88 Darknefs and Light.

ing yawl come in. There is fuch a contraft be-
tween the dark tarred wood and the white furf
that dafhes up all round it; and the fifhermen are
fo clever in watching the favourable moment for
a wave to carry them over their difficulties ; that I
think this is one of the prettieft fights one can fee.
But no fuch thing was ever feen on the fhore by the
old Sea Caftle, for there was no fifhing there. Peo-
ple thought the fea was too rough and the landing
too difficult, and fo no fifhing village had ever
been built, and no boats ever attempted to come
within many miles of the place.

Nobody cared to afk further, or try to account
for the wildnefs of the fea on that coaft; but I can
tell you all about it, although it muft be in a fort
of half whifper—The place was on the borders of
Fairy Land! that is to fay, many many unknown
numbers of miles out at fea, right oppofite to the
Caftle, there was a Fairy Ifland, and it was the
Fairies who kept the fea fo rough all round them,
for fear fome adventurous failor fhould approach
the ifland, or get near enough to fith up fome of
the pearls and precious ftones they kept in a cryftal
palace underneath the water.

So now you know the reafon why the fea was
fo rough, and there was no fifhing going on at the
Sea Caftle Home.

If you want to know whether any body ever
faw the Fairy Ifland, I muft fay, yes; but very
feldom. And never but in the evening when the
fun was fetting, and that under particular circum-