The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-28 00:00:00

EUHOPORT TO DARTMOUTH IN THE EMPRESS.

THE BEAUTIES til, THE DART.

In the act of etessering into the mouth to the hidden been-
ties of tbe English Heine, we left our readers ab rut Waistline
last week, concluding with a just admiration of the glorious
rue whioti just at that moment arrested us. Hero it •
happy assemblage of piotureseue objects. From the bay
the view if the town is eminently pleasing; the Autos
appear situated on the declivity of a craggy bill, mid
extending, euebosoneed among trees, for • great distance
along tile wster's edge. The quay projects into the river,
causing s curvature in its course, and mane, the uniformity
is I =thee broken by the projection a( building., and oute
lima of steamers and small boats flying over toe glassy
surface of the river. As we near the town itself, of comae
the river gradually narrows. At tire habitat mouth,
right opposite each other, stand two tiny Aries, said to
have been 'erected dame the reign of E lward IV. Around
are remains of tothieut fo:tt and defensive euxbankineuts
feat going to decay, but vet us momenta of their former
strenath and beauty. Just inside the dilepideted walls of
one of these forth is an a ,tique et me, itiscriteed " The
Unknown." During the Ali century it is believed that
several salon entered the harbour at night and interred •
coupe, larouebt from their ship, horridly departing with.
out informing the Dertmouthisues whom they had buried.
The entrance to the river is defended by • small but strong
casemate," battery with several guns and the river near
here being but O yards in width. • direct and heavy fire
could be kept I.lp in case of heed Beautifully situated
residences appear in the background on either side, while
the foreground is f.omed of rocks, in which le a glossy
purple coloured kind of pate, the surumits of the rocks ase
cupped and fringed Wild] shrubs and dower.. At the very
noes of the water are several ornamental villas in the
early asigneh and Elisabethren style, and these, with their
grottow toast graphically constructed roo situ be weaned by
the river at high water, give the scene a romantic and
delightful appoarence. After admiring matey other object.,
too numerous to dwell upon, we bays arrived fairly
within the haven, winch not only owns great scenic
beauty, but is 'opiate with important historical incident,.
Richard the Lion-hearted in tdis harbour collected the
boldest of his bold kniglim lor his famous cruseda in 1190,
and under Edward 111., in 1317, • spiendidly.equipped
fierce, proceeded from tow river for the Carus Peas The
Frame uam'e eid havoc in the town in 1377, burning the
major part of it. In ROO toe tiny band of Pilgrim Fathees,
who founded the Americ en Republic, soled from hors io
w -mai ships --ltaynower and SeeedweLl—for the New
World, than almost unknown. K.eryone knowe that
Dartmouth is a considerable seaport, and that it takes its
name from the met, near the roundworms of which river it
lieu but everyone does not kuow of it. wild amid
wondrous beauty, and thews who have not witoessed it
should take au early opportunity of doing so. It is simply
the intention of the present poor sketch to give • few
details of the natural and artillcuil beauties of this xquisite
southern spot, and, although the sketcu will be utemsrdon.
ably inadequate, and inane remoras will have unfortu.
wooly to he omitted, yet the object of the writer will be
attained if the readers will only pay the English Ruin* a
visit. A personal visit cannot fail to be iotereatine in the
high-tat emerge, and will prove anor• satisfying than the
moat powerfully graphic and eulogistic 'Paco (to which
tai, ha. no pretension) of the place could ever be.
We slacken speed, acid Boa,' stop nearly opposite the
Pretty yacht (orub, linen, another steamboat, New'
Cousin &welts our arrivel. Our alternative is to embark
tioon the Euipress to the Newcomin for • pleaaur,ablip inn
up the Dart to Tartness, or to hire a small boat and land at
Dartmouth for an exploration on terra firma. Very few
water the latter, and the wise choice on the majority of
our party is soon evinced by the eager manner in which so
many of us crowd on the dock of the N iwcornin, under the
,are of C.rosin Lego, who is himself at the helm.
