The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
“From this place one of the party and myself, the others not
chusing to accompany us, went to explore the easternmost
turret. Upon our arrival at its base we found much
difficulty in ascending it; the rocks jutted out, one over
the other, in such a manner that, had we slipped but a few
inches, we must have dropped over a considerable precipice.
I arrived first at the base, and attempted to ascend, but
fear pulled me back. Upon my friend’s arrival we thought we
would exert ourselves to get up, as we conjectured there
might be a Druidical basin at top. My friend got up the
first rock by creeping at full length under the overhanging
rock; and I was under the necessity of several times
desiring him, in the most energetic manner, to keep as close
in as possible; for if the body had gone a few inches
farther out, it must have slid over the sloping rock which
overhung the precipice. It took him a few minutes to drag
himself in in this manner. In this creeping state he thought
he should have broken his watch to pieces, as he was
obliged, as before stated, to crawl at full length, there
being no possibility; on account of the overhanging rock, of
going on hands and knees. Upon trying to get out his watch,
I earnestly entreated him to desist, for fear of losing his
centre of gravity; for on the left hand was the precipice,
and raising his right side ever so little might have been
attended with most serious consequences. He took my advice,
and by another exertion got far enough in to raise himself
on his hands and knees, and then on his legs. I then
followed him in the same manner. We then examined the rocks
above us, in order to observe the best mode of ascending
them. I first made the ascent, and in the uppermost rock
discovered the largest Druidical basin we had met with, and
observed it had a lip or channel facing the south. The
horrid precipices on each side prevented my getting on the
top of this rock, as I felt a slight vertigo. I then got
down on a lower rock, and my friend ascended the uppermost
one, and not finding himself dizzy, got into the basin
itself (where I hope he will never go again), and waved his
hat to our companions below. I desired him to measure the
circumference of this basin, which he did with his whip, and
found it to be about three feet and a half in diameter. We
did not take its depth, but I think it must have been about
a foot; it was of a circular form. The next thing to be
considered was, how we should get down again; which at last,
however, we effected nearly in the same manner (only
reversing our movements) as we got up; and I believe nothing
will ever induce me to pay a second visit to the top of this
rock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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