve shell, which her mother told
her was called Mactra, or the Kneading Trough,
from some fancied resemblance in the shape of the
shell to that utensil. As this shell was not very
beautiful, Agnes soon threw it away, but not before
her mamma had made her observe that one of the
teeth was shaped like the letter V.
" There are many shells,'" continued Mrs. Merton,
" which are of nearly the same outward shape as
this, and which can only be distinguished from each
other by some peculiarities in the teeth or hinge."
Agnes now picked up another half of a bivalve
shell, which she at first thought was another mactra,
as the two shells bore considerable resemblance to
each other ; but when Mrs. Merton told her to look
at the hinge she found that instead of being in the
shape of a V there was a curious projection resem-
bling a small spoon, which her mother told her fitted
into a corresponding hollow in the other valve.
" This shell," continued Mrs. Merton, " is one of
the kind called Gapers, because the two valves, in-
stead of closing, are always open or gaping at one
end : they are so far apart, indeed, as to admit of
196 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
a large tube, containing two smaller ones, to pass
through the opening. This tube the animal can
draw into the shell at pleasure; but generally when
the creature buries itself in the sand it allows its tube
just to reach the surface in order that it may take
its food by means of the small tubes within the
large one. In some cases the animal buries itself so
deeply in the sand that it is obliged to elongate its *
tube to an extraordinary length, in order to make it
reach the surface ; but in other cases the tube is very
short. The scientific name of this shell is Mya ; and
the animal belonging to it is eaten in some parts of
the world as an article of food."
Agnes now began to gather sea-weed and pebbles,
and she had soon collected a large quantity of both
to put in her basket, which she had placed on the
beach while she filled it ; this she did most effectively,
for several times when it appeared full she contrived
by dint of shaking and pressing to make it hold a
little more. At last, however, she seemed satisfied
that her basket was full, and she attempted to lift it
up and carry it after her mamma, who had now
turned, and was walking slowly back towards the
village. Mrs. Merton was absorbed in thought, and
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 197
as her back was turned towards Agnes, she was
quite unconscious of the trouble of the little girl,
who was trying" in vain with all the strength she
could muster to raise the basket. But all her efforts
were in vain, the basket was far too heavy for her ;
and after a powerful but useless struggle, fearing that
her mamma would leave her behind, as she had
already lost sight of her behind one of the projecting
cliffs, poor Agnes uttered a cry so full of trouble and
almost despair that her mamma came running back,
terrified lest some dreadful accident had happened to
her darling. When she found what was really the
matter, she could scarcely help laughing at poor
Agnes's dilemma, and she put an end to it by empty-
ing the contents of the basket on the beach, and
helping Agnes to refill it with only a few of the
stones and shells, and the lightest and prettiest of
the sea- weed, with which they returned to the inn.
198 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
CHAPTER IX.
Sandown Bay. — Culver Cliff.— Sandown Fort.— High Flood.—
Girl and Dog. — Poultry. — Hares. — Butterflies. — Ichneumon,
Fly. — Myrtles. — Brading. — Bembridge. — St. Helen's. — Arrival
at Ryde.
THE next morning was rather cooler than any day
since the Mertons had been in the Isle of Wight ;
and Agnes felt the want of her little pink handker-
chief round her neck. She did not like to complain,
however, as she was aware it was entirely her own
fault that the handkerchief had been lost ; and so she
bore the cold as well as she could, without saying a
word about it. The road they were travelling com-
manded a beautiful view of Sandown Bay and Culver
Cliff, on which last, Mr. Merton told Agnes, was
formerly erected a beacon to warn the inhabitants
when any danger was apprehended of an invasion
from France, as this was the part of the Island that
approached nearest to that country.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 199
" The Isle of Wight was once invaded by the
French,11 said Mrs. Merton, " but I believe it was in
the reign of Henry V."
" It was invaded several times previously to that
period," said Mr. Merton, " and also, I believe, once
or twice in the reign of Henry VI. ; and it was to
repel these invasions," continued he, pointing to San-
down Fort, " that the fort we see before us was
erected in the time of Charles I. ; but we now trust
to our shipping as our best protection. The only bed
of coal that is worth working in the Isle of Wight,
is in Culver Cliff."
