All were of that
fine rich red colour frequently seen in Dorset and Devon
cattle, which is brighter than the reds of other red animals
in this country, wild and domestic, with the sole exception of
a rare variety of the collie dog. The Irish setter and red
chouchou come near it. So beautiful did these red cows look
in the meadow that I stood still for half an hour feasting my
eyes on the sight.
No less was the pleasure I experienced when I caught sight of
that road winding over the hill above the village. On going
to it I found that it had looked as red as rust simply because
it was rust-earth made rich and beautiful in colour with iron,
its red hue variegated with veins and streaks of deep purple
or violet. I was told that there were hundreds of acres of
this earth all round the place--earth so rich in iron that
many a man's mouth had watered at the sight of it; also that
every effort had been made to induce the owner of Abbotsbury
to allow this rich mine to be worked. But, wonderful to
relate, he had not been persuaded.
A hard fragment of the red stuff, measuring a couple of inches
across and weighing about three ounces avoirdupois, rust-red
in colour with purple streaks and yellow mottlings, is now
lying before me. The mineralogist would tell me that its
commercial value is naught, or something infinitesimal; which
is doubtless true enough, as tens of thousands of tons of the
same material lie close to the surface under the green turf
and golden blossoming furze at the spot where I picked up my
specimen.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227