During ter, tram-in we are enabled to enjoy • full
view of Dartiepoub town, and from this point (we
me in the centre of the harbour, capable of hold-
ing at least 14.111 vowels) the whole of the town
col be seen to shanties. The town lice on our
right, from the harbour mouth, and ikinull ti run up an
incline. Some fine buildings can be discerned, meny of
them having arceiieciural pretensions whilst soue are
plop, homely look nit tenements, appearing lees tnan ''the
light of other days." At length the Newcouun starts, and
our anxiously awaited treat commence.. Our attention
is snorted by a peculiar Boating bridge worked by steam
on iron chains, and just at this moment • horse and waggon
I. befog conveyed upon it from right to left of the liver.
In another minute we are opposite two immenee training
ships, the Britannia sod Hilidostan, the two vessels being
connecied by an arched bridge. The cadets here surely
have many &dyeablei e which other. in many of our sea-
p whe have not, for their " off-duty " hours may be spent
amidst • wealth of N•ture's beauty, such as no other sea-
port in the kingdom owns. A Reuther of yachts are safely
anchored here, an I it may well be said when in • few
morn* its we have fairly left them behind, we are in an
Isolated yet beautiful spot, whose charm cannot fail to
weave • spell. Surely • spot richer in historic and classic
=modes, at leset on our southern coast, pilgrim bath
rarely trod. We c,nnot but own the influence of the
spot. The clouds -Cu dappoug the boons of skies. yet
the " downy wings" whims psrualiy orlipie the sun's rays
only gird • ni dlow r and more .blued .cranity t u a
peradioe ou cutler .ide of u.. Who C ue wonder that
the be,u it, of the Dart bee succeeded in inspiring many
poste, for if there it • spit in the emelt or west, where the
poet is constrained to feel the world with its care, and
distress far, far MI; and to muse and dream, surely it is
bert—tiere in this pace of eterroal beauty. Hers every
season moat bring a train of beauty. Spring forces
myriads ot wild flowers into bloom along its banks, and
dots grill verdure the immense m owes of forest land.
Summer gives the richer tou• is the unsurpsseed Flora
of th s region, and transforms the foliage into a dense
mats of green of
transform, the bud of spring and bluesom of summer into
th, rich tints of decaying foliage, even more beautiful
in Its decay. Winter with her spongier I garment triages
the akelatoos of the Pees Iris., spoUeies blossoms, and
edges the shores of the creeks with her woolly mantle;
en with • thousand chatieeful years toe Den has wore
Its beautiful permeate of bud, blossom, quiet autumn, and
&Arran winter.
The Mill (kook on our left runs inland eo far,
that we cannot tell its limit, but on its shires are lotus
exquisite plantations picked out with glimpme of emerald
pasture lands. However, we can see the ruins of . once
imposing castle imbedded in a rood; and this, more than
anything, reminds us of the " storied" rhino On our
right, sloped almost to the water's edge, is • perfect copse
of oak sapling,, cultivated for tb production of charcoal,
and beyond it is • w-11 coustructed stone viaduct Over •
pretiv l,ttls creek. It ov-e tha viaduct the train from
Dertm outh calve run. to Torquay, following the shore
of the Dart for WM" diet ,nc., then branching Wand ti
Psignton and Torqu.y. Ttic botanist would now have hie
attention directed to the extreordinery wealth of bright-
hued Ito sera. which IMO the hanks, in 're eepecially on his
right; Op- 'curet valerian arid fine-tinted loeglove bloom
here in wild confusing. contrasting strongly with the bine
line of water, verdant undergrowth, sod the veined
grallte rocks, out of which the blOwim• Ir 'moor point of
view, actually seem ti have sprung. Aumber icemen,*
wood in full folage follows us to the right, and inc short
tiro • we are in full view if • noble mansion, known as
**o'esoway Route," where Sir Walter Rakish pleated
the first potato, and iodated in one of his first pipes, and
trwoi,j,,g 'gym hap. it woe 'in. of toe eel Tante of G atiowet
Hoes@ who was so alarms' to se "his ni.ster on fire
that he threw a pail of wet ir over Sir Walter with the
best intention possible. Greenway is almost surrounded
by tree., and • olopiog park elretrhes from the river to the
house, chick is situeted on an eminence. Just Mr* we
arrive at the narrowest part of the Dart, this side of
Tartness, Again Andes to • broad expo:we of wet r,
which looks like • perteet lake, the volop, of Lower
Dittitham is stretched al.ing the 'More, the neighbourhood
of which is Dot,' jr.,r its splendid plum orchards, and
many of the finer varieties end their way kite the fruit
shops of Torqu .y end other fashionable places eta di aurae.