They now approached the river, which flows in-
land from Brading Haven, and which had greatly
overflowed its banks ; but Agnes was very much
amused to see a little robin redbreast sitting on a
stone in the middle of the water, looking as saucy
and unconcerned as possible. A little farther on they
approached the deep part of the water ; and here the
driver told Mrs. Merton and Agnes to sit as steadily
as possible, for the current was flowing with great vio-
lence, and the horse might be carried off his feet.
They did as he desired, and soon reached the oppo-
site bank in safety. They had scarcely done so,
200 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
when Agnes' attention was attracted by a little girl
who was standing on the high bank just beyond the
water, weeping bitterly. It was easy to guess the
cause of her grief, for in the water lay the body of a
little dog, which appeared to have been dashed by
the current against some large stones near which it
lay. They were all sorry for the poor little girl, and
Mrs. Merton, telling the driver to stop, asked the.
little girl if it was her dog that she was crying
over.
" No, it was not mine," said the child, " it was
master's ; but it loved me, and I have nothing to love
me now."
Mrs. Merton entered into conversation with the
girl, and learnt from her that she was an orphan,
and had been bound an apprentice by the parish to a
neighbouring farmer. The dog that lay dead before
them had been her playfellow and companion, and
the poor girl's sorrow at its loss was the greater as
she had nothing to supply its place in her affections.
As, however, it was impossible to restore it to life,
Mrs. Merton thought the best thing that could be
done was to change the current of the child's ideas,
and accordingly gave her a shilling, which effectually
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 201
answered the purpose intended ; for the little girl,
who had never been mistress of so much money
before, instantly dried her tears, and ran off, leaving
Agnes very indignant at her, for suffering herself to
be so easily consoled.
They now passed a farm-house, which both Mrs.
Merton and Agnes thought might possibly belong to
the master of the little girl ; and they noticed some
remarkably fine poultry feeding at the door of the
barn.
" I have noticed in passing through the Island,'1
said Mrs. Merton, " that the poultry is remarkably
fine everywhere, and that it is apparently very abun-
dant."
" One reason," said Mr. Merton, "is no doubt the
fact, that there are neither badgers nor pole-cats in
the Island, and till lately there were no foxes; but
these have been now introduced for the sake of hunt-
ing them."
" The inhabitants of the Isle of Wight," said Mrs.
Merton smiling, " appear to have been very badly off
with regard to the rural sports, for at one time, I
believe, no hares were to be found here. At least I
remember reading somewhere, that the same Sir
ZOZ GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Edward Horsley, whose tomb we saw at Newport,
was so anxious to introduce hares here, that he gave
a fat lamb for every hare that was brought over from
the mainland alive."
" Oh ! look mamma," cried Agnes, interrupting
her mother, " what a beautiful butterfly ! Surely that
is quite different from those we saw the other day."
" You are quite right," said her mother, " it is dif-
ferent ; and it is very extraordinary that it should be
here at all, as it is generally found only in low marshy
places."
" I have heard, however," said Mr. Merton, " of
its being found in the neighbourhood of Dover on the
chalk cliffs, and, therefore, it is not very surprising
that we should meet with it here."
" But what is the name of this butterfly, mammal"
said Agnes.
" It is called the Marbled-white, or Marmoress,"
said Mrs. Merton, " but I think it is a variety a
little different from the common kind."
" Look, mamma !" said Agnes, " there it is again,
sitting on that bough with its wings closed. How
very odd it is that butterflies should always sit in
that queer position !"
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
203
"It is their attitude of repose," said Mrs. Mer-
ton. " They sit in that position when they are
asleep, and they are even found in it when they
are dead."
"It is very curious," said Agnes, " that they
should be so very fond of displaying the under side of
Fig. 30.
THE MARBLED-WHITE BUTTERFLY, or MARMORESS
(Hippurchia Galathea).
their wings ; and it is still more curious that the un-
der side should be so very different from the upper
204 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
side. How is it, mamma ? I should have thought
in wings so thin as those of the butterfly, that the
colours would shine through."
" The marks on the butterfly's wing," said Mrs.
Merton, " are composed of a number of delicate little
scales, laid over each other like the feathers of birds ;
and there are two different sets of scales for every
wing, one covering the upper, and the other the
under side. If you lay hold of a butterfly by its
wings, you will find that some of these delicate little
scales will adhere to your fingers, on which they will
look like fine dust, and that the membrane of the
wing from which they were brushed will be laid bare ;
just as the skin of a bird would be if you were to
pluck off its feathers."
