of the approach of some fierce forest monster, gallantly drew the sword of state, and with knitted brows and set lips advanced to meet the timid beast. With a flourish of his weapon the intrepid citizen bravely cries, "Let him come! Let him come! I thank my God I fear him not!" "May those already cursed Essexian plains Prove all a desert, and none make there stay But savage beasts, or men as wild as they!" WALLER. -བའི་ OFF FOULNESS. A ISLAND STORIES LTHOUGH it is in 1924 that I am getting together the sketches of Essex, my knowledge of the coast has been accumulating for many years. The two leading experiences being the voyage of the Penguin in 1907 and service during the war when I was in command of a patrol boat attached to Acteon and told off on a lone job known as The Essex Coast Patrol. This was generally a cold and messy occupation. We could go in waters too shallow for most naval craft, could cut corners and take most unorthodox Even if we did not encounter many routes over sandbanks. German submarines, we were constantly being taken for one ourselves, and so life was very exciting in the intervals between "IN 1884 WAS BUILT A LUG-BOAT." extreme boredom. The job, however, had its compensations. We were often told off to take out salvage experts, to conduct extraordinary experiments connected with the location of submarines, and to keep in touch with various affairs on shore. It was this last item that brought much of Essex within radius of my sketch-book. Hole Haven, Shoeburyness, Foulness, and various places en route Harwich became at times handy places for exploration when off duty or awaiting orders. At one spot we had to land sugar every month for the coastguards. I never have been able to find out why this could not go in the ordinary way by road, but 66 ours was not to reason why," and in consideration of the fact that a whole troupe of land-girls used to help in this important part of the defence of the realm, nobody complained. If you have read Unknown Kent, you will have come across |