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 THE PLYMOUTH DISTRICT 27 have been possible if the winds had not fought for the English. The Spaniards' first taste of the West Country had probably satisfied them, but other death-traps lay to the eastward. The later story of the Armada belongs to distant Scottish and Irish coasts, whereon many of its finest vessels drifted ; it is a story of calamity, blunder, and stubborn bravery ; all the courage was not on one side of the conflict — perhaps the Spanish were as great in their failure as the English in their success. The shores of Whitesand Bay, though so beauti- ful, are treacherous both to the seaman and the bather ; their beaches have often been strewn with wreckage. The Bay is fully exposed to south- westerly winds, which often hurl tremendous seas upon its coast, and many a good vessel has been driven to its destruction. There are shifting sands here also, which are the source of peril to unwary bathers ; and it was at this spot that Mr. E. Spender, the founder of the Western Morning News, was drowned, with his two sons ; a memorial marks the spot. But many parts of the extensive bay are perfectly safe, and there are several nooks that are becoming increasingly popular with visitors from Plymouth, such as Port Wrinkle, with its coastguard station, and the pretty village of Downderry. A portion of the coast is in the parish of St. John's, and here there is a grotto excavated by a lieutenant, who is said to have cured himself of gout by this labour ; the walls and entrance are inscribed with verse. Another of the Whitesand parishes is Antony East, so named to distinguish it from other Antonies further westward, which extends from the Lynher to the coast. In this is the seat of the Pole-Carew