The town of Helston, where we now halt for the first time since we left the Cheese–Wring and St. Cleer’s Well, might, if tested by its own merits alone, be passed over as unceremoniously as the towns already passed over before it. Its principal recommendation, in the opinion of the inhabitants, appeared to be that it was the residence of several very “genteel families,” who have certainly not communicated much of their gentility to the lower orders of the population — a riotous12 and drunken set, the only bad specimens13 of Cornish people that I met with in Cornwall. The streets of Helston are a trifle larger and a trifle duller than the streets of Liskeard; the church is comparatively modern in date, and superlatively ugly in design. A miserable14 altar-piece, daubed in gaudy15 colours on the window above the communion-table, is the only approach to any attempt at embellishment in the interior. In short, the town has nothing to offer to attract the stranger, but a public festival — a sort of barbarous carnival16 — held there annually17 on the 8th of May. This festival is said to be of very ancient origin, and is called “The Furry18”— an old Cornish word, signifying a gathering19; and, at Helston particularly, a gathering in celebration of the return of spring. The Furry begins early in the morning with singing, to an accompaniment of drums and kettles. All the people in the town immediately leave off work and scamper21 into the country; having reached which, they scamper back again, garlanded with leaves and flowers, and caper22 about hand-inhand through the streets, and in and out of all the houses, without let or hindrance23. Even the “genteel” resident families allow themselves to be infected with the general madness, and wind up the day’s capering24 consistently enough by a night’s capering at a grand ball. A full account of these extraordinary absurdities25 may be found in Polwhele’s “History of Cornwall.”
But, though thus uninteresting in itself, Helston must be visited by every tourist in Cornwall for the sake of the grand, the almost unrivalled scenery to be met with near it. The town is not only the best starting-point from which to explore the noble line of coast rocks which ends at the Lizard26 Head; but possesses the further recommendation of lying in the immediate20 vicinity of the largest lake in Cornwall — Loo Pool.
The banks of Loo Pool stretch on either side to the length of two miles; the lake, which in summer occupies little more than half the space that it covers in winter, is formed by the flow of two or three small streams. You first reach it from Helston, after a walk of half a mile; and then see before you, on either hand, long ranges of hills rising gently from the water’s edge, covered with clustering trees, or occupied by wide cornfields and sloping tracts27 of common land. So far, the scenery around Loo Pool resembles the scenery around other lakes; but as you proceed, the view changes in the most striking and extraordinary manner. Walking on along the winding28 banks of the pool, you taste the water and find it soft and fresh, you see ducks swimming about in it from the neighbouring farm-houses, you watch the rising of the fine trout29 for which it is celebrated30 — every object tends to convince you that you are wandering by the shores of an inland lake — when suddenly at a turn in the hill slope, you are startled by the shrill31 cry of the gull32, and the fierce roar of breakers thunders on your ear — you look over the light grey waters of the lake, and behold33, stretching immediately above and beyond them, the expanse of the deep blue ocean, from which they are only separated by a strip of smooth white sand!
You hurry on, and reach this bar of sand which parts the great English Channel and the little Loo Pool — a child might run across it in a minute! You stand in the centre. On one side, close at hand, water is dancing beneath the breeze in glassy, tiny ripples34; on the other, equally close, water rolls in mighty35 waves, precipitated36 on the ground in dashing, hissing37, writhing38 floods of the whitest foam39 — here, children are floating mimic40 boats on a mimic sea; there, the stateliest ships of England are sailing over the great deep — both scenes visible in one view. Rocky cliffs and arid41 sands appear in close combination with rounded fertile hills, and long grassy42 slopes; salt spray leaping over the first, spring-water lying calm beneath the last! No fairy vision of Nature that ever was imagined is more fantastic, or more lovely than this glorious reality, which brings all the most widely contrasted characteristics of a sea view and an inland view into the closest contact, and presents them in one harmonious43 picture to the eye.
The ridge44 of sand between Loo Pool and the sea, which, by impeding45 the flow of the inland streams spreads them in the form of a lake over the valley-ground between two hills, is formed by the action of storms from the south-west. Such, at least, is the modern explanation of the manner in which Loo Bar has been heaped up. But there is an ancient legend in connexion with it, which, tells a widely different story.
