past, and glance over the scenes of my early life.

The Bay of Torwich, on the southern coast, unites in its fullest extent
the singularly wild and picturesque, with the softer features of the
landscape. The bay consists of two headlands, about four miles apart. On
the eastern side a lofty range of rocky heights extends for a considerable
way, almost equalling those of Dovor in sublimity, and juts out into the
sea, on the assaults of which they seem to frown defiance, terminating in
a bold headland. The violence of the sea has caused extensive and
picturesque excavations and caverns; and at the end of the cliff, two
sharp rocks called the Needles, raised their heads at low water, connected
by a low, sunken reef. In a westerly gale these rocks were very dangerous
to homeward-bound ships, and I have often sat with admiration in the
heights above, watching the grotesque forms and silvery spray of the
gigantic breakers, which after being broken in their progress, heaved
their expiring rage with a shock like thunder, against the base of the
cliffs, causing a prolonged echo in the huge caverns above. About midway
between these cliffs and the western side there was another lofty headland,
which terminated the Cove of Torwich; as the sea, except at low-water in
high spring tides, washed the foot of this promontory, it was only
fordable at ebb-tide. In the middle of the intermediate space, three rocks
which might truly be called "forked promontories" from their sharp
pyramidical shape, jutted abruptly out of the beach, and were connected by
a sort of natural causeway to the main land. Beyond, a wild and rocky
valley ran inland, and the time-worn ruins of ---- Castle, beetling over
the heights, terminated the view in this direction. This valley formed the
bed of a small stream, which ran by the end of the rocks, composing a
channel by which coasting vessels could run up and discharge their cargoes
for the village of Torwich, only part of which was visible at this spot. A
natural cleft in the vein opened through the centre of these singular