Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-01
For he Nashville PatrTo..
Hastings---The SUMMER Retreat Of
the Londc ners.
HASTINGS. Aug. Is, 1858.

hdstlnSS>--Inc summer hetEe0t Oh
the Londc ners.
49, oa1 HASTINGS, Aug. Is, 1858.
It is lovely spot. OF all the fashionable
Watering PlaeesHf Albion it is most fashion
able. The seaside mania begins with the
dog-days and hosts of pleasure-seekers are
arriving daily from the metropolis, delighted
with an opportunity to inhale for season
the fresh sea-breeze instead of the pestilential
atmosphere of dingy, dusty, smoky London.
The smart looking lacqueys in livery-with
knee-breeches and gay cOckade, Indicate that
nobility is beginning to make its appearance,
while .sthe-ah vewy foine whiskaws" and peg
top trousers are satisfactory evidence that
'-snobbery" is about to follow suit"
Hastings is situated on the southeast coast
of England, in beautiful bay in the English
channel. What is termed the "old town of
Hastings is built in a valley or ravine extend
ing some distance from the sea, and remarka-
BILE for its picturesque beauty. Thus it is
situated between two abrupt cliffs. The one
on the right looking towards the sea is the
site of the ancient castle of Hastings, sup
posed to have been erected by some Saxon
Prince. The ruins of the old keep may still
be seen upon its very summit, and its rugged
and time-worn battlements add to the pic
turesqueness of the surrounding scenery. But
the point which commands the most extensive
view is the headland on the left looking sea-
ward, and the spot from which we are at
present indting this description. If there is
in the wide world spot truly lovely it is
this. If there can be such thing as "heaven
upon earth" the grass-cushioned seat we at
nresent occupy may we'll deserve the appella-
ton.
The cliff rises abruptly from the sea some
six or seven hundred feet and its summit
gently sloping from the edge extends far back
into the country in one vast area of undulat-
iIg hills, all dotted with butter-cups and
daisies. The scene is enlivened by numbers
of white-winged butterflies and little birds of
every variety of plumage, and while the
vision is fixed in rapturous gaze upon a scene
so fair, nature lends her music to intoxicate
the senses. In the furze bush the golden
t leir merry lays, and the grasshopper and the
cricket are noisy in their choral performances;
the wind too joins in the jubilee with soft low
whispering through the wavy grass of lulling
melody, while the sullen murmur of the waves
as they lash the rocky shore, forms an excel
lent bass to the natural concert
But we are naturally enough attracted to
the broad waste of water before us. 1t seems
as though we could not grow weary of for
ever gazing
''0'er the glad waters of the deep blue sea ="
On the extreme Notwithstanding far out in
to the channel like a gigantic pier is Beechy-
Head which partly forms the Bay of Hastings.
1t is a famous lighthouse point At our
fe t lies the little village of Hastings and
looking to the west far away across the chan
mel, you can just discern the distant shores of
La belle France. What crowding memories
of past ages does the very scene revive What
teeming thoughts rack our poor crazy brain
when we look centuries back and review our
historical recollections of the two great coun-
tries. And here We area restless Republic
an-quietly sitting upon the shores of one
while its deadlest enemy is apparently with
IN the SOUND OF our voice.
The ocean scenery from this cliff is very
beautiful. Hundreds of little vessels of every
variety of shape may be seen Swimming the
the waves under "a head OF canvass idly
tossing on the billow as they rest at anchor;
fishing smacks and coasters. pleasure boats
and rowing barges, miniature schooners, yawls
and skiifs plying in every direction. Occasion
ally You may see steamer on the line of the
horizon but this is little out of their latti-
tude.
The most prominent and important feature
in the military history of Hastings is that
which it derives from having been the place
contiguous to that where William the Con-
queror first landed on his invasion of England,
and from the great and decisive battle of that
name. The houses in Hastings are chiefly
old looking building, but along the parade
they present newer appearance and more
modern style of architecture. The residences
and the hotels for the accommodation of Wis
itors which front the beach are very regular
and very pretty. The groupes along the
parade during the evening are very pictur-
esque looking, and well worth a Photographic
sketch. Here you may see at one point near
few old vessels drawn up on the beach, a
knot of Fishermen from tie Baltic sea and
costumed Ia blouse and worcestershire
Fishwomen in the same grotesque attire;
further down a German student with telescope
in hand in all probability endeavoring through
his glass to obtain glimpse of ''Faderland;"
reclining upon one of the benches and read
ing a novel, a fashionable cockney; upon the
quay band with brass instruments discours-
ing in dulcet measure selection from IL Tro-
vatore and assembled upon the parade,
groupes of ladies and prettily dressed child
N who come to listen to and enjoy the mu-
sic. If you would have an outline to the pic
ture look still farther and you will observe
upon the west-hill shepherd lying at full
length along The green-sward and gazing far
over the waters. Near him is his crooked
staff and dog and his flock quietly browning
at no great distance. A little above the
shepherd and sheep-though not wishing to be
classed with the latter is the humble indivi-
dual who has attempted to roughly sketch
the pictnre-yuur friend and al fresco CORE
pendent SeEER KEN.
The Hall Of Representatives..
Hon. James l.. Orr, Speaker of the House,