NOTES.

BEACHY HEAD.

Page 1. Line 3.

"The mariner at early morning hails."

In crossing the Channel from the coast of France, Beachy-Head is the first land made.

Alluding to an idea that this Island was once joined

to the continent of Europe, and torn from it by some

convulsion of Nature. I confess I never could trace the resemblance between the two countries. Yet the cliffs about Dieppe, resemble the chalk cliffs on the Southern coast. But Normandy has no likeness whatever to the part of England opposite to it.

Page 2. Line 15.

Terns.-Sterna hirundo, or Sea Swallow.

Gulls.-Larus canus.

Tarrocks.-Larus tridactylus.

Page 3. Line 1.

Gray Choughs.-Corvus Graculus, Cornish Choughs,

or, as these birds are called by the Sussex people,

Saddle-backed Crows, build in great numbers on this

coast.

Page 4. Line 10.

"Bursts from its pod the vegetable down."

Cotton. (Gossypium herbaceum.)

Line 14.

"The beamy adamant." Diamonds, the hardest

and most valuable of precious stones.

For the extraordinary exertions of the Indians

in diving for the pearl oysters, see the account of the Pearl Fisheries in Percival's View of Ceylon.

Page S. Line 14.

But now and then the Sea Snipe's cry," &c.

In crossing the channel this bird is heard at night, uttering a short cry, and flitting along near the surface of the waves. The sailors call it the Sea Snipe;

L

but I can find no species of sea bird of which this is

the vulgar name. A bird so called inhabits the Lake

of Geneva.

Page 9.

"The period, when from Neustria's hostile shore The Norman launch'd his galleys, and the bay

O'er which that inass of ruin* frowns even now

In vain and sullen menace, then received

The new invaders," &c.

The Scandinavianst, and other inhabitants of the north, began towards the end of the Sth century, to leave their inhospitable climate in search of the produce of more fortunate countries.

Pevensey Castle.

+ Scandinavia.-Modern Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Lapland, &c.

The North-men made inroads on the coasts of France; and carrying back immense booty, excited their compatriots to engage in the same piratical voyages and they were afterwards joined by numbers of necessitous and daring adventurers from the coasts of Provence and Sicily.

In 844, these wandering innovators had a great number of vessels at sea; and again visiting the coasts of France, Spain, and England, the following year they penetrated even to Paris: and the unfortunate Charles the Bald, king of France, purchased at a high price, the retreat of the banditti he had no other means of repelling.

These successful expeditions continued for some time; till Rollo, otherwise Raoul, assembled a number of followers, and after a descent on England,