The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-03
VAKEMAN'SW ANDERINGS
ANCIENT ST. IVES AND ITS MOST
NOTICEABLE FEATURES.

mort Town. FAMOUS III N0tSOAS
Rhvnne Mem pses of Glori-
ous scenery, ODD Bits of Antiquity
and the Noted Pilchard Fishery of
the Western Cornish Coast.
(Copyri0ht)
ST.. IVES, CORNWALL, June20.- In the
lander realm of nursery-rhyme lore there is
no pleasanter mysticism than that which
cIings to the pretty riddle:
"As was going to st. Ives
Imet a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits;
Kits cats sacks and wives
How many were there going to st. Ivesf"
So deep and lasting are the impressions
of childhood, that as tramped around the
southern reach of St. Ives bay from the
pretty hamlet OF st. Earth, found myself
unconsciously scanning the highway far
ahead for this same wicked old fellow who
had puzzled the heads of millions of little
folk. But he was not to be seen any more
than the "kits, cats, sacks and wives"
are to be taken into account In the olden
riddle.
In truth, no man, woman or child was
visible upon the white and circling high
way. ST. Earth nestled there silent and
apparently deserted against the copse and
the hillside. The tide was out in the bay.
A few fishermen's boats rocked idly be-
side messy old piers. Long reaches of sand
showed here and there shining and brown,
like the backs of huge marine monsters.
Gulls wheeled lazily above. Land and sea
fowl chartered in the circling marsh edges,
or dug ia the sand and ooze. Only to the
- Al. L-Nv- L..
lands, was there single sign OF life. On the
sapphire blue of the Irish sea there were
two far, white sails.
But l knew the ancient city lay behind
the huge headland and Quickening my
pace l soon stood at its sea-face and its
highest ACTIVITY. Here the highway
tumbles into one Of the oldest old towns in
all Europe. No wonder that Londouers are
coming this, to them, tremendous journey
Of ESQ miles for summer lettering, and the
grand promontores behind the town are
filing up with brilliant terraces, or that
artists swarm to the remote place for its
bits Of antique in architecture, its quaint
groupings Of fisher folk, and its outreach-
ings of wild and glorious Cornish coast.
There are pictures and pictures of the
Bay of Naples. But were an artist,
would stake my hope of renown on the
picture l saw as | stood above the bay and
ancient town of st. Ives The bay itself
faces the north. At your feet are purple
heather and waving ferns parted from the
crystalline water by glistening sands. To
the right and east the green hillocks of the
Eastern Shore. Then the broad yellow
beach of FORTHCOMING, or the Foresand.
Dominating this is the great headland Of
Pednolva. Beyond, cleaning like a field OF
gold, are the magnificent sands of Porth-
minister; and further still. the headland and
rocky islet of Godrevy, with the latter's
white light house setting cameo>like be-
tween the purple of the sea-walls and the
tremulous blue Of the ocean.
Before you, the silent shimmering bay,
with a few white-winged craft scarcely
moving. it seems, the distance is SO great
from the hight where you stand; the
ocean beyond, shining and blue and still (;
rythmic reaches of incoming tIde-waves,
miles in length, advancing and retreating
and breaking softly upon the shelving
sands in tiny ridges of sparkling spume
and here, to the west, great mass OF
jumbled gray-old st. Ives orouohing in
8 alittle pocket of the rocks, like a mass of
messy stone in some shadowy glen. Sleep
ing away the centuries unconscious Of the
thunderous sea.
Up here among the terraced villas you
can form little idea of the quaint old town.
The great road Jumps into it at a leap and
is broken by the fall into the oldest closes
and wynds Of any coastwise nook in Eng
n land. One could almost hurl a stone across
Its crowded tiled roofs; and yet it houses
~ fully 5000 people. The streets are so mar
81 row, the pavements 80 meager, such queer
turns are made, such shadowy aroades are
penetrated, that the surest-footed stranger
PEDESTRIAN will meet many a bump and
bang in most careful descent.
Then when you have reached something
Ike level, you have simply increased your
difficulties. All the lower thoroug hfares
Al are scarcely more than shadowy footpaths
leading bewilderingly from somewhere to
nowhere. This one, opening lpromisingly
brings you squarely against solid wall of
rock. That one in half dozen PAGES lands
you upon a fiat roof, from which you may
easily step into the harbor an hundred feet
beneath. Another winds about a single
structure windowless as a tenth century
fortress. Descending another, you find 6
nest of homes whose roofs are the passage
way Of a street above. Dozens lead sQuarely
into the open doors of hshermen's homes.
Many are like galleries before Others. Some
wind through houses where living rooms OF
the same house will be found at either side
OF public passage.
And then in what odd hooks the little
shops will be found. There is not a single
street 100 yards in length where a hall
dozen shops are continuously located. Ever
IN these you must needs often ascend oil
descend story or more. The most are lit
orally hidden or perched in outlandlsh AND
out Oh the way spots, where, II not stumb lec
upon, ono must repeatedly como with G
guide or find rediscovery hopeless. Here
VIII be one perched in half-timbereC
EIllaoethan projection, away up there three
OF four stories from the street. and you can
not find an entrance. And there one will
re seen as many stories beneath a tiny es
planaded way, but apparently You canno
reach it without rope and tackle. Other
are where kitchens should be. And still
others unexpectedly confront you from dor
iaer windows. Everything of this sor
seems bewilderingly reversed from 1T
proper order. But nothing ever seems tt
oe bought or sold in old st. Ives the ar
tstS gloat over the curious tumble; and II
all most winsome and charming to tbs
Stranger
II you come at last through this labyrinth
y The waterside, you gaze back along the
turner's, penthouses and roof of the strang
va VIC. city, and up and on to its terrsced hight
WIN increased enthusiasm for Its rar,
tualntness and curious aspects. TIM
O"ers show here and there as if OutjuttlnI
rom natural rock. Bits of luxuriant fol
1se and masses of vines seem to sprini
,von the roots like rich clumps Of emerald
, 1oss Spires and wonderously high peaked
Oois stand out against the gray and greer
M 'acTground like spearheads of unpublished
X# 'Neel. A bOva all ha bandsoTrna farranaa mr.