" Ah, mamma," cried Agnes, " there is another
butterfly, which appears to me quite different from
the other."
" Yes," said Mrs. Merton, " that is the Clouded-
Yellow, a very common butterfly in every part of
England, and, I believe, in almost every part of the
world. It is, however, rather capricious in its visits,
as every three or four years a season occurs when not
one of these butterflies is to be seen ; while, perhaps,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 205
the next season they are so abundant as to lie dead
under every hedge."
" Several other kinds of insects," said Mr. Mer-
ton, " have the same peculiarity. Some years cock-
chafers are so abundant as to be quite a pest, though,
Fig. 31.
THE CLOUDED- YELLOW BUTTERFLY (Colias Edusa).
perhaps, the next season they are rarely to be met
with. Entomologists have been puzzled to account
for these changes ; but with regard to the butterflies,
their abundance or scarcity is said to depend chiefly
on the number of ichneumons."
" Ichneumons !" cried Agnes, " I thought they
were only found in Egypt."
" I do not mean the animal that destroys the eggs
206
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
of the Crocodile on the banks of the Nile," said Mr.
Merton, " but a kind of fly which lays its eggs in the
living bodies of caterpillars. "
" Ah !" said Agnes, " I think you have told me of
this fly before, mamma. I remember it now."
Fig. 32.
ICHNEUMON FLY ON A FLORET OF THE FLOWERING RUSH.
" Yes," said Mrs. Merton, " I remember describ-
ing to you the Ichneumon that lays its eggs in the
caterpillar of the Cabbage Butterfly ; but there are
several kinds, and there, I think, is one quite dis-
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 207
tinct hovering round the florets of that Flowering
Rush."
She told the driver to stop ; and Agnes distinctly
saw the Ichneumon her mother had alluded to.
They now passed a pretty little cottage with a
large myrtle trained against it; and Mrs. Merton
remarked how very few similar specimens they had
seen of the mildness of the climate. " I remember,
when I was a girl," said she, " having heard so much
of the myrtles of the Isle of Wight, that I expected
to find the whole island a complete green-house ; but,
the fact is, we have seen much fewer myrtles here
than we did last year in Devonshire."
Soon after they arrived at the little town of Brad-
ing ; and Mrs. Merton and Agnes went to visit the
Church, while Mr. Merton rested for an hour or two
at the inn. As they entered the church-yard, they
saw, to their great joy, their old acquaintance Mr.
Bevan, whom they had not seen before since they
left Carisbrook Castle. He told them he had been
staying at Newport ; but that he had now come to
Brading to see the Church, which was the oldest in
the island, part of it being said to have been built
in the year 704. " It is also large for the Isle of
208 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Wight, which is remarkable for the smallness of its
churches," continued he ; " and it contains some cu-
rious old tombs of the Oglanders, the founder of
whose family came over with William the Conqueror ;
also the original of the epitaph which has been so
often quoted, beginning : 4 Forgive, blest shade ! the
tributary tear* — I do not remember the rest, but the
words are doubtless familiar to you."
As he was speaking, a woman came up, and asked
if the party wished to see the church. The old gen-
tleman replied that they did. " Because," said she,
dropping a curtsy, " my husband, as keeps the key,
is gone out with the key in his pocket, and won't
be home ""till night."
Mrs. Merton and Agnes could not help laughing
at the woman, who gave this intelligence with the
air of one who is communicating something pecu-
liarly agreeable, and which she means to be remark-
ably civil ; but the old gentleman did not take it so
quietly : on the contrary, he went into a passion,
and ordered the woman to send for her husband im-
mediately. She said she did not know where to
find him, and curtsying again, walked off. The
rage of the old gentleman was now excessive : his
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 209
face became quite red; he stamped, and shook his
fist at the woman ; till, happening accidentally to
cast his eyes on Agnes, he was evidently struck at
the expression of her countenance, and felt ashamed
of having exposed himself so much before a lady and
a child. He stopped, pushed his wig back into its
place, — as it had been disordered by his vehemence,
— and began to apologise ; but, as he saw Mrs. Mer-
ton looked grave, he stopped suddenly. He then
endeavoured to turn their attention to another sub-
ject, and began speaking of Brading Haven.
