New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-08
PART IL.
PAGES II TO IA.
NORTH DEVON COMBES.
c,r,oN NOTES FROM A PICTURESQUE
COAST. WITH JOKE OF THE
DEVONIAN PERIOD.

IAN as TorSuay is the centre OF summer
-, IN South Devon: but tranquil enjoyment
:, tho glorious scenery OF this highly favored
lion Of England is privilege too precious to
=. shsred with a IL ,sy crowd Of trippers. bath
- and hollday-mhkers. The environment of
r,-scon,be is pictur esque indeed. and the coast
,ars eastward alon.. the cliffs of Bristol Chan
,nWatermouth Castle Combmartin. Lynton
~, Exrnoor Forest is accounted one of the
.,r narvels Of tis United Kingdom; but
,sting- place after the hurly- burly of London,
,,,efer gannet's nest in the rocks like Nor
.s,. II is miles from 1lfracombe. and
q, from the madding crowd. and the only mu
-. that is heard is the Ceaseless rumble Of the
,,,s Atlantic swell High on the precipitous
.msi6os sloping seward and running out with
h,.ckened TANKS and beetling crags into the
~ nr,rnontory Of Morte Point al the mouth
=, bristol Channel. is this weatherworn village
18th us quaint church Recreation for the
multitude is lacking although barely a mile
.vsv are the Woolacombe Sands where some
dsv there may he another Ilfracombe; but there
=. UNINTERRUPTED leisure here for long walks on
che downs in the purple heather and for peace
N, contemplation Of the majesty of an iron
.usd coast and the transcendant glory of the
open sea
Thu incoming visitor drives for two miles
from the station. passing all the way between
t,vh dusty hedgerOws over which nothing Is
n no seen except the blue sky. The last pre-
,,ni,ous hillside Is scaled with the chaln-draS or
The wheel and the cluster of stone houses and
brick stores is quickly pierced: and then sud
denly opens sea vista Of matchless beauty II
Is Mor,e Bay. with two rocky headands on 'hc
o,,ar edges Of broken cliff and a broad ribbon
@, yellow sand in the inner circle at The bottom
y. the verdant downs. The blue sea seems TO
rise almost vertically from unseen abysses I'M
derneath: and far out but apparently high IN
the sky. IS a long feecy gray cloud. which Is
Iundv Island That first glimpse Of the ocean
from Morthoe Church commands the visitors
admiration and affection. He may wander
northward beyond 1ltracoThe 10 the Foreland'
or southwark from Rdeford 10 Clovelly' but ne
returns invariably with feeling Of thankiul-
ness 70 the gray village overlooking the black
vo-.e Stone II is an ideal summer resting
Mace where there are no holiday distractions.
no boarding houses. no side shows. no excur-
,on crowds The tide comes in and the tide
goes out with lift a fall Of twenty or
,uentv-hve feet: and from morning until night
the waves are breaking ceaselessly over the gray
,ocks and black boulder stones: and the wonder
ful coloring Of the bay lights UP in fresher tints.
or darkens IN deeper zones with every shifting
q, The cloud fresco OF the sky. Nature is in her
most benignant mood here: her message TO the
weary is a word of peace and the janglinG un-
asr,one Of the fashionable coast resort is not
heard
MoRTHOE'S ANCIENT LANDMARKS.
Mortboe like every other combe on the Devon
coast has its ancient landmarks and traditions.
On the brow Of the highest peak Of Morte Point
a huge rock lies horizontally upon two upright
stooes II NAV have been loosened from It's
rnoorings and rolling down the slope have been
accidentally caught in its present lodging-piace;
bu. tradition has converted 1t into Druidicai
cromlech. burial chamber Morte Church
has a tomb n the side chapel. which was long
reputed 70 he that OF Sir William de Tracy. one
Of the nurderers OF Beckett. Archbishop of Can
terbury: but that illusion has been completely
exposed by comparison OF dates and the grave
reassigned 10 another Tracy who was not an in
,.rest,ng murderer. but only a good vicar OF the
parish full of works Of mercy among the poor
The most genuine memorial Of ancient times is
the name Of the village. Morthoe. which is
combination Of Norman and Saxon for Death
Stone" The sharp trend Of the coast OF Morte
Pon, makes it a meeting-place for the winds.
and .he nerils of navigation are increased by
rrsat sunken ledge of black rock, on which
many a shin has been wrecked in the past. The
wind sill blows a gale off this bleak and dreary
headland even when there is a dead calm in the
bay but modern science has robbed the Death
Stone Of its terrors A floating buoy Indicates
the presence Of hidden danger at the highest
tide when the Jagged teeth Of the reef are
under water and from the nearest lighthouse
a. Bull Point is thrown powerful req Hsh'
which covers I, at night and protects incoming
ships bound for Swansea Cardiff and Bristol
It's the sornbre beauty Of the combes rather
that the gloomy legends of the Death-Stone' or
the traditions Of any Christian or Druluics'
tomb that attracts sympathetic Visitors 10 TINS
village Whatever q combe may De else
where in England II is in Devon ROCKY sea
gorge with verdant background or meadow
pasture down or woodland When the tde Is
full only the black teeth Of the rocks are seen
a. the mouth Of the cOmbe with the "h'c
breakers rolling over them; but at the epp ,here
kt scene o. desolation at he mouth Oh INC
Gorge where the waterwOrn bowldeT stones anu
shattered lodges are tilted UP. torn apart or
turs together and the destructive energy u
the elements is laid bare Charles Kngsl ~,
Vho loved the characteristic scenery OF Noi'"
DsVoa described its contrasting effects in a
aigs luminous sentence: ITO laru"ar"' d"
hetnss softness and peace; to seward a
'sse and bowling wilderness OF rock ana 'o''e'
'a'ren 10 the fisherman. and hopeless 10 '"e
snipwrecked mariner" In walking from 'iie
''oad belt 0! yellow beach at Woolacompe u l'e
~'hoy UP OF Morte Point one passes do]en VI
-'S'e VI these desolate and dreary rock p"S' III
my" the black stones heaped one upon
0'ne'' and here and there VIII be peDDN
''0A or sningle Of sand bordered with green
~" aho sea moss: but high above them VIII III
a''@''y De the long verdant slopes OF the MIS-
O'Aeu IN The royal splendor OF purple heather'
% 'he combination Of rich vegetation gray
ms 0iack rocks and white breakers which I'M
1a'S 10 This coast o. once rugged wildness ana
gentle beauty