October 19, 1829.

G.W.N.

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THE CONTEMPORARY TRAVELLER.

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A TOUR IN THE ISLAND OF JERSEY.

(Concluded from page 262.)

A view of the western side of Jersey, is calculated to impress a stranger with an idea that it is a barren, unproductive island; but no supposition could be more erroneous, as, in fact, a great proportion of it may be described as orchard.  The extent of ground planted, with fruit trees—­apple, pear, and plumb is prodigious; and consequently cider—­and very excellent cider too—­is one of the staple products of the country, and a favourite beverage among the natives.  At the Union Hotel, St. Helier, boarders were allowed to quaff as much as they had a liking for, without being subjected to any additional charge.

About three miles inland from St. Helier, is a singular structure named Prince’s Tower, erected on an artificial mound or tumulus, and embowered in a grove of fine trees.  The extensive prospect it commanded, and the indubitable antiquity of the masonry, induced me to apply for permission to ascend it; and I was rewarded with a bird’s eye view of nearly the whole island, and a vast sweep of the French coast extending almost from Cape de la Hogue to Avranches.  An Englishman had lately taken up his abode in the tower, which, with the adjacent pleasure ground, he rented at forty pounds a-year.  His object was to render it a place of resort to the inhabitants of St. Helier, and his advertisements promised that the “delightful emotions excited by its unrivalled scenery, and the harmonious chat of the feathered tribe, should not be counteracted by the comfortless sensations of hunger, thirst, and weariness.”  The interior of the tower was neatly and appropriately fitted up.  One apartment was designated the chapel; and in the highest room were several telescopes, mounted so as to traverse to any point of the compass, for the gratification of visitors.

But it is the traditionary history of Prince’s Tower that renders it interesting in the eyes of the islanders.  In former times it was known by the name of La Hogue-Bye, and the following legend, quoted from Le Livre noir de Coutances, gives the origin of its celebrity:—­In remote times, a moor or fen in this part of Jersey, was the retreat of a monstrous serpent or dragon, which spread terror and devastation throughout the island.  At length a valorous Norman, the Seigneur de Hambye, