Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
About a year before the time Nelly returned to Burian, she,
with her husband and most of the crew, thinking they were rich
enough, wished to give up this roving life, and decided to settle
down in their native land. They disintered the riches they had
buried in various uninhabited islands and keys, which were only
frequented by such as themselves. The chests of dollars, bars of
silver, ingots of gold, ornaments, jewels, and rare gems, which
belonged to the Captain's share alone, were worth more than
would purchase half-a-dozen such estates as Boskenna, and the
dearest wish of her heart was that they might return in time to
free that place for her father.
They were many months collecting all their riches. They then
set sail from the western main, and arrived with fair weather in
sight of the Cornish coast. The wind being light and sea smooth
they kept close in shore for the pleasure of gazing on the well-remembered
carns and coves.
More than a week before they sighted land, Nelly was seized
with a most intense desire to be put ashore at some cove near the
Land's End, and, when they beheld the well-known landmark of
Burian Tower, saw Castle Trereen, passed Penberth, St. Loy,
and Lamorna Coves, her longing to land and see her father was
such that she could neither eat nor sleep; and this was about the
time he breathed his last.
She begged to be landed in Mount's Bay, but her husband,
wishing her to remain on board till their vessel should be disposed
of and their riches turned into English money, they passed the
Lizard, when, to save her from going mad, she was put ashore at
Falmouth. Thence she was brought on horseback to Market-jew,
and walked from that place to Burian. Her husband agreed,
should the weather permit, to return to Mount's Bay, and there
cruise about until she might be ready to proceed along with him,
when, as was arranged, she would be taken on board from
Mousehole or the Mount. This is the substance of what Nelly
related to her old friend, of her adventures up to that night; and
when Dame Trenoweth told her how all the Cardews were dead
and gone from Boskenna, she no longer desired to see the old
mansion, but heartily wished herself again on the ocean with the
one for whom she had left her native land and weathered the
storms of more than twenty years; she endeavoured to cheer[46]
herself with the hope that, ere many days, she would again
behold the Lovely Nell, sailing, in all her pride of flowing sails,
and, walking the quarter-deck, her husband, near enough to be
hailed from Reginnis Cliff.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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