St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-14
I'm Old England.
Extracts from . Private Letter

tneTc Is large pOpuldllon mere ali lhc
wear round. 1t is often referred to as
1.-THE Montpelier of England" Our
windows overlook the sea, and right
across the bay,-which seems here no
wider than the widest places in the
| Connecticut river, but really is some
eight or ten miles broad--the beautiful
The city is most curiously built. There
are hills piled on hills, and houses
tucked in everywhere, and little walks
and rustic seats, and long flights of
steps, and to add to the picturesque
ness of the whole, there is an esplanade,
all along the Bay. BarbacOmbe Bay
which is reached by carriage drive is
smaller than Tor, but perhaps more
beautiful in its scenery. AT the church
service which we attended on the Sab
bath here, the minister gave thanks for
''the lovely scenery of Devonshire, the
beautiful blending of land, rock and
sea" Few Americans come to the
county of Devon, but we have been
more and more charmed with every
new locality.
Monday morning, June 10Th, we left
Torquay, taking rail to Dartmouth,
and from there a sail up the Dart for
two hours. This beautiful river is
called the English Rhine" and it is
said to be quite as romantic as the
Rhine, by those who are familiar with
both. Some of the way it is so narrow
that we seem to touch its steep banks,
and then again, it brOadens so that we
seem to be on lake with no outlet.
The hills covered with trees come down
abruptly to the waters edge. We pass
ed the training vessel, where were the
sons of the prince of Wales, in Dart
mouth harbor. We left the boat and
the pretty winding river at Totnes,
taking train to Exeter, and from there
the next day to BidefOrd, short dis
lance. We then took carriage drive
of twelve miles to Clovelly, Charles
Kingsley's old home. | shall fail to
give you an idea of this strange, pictu-
rescue place. 1t is called the SteepeSt
town in England. 1t is built on the
sea, and it is said to have been used
formerly for smuggling purposes. 1t
J has only one street with about 300
houses, built on terraces. This street
=, +b.r.fnra mostly comnoSaI of stems
and nothing but donkeys can be driven
mp and down. Then it is very narrow,
in some places not more than eight
feet broad, and ut the widest, not more
. than twelve feet. The houses are re-
markably neat, and well kept, being
owned by one person, whom one of the
sailors called "Our young man." We
, talked with several persons, well ac-
! quainted with Mr.. Kingsley, (whO died
! as late as 1879 and they all spoke very
pleasantly of him, and said he had
done much for Clovelly by his writings,
As we have been reading his "West-
ward Ho !" we were particularly inter
ested in this place, as well as in Bide-
ford and other places often mentioned
and wildly described in this book.
At Bideford we visited a curious old
church, and graveyard where we found
some amusing epitaphs, one of which
copy
: Tho Bereas blast, and Neptune's waves,
l Have tOss'd me to and fro
In spite Of both, by Gods decree
I harbour here below.
Where de now at anchor lay,
With many Of our fleet
Yet once again must set sail
, Our Saviour, Christ, to meet"
We took a seven o'clock Up. n.y. train
for IlfracOmbe, reaching there at $50
The next afternoon, we took a long
: walk over the cliff, and sat on the
: rocks, watching the incoming tide
Ilfracombe is a fashionable watering
place at the entrance of Bristol Chan
mel and think it the prettiest place
ever saw. How much | wished my
; home friends might see it with me! L
has very rocky beach and the waves
dashed in so high and grand the after
noon we were there, that it was hare
for us to leave the spot. In the even
, ing we saw the sun drop into the sea
at ten minutes before nine, and tn,
fter-glow, on this longest day of thu
=. year was wonderful, and sight no
easily described, nor soon to be for
gotten. The last red streaks of hgh
off the coast of Wales opposite, wer'
visible as late as 1920
/. At $50 the next morning Thursday
d we mounted ladder to the tOp-mOs
Y seat of TallyhO coach. | wish cOul'
J. send you a picture of this great yellow
IS coach with its four strong horses, ant
/ its five outside seats, occupied by nine
lie teen persons, and all the luggage ant
lie Jack the trumpeter inside Can yo1
d imagine our lofty situation? We drov
, to LyntOn, distance of 20 miles il
At three hours. The road was rattle
ii billy, with one three mile ascent t
d. climb, at the top of which we were 90
I'd feet above the level of the sea, but W
of had splendid horses, and ''the best dri
Or yer in North Devon so we enjoye
IL every moment of the ride. Reachin
rs Lynton at noon, we took ''short walk
D. of four miles to Castle Rock, as an ap
to petizer before dinner, and a ride in
TT pony chaise in the afternoon over tn
y, mountain sleeps.
10 The navt doV we took a coach apai