Newlyn
Mousehole, like Newlyn, has a fine fishing-fleet, but even when these picturesque boats are out of sight, there is a flavour in the air, a soupçon, a je ne sais quoi! A blind man indeed might be expected to know how the little ancient town contrives to pay its way! The artists of Newlyn seem to have risen superior to such a trifle. To the painter, of course, beauty is only of the eye and, after all, the smell of oil paints——
It is wonderful how attractive Cornwall seems to artists of both pen and brush. No village so poor, none so utterly desolate, but it can point to its artist and its cross. Not, of course, that there is any connection between artists and crosses. The broad outlook of the former may have been something of a trial, but it has come to be looked on as of no importance, just a bit of harmless eccentricity.
Penzance
Not far from Newlyn is a place that was once a chapel-of-ease to Madron and had no church of its own. It was represented to the authorities, however, that if the people went daily to their parish church at Madron—daily, mark you—the town would be in peril of burning "by the French and other enemies in time of war." Naturally the church was built. That good, that punctilious, that saintly town where all the inhabitants went every day to church is none other than—Penzance. And except that it is a good centre, there is very little else to say about it.
CHAPTER VI
NOOKS AND CORNERS FROM THE SCILLY ISLES TO ROSELAND
The Land of Lyonesse: The Scillies: The Law of Wrecks: Mr. Smith: The Admiral's Honour: Ding Dong Mine: St. Michael's Mount: An Old Ceremony: China Clay: Wrecks: Germoe and Breage: Pengersick: Flora Day: The Loe Pool: Serpentine: Gunwalloe and Mullion: The Lizard: Bells: The Helford River: Mawgan: Roseland.