It is said that the terrible Cornish giant, or ogre, Tregeagle, was trudging46 homewards one day, carrying a huge sack of sand on his back, which — being a giant of neat and cleanly habits — he designed should serve him for sprinkling his parlour floor. As he was passing along the top of the hills which now overlook Loo Pool, he heard a sound of scampering47 footsteps behind him; and, turning round, saw that he was hotly pursued by no less a person than the devil himself. Big as he was, Tregeagle lost heart and ignominiously48 took to his heels: but the devil ran nimbly, ran steadily49, ran without losing breath — ran, in short, like the devil. Tregeagle was fat, short-winded, had a load on his back, and lost ground at every step. At last, just as he reached the seaward extremity50 of the hills, he determined51 in despair to lighten himself of his burden, and thus to seize the only chance of escaping his enemy by superior fleetness of foot. Accordingly, he opened his huge sack in a great hurry, shook out all his sand over the precipice52, between the sea and the river which then ran into it, and so formed in a moment the Bar of Loo Pool.
In the winter time, the lake is the cause and the scene of an extraordinary ceremony. The heavy incessant53 rains which then fall (ice is almost unknown in the moist climate of Cornwall), increase day by day the waters of the Pool, until they encroach over the whole of the low flat valley between Helston and the sea. Then, the smooth paths of turf, the little streams that run by their side — so pleasant to look on in the summer time — are hidden by the great overflow54. Mill-wheels are stopped; cottages built on the declivities of the hill are threatened with inundation55. Out on the bar, at high tide, but two or three feet of sand appear between the stormy sea on the one hand, and the stagnant56 swollen57 lake on the other. If Loo Pool were measured now, it would be found to extend to a circumference58 of seven miles.
When the flooding of the lake has reached its climax59, the millers60, who are the principal sufferers by the overflow, prepare to cut a passage through the Bar for the superabundant waters of the Pool. Before they can do this, however, they must conform to a curious old custom which has been practised for centuries, and is retained down to the present day. Procuring61 two stout62 leathern purses, they tie up three halfpence in each, and then set off with them in a body to the Lord of the Manor63. Presenting him with their purses, they state their case with all due formality, and request permission to cut their trench64 through the sand. In consideration of the threepenny recognition of his rights, the Lord of the Manor graciously accedes65 to the petition; and the millers, armed with their spades and shovels66, start for the Bar.
Their projected labour is of the slightest kind. A mere ditch suffices to establish the desired communication: and the water does the rest for itself. On one occasion, so high was the tide on one side, and so full the lake on the other, that a man actually scraped away sand enough with his stick, to give vent67 to the waters of the Pool. Thus, after no very hard work, the millers achieve their object; and the spectators watching on the hill, behold a startling and magnificent scene.
Tearing away the sand on either side, floods of fresh water rush out furiously against floods of salt water leaping in, upheaved into mighty waves by the winter gale68. A foaming69 roaring battle between two opposing forces of the same element takes place. The noise is terrific — it is heard like thunder, at great distances off. At last, the heavy, smooth, continuous flow of the fresh water prevails even over the power of the ocean. Farther and farther out, rushing through a wider and wider channel every minute, pour the great floods from the land, until the salt water is stained with an ochre colour, over a surface of twenty miles. But their force is soon spent: soon, the lake sinks lower and lower away from the slope of the hills. Then, with the high tide, the sea reappears triumphantly70, dashing and leaping, in clouds of spray, through the channel in the sand — making the waters of the Pool brackish71 — now, threatening to swell72 them anew to overflowing73 — and now, at the ebb74, leaving them to empty themselves again, in the manner of a great tidal river. No new change takes place, until a storm from the south-west comes on; and then, fresh masses of sand and shingle75 are forced up — the channel is refilled — the bar is reconstructed as if by a miracle. Again, the scene resumes its old features — again, there is a sea on one side, and a lake on the other. But now, the Pool occupies only its ordinary limits — now, the mill-wheels turn busily once more, and the smooth paths and gliding76 streams reappear in their former beauty, until the next winter rains shall come round, and the next winter floods shall submerge them again.
At the time when I visited the lake, its waters were unusually low. Here, they ran calm and shallow, into little, glassy, flowery creeks77, that looked like fairies’ bathing places. There, out in the middle, they hardly afforded depth enough for a duck to swim in. Near to the Bar, however, they spread forth78 wider and deeper; finely contrasted, in their dun colour and perfect repose79, with the flashing foaming breakers on the other side. The surf forbade all hope of swimming; but, standing80 where the spent waves ran up deepest, and where the spray flew highest before the wind, I could take a natural shower-bath from the sea, in one direction; and the next moment, turning round in the other, could wash the sand off my feet luxuriously81 in the soft, fresh waters of Loo Pool.
