We learned
that when first the pilchards arrived at Land's End, they divided into
two immense shoals, one going in the direction of Mounts Bay and the
other towards St. Ives Bay, the record catch in a single haul at that
place being 245 millions! There was a saying at Newlyn that it was
unlucky to eat a pilchard from the head, as it should be eaten from its
tail; but why, it was difficult to define, unless it was owing to the
fact that it was the tail that guided the head of the fish towards the
coasts of Cornwall.
We also passed through a village named Paul, which had been modernised
into St. Paul. Its church had a rather lofty tower, which stood on the
hill like a sentinel looking over Mounts Bay. This place was also burnt
by the Spaniards in 1595. It appeared that George Borrow had visited it
on January 15th, 1854, as he passed through on his way to Land's End,
for the following entry appeared in his Diary for that day: "Went to St.
Paul's Church. Saw an ancient tomb with the inscription in Cornish at
north end. Sat in a pew under a black suit of armour belonging to the
Godolphin family, with two swords." We copied this Cornish epitaph as
under:
_Bonnas heb duelth Eu poes Karens wei
tha pobl Bohodzhak Paull han Egles nei_.
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