sands once accumulated. The shell sand being lighter, accumulates at the tail of the drift. There are two farms in Herm both occupied by thriving proprietors. Each farm has a house and several buildings. An indifferent road connects these, and leads from the pier, which only serves as a landing place when the tide is high. At other times, the landing is on the rocks, and is not pleasant for ladies and those unaccustomed to walk over rough boulders, slippery with the water that has recently washed over them. This island is much visited from Guernsey. During the season of 1861, one of the Herm farmers and fishermen, who is also a boatman, stated that he had himself carried over nearly two thousand persons. Other boatmen from Guernsey, and the steamers, which not unfrequently make excursion trips, probably doubled this number of visitors. Except, however, for those able to reach the back of the island and scramble among the rocks and round the cliffs, to enjoy the views over Jethou and Sark, there is little that is attractive to the tourist. Indeed the shell beach is to most persons the chief point of interest, and the great attraction of Herm. The view of Guernsey from the landing-place is good, but not equal to that seen in crossing; and the west and north sides of the island, which are those most frequently seen, slope gradually towards the sea, and are less picturesque than the south side. Traces of copper ore are said to have been found in veins in the granite of Herm; and mining operations were at one time commenced. The chief mineral product of the island is, however, its granite; although, owing to the variable and often decomposing character of the rock, this also has been neglected. No doubt good material might be selected; but the veins of rotten stuff are numerous and large, and there would always be a risk of taking bad with good. It is hardly equal to the best black Guernsey granite for macadamised paving and curb stones. So long ago as the middle of the fifteenth century, we learn ECONOMIC RESOURCES. 67 from documents that means were taken for the supply of religious instruction in Herm, proving that the population was at that time very much larger than at present. Even of late years, however, there have been frequent and great fluctuations in this respect, according as at different times the resources of the island. have been made use of or neglected. It has recently been leased by a gentleman, who proposes to carry on larger operations than have been undertaken for some years. The last important works in the island were carried on about thirty years ago. The owner of the island at that time had entered into a speculation to supply granite, both for building and paving; and for this purpose a harbour and pier were constructed, an iron tramway laid down, houses built, and other conveniences and appliances for a fixed population introduced. Stone was at first extracted in very large blocks, and favourable reports were made of its beauty and quality. After a time, however, the owner disposed of his interests to a company; and shortly afterwards the company was dissolved, the quarries were abandoned, the harbour and pier neglected, and the whole establishment collapsed,-the island being offered for sale without even finding a bidder. In former times, there would seem to have been much game of various kinds in Herm. Thus, in 1716, an inquest was held "for the discovery of certain persons who had killed stags, roebucks and pheasants, on the island, contrary to the ordinance;" and it is recorded that the last two deer were killed about the year 1773. Rabbits, we have already said, are common, and the soil is eminently favourable for them. Small as it is, many hours may be spent with advantage in this island; and its resources are by no means exhausted in a single visit. To see all that it contains of interest, several days would be needed, even without taking into consideration the shell beach, which, to the conchologist, is absolutely inexhaustible. The appearance of the island, at high and low water, is so different, that it would hardly be recognised as the same by an occasional visitor; and to see this difference to advantage involves several visits. Herm has good fresh water in natural springs, and in two places there is running water. Fresh water may be seen trickling down within some of the quartz veins traversing the granite; and no doubt a supply might be obtained from wells sunk into the solid rock. There are scarcely any trees in Herm. There is no military occupation of Herm, as it could be of little value to an enemy. Indeed, the absence of a sufficient landing-place, and of roads of any kind, except between the two farms, would greatly interfere with any attempt to render it available, even if it were not commanded by the guns of Fort George, whose distance, however, is as much as 7000 yards. The whole coast of Herm is exceedingly dangerous at all times. JETHOU. A narrow passage, of a few hundred yards in width and not very deep, separates the south-western extremity of Herm, at low water, from a singular and very picturesque group of three islets,―one, in the centre, being a round hummock of granite about half a mile in diameter;-the others, much smaller, pinnacles of granite, nearly equi-distant from the central rock. Nothing can be more picturesque than the whole group, as seen either from Herm or from a boat approaching that island from Guernsey. The central rock of these three is not only by far the largest, and covered with vegetation, but boasts of human inhabitants. It is a private estate, partly under cultivation, but chiefly valuable for the rabbits it contains, and the stone of which it consists. There is a tolerable residence upon it with outhouses, besides a small plantation, and several clumps of trees. THE FERRIERES ROCKS. 69 Except towards Herm, the sides of Jethou are precipitous, and without a landing-place. This island is higher than Herm, and looks conical, but the summit is table land, and cultivated. It has a creux corresponding to that on Herm, and the cliffs are fine and bold. The islets near Jethou, both of which are surmounted by white sea-marks, are not very large, but are, from some points of view, remarkably symmetrical. At certain times of tide they are cut off by water from the central islands. The one towards Guernsey is the larger, and is called Crevichon. It has some vegetable growth upon it, but is too small to be inhabited. There is an old quarry on it, which forms a picturesque object at a little distance. To the south of Jethou, a number of rocks rise out of comparatively deep water in sharp, jagged, and dangerous pinnacles. These are called the Ferriéres, and are seen in greater or less number, according to the height of the tide, for a distance of about two miles. Between these rocks are dangerous passages. The space they occupy narrows gradually towards the south; and the depth of water around, and often that immediately outside them, is generally nearly twenty fathoms, on the side towards WEST. EAST. 5 8 SECTION OF SEA-BOTTOM AND ISLANDS FROM GUERNSEY TO SARK. Sark. On the west side, there are few places in the Little Russel where there is more than fifteen fathoms water, but the rocks are more thickly grouped. The southernmost rock of this group, called the Sardriére, rises out of water upwards of 120 feet deep on three sides, and is curiously connected with the isle of Brechou, close to Sark, by two pinnacles of rock rising in the same way, one to within thirty, and the other to within fifty feet of the surface,-from water 180 feet deep, the distance (about three miles) being divided into three parts by these rocks. On the other side there is an important bank, less than a mile from Guernsey, intervening between this same rock and the Guernsey high land. The diagram in the last page will give an idea of the state of the sea-bottom at this part of the Channel. SARK. With the exception of the two dangerous rocks just alluded to, Sark is separated from the Herm group of islands and rocks by a tolerably wide and open passage, with from twenty-five to thirty fathoms of water, called the Great Russel. Although, however, it is usual to speak of Sark as one island, it is like the others, a group of islands, islets, and rocks, of which the number is very considerable. In describing it here, we allude first to the group, and afterwards to the largest and most important member of it. Great Sark and Little Sark form one connected island, the connecting link being a natural causeway, at an elevation of nearly 300 feet above the sea. Beyond Great Sark to the north, and Little Sark to the south, are a number of islets, which we may regard as recently detached, and several islets and rocks, separated at a more ancient date, and much lower and smaller. On both the east and west sides are other and much more important pieces of land; one, the island of Brechou,* looking * Brechou, or Brek'hou; the islet of the gap or breach (bréche, Swiss French. or breke, old Dutch). |