" The sea here," said he, " spreads over a piece of
land eight or nine hundred acres in extent, which,
tradition tells us, was formerly partly covered with
an extensive oak forest, in which the Druids per-
formed their rites. In the centre of the forest was a
stone-cased well, in which Merlin, who was a power-
ful magician, had confined a troublesome water-spirit;
and the exact situation of this well was kept a secret,
as it was said, that if ever the lid was raised, ruin to
the whole country round would follow. The time of
the Druids passed away, and all memory of the well
was lost, till the time of William the Conqueror, when
the Norman knight, Fitz Osborne, who subdued the
210 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
island and reigned over it as an independent sovereign,
gave this tract of land to one of his followers, Robert
Okelandro. This knight, being fond of hunting, de-
termined to clear away the underwood in the forest,
and in doing so he discovered the enchanted well, and
ordered its cover to be removed that it might be
filled up ; some of the oldest inhabitants of the place
remonstrated ; but he would be obeyed ; the cover
was taken off, and the waters rushed up with such
force as to overwhelm the whole district, and to
drown the adventurous knight and several of his
attendants."
Mrs. Merton thanked the old gentleman for re-
lating this legend, and asked him if the harbour was
not useful for shipping.
" No," returned he ; " it is too shallow to bear
anything but a small boat, even when the tide is
in ; and when it is out it is only a mass of mud.
In the reign of James I. Sir Hugh Middleton, the
same who first supplied London with water, con-
tracted with some Dutchmen to embank this spot,
and redeem it from the sea ; but after upwards of
seven thousand pounds had been expended, a furious
tide made a breach in their bank, and the land being
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 211
again overflowed, they were at length compelled to
give up the project in despair."
The old gentleman now howed and took his leave,
and Mrs. Merton returned his salutation very coldly,
as she had been disgusted with the violent rage he
had displayed, and which was so unbefitting his age
and general intelligence. Agnes was also quite hurt
to find him so very different from what she had
expected. "I never could have believed he would
have behaved so ; his appearance was so respectable,"
said she.
" My dear Agnes," returned her mother ; " this
is your first experience in that important lesson in
life — that it is always dangerous to place much re-
liance on appearances."
They now returned to the inn, where they found
the carriage waiting ; on the road they stayed a mo-
ment to look again at Bradiiig Haven, with the little
town of Bembridge, forming the southern point of the
harbour, and approaching nearly to the pretty village
of St. Helenas at its northern point. Mrs. Merton
was anxious to pass through St. Helen's, as she
wanted to show Agnes the old church-tower which
is now washed by the sea, though it is said to have
212 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
been once a mile from it, and the green, round which
the houses of the village are built ; but as Mr. Mer-
ton was far from well, she thought it advisable to
proceed to Ryde as speedily as possible, and after a
very dull ride, only varied by the beautiful view from
St. John's of the town of Ryde, they arrived at that
place, and drove to the Pier Hotel.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 213
CHAPTER X.
Ryde. — Handsome Shops. — Binstead. — Wootton Bridge. — New-
port.— East Cowes. — Horse Ferry. — Steam Boat. — Anns of
the German Empire. — Return home.
RYDE, the Guide-books tell us, was only a few
years ago a small fishing village ; but if this really
was the case, it seems almost to have rivalled Alad-
din^s palace in rapidity of growth, for it is now a
large and flourishing town. The streets are wide,
and the shops are splendid. The pier is also long
and large ; and the view of Portsmouth, with its har-
bour full of shipping, and Spithead with its nu-
merous men-of-war, is very striking. Agnes was,
however, most pleased with the shops full of shells,
which she found near the hotel ; the shells being
marked at prices so low as to be quite astonishing.
Some very nice specimens of Haliotis, or Sea-ear,
were marked only a penny each, and others were
equally cheap. Above all things, there were mi-
GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Fig. 33.
RYDE PIER.
merous specimens of articles from the Royal George,
a very large ship, which everybody knows sunk
while lying at anchor at Spithead, about sixty years
ago, and the remains of the wreck of which have
been lately brought up by the exertions of Major-
General Pasley. The Bazaar at Ryde reminded
Agnes of the Burlington Arcade ; and everything in
the town appeared so comfortable, and in such a
superior style to any other place they had seen in the
island, that Agnes at last said she thought she should
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 215
like to live at Ryde almost as well as in London.
