At one moment the little bark followed by a mountain of a sea hanging over its stern, every instant menacing destruction—the next thrown up aloft, ready to be precipitated into the gaping gulph below; alternately keeping the spectators and crew, trembling between fear and hope, till at last some friendly wave with dreadful force hurls it upon the shore. { 9}
Those faces (for upon such occasions the beach is always covered with beholders) which were but the moment before the most strongly expressive of the feelings of wife, mother, children or friend, under the most torturing anxiety for the safety of those who are most nearly allied to them, by the ties of affection or of interest, are in an instant changed to smiles and tears of joy, to thanks for their safety, and almost in the same breath to enquiries about the success of the voyage.
The mercantile trade here is small; the want of a convenient harbour where ships might ride in safety, will ever be an obstacle; there are, however, small exports of corn and imports of coal, tiles, oil cake, London porter, &c.
Perhaps there are few places, even at the distance of twenty miles from the sea, where coals are dearer than they are here; one principal reason of which is, the expence and hazard attending the unloading; to effect which the vessel is laid upon the beach at high water (which can only be done in fine weather) and when the tide is sufficiently ebbed, the coals are taken from the vessel by carts, each carrying half a chaldron, which is as much as four horses can well get up the steep and sandy road cut through the cliff.
Thus the business is carried on till the returning tide obliges them to desist till the next ebb. About two tides generally serve to complete the ship’s unloading, which is seldom of greater burthen than from sixty to seventy tons.
From the loading and unloading the vessels arises another source of picturesque amusement from the combination of horses and carts, men and boys—these employed in their different departments compose various groupes, and give a new character to the scene, by connecting maritime with rural occupations.
There are no places of public amusement, no rooms, balls, nor card assemblies. A small circulating library, consisting chiefly of a few novels, is all that can be obtained; but still for such as make retirement their aim, it is certainly an eligible situation.