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From Ilfracombe to Lynton.—Pass Watermouth Castle. Lucky person the proprietor of this charming place. Lovely position this Watermouth; quite enough to make one's mouth water.
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Near Coombe-Martin is Hangman's Hill, where a sheep hanged a man for stealing him.
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In the character of Mr. P.'s Own Inn-spector I venture to pronounce the Valley of Rocks Hotel at Lynton delightful. Here everything is unpretentiously English, and even the waiters are not all foreigners. The supply of certain articles of food may on occasion run short (which ought not to happen), and consequently you can only complain of what you don't get, very rarely of what you do. The other hostelries may be equally good, but of these Mr. P.'s Own Inn-spector, being un-ubiquitous, cannot speak from experience.
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The Valley of Rocks Hotel is so-called because it is not in the valley but high up, and thence you can go down by the easiest possible descent, i.e. per water-worked tram-way to Lynmouth, and so remount. Here we go up up up, and here we go down down down O, all day at threepence a head per journey, reduction on taking a quantity of tickets, not persons.
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And here comes in my complaint. I do not know what numbers this "ascenseur" will carry with safety, but that it can not carry more than twenty, all told, inside and out, with anything like comfort, I, not being "Your Fat Contributor," will honestly affirm. Whether the proprietorship is in the hands of a company, or in those of Sir Tit Bit Newnes is of no importance. If Sir T. B. N. has the sole management, he may be trusted in future to look after this "facilis descensus" well and wisely.