Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-09

wheat and barley, or with rich pasture
md on which were feeding quantities
Of cattle and sheep. Aswe progressed
the Avon deepened and the cliffs and
crags gradually arose on each side. We
passed Pill ian old antiquated town, its
inhabitants consisting Of fishermen and
pilots. Men, women and children
gathered tothe waters edge to see our
ship as we passed along. twas Sat
urday, the afternoon of which is devot-
ed to rest and pleasure seeking by the
laboring classes of England, hundreds
of which were seen along the banks
and cliffs of the river. had often
heard much said of the beautiful see
merry of the Avon, but had no conccp
ton of its magnificence. The cliffs OH
each side gradually arise to an altitude
in some places of five hundred feet,
here it is nearly perpendicular, the
face of which is bare rock where hun
dreds of Rocks build their nests and
rear their young. Then it runs back
TO nm angle by which itmay be climbed
the whole covered with trees, shrub
berry and wild flowers. On the tops
of the highest cliffs or crags, in the
glens and on the slopes, fine mansions
have been erected.
Do you see that building on yondcr
height asked a bystander? chat is
called Cooks folly. Why Iaskcd? 1t
is an old Legend of the thirteenth
century and runs thus, A. w. Cook a
very wealth Bristol gentleman married
q beautiful and wealthy lady, by which
he had an only child OH whom they
dotted AID whom they centered all
their hopes for the perpetuation of
their house and name. During one of
Cooks rambles over his domain, he
was met by All old Gypsy woman who
professed to de devincr of the future,
she approached him and asked permis-
sion to tell him their heirs future, he
hesitatcd ut first and felt inclined to
drive her from his presence, but con-
cluded to let the old hag tell her tale.
ltrun thus, your son is and will be
your only child and heir, he will be
the most eminent and gifted of Eng
lands sons, and will rise to be distin-
guishcd rs n leading man Of the realm,
provided he lives beyond his twenty
first birth day, but the tatcs tell me lie
will die OIL or efore that time by
violence, or some unnatural cau.c, but
it was more probable that he would
meet Ills death on the day he became
OF iagc. Cook believing the old gypsy's
tale built yondcr castle or mansion.
and on the Northeast corner tower
thinking thereby to guard his son
aguinst violent or premature death, in
the tower he had apartments com
toriably arranged with every comfort
wealth could produce, but having 10
stairway, the only access bcinga trap
door, through which food and all
things necessary for his comfort was
drawn, from about thirty feet below,
by rope and basket. He placed his
son in these chambers, furnished him
with a tutor to instruct him in all the
branches of learning and science, and
all other things that were calculated to
add to his comforts or improvement.
Admitting no one to his chambers, nor
anything, without being closely scru-
tinized. Time passed on, his twenty
first birth day was fast approaching,
his father looked forward to it with
hopo and fear, it passed, and in the
morning ofthc following day the father
assembled to receive and congratulate
his son on his majority but alas! he
found his son laying dead, having been
bitten by viper which had been con-
veycd to his rooms i'll the taggots of
wood, which were used us fuel for
warming his appartmets. This ends the
legend from which yonder mansion
derives the name of Cooks folly. There
says another is Nightengale Vale, a