Page:The Cornwall coast.djvu/38

 32 THE CORNWALL COAST purely delightful. When we liken the place to Fowey or Dartmouth we must grant it the ad- vantages of being closer to the sea ; it stands actually at the mouth of its river, instead of retired within protecting sea-gates. To some ex- tent it has to submit to the tender mercies of the tripper, for Plymouth steamboats are fond of bringing excursionists here ; apart from these in- vasions, the spot is as peaceful as could be desired except by the veriest misanthropist. Approached by rail from Liskeard, the journey is made in leisurely backward and forward stages, the engine being reversed at times ; so that passengers, who are requested not to get out till " the train is at rest," sometimes imagine themselves to be carried back to their point of departure. It is an amusing little line, but it serves its purpose ; and indeed has a definite usefulness in reminding us that we have come away from bustle and hurry to a region of placid leisure and quietness. Arrived at the journey's end, one at first wonders how the people get in and out of their houses, so higgledy-piggledy do they appear to be piled one on top of the other ; but the mystery may be solved by exploring the lanes and allies. Deliveries of produce are still often made by panniered donkeys, in quaint old- world fashion. There are two Looes, East and West, and two rivers of the same name which meet above the bridge. East Looe belongs to the parish of St. Martin's, and West Looe to that of Talland ; both were granted a corporation in the time of Elizabeth, and each, before the Reform Bill, returned two representatives to Parliament. The credit of having sent twenty vessels and 315 men to the siege of Calais is given to East Looe, but it may be guessed that all the residents on the