The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-07-24 00:00:00

TRIPS BY MOONLIGHT ROUND THE BAY

AND BILL.
" And bay the moon."—Shokespeare.
Well ! gentle reader, we did not "hay the moon ;"
but we did something very much more harmonious to
our natures, and mooned in the bay by moonlight
Under or feet is the deck of the good etesmship
Prince, and we know enough of her commander Captain
Bowring, to permit our reveries to flow undisturbed by
any fear of running aground or coming to grief in any
other way • high above us is the spacious firmament
with all it; blue ethereal sky, and as prevail the even-
ing shades the moon takes up her wondrous tale, and
gliding out f the harbour and round our wooden pier,
ilo we realize how beautiful a frontage does our town
indeed possess.
First the New Gardens, whence we catch the sounds
the highly cultivated music discoursed by our new
band, sheltered on the south by Devonshire and
Pulteney Buildings, and on the west by Clarence
Buildings, No 1 of which, to the honour of our town
be it said, is a well conducted gratuitous Sanatorium;
past the old fashioned but most cosily comfortable
Victoria Hotel, Charlotte and Johnstones Row's, come
we to the Statue on the Esplanade, whence branch in
two parallel lines, our two chief streets, St. Mary and
Thomas, and where he must be a cormorant indeed
if (his purse being equal to it) he cannot satisfy his
desires; and who shall say Weymouthiane are ungrate-
ful, surveying that Statue of the late lamented George
111., and hearing them commend his virtues' On
again paet the great Gloster Hotel, Row end Terrace,
the Royalist of Royals, the Belvidere, the Victoria
and its Thirilon, to St. John's Church, by Brunswick
Buildings abutting on the shore, to the pretty garden
of our great territorialist, Sir Fredenc Johnstone,
known as Greenhill, and here in the great white house
with its balustrades and six white pillars, daily seeks
repose after his forensic labours, our local Ballantine,
and, 'tis whispered on the hotline tope, our future
member. Now have we reached the innermost northern

-
end of our bay, and, much as we have admired our
town from the front, we notice our boat's head is
turnedwawards with satisfaction, as we leave behind us
the cool sequestered vale known as Lodmoor, where
yearly ride for review "the gallant two hundred"
yeomanry. Past Preston, its coastguard station, the
White-horse, Omnington Mills, Ringstead, with its no
longer burning cliff, and her nose heads due south for
home, a panoramic glance at all we have so minutely
described, and we drop down into the fore-cabin with
our captain and a friend, and, after going through
a wonderful and mysterious performance with sundry
coins, well shaken in a hat, refresh our inner-man
' without disturbing the contents of our waistcoat
pocket, then on deck to study nature, her sons and
daughters. In gallant trim the paddled vessel
'goes,
"Youth at the prow and Pleasure at the helm ; and
we scan with curiosity the little nooks and corners
whence "they twain" most evidently think 'tie pleasant
to peep through the loop holes of their retreats
and see th- stir, but yet not feel the crowd.
"How silver sweet sound lovers' tongues by night—
Like softest music to attending ears r
But that music 'tis not ours to hear to-night; yet
ample compensation do we find in the eloquent music
of those musicians who grace our deck. Our notes
are made, and is we light the most fragrant of weeds
do we resolve to let our readers know something of
the quiet enjoyment of a moonlight trip in our bay.
, . This rocky isle,
This fortress, built by Nature for herself."
And share it was not by moonlight at all! at all!
that we streamed round the Bill and Isle of Portland,
but on a glorious summer's afternoon; it must have
been the being in company of an Irish gentleman,
though with a Yorkshire name, that led us astray.
Again are we on the bridge of the Scott-Russell built
&a. Prince with its engines by the mighty Penn,
and as we cast off we notice well Weymouth proper,
Trinity Church and schools, the two great breweries,
and the barracks and Lookout more particularly taking
our attention. Opposite to us are the heights on which
' at the point facing seawards is erected the Nothe Fort;
and here let me recommend all who wish to spend a
pleasant hour or two and enjoy a breezy blow, beauti-
ful views, or examine almost impregnable fortifications,
to spend one penny in being ferried across the
harbour, and climb the old-fashioned flight of steps to
the promenade above. Round we stream in front
of the Fort and glance up with admiration at
beautifully situated Clearmount, past the ruins of
Sandsfoot Castle, a thrilling tale relating to
which the writer will shortly publish, on into
the smooth water in Portland Roadstead, com-
prising some 1,500 acres. Here we disembark at the
island s pier such of our human freight as so will it,
and take others on board; we note old Portland
Castle and the village of Castletown, and get a closer
view of those two white stone obelisks on the lines east
and west of which do Government, merchant, and
other vessels, respectively take their stations. Steam
we now through the opening in the wondrous Break-
water, with its forts, and obtain our first view of the
quarries end their workers. Here we observe the
massive outer fortifications at the Verne, some 500 feet
above the sea, divided by a deep ditch from the con-
vict establishment with its 1,500 prisoners. When the
Christian civilising Muscovs have taken Constanti-
nople, let them hit a man their own size and come and
capture Portland. We will oblige them—Czar, Grand
Dukes, Generale,Diplomate, cum multi, attic with free
quarters on the island, sorry as we should be to in-
convenience the 1,500 by removal; but should not the
place of honour be held by the most worthy, and
where shall we find in its present inmates any can
compare with these?
The old ruin of Bow and Arrow Castle, surrounded
by rocky chasms, whom feet are laved by the encroach-
ing waves, for, in a time long gone by, was this the
middle of the island, the ruined gateway of St.
Andrew's Church, are well worthy of and gain our
careful scrutiny, standing as a foreground to Major
Forbes' beautiful castle of Pennsylvania (so dear to
pic-nic goers) the trees surrounding which are not only
noteworthy in themselves, but remarkable as being the
only ones worthy mention in the island. On by
Southwell, the great cavern known as Cave's Hole, and
here we are opposite the 8111, endeared to me as being
the first point viewed of old England on my return
from 'nine.. Round into the dangerous treacherous
race, liarmleasely at play to-day, speed we with the
swift tide round the western aide, noting the two
light-houses, and the Chesil-pebbly beach, stretching
far away. Round we go, and right joyfull close we
our note book. Again do our trio into the
fore-cabin, again that mysterious performance with
the hat, once more return we to the bridge, and there
surely enough does our voyage again end in smoke.
NEPOKOICHITHICI.