Buryana. He carried out his
vow, and founded and endowed a college for Augustine Canons to have
jurisdiction over the parishes of Buryan, Levan, and Sennen, through
which we now journeyed; but the Scilly Islands appeared to us to be
scarcely worth conquering, as, although they comprised 145 islets, many
of them were only small bare rocks, the largest island, St. Mary, being
only three miles long by two and a half broad, and the highest point
only 204 feet above sea-level; but perhaps the refrangible rays of the
setting sun so magnified them that Athelstan believed a considerable
conquest was before him.
We next went to see the "Merry Maidens" and the "Pipers." They were only
pillars of stone, but our friend assured us they were lively enough once
upon a time, and represented seven young but thoughtless ladies who
lived in that neighbourhood. They were on their way to Buryan church one
Sabbath day when they saw two pipers playing music in a field, who as
they went near them began to play dance tunes. The maidens forgot the
sacred character of the day, and, yielding to temptation, began to
dance. By and by the music became extremely wild and the dancing
proportionately furious.
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