Ahoy* the whole rise* "Fire II 'woo Hid,' over ow feet
blob. Tule hill, from its fine sititation, wet used in
ancient, days t i warn the country round in times of war.
Y,tt can just catch a glimpse of the church tower, peeping
out 'roue amidet beautiful and enchanting surroundings.
A little farther on, an immense erne of the riv,s runs up
to Oidasotoo, but W. pre not song to explore the arm (so
the cant .in say.). but to follow that lie-remain, bend in
the river, which we ere alre• ly admiring ahead Just
here again are fine villa, some of them deserving the
now. of mantiche including Waddlet ,n-cour, San fridge-
villa, and the " Maisomeetic" The rills. of Saodridge is
in toe (thin style, built by the Brat Lord Aschurton on
the site of his -id Psi. To- picturesque dwelling, now
wned lip the Herons. de Vert., wan the bi•toptace of
Davie, the famous discover of the passage but **en the
Mainland of North America and G eanliend. called "Davis'
Strait" after the diacoverer. Ilere again the prospect if
richly woofed, especially around Malsonaette. On theright,
the next point of merest Is the pretty retired village of
Stoke Gabriel, throunded by beautiful shrubr and foliage,
which, with its ivsersilwt tower, looks uncommonly
elegant. This ever winding river briar us to another
creek, or arm, terminating in the river arbourne, which
rim near Be- nleteh • re* miles wnt. From this Point
to Sharp's. nt, newly a mile ahead of us, the river continues
at ...Dorm width, or nearly so; it was just here, too,
that our so tention swat arrested by our witty (tiered. whom
Weed. He has evidently bests refre.hing
sal n from Dartroooth to
Dth weae .nec..l.l":nni lur:u11 ).bwe lunt
at any
n h"
y rate,i here he le now botherinc the
cwppen berauts he follows every little bend in the stream
to give or every ch.in"c•
moftiergintts!letsupep.rents.. to
because lie
and only ceased
was ,e"neroned with tire
dALlppandmenW4',mthiteldngi sr"histartrithhYeinOlibcttPWahPsale"inwtellhl&Pen with another man'

limiting." Our wit waa rioilat•d for • moment, bait Criniing in
view of the salmon fishery station at Diocannon, be
persisted in making cartiin jokes about the fidters, who
toted all night and caught nothing. A uncut, latter, as
wo Oi tcoing some tioe.piumaged herons,
toeth dic illy fishing for their finny friends near the bang,
our unsub Idol wit came up an i aaked n, if those heron.
were in tha habit of diving for &eh. We explained our
know'. dre of orni.hology to be limit.% but ventured to
remark, that in all probably they did dive. "Well then
said our friend," taking it fur granted tnat they do dive, Is it
,it feasibla. tat if !hey to under wet:r far direr'. remoter,
they rise to the surface for eigadry pu-pomst r He
walked awe, on the bat nt term. with himself, and I
thought perhaps it was harity safe t twat that his joke
woo rather hackneyed, DO I loft bine to his eelf-seti.isc-
tion, which it would have been gl‘cidedly bad test, ti
crush. We hire by the paaed out of sight of
nuro.rous salmon ain.a stretched upon poles to dry is
the sun, and are nw entering upon a picture worthy the
stu ly of • landscape pewter, for it le without exception
the vandal and most magnificent scene thst the "Dart
Valley present.. We *Hide to Bherpham Woods. The
neer is lure xtremely narrow, but let the reader
, imagine ris, as above It • perfect hill covered from bees to
summit. Ni • dense moss o( beautiful tees in full foliage,
the emerald. olive, and swarthy grans moan; in an
uninterrupted masa of • uniform height, like • carpet of
shaded green from the very apex of the bill to within a
foot of the still water below. We say ,ria.,ja a root,
because trit • single branch of any overhanging tree
touches the water, for In appearance like a well.kept
hedgerow the branches remained a foot above the ender
of the stream, along the entire length of this magnificent
sweep of wood, which describes • perfect semicircle. The
govy memo we could assign for this beautifully uniform
space between the water and the foliage, was the prewar*
of salt in the river. Throughout this lovely forest there Is
• perfectly dense undergrowth of fern and dwarfed abrilk
making it difil :ult for the rambler to