Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-09

my pocket with his own rough hand. an6
sending me along the right road to Pen
zanee with many beloved parting word,
\ of cheer.
This candle was a m ystery to me at ths
time, but soon discovered its Significance
and value. Through some ancient custom
or mining regulation corps of miners
| is compelled each month to buy a certain
| nun Der of pounds of candles. These arr
| the best quality of candles known in Corn
wall. and all other lowly folk like to gel
| them. So the overplus is carefully saved
| divided among the mine ''pairdners" and
taken home to the miners wives, who eI
change them for trifing luxuries and ne
cessaries at the shops. Miners candles
are therefore currency of the realm, "a
can'ls worth of tay." cheese, eggs, sugar
ETC., having been from time immemorisl
equivalent to ''ha'penny'orth" of thess
| or other articles in exchange
The traveller will learn that the pleasure
in visiting Penzance is to be found in the
extraordinary objects of interest and the
glorious coast scenery accessible from the
town, ruther than in the place itself II
is barren of antiquities and historic charm.
There were once some smugglers here.
Sir Humphrey Davy was a native of the
place. A comic opera has been written
about it. That is nearly all, beside num-
berless inns and lodging houses, which
you can find to interest you here.
1t is, however, the metropolis of the
Lands End district of Cornwall and is al.
ways running over with tourists, for whom
the famous logan or rocking stone, the
sublime headlands, the hoary parish
churches roundabout, the grand old eocle-
siastic antique, st. Michael's mount (which
must not be confounded with Mount ST.
Michael on the east coast of Normandy,
and Lands End itself, the southwestern
most point in England, have an endless
fascination. One feature of Penzance it
self Is indicative of the genuine enjoy
ment of English people in summer in their
trips by coach or in humber traps or vans
In the one long, narrow street of the city
You can on any summers day count from
one to two hundred of these vehicles,
whose occupants, as there is no railway or
town of any Importance beyond Penzance,
are tarrying here for refreshments and
rest.
But Mounts bay itself, at the edge of
which rests Penzsnce, on almost level
ground behind her huge breakwater, and
from which St. Michaers mount rises to q
very great height, with sheer escarpments
of granite on three sides, and the dim old
crsg, crowned by mass upon mass of me
dieyal towers, is one of the most charm
ing marine bits for observation and study
in Europe.
The bay is horseshoe shaped, it's mouth
opening directly to the south upon the
English channel, which is at all times COW
cred with sailing craft aud steamers. On
the right or western side is Penzance.
backed by far-resching hills, and strAg-
Cling off to the southwest toward the head
land of Mousehole and St. Clements. On
the north of the bay, asleep in the shin
mer of the summer sun, is Narration, q
market for Cornish tin controlled by Jews,
from fifteen hundred to two thousand
years ago. Around this old place cluster
some of the most curious legends of Corn
wallis remote past.
The western boundary of the bay is
formed by one of the ssrsngest roAdwsys
in the world. From the mainland near
Narration winds submarine thoroughfare,
certainly submarine at high tide, to the
far grim mount within the sea. At low
tide it is high aud dry and q splendid
means of communication between the is
land and the land. No one has ever been
able to solve the mystery of this singular
road; and whether a natural phenomenon
or made by the hand of man you can only
conjecture as you wend your way upon It
with the gray old height looming vaster
and more mysterious as you approach.
Poets have made it their theme; artists
have been delighted with the picturesque
grandeur and beauty of its overhauging
rocks, and kings have fought furiously for
its possession and mastery. The legend IL
that st. Michael, the archaugel, appeared
here in 495, and in consequence OF this it
was visited by St. Kenna, who founded q
religious establishment to commemorate
the event. 1t is known, however, that q
priory of Benedictine monks WAS placed
here by Edward the Confessor, and the
mount WAS exclusively devoted to religion
until the time of Richard l. Since that
time it has been the scenes of countless
defenses and captures, captivities and i'm
murement, yslor and treachery. In 1860
it came into the possession of the ST. Au-
byns, of Cornwall, who have continued to
beautify this one of the most extraordina-
~ spots in the world.
AT the northern base are extensive forti-
ficstions and village. At the top of the
mount there is more striking collection
of buildings, formed for the purpose of
religious uses and the stoutest defense in
mediaval times to be found elsewhere in
Great Britain. The guardroom with its
ancient armor is alone worth of a months
study. Warwick Castle cannot boast
grander parts. The chapel, which is fit-
ted up with stalls in the manner of a ca
thedrsl. and chapel tower deserve to rank
among the most venerable and stately Gu
riosities in Europe The Chevy Chase
room, which the old refectory is now
called, from the maze of hunting scenes
upon its frieze, is a marvellous study in an
cient oak carving.
The present owner of this SURPRISING
medieval relic is Sir John St. Aubyn, of
Cornwall, and the royal family are his
guests here nearly every year.
EDGAR L. WAKKMAS.