The morning call., 1891-08-30

where it is washed by the Thames estuary,
and on the east, where it is lashed by
the ever restless tides of the Straits of
Dover and the North Sea; but every
square rood on which ancient ruin, historic
fortress or gay resort do not stand is under
the highest known state of cultivation. The
reasons for thisare: All Kent is London's
truck garden; Thanet Isle is every season
actually covered by a coat of alga, or sea-
weed, obtainable by the farmers at only the
expense of carriage; there are no hedges,
which in some parts of England destroy so
much produce, and the subsoil is chalk,
which acts in vet weather as sponge, and
in droughts supplies the land with moisture,
an extraordinary system of inhalation and
exhalation, which gave rise to the ancient
c0uplet:
When England wrings
The island sings.
NO WASTE LAND.
There is no commonable laDd nor an acre
of waste land in the island. The old Kent
ish plow is still used by the farmers with
stubborn pertlnaclty, and 1t is an odd sight
to witness the plowman stop at the end of
every furroW to take out his coulter and
reverse it, an operation which takes half
his time and gives ample leisure for the con-
temptation and enjoyment of good old con-
servative English ways Half the farmers
are winter fishermen and ali the lower classes
of the cOastwise villages follow the same
vocation during both the summer and winter
months.
The ancient timber aud waffle cottage is
still as commonly found as among the Nor
folk Br0ads, and the. peasantry, notwith-
standing their contact with hosts of city folk
and tourists in summer, retain an eXtraordl-
nary nun ber of their ancient customs and
superstitions. We're there no free ami easy
Margate and Ransgate in the Isle of
Thanet, there is no place in Great Britain
where, in so compact an area, can be found
such odd Old World studies as in this tiny
piece OF chalk land over against the wild
North Sea.
In its diminutive area, particularly on its
coast line, are a score of shrines and resorts.
AT the edge Of Pegwell Bay between Sand
wich and Ramsgate, is the ancient farm
house, 'Ebbe's Fleet" the scene OF the
landing of Hengist and Horsa," those he
roic worthies of Saxon mythic warfare. At
Pegwell itself the cliffs, with the blue las
intermiXed with layers of shell many thou
sands of years old, is celebrated haunt of
geologiSts.
KING OF KENT.
At Minister, Egbert King of Kent, COM
miSSioned his favorite and chief officer, Thu
nor to murder his two cousins who had
claims to the crown. They were buried in
Ethelbert's hall of state. This spot was re-
vealed by supernatural light which ever
hOvered over it until the guilty king, filled
with remorse, made confession and repent
| ance to the dead princes sister, Dompneva,
| paid blood money (wergyld) and gave her as
much land as hind could run over at one
| course, on which to found monastery.
ThunOr endeaYOred to stop the fleet creature
by riding across its path, but the earth swal-
lowed him and flung him into the Internal
shadows to keep the dead princes company.
At OSengall Downs there is a wonderful
old Saxon cemetery. BirehingtOn has the
most beautiful grde Of elms of any village
| in England, and is noted as the olden resi-
! dence of one Henry Crlspe, commonly called
" BOnjNur" Crlspe, from having been kept
prisoner In France for many years ana
never having learned more than that word.
At Daundelion are the ruins of a very
ancient embattled mansion of the Dent-de-
Lions, one of the family having brought
over the Flemish bell of ST. Johns of Mar
gate in his ship, the Dog, giving rise to the
ancient coupet:
John de Daundelyon. with his great Dog.
Brought over this bell on mill cog
Broadstairs has been made famous by
Dickens in his sketch of Our Watering
Place" in an early number of Household
Words, and the BroadStairs fishermen. who
are as quaint and odd a lot as may be found
on any coast, were during the early part of
this century the most famous harvesterS of
the North Sea and Ice landic fisheries. The
North Foreland, Ptolemy's Cantum, is the
extreme northeastern point of Kent. 1t has
fine old light house and commands one of
the most magnificent and sublime sea views
of England. The great naval engagement
1866, in which the English were defeated,
was fought off this point.
AN ANCIENT FORD.
st. Nicholas-at- Wade, an ancient ford
back to the Kentish mainland, has one
of the most interesting and quaint old
churches in England. Its walls are built oil
Sea-worn Hlnts, with much rough brick, be-
lieved to be Roman, interspersed. The east
ern drip-stones of the tower window are
incrusted with nests of the temple-haunt-
ing martlet."
OF all these odd bits of misty age relics.
dim old Reculver, on the widening shores of
the Thames estuary, with its grassy meads.
winding river and nesting hamlets for a
sweet perspective behind, is perhaps the
most winsome and romantic.
Douglas JeTrold's dream of the old place
having suffered only sea change, and that
"fathoms deep the town still stands, that
busy life goes en-, that people of an odd, sea
green aspect, 1t may be, still carry on the
work of mortal breathing, make love, beget
little ones and die" come swiftly to each
beholder. All green things are rampant
and luxurious upon the crumbling cliffs. As
you stand on the shore, looking up to the
broken wall surmounted by those tall sister
towers, the seagullS whirl and scream about
and above and the old ocean seems to join
their wall in weird, wild requiem.
All these and many more spots Of the
most charming aspect and deepest historic
interest are within a two hours walk of
side resorts. also upon the little islet,
are respectively located on the northern
and eastern shores. Margate looks out
upon the Thames estuary and North Sea,
and Ramsgate faces the Straits OF Dover.
They are TO London precisely what Coney
Island, Manhattan Beach and Rockaway
are to New York, save that, as they are
both ancient cities, their all -the-year-resi-
dent population is far greater.
THE BUSINESS MANS WEEK.
While the business mans week end"
may begin on Friday evening, the clerks
and all manner of lowly workers week
end begins at one minute after noon on
Saturday, and in England, of all countries
l know, the transportation lines stand ready
TO move millions OF men and women TO
whatever seaside or country points they
may wish to go, and to return them to their
homes in time for Monday mornings
drudgeries with celerity and cheapness
which are positively astounding.
Ihe London popular heart leans more to
Margate and Ramsgate than 10 much nearer
Gravesend, or to grander or more stirring
Brighton. The ride across Kent by rail is
like whirling through a wondrous garden.
Ihe scent OF the grasses and grains, the
odor OF the vast strawberry beds, and the
soporific incense of the forest of hops. are in
themselves glorious journey, while the
trip by steamer down the historic Thames
and out into the open sea has all the CLAM.
our and possibilities experienced by the
worthy 'Iugges" on their memorable trip
to Ramsgate, after their sudden rise in the
world, as precedent to their entering Lon
don society.
There is the HalLby- the-sea, where you
can attend afternoon concerts, and evening
concerts. where you can visit the zoologi-
cal gardens attached thereto, and dance to
your hearts content in the ballroom if so
''dispoged." There is the Royal Theater;
there is the Marine Palace, with its excel
lent variety entertainments. and its balls
on Saturdays and Mondays. There are in-
terestiDg swimming entertainments at the
Marine Palace Baths; and there Is the
Grotto, with its curious shellwork in the
Dane for those who choose to investigate il.
In addition to these there are all sorts of
minor entertainments and diversions
SEA EXCURSIONS.
There are sea excursions morninr aftsr-