She was also very much delighted with a stroll on
the beach, where she picked up some shells, though
she found nothing very valuable. At last she found
a mussel-shell that she was sure was not common, as
it was quite different from anything she had ever
seen before ; and, on showing it to her mother, she
was delighted to find that it was indeed very rare.
Fig. 34.
RIBBED MUSSEL (Myrtilus crenulatus).
" It is a native of the West Indies," said Mrs.
Merton ; " and must have adhered to some ship
from that country, which has chanced to come into
Portsmouth Harbour."
216 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Agnes now admired her treasure more than ever,
for, like many persons much older than herself, she
valued things by their rarity rather than their
beauty.
The party did not leave Ryde till rather a later
hour than usual, and when they did they took the
road to Newport as Mr. Merton thought it necessary
to return to that town for his letters. The first
place that attracted their attention on their road
was Binstead, where they bestowed a passing glance
on a lovely little thatched cottage which stood em-
bosomed in a wood, and nestling in the hollow formed
by an old stone quarry, from which, it is said, the
stone used in building Winchester Cathedral was
taken. The church at Binstead is very pretty, but
they did not stop to visit it ; and they passed also,
without stopping, the turn which led to the ruins of
Quarr Abbey, once the richest and largest monastery
in the Island, its walls having enclosed a space of
thirty acres in extent. They now saw at a distance
what appeared to be a very large lake, or rather
inland sea, which, when they approached, they found
was crossed by a bridge along which lay their road.
The lower part of this noble sheet of water forms
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 21 7
a broad estuary, called Fishbourne Creek, which
spreads out from the bridge, gradually widening till
it reaches the sea: but the part above the bridge,
which is known by the name of the Wootton river,
looked like a vast mirror set in a verdant frame.
Nothing could be more calm and still than this
broad expanse of water, reflecting in its glassy bosom
the sloping banks which rose on each side ; here
covered with a carpet of smooth turf, and there
sprinkled with trees with spreading branches, hang-
ing down to the water's edge. The rich verdure
of this part of the Isle of Wight affords a striking
contrast to the naked and barren rocks at the back
of the island ; and Agnes gazed at the present scene
with the more pleasure, as she liked naturally the
luxuriant and beautiful, better than the wild and
grand.
They had scarcely crossed the bridge when one
of the traces broke which fastened the horse to the
carriage. The accident was of no great consequence,
as the driver had some string with him, with which
he told them he could easily contrive to tie the
broken parts together ; but as they found the ope-
ration would take some time, Mrs. Merton and
218 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
Agnes agreed to walk on. The country they were
now passing through looked somewhat barren, as,
in fact, it formed part of Wootton Common ; but
Agnes did not dislike this, notwithstanding her
love for verdant scenery, as it reminded her of the
moors of Scotland and their fragrant heather ; and
though she was an English girl (having been born at
Bayswater) she loved everything Scotch, as she had
many dear friends in that country. She therefore
ran gaily to and fro, gathering wild flowers and
bringing them to her mother, who walked more
steadily and slowly along the regular path. In one
place Agnes had made rather a longer excursion than
usual, and she returned slowly, holding something
carefully between her two hands.
" What have you there?" asked her mother, when
she approached near enough to be heard.
" Oh I mamma," cried Agnes, " I have found some
of the most beautiful beetles I ever saw in my life.
Do look how brilliantly they are marked with scarlet
and white ! They must be something very rare and
curious, I should think."
" No, they are by no means uncommon ; and they
are called Tiger beetles, from their savage nature ;
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
219
for they are carnivorous, and devour all the weaker
insects that fall in their way."
" How sorry I am to hear that ! Who could have
thought that such beautiful
creatures could be cruel?
But may I put them in a
piece of paper, mamma, and
take them home 2"
" I am afraid you would
then be as cruel as the
beetles, and with less ex-
cuse ; as they devour other
insects for food, and you
would torture them for no
purpose, but to gratify a
passing wish."
" But, mamma, Aunt
Jane and Aunt Mary both
have collections of insects ; and I am sure they are
not cruel ; and you know I have some moths and
butterflies at home that Aunt Mary gave me."
