Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03

"pCIOIe the careWOrn columbus saw the tiny,
dancing light on Cat Island; before men
knew that the earth was round; the LIZ
ard was famous land-fal of the world
The Roman galleys sped by it with gaudy
sails and slave-plied tiers of mighty oars.
The Norman conquerors, driven far west
by channel gales, hailed it with joy as they
won back again after days and weeks OF
beating in their uncouth ships. More than
one of the great sea castles of the Span
ish armada shattered itself against the
cavernous rocks at it's base.
When ships of 300 tons burden were co.,
sidered monstrous the brave seahearts of
England, with neither sextant nor Mer-
Gators charts to help them, took their land
fall or their departure observations from
the old SphinX-like head of rock that is as
well known as England is herself.
Like Sandy Hook this famous place
whose nlme is almost househoid word
from Archangel 20 Cape Horn, is practically
unknown in everything except name. The
drowned and half-drowned rocks that lie
scattered in the ,unpeaceful sea at its feet
forbid close approach to it by ships, and
all that captains. crews or passengers see
of it is the glimpse of the lzard-like forma-
ton that may be obtained from distance
oi Two miles or so, as the ships speed by,
speaking their colOved flag language to the
Cornish signal station.
Lizard expresses its general appear
ance fairly well, although like most of the
fanciful names that are given to prominent
landmarks on account of their supposed re-
SembidnCes to something else, it is not al
ways easy to see that the Lizard really
does look like great lizard squatting in
reptlian c.umsiness on the southern end of
old England.
Looks Like a Lizard.
But seen from the proper angle and under
the proper conditions the resemblance TO
huge, fat wrinkled lizard is not so hard
to find, and then it is easy, too, to see why
its eastern end should have been called
the Beast for like a huge, uncouth beast
il looks over the head and shoulders of the
Lizard.
Two hundred feet and more high, ana
descending sheer into a fretted sea, is tins
most southern piece of England. In clear
weather ii IS visible twenty-four miles by
day and on a nearer approach its two
white lighthouses twin towers like those
that look over Sandy Hook at the other
cnd of the ocean road make it easily the
most characteristic landfau that a sailor
car wish, so that even perfect stranger
who has never steered a ship into English
waters before can recognize the Lizard on
sight.
The two white towers of the Lizard lights
are octagonal. sixty-one feet high, and
burn fixed white electric lights that shine
out go feet above the high-water mark
and are visible twenty-one sea miles or
twenty-four land miles
They have a purpose beyond merely tell
ing the mariner that England has been
reached, or warning him away from the
rip-raps of rocky teeth that sow the chan
mel there. So long as the sailor keeps
those two white lights in line by night or
the two white towers by day so long IS
he safe from going on the most wicked
and deadly rocks in the narrow seas-the
far-known Manacles that lie between LIZ
ard Head and Mare Point, and have added
some of the most terrible stories of the
sea to its literature.
Not from all aspects does the Lizard look
like the reptile that has been given its
name to the noble headlands. Seen a lit
tie TO eastward from the sea, Lizard Head
looks strikngly like the mutiIated head
and face of q sphinx. In the old days,
when the face of the great Lord Brougham
was familiar to men, they used to say that
the Lizard seen from the land behind 1t,
was strikiugly like a massive bust of the
peer.
A Lone and Desolate Place
But not many saw 1t from landward IN
these days Indeed, not very many see
Il now, for the peninsula of the Lizard is
a lonely, Wild country, where there is ut
tie TO attract men TO live, although there
rs wild and terrifying scenery to attract
tourists. But the way to the grand scenery
is tiresome and uninspiring-so much so
that the wonders of the desolate coast re-
manned practically an unknown thing until
the nineteenth century, because travellers
who had penetrated into Cornwall as far
as the beginning of the peninsula generally
became discouraged by the "onotony OF
the inland scenery and retired without 60
ing as far the ultimate southern coast
So 1t was that the Lizard remained, and
is still to a large extent u primitive I'M
known place. Mixed with its ancient Cor
nlsh stock is a breed of handsome black
eyed. dark-faced people, and these are de-
sCeudants Of the Spanish sailors of the ar
mazda whose ships were cast on the terri
BILE teeth OF the Stays and other wave
lathered rocks that ring the iron coast
Coarse and naked roads lead to the
Iizard-treeless, fiat. monotonous. A few
tamarisk hedges stick up here and there
Here and there are a few gray apple trees
silvered with lichens The soil is decom-
posed, hornblende rock So scarce are trees
that long ago a hedge near Lizard Town
was chr!stened Lizard Wood, because it
showed a few stunted thorn trees.
Fierce winds beat the land; yet the cli-
mate is so mild that a few days of frost
are considered as making quite a hard win
ter there, and snow rarely lies long on the
ground.
Below the lighthouses the ground slopes
away suddenly and makes an abrupt prom
ontory. At one extremity OF this promon-
tory, but not the most southern. rises an
impressive, strange column of rock. 1t Is
the humble sometimes accessible from the
by ever-vexed water on the seaward side.
England's Most Southern Rock.
The most southerly rock of England rises
from the sea a little distance from this. 1t
is the Bahia and is a mass of mica that
shines splendidly IN the sun.
Near 1t is another massive. insulated rock,
perforated by a natural archway. 1t Is
known the Island of CrenvaI Between
this point and old Polpeer is a steep cliff
worn into many caves by the sea. Some of
these are forever crumbing away for
throughout this coast the fall OF rock is al
most tncessant, owing to the tremendous
battery by the surf
y few years ago there was q cave here
that could be approached with fair safety
at low water that was tapestrIed by won
derful sea ferns and doored with bright
golden sand IN which flashed pools OF
water full of gorgeous seaweeds. making
them look like great rubies set in dim aisles
OF rock.
From the great headlands beyond this
spot is a most noble view. The promont tory
terminates in three masses of lofty piled
up rocks. the most easterly being the Little
Lizard. and the most westerly and large st
the Old Lizard Head A short way from
shore. standing deep in the green water
IS black rock called the Quadrant and
beyond It the lofty pillar of Lion Rock
stands in lonely defiance as IL it had waded
from the mainland in Titanic rebellion.
The Enameled Rocks.