In proceeding to the east from Plymouth, the first bay that presents itself is Salcolm Haven; this was formerly a port of some note: at the head of the basin stands the town of Kingsbridge. Between the hart Point, one of the most celebrated promontories on the coast of Devonshire, and Froward Point, the bay of Dartmouth is formed : this is a spacious haven, capable of sheltering a large number of ships. The coast from hence winds to the north-east, and shoots out into a promontory called Berry Point, which makes one side of Torbay. The other side is formed by the promon tory of Torquay. This bay is in its general form se milunar, inclosing a circumference of about 12 miles: on both sides its shores are winding, and are screened with grand ramparts of rock; between these, in the central part, the ground from the inland forms a gen tle vale, falling easily and gracefully to the water's edge. All round the bay, even on its rocky sides, wood grows with great luxuriance. This noble bay fronts the south-east : it has frequently afforded shelter to the navy of England. In the rocks which form the pro montory of Torquay, there are various fissures of great magnitude, and some of them of singular construction: that of the greatest magnitude is called Kent's Hole; it is a vast cavern about 680 feet in depth.
Beyond Torbay, the small river Teign flows into the English Channel, and soon afterwards, the Ex : from the mouth of this river the Devonshire coast gra dually turns to the south, as it unites with that of Dor setshire near Lyme. The shore from hence turns to front the south-west, terminating far to the south in Portland Island. Thus is that immense gulf formed, which includes the greater part of the south of Devon shire, and much of Dorsetshire, together with the several smaller bays of these counties, which lie be tween the Start Point and the Bill of Portland. To the north of Pot tland is a safe road for ships; but its south ern point, called the Race of Portland, is one of the most dangerous places in the English Channel.
Immediately below this island, the Bay of Weymouth expands itself ; on the opposite side of which, that part of Dorsetshire called the isle of Purbeck, stretches out, terminating in the point called St Aldham's Head. The eastern extremity of the coast of this county is called Pevrell Point, between which and another prtimontory, lying to the north, called Handfort Point, is included Swanage Bay. Turning round the extremity of Pur beck, towards the north, the Bay of Studland is seen, the remotest headland of which extends to the mouth of the harbour of Pool. Opposite to this tongue of land is another promontory, but not quite so long, which shoots out from the main land of Dorsetshire. Imme
diately within the entrance between these, lies Branksey Island. There are several other small islands, round which the sea forms a vast body of water, constituting Pool harbour.
The Isle of Wight terminates the bay which is form ed by the eastern extremity of Dorsetshire, with a vast range of cliffs in full front. The western side of this island is fenced with ridges of rocks, the most remark able of which are those called, from their sharp extre mities, the Needles. The appearance of these, and the advancing point of Hurst Castle on the opposite shore of Hampshire, afford strong grounds to believe, that in former times the island and the mainland were united. The southern of the Isle of Wight is edged with very steep cliffs of chalk and freestone, which, in various parts, are hollowed out into caverns. Between the island and the main land are several sand banks, especially off the eastern part, where is the safe road of St Helen's. Hurst Castle, which has already been mentioned, is situated near the extremity of an extraordinary natural causeway or point of land which runs two miles into the sea in a south-east direction, and approaches the Isle of Wight within the distance of a mile. Through the strait which is thus formed, the tide rushes with very great force, and has deepen ed the channel no less than 28 fathoms. This natural causeway, at high water, scarcely exceeds 200 yards in breadth: it is a sterile beach, covered with loose gravel and pebbles. Towards the isle of Wight, there is a bold shore, beaten into ledges or terraces of pebbles by the violence of the waves; whereas, the other side, from its sheltered situation, is undulating, marshy, and undermined, forming the water, when the tide flows, into a smooth land-locked bay.
The coast of Hampshire, adjoining to Dorsetshire, fronts the south-east, as the Avon descends by Christ Chu•ch. The bay of this name is formed by that river and the Stour, which unite their streams a short dis tance below the town. The western termination of the bay is Hengistbury-Head, generally called by the seamen Christchurch-Head, from its apparent connec tion with that place, as viewed from the sea. It is a bold headland, about a mile from the extremity from which the cliff dips for a considerable distance, and the estuary of the Stour and Avon is there only separated from the sea by a narrow neck of land. A little to the cast of this is Lymington Bay, from which, till we reach the mouth of Southampton Water, nothing re markable presents itself.