" Your aunts are both entomologists, and have
made collections of insects for scientific purposes ;
besides, they know how to kill the insects they take
TIGER BEETLES (Cicindela).
220 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
without giving them much pain ; but you would only
torture these poor beetles by keeping them alive a
day or two without food, or, at any rate, in a miser-
able place of confinement."
" Very well, mamma," cried Agnes ; " then I will
set them free, and take them back to where I found
them ;" and she ran off as fast as possible. When
she returned, almost out of breath, her mamma*
laughed at her for taking so much trouble. " If you
had put the beetles down here," said she, " they
would soon have found their way back, if they had
wished to do so ; for they are remarkably active,
and their legs are so long, in proportion to their
bodies, that, I think, they can even run faster than
you can. So you have given yourself quite unneces-
sary trouble."
" Oh ! I don^t mind that," cried Agnes ; "I like
running."
" So I perceive," said Mrs. Merton, smiling ; " for
you are like a little spaniel, you run two or three
times over the same ground."
Mrs. Merton had scarcely finished speaking when
Agnes darted off again, like lightning, and soon
came back, bringing with her some shells. " Now,
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 221
mamma," said she, " I think I have really found
something that is rare : you always say the things
I find are so common ; but I am sure these snails
are very different from any I ever saw before."
" I am sorry to say, however, that they are found,
in great abundance, in many places ; and sometimes
they appear so suddenly, and in such immense quan-
tities, as to give rise to the idea that they must have
fallen from the clouds. I do not know their popular
name, but naturalists call them Helix virgata. They
are remarkable for the thinness of their shells, and
they are so small that two or three have been found
adhering to a single blade of grass."
" Ah ! mamma," cried Agnes, laughing, " one
might almost fancy you saw me pick up these very
shells ; for I found them both sticking to one blade
of grass, and I was quite delighted with their thin,
delicate shells. I am only sorry they are so common."
" To console you, I must add that they are only
common in the South of England, in warm, open situa-
tions ; and they are generally found in company with
the other little shell you have in your hand. That
is called Bulimus articulatus : and both kinds are
found in such quantities on the downs in the South
222 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
of England, that they are said to give the sheep that
feed on the downs their peculiar flavour; as the
sheep eat them with every blade of grass they take."
" I remember the name of Bulimus" said Agnes.
" I think we saw some shells called by that name
a. b, Helix virgata. c, d. Bulimus urticulatus.
in the splendid collection of Mr. Cuming, that you
told me laid eggs as large as a pigeon's ; and, indeed,
we saw some of the eggs.51
u That was a species of Bulimus only found in the
torrid zone ; but the genus is a very extensive one.
and, I believe, contains nearly a hundred and fifty
species."
They now heard the wheels of the carriage, and
stood still till it overtook them. They were soon
seated, and advanced rapidly over a very fertile
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 223
country, till they came in sight of the Medina ;
which looked like a silver riband, winding through
the country in a broad line of shining light. Agnes
was delighted to see this river again, as it appeared
to her like an old friend. " I am quite satisfied,
now," said she, " that we have been all round the
island ; for here, I find, we have arrived at the same
point from which we set out."
" The Medina,"" said Mr. Merton, " rises at the
foot of St. Catherine's Down, near Black Gang Chine ;
and it divides the island so nearly into two equal
parts that it is said to derive its name from the Latin
word media, which signifies the middle."
44 And it is very singular," observed Mrs. Merton,
" that, as the Medina forms a central line of division
across the island from north to south, so there is a
central chain of hills which stretches across it from
east to west, and cuts off what is called the back of
the island from the northern part. Newport is the
capital of the whole, and is now the only place in
the island which returns members to Parliament ;
though formerly Newtown, which is a hamlet, and
Yarmouth, which, you know, is only a very small
town, returned also two members each."
224 GLIMPSES OF NATURE; OR,
They now arrived at Newport, and while Mr.
Merton was enquiring for his letters, Mrs. Merton
informed Agnes that in the school-room of the Free
Grammar School of this town, the conferences were
held between Charles I. and the Commissioners ap-
pointed by Parliament, which lasted forty days, and
ended in the determination of the Commissioners to
bring that unhappy King to the scaffold.
" Did the Isle of Wight suffer much during the
civil war ? " asked Agnes.