点击收听单词发音
1 meddle | |
v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
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2 kennel | |
n.狗舍,狗窝 | |
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3 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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4 witty | |
adj.机智的,风趣的 | |
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5 footpaths | |
人行小径,人行道( footpath的名词复数 ) | |
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6 inquisitive | |
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
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7 rambles | |
(无目的地)漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 ); (喻)漫谈; 扯淡; 长篇大论 | |
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8 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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9 enumerated | |
v.列举,枚举,数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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11 distinctive | |
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的 | |
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12 riotous | |
adj.骚乱的;狂欢的 | |
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13 specimens | |
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人 | |
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14 miserable | |
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的 | |
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15 gaudy | |
adj.华而不实的;俗丽的 | |
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16 carnival | |
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演 | |
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17 annually | |
adv.一年一次,每年 | |
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18 furry | |
adj.毛皮的;似毛皮的;毛皮制的 | |
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19 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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20 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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21 scamper | |
v.奔跑,快跑 | |
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22 caper | |
v.雀跃,欢蹦;n.雀跃,跳跃;续随子,刺山柑花蕾;嬉戏 | |
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23 hindrance | |
n.妨碍,障碍 | |
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24 capering | |
v.跳跃,雀跃( caper的现在分词 );蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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25 absurdities | |
n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 );荒谬;谬论;荒谬的行为 | |
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26 lizard | |
n.蜥蜴,壁虎 | |
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27 tracts | |
大片土地( tract的名词复数 ); 地带; (体内的)道; (尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的)短文 | |
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28 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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29 trout | |
n.鳟鱼;鲑鱼(属) | |
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30 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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31 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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32 gull | |
n.鸥;受骗的人;v.欺诈 | |
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33 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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34 ripples | |
逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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35 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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36 precipitated | |
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
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37 hissing | |
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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38 writhing | |
(因极度痛苦而)扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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39 foam | |
v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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40 mimic | |
v.模仿,戏弄;n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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41 arid | |
adj.干旱的;(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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42 grassy | |
adj.盖满草的;长满草的 | |
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43 harmonious | |
adj.和睦的,调和的,和谐的,协调的 | |
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44 ridge | |
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭 | |
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45 impeding | |
a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的,临近的 | |
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46 trudging | |
vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的现在分词形式) | |
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47 scampering | |
v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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48 ignominiously | |
adv.耻辱地,屈辱地,丢脸地 | |
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49 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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50 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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51 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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52 precipice | |
n.悬崖,危急的处境 | |
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53 incessant | |
adj.不停的,连续的 | |
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54 overflow | |
v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出 | |
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55 inundation | |
n.the act or fact of overflowing | |
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56 stagnant | |
adj.不流动的,停滞的,不景气的 | |
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57 swollen | |
adj.肿大的,水涨的;v.使变大,肿胀 | |
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58 circumference | |
n.圆周,周长,圆周线 | |
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59 climax | |
n.顶点;高潮;v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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60 millers | |
n.(尤指面粉厂的)厂主( miller的名词复数 );磨房主;碾磨工;铣工 | |
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61 procuring | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的现在分词 );拉皮条 | |
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63 manor | |
n.庄园,领地 | |
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64 trench | |
n./v.(挖)沟,(挖)战壕 | |
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65 accedes | |
v.(正式)加入( accede的第三人称单数 );答应;(通过财产的添附而)增加;开始任职 | |
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66 shovels | |
n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份 | |
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67 vent | |
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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68 gale | |
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) | |
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69 foaming | |
adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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70 triumphantly | |
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地 | |
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71 brackish | |
adj.混有盐的;咸的 | |
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72 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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73 overflowing | |
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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74 ebb | |
vi.衰退,减退;n.处于低潮,处于衰退状态 | |
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75 shingle | |
n.木瓦板;小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌);v.用木瓦板盖(屋顶);把(女子头发)剪短 | |
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76 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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77 creeks | |
n.小湾( creek的名词复数 );小港;小河;小溪 | |
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78 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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79 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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80 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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81 luxuriously | |
adv.奢侈地,豪华地 | |
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