uay, and to allow the yachts to follow; but just as we were shoving
off a breeze sprang up, so we jumped on board again, and, rounding Bob's
Nose, we were able with a few tacks to make our way into the harbour.
We brought-up in the inner harbour, but the Dolphin remained at anchor
outside.

Torquay is one of the prettiest seaside places in England. From the
water we observed the houses on the hill-sides, with beautiful villas
scattered about in all directions amid groves of green trees. The shore
along the north side of the bay is indented by numerous little bays
called coves; the water is deep and clear, so that they are much
frequented by bathers. One is appropriated to ladies, another to
gentlemen. At the end of the last century Torquay consisted only of a
few fishermen's cottages scattered about the beach.

We took an interesting walk on shore, which we greatly enjoyed. We
visited a curious natural cavern called Kent's Cavern. The scenery
round the entrance is thickly-wooded and wild in the extreme, probably
just as it has been for centuries. We were told that it runs for
upwards of six hundred feet into the bowels of the earth, and has
numerous branches and ramifications. We had brought a guide and lights
with us, so that we could explore it without risk. We could see,
imbedded in the rock, bones of animals which at some remote period made
it their abode; and naturalists, who dig them out, say that they belong
to tribes which are only found in tropical climates. Our guide showed
us that there are three distinct layers or floors of earth in the
cavern. In the topmost are found beads and various instruments
manufactured by the Saxons, as well as the bones of foxes and badgers.
In the next strata are the bones of elephants, of rhinoceroses, of lions
and hyenas, of wolves and elks. In the third layer are the bones of
bears, which must have been of great size, as also of a nondescript
animal said to be between a lion and a bear. Curiously enough, judging
from the remains found in them, the branches on one side indicate the
favourite habitation of elephants, while on the other, packs of wolves
were in the habit of taking up their abode. Probably the more savage
beasts of prey dragged in the carcases of the creatures they had killed;
and they in their turn dying, left their bones mingled with the others.
We were told that flint knives were found along with the bones of
animals which for ages have become ext