" No," replied Mrs. Merton, " but it was remark-
able at this period for the heroism displayed by the
Countess of Portland, whose husband had been
Governor of the Island, and who defended the Cas-
tle at Carisbrook against the militia of Newport,
who were directed by the Parliament to assail it.1'
As soon as Mr. Merton had finished his business
at Newport, they took the road to East Cowes, fol-
lowing the course of the Medina, and passing by
East Cowes Castle on their route. As soon as they
arrived at the ferry at East Cowes, the driver hailed
the horseferry boat, and Agnes had an opportunity of
seeing the manner in which it was worked by a rope
across the river. They drove into the boat without
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 225
getting out of the carriage, and drove out again in
the same manner, when they reached the landing-
place at West Cowes, and proceeded immediately to
the pier, where they found a steam-boat just ready to
start. While Mr. Merton was paying the driver,
and Mrs. Merton was superintending the removal
of the luggage, Agnes's attention was attracted by
the appearance of the young Londoner whom they
had first met with at Freshwater, and afterwards
seen shipwrecked at Black Gang Chine ; but he was
wonderfully changed since they saw him last. He
was now pale and exhausted, and sitting on a chair,
in which he was carried on board by two men, and
immediately taken down into the cabin, where he re-
mained during the voyage. He was followed by his
Newfoundland dog, who also looked sadly changed
since the day Agnes patted his head on the beach at
Freshwater, where she had seen him first. Agnes
was so deeply interested in watching this young man
and his dog, that she did not perceive that her
mamma had gone into the packet-boat, and Mrs.
Merton, who was afraid lest Mr. Merton would
over-fatigue himself, did not perceive that she was
standing on the shore ; and thus Agnes was in im-
Q
226 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
minent danger of being left behind, for the men had
actually began to remove the board, when she saw
her danger and cried out to them to stay. The men
laid down the board again, and Agnes ran hastily
down it, but the steam-boat was already in motion ;
and Agnes would have been precipitated into the
sea, if one of the seamen had not caught her in his
arms and lifted her on board. The. wind and tide
were both in their favour, and the steam-boat pro-
ceeded so rapidly, that when Agnes had sufficiently
recovered herself to think of looking for the sea-nettles,
she found that the packet was going too fast for her
to see one of them. They soon arrived at Calshot
Castle and passed it close by ; and, as they now pro-
ceeded a little more leisurely up the river, Agnes
began to look round at her fellow-passengers. Im-
mediately in front of her, sat an old gentleman with
a small book in his hand ; and when he opened it,
several engravings flew out. Agnes instantly ran to
pick them up ; and when she returned them to the
old gentleman, he thanked her, and asked her if she
knew what one of the engravings represented.
Agnes answered that she saw it was a coat of
arms, but she did not know to whom it belonged.
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 227
" It represents the arms of Austria," said the old
man, " and it is now just a thousand years since the
present family ascended the throne."
" Indeed !" exclaimed Agnes.
" Yes," said the old gentleman. " The German
monarchy dates from the treaty of Verdun, signed in
843, by which the dominions of Charlemagne were
divided amongst his three sons ; but these arms were
not assumed all at once ; on the contrary they con-
tain an epitome of the history of the German Empire
if understood rightly. Shall I explain them to
you 2 "
Agnes gladly assented, and he continued. " The
eagle has been, from the earliest ages, the emblem of
the German monarchy ; and there is an old tradition
which states that at the battle of Teutoberg, two
Roman eagles were taken, one black and the other
white. The Germans retained the black eagle in
memory of their victory, and gave the white one to
their allies the Poles ; and hence the arms of Poland
bear the white eagle to this day."
" But why has the eagle two heads ?" asked
Agnes.
41 That is an emblem that Italy was added to
228 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
Germany, and thus the eagle is represented with
two heads and with two crowns. The eagle also
bears in one claw a globe, signifying that it wields
imperial power, surmounted by a cross, the emblem
Fig. 37.
ARMS OF GERMANY.
of Christianity; and in the other a sceptre headed
by a lance-head, the emblem of power and might."
" But why are there so many coats of arms on the
eagle ? "
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 229
" The German empire was elective, and the arms
borne on the eagle are those of the seven electorates
out of whom the emperor was to be chosen. Three
of them are archbishops who possess regal power in
their separate dominions, and their arms are con-
tained in one shield; and the other four are counts of
the empire, or kings, and their arms are in the other
shield. The archbishops are those of Mentz, Treves,
and Cologne ; and the temporal lords are the Count
of Brandenburg, the King of Saxony, the Elector
Palatine, and the King of Bavaria."
