that the captain, finding his ship making water
rapidly, had run her ashore in Mount's Bay, fully
believing he was about the latitude of Cadiz.
The instant it was known that the sailors were
Algerines, a deadly panic fell on the neighbourhood,
for now the plague was feared. The volunteers
could hardly be kept at their posts, where they
quaked, and felt internal qualms. Intelligence was
conveyed to the Government, and orders were issued
for troops to march from Plymouth. Happily, however, the panic rapidly abated; the local authorities convinced themselves that there was no plague among the strangers, and, slowly and cautiously, people approached to look and gape at the dark-moustached and bearded men with dusky skin, bare legs, and turbans. The pirates were on the whole kindly treated, and after some delay were sent back to Algiers.
The whole country is wind - blown, and everything looks small: the trees are stunted; the hills rise to no great heights, the very highest point reached is 827 feet; and Tregonning, which does not mount above 600 feet, assumes the airs of a mountain. The coast is fine, but by no means as fine as that of the Lizard. The rocks are of granite, and not of serpentine. But, on the other hand, the surface is less level than that of Meneage. It is crowded with prehistoric antiquities, cromlechs, camps, and stone circles. And the Land's End district has this great advantage, that if you are overdone with the soft and relaxing air on the south coast, you have but to ascend a hill and
