The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-07-26 00:00:00

OUR STEAMER EXCURSIONS.
GOOD TIMPLAIIIe OUTING.

Among the delightful treat. which our "Portland"
steamers afford, one of the most common. and yet most
enj qable by all is the half-sea half-coasting voyage to
the Bill of Portland, the very one undertaken in order
t " open " the season many weeks ago when we hardly
awakened fr In our winter-dormant state Now that
we are thoroughly aroused, now the visitors have
poured into the borough, and swarmed over our
Esplanade and Sands, until the Fiery King threatenss
t a put his mark on our tanned skins, and send us all
like Spaniards to take a siesta until the morrow, the
most effectual way to keep out of the world of day.
dreams is to go off sign in mouth of that "life on the
°oven Wave," which to so many of us includes coming
back to land after an hour or two. And which
ooeTtenswtheulisiawilat wrdhoooluirrines
goal. the Shambles' lightship, the naturalist who
exubnocuonnethrdingotiblisousthdaltorhlepalsmebtaitirknoeruige.
rounding,
by
way
of
studies =maces in the form of lobster teas, or who is
even amenable to the charms of cycade, will go to
Ledworth, and retnnsing in that happy frame of mind
ready for illusions, sell mark how the great Dandle
Door is guarded by a colonial mon.ter of the deep who
seems ever to be fishing outside Mupe's or some other
of the bays that indent the coast. Perhaps the
Lulworth jaunt is more to our mind than either; but
we can't soars the haildiay that must be given up on
Wednesday or Saturday, even to see the newly.
di.corered antediluvian of Hurdle Door. Neverthe-
less, curious reader, if you can hit the lucky chance
when the learned chairman of directors, like • honest
Weinman consuming his own prodoc' ions, enjoys the
I worth trip, do not f ail to get our courteous Weymoni h
LL.D. to point out to you the swan-necked megathe-
rinm with calm eyes thrusting his 'flout into the sea
off the North Shoe.. And if jou can lure Captain
Croons to tell youths secrets of Oemingx.n, Singstesd,
an i the ledges, and can puzzle out with the worthy
doctor I have named, somewhat about the great con-
vulsions that tossed up and down the strati at the
Cove, and learnt how • volcano-crat-r became the
Belsolava of Dorset -then will you feel that over and
above the trifling silver for the steamer, you owe a fee
for • scientific converse' ion, which f, e—ah I yee—oeed
I mention our Eye Infirmary and our Royal Hospital,
whose patients tine steamer company so kindly treat
with gratis ozone 1 But for an excursion to split-the-
difference between the attractions of land and sea,
commend us to the voyege to the MIL We can so
easily discern the swans riding On the wavelets; at
Batter's Cove, so leisurely can we reconnoitre the
shipping in the great Roads, so well imagine the
tremendous climb there must be up those heights of
Portland to the Verne. But we are content that such
climbing is not required of us to-day, find satisfaction
in the distant hills sleeping in their summer mist, and
are sufficiently stirred up by the merry children who
chaos each other round the deck. A brigantine, with
her galf-toPea.ilr m!','"ail, all her staled's, and all her
equaresails, ores", and jib set to catch the light
breese, le pretty sight; but, with all bar canvas we
mmHg lejg behind, and plough on to where the gpeat
Brftltwater Fort, in its massive armour of iron plat
.fluage heavily inside it. concrete glacia, its guns
".i'dieely run in, and waiting silently for the foe, who
we hope may never c one. Pam we beyond the great
ridge of rocks that form the top of the Breakwater,
and to Portland ; the son glances brightly'
on the roofs of the coastguard houses at Balaclava, and
bathes the officers' quartes high op On the Verne,
which overhang the steep slopes, only pared by green
paths so sheer down that they fit f r goata. Noticing
the greet res-xer rads, we dal push out to the wilder
regime over which the gulliemote eke, and whet