no choughs. There is nothing like a near
view, as the old lady said when she mounted
her three-legged stool to have a better sight
of the eclipse.

This is a magnificent scene! Granite cliffs
dipping sheer into the water, up which there
is no hope for the shipwrecked sailor to climb,
unless he had the feet of a fly. Here and
there, to make bad worse, is an advanced
islet or two of rock, about which the sea boils
and roars, and foams and eddies, to shatter
the boat that might try hard to reach the
main land. The cormorants sitting there care
not two sprats about our climbing down
towards them. Rather poetic in name, as in
look, are those black immovables, "The Armed
Knight," and his minor attendants. So, also,
of "The Wolf," which, farther south, howls
in the wind. If you 've not a good head,
better keep where you are. Foolish are the
ladies, more foolish are the gentlemen, who
get half-way down, and then stick fast, and
scream, and wring their hands with fright,
and dare neither proceed nor return. My
companion half-way down the first slope,
prudently crawls up again, backward, on his
hands and feet. At the bottom of this,
within two or three inches of the edge of a
wall, which will make your flesh creep to
look over it, is a memorable mark in the
smooth and slippery turf. A wise cavalier,
after dinner, one day, betted that he would
ride to the Land's End next morning. So, he
mounted, and got thus far. The shuddering
horse turned, and backed. The rider just
saw the horse's hind feet going over the brink,
threw himself off in agony, and escaped. The
animal perished, and the last print of the
clinging hoof is kept fresh by the guides.
What an act of horsemanship to witness!
This happened not many years ago, though
the biped performer is since dead.

Not far off, is another curiosity. The
Land's End-ites have a childish propensity to
call time-worn rocks after things to which
they bear the slightest possible resemblance.
Ossianic names are here in character; but
"Dr. Johnson's Head " is too bad. Worst of
all is "Dr. Syntax," whereon some grey
lichen at the back is supposed to represent
the wig. The guide complained that a
gentleman charged him with making this
rude efligy. Poor town gentleman,
inexperienced in Nature's freaks! "Sir," said the
guide, grieved at the slander, "how should
I make Dr. Syntax, when I have never seen
his drawing ?"

The next stage is a chaotic heap of hoary
blocks of granite, through which threads a
narrow path. To the right and to the left is
precipitous destruction. As sailors say, one
hand-hold, when you can have it, is worth two
foot-holds. Best of all is a goat-like presence
of mind in such places; it narrows more
and more. Stand still: look around! Yonder,
a mile from the shore, are the Longships rocks,
with their bright white lighthouse, threatened
even now by the raging sea, which sometimes
breaks quite over it, as at Eddystone. This
is the true sublime; grandeur combined with
terror. The wind blows so hard that I feel
as if it might take me up and whirl me about
like a dried leaf. Make a few steps farther,
calmly and leisurely; it strings the nerves.
There! This is a nice little trap to have
passed—a gap between two rocks, sharp to
the left, and a steep, smooth, inclined plane
shooting into the sea. Captain Crawler,
since dead, begun to slip down here, but
caught by the elbows on those two rocks;
and, being a powerful man, recovered himself.
The guide told the tale on returning; he
tried to make light of it, though bathed at
the time in a sweat of terror. A little farther,
and there is nothing on either side; it is
like tight-rope dancing. Now, I think this
will do; within two feet of a step over, into
the void!

But there is something more to be seen and
done. The upper part of the Land's End is a
natural arch over a tunnel, through which
the sea flows. Backward a little, to the
right, is a block of granite—say, five feet
square at the top. Mount this in a sitting
posture; the guide offers his hand if you are
apprehensive; lie down; creep a little
forward; get your head fairly over the edge, and
look! You can see daylight through the
cavern from end to end. Wriggle back; sit
up; jump down; and the feat is done. The
Duchess of Northumberland (and many other
ladies too) performed this evolution bravely.

"As for the daws, sir, that you ask about,
they 've gone to Tol peden penwith. Some
one shot (at) them, so they shifted their
quarters. Our daw is a good bird; not shy,
and no thief, and does not go in at windows
and steal ribbons and things, like the little
daw with black legs and bill. We take them
from the nest, bring them up on bread and
milk till they are three months old, and then
turn them off to shift for themselves. They
will come when we call them, take food from
the hand, and suffer themselves to be caught
again. You may see some if you go to the
Logan" (pronounced, Loggan ) "Rock."

"I should like to see the famous rocking
stone as well as the daws; but an 'Eating
and Logging House,' like that in Calais
market-place, would be more the thing just
now."

"We shall get back nicely to dinner, sir,"
said Andrew. "I 'll put the horses to, and
perhaps, sir, you'll be more lucky to daws
another afternoon."

I have not got the Choughs yet. I am
persevering, though.

On the 22nd of March will be published, neatly bound in Cloth,
                                   Price 5s. 6d,
                       THE FOURTH VOLUME
                                          of
                         HOUSEHOLD WORDS.