may always be determined by the red appearance they diffuse over the surface of the water from the hue of their fins. It is not, however, merely as an article of trade that the pilchards are important to the inhabitants of St. Ives; they constitute the chief article of the food of the lower orders of its inhabitants, who suffer much from the scarcity of this essential part of their diet. Do not suppose, however, that I mean to assert their bill of fare should be confined to pilchards alone. No: the inhabitants of Cornwall are ingenious cooks, and convert many things into viands, which less oeconomical people would waste or disregard. As a proof of this, take the following anecdote which occurred here a few months since, and was told us by an authority that we could not resist.

The Cornish people, you know, are remarkably fond of pies; indeed they have a proverb expressive of this partiality, for it is said, "if a Cornish "man were to catch the Devil, he would put him in "a pie." A Cockney traveller, who had a mind to see the world, strayed down as far as St. Ives in his tour. He entered a public-house there in the even

ing, and called for supper. "Have you any beef "for a steak?" "No!" "Any veal for a cutlet?" "No!' "Any mutton for a chop?" "No!' "What, no meat?'

No! an please your

6

honour, except a nice lammy-pie, which was 6 baked to-day' The traveller, ravenous as the grave, licked his lips at the prospect of so nice a thing as a cold lamb-pie, and ordered it up. Hunger was his sauce; he ate heartily, and relished his meal exceedingly.-He passed the night in horrors, but had no idea they arose from the indigestible quality of his supper till the next morning, when he was about to mount his horse: Well, sir,' said the ostler, seeing he was a stranger, 'how did you like mistress's lammy-pie last night?' "Excellent," replied he; " 'twas the best lamb I "ever tasted." Lord love ye,' returned John, it was not that: lammy pie is not made of lamb.' devil was it then?" exclaimed the

66

Why, what the

horrified traveller.

6

Why, our poor Kiddy, to be 'sure,' returned the other, who died yesterday

• of the shab.'*

I am, dear Sir,

Your's sincerely,

R. W.

* A cutaneous disorder to which kids are liable.

TH

unequal. At its eastern extremity from Morwinstow on the north, to Ramshead on the south, it measures upwards of forty-three miles. Five and twenty miles further to the west, from Padstow to Fowey, the distance is decreased to eighteen miles.

Marazion

From the bottom of St. Ives bay to Mount's bay, it is contracted to five miles; and if we go to the head of Heyl river, we are within three miles of the waters of the British Channel. As it stretches further to the west, however, its diameter extends, and near the Land's-end, from Pendeen, on the north, to Trereen castle, on the south, the distance measures upwards of nine miles. Our course conducted us over the narrowest part of the county, through a district fruitful only in vast blocks of gra nite, which lay in wild disorder all around us, bounded in the distance by hills crowned with artificial carnes,* or natural rocky acervations. As the mind cannot dwell long with pleasure on objects which have neither beauty to interest, nor variety to enliven it, we passed on through the region of barrenness and desolation, with some impatience for a change of scene; and were at length gratified from the summit of a rising ground with a picture as grand as it was diversified. The British Channel

Johnson says, "C a cairne is a heap of stones thrown 66 upon the grave of one eminent for dignity of birth, or splendour of achievements." Hebrides. This may be the strict definition of the word: but in Cornwall it is applied more loosely; to Druidical altars, and heaps of stones, appropriated to the purposes of worship.

filled the distance in front: to the right and left the bold black coasts of Cornwall rose in gloomy majesty before us was spread Mount's Bay, deeply indenting the land; its gentle sheltered shores smiling with verdure and cultivation. Towards the north-eastern extremity of this recess, detached from every object that could vie with it in altitude, and of a character entirely novel and unique, St. Michael's Mount, a mighty cone of rugged rock, crowned with Gothic battlements, towered up with superlative dignity. A stream of light thrown by the sun, who was just emerging from a thunder cloud, played at this moment upon its summit, and gave it so prominent a relief from the dark scene below, as to produce an effect almost magical, and create the idea of an air-built citadel. We no longer wondered at the awe with which St. Michael's Mount was regarded by our forefathers, or the visions which superstition had attribnted to it; for it is an object well calculated to agitate the most sober imagination, and excite fancy to

"travel beyond sense,

"And picture things unseen."

We caught, however, only a distant passing glance at St. Michael's Mount, reserving it for a later inspection, and passed on to the maritime town of PENZANCE, which lies on the north-western

Ι