" And what is the meaning of their arms ? "
" The first Archbishop of Mentz, whose name was
Willige, was the son of a wheelwright ; and one
day a person thinking to mortify him, drew a rude
picture of a wheel on the door of his palace and
wrote under it: —
* Forget not Willige,
What thine origin is ! '
" 'Forget it,' cried the worthy prelate, 'No, I don't
wish to forget it, and what 's more no one else shall ;'
and he ordered a white wheel on a black ground to
be adopted for his arms ; and this wheel has been
230 GLIMPSES OF NATURE ; OR,
borne in the arms of the Archbishops of Mentz ever
since."
At this moment Mr. and Mrs. Merton approached,
and thanked the gentleman for his kindness to their
little daughter.
" But I have not explained all the coat of arms to
her yet," said he ; " and when I have done I will
give her one of the engravings to keep that she may
remember what I have told her."
Agnes thanked him, and he continued. " The
arms of the Archbishop of Treves exhibit a red
cross on a white field, in remembrance of the fiery
cross which is said to have fallen from Heaven into
the middle of the city of Treves, a representation of
which, in stone, still adorns the market-place ; and
the arms of Cologne are a black cross on a white
field, in commemoration of the first Archbishop of
Cologne having come from the East, a black cross
being borne by the Eastern priesthood. This finishes
the arms of the spiritual lords."
" That is, the archbishops," said Agnes.
" Right ; but I am sorry I cannot explain the
others so fully : the arms of Brandenburg have a red
eagle on a white field ; those of Saxony two crossed
A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 231
swords on a black and white ground ; those of the
Palatinate a red lion on a golden field ; and those of
Bavaria chequers of blue and white."
" What do the two flags mean !w
" They are the banners of Germany, and they are
black, red, and golden yellow. The red was first
adopted by the immediate successors of Charle-
magne, whose body-guards were clad in that colour ;
the black was added by the House of Saxony, when
it attained imperial honours, the family colours of
Saxony being black and white; and the golden yellow
alludes to the Swabian emperors, whose dynasty has
been called the golden age of the German empire."
The old gentleman here concluded, and Mr. Mer-
ton complimented him on the knowledge he possessed
of the subject.
" I am interested in it," said he, " because I am a
native of Germany, though I have now lived a long
time in England. It is more than thirty years since
I saw my native land ; but still my heart warms
whenever I hear anything relating to the scenes of
my youth."
" We can sympathize with you," said Mr. Mer-
ton, " for Agnes has an uncle and two aunts in
232 GLIMPSES OF NATURE.
Poland, who no doubt feel the same when they hear
anything of Great Britain.""
They were now interrupted by the arrival of the
steam-boat at Southampton, or "Souton," as the sailors
called it, and getting a porter to carry their luggage
they proceeded directly to the terminus of the rail-
way. A train was just going off; so they took their
places and in about three hours reached London*.
Another half hour carried them to Bayswater, where
they found Aunt Jane waiting for them ; and when
she heard Agnes recount the various things she had
seen, she felt, like her little niece, that it was diffi-
cult to believe so much could possibly have happened
in so short a space of time.
PRHTTES by S. & J, BENIXZY, WILSON, and FLI
Bangor House, Shoe Lane.
PUBLISHED BV
GRANT AND GEIFFITH,
(SUCCESSORS TO JOHN HARRIS,)
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ISubltstJefc tj? iffirraut antr ®rifetlj.
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tf uWfoljdi fcfi iffirant anfc ©riffitft.
STORIES OF EDWARD AND
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in a Series of Instructive Tales. By
WILLIAM TELL AND HOFER
the Rev. W. FLETCHER. Second
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ANECDOTES OF PETER THE
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THE RIVAL CRUSOES: also, A
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WELCOME VISITOR ; or, The
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1. TOM THUMB ; his Life and
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D PERCINET;
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30. TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM
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31. TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM
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Drawings by GILBEET. Engravings by LANDELLS. Editedby H. MAYHEW.
LONDON : Printed by S. & J. BEXTLEY, WILSON, and FLEY, Bangor House, Sho<
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