THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

With angry seas periodically demolishing the outmost houses, it seems almost unaccountable that the little town should have persisted in clinging so tenaciously to the high-water mark; but there were probably two paramount reasons for this.  The deep gully was to a great extent protected from the force of the winds, and, as it was soon quite brimful of houses, every inch of space was valuable; then, smuggling was freely practised along the coast, and the more the houses were wedged together, the more opportunities for secret hiding-places would be afforded.  The whole town has a consciously guilty look in its evident desire to conceal itself; and the steep narrow streets, the curious passages where it is scarcely possible for two people to pass, and the little courts which look like culs-de-sac, but have a hidden flight of steps leading down to another passage, seem to be purposely intricate and confusing.

Home/Scenes

Everywhere huge nets were stretched out to dry.  Rosy-cheeked children and pigs were plentiful, playing about promiscuously; sometimes a small bit of garden is walled up above the pathway, and is gay with sweet-william and snapdragon.

Macquoid/Yorkshire

The people used to sacrifice live cats on the safe return of the cobles from gales at sea, and when they were still out during storms the women used to light fires around which the children were made to dance.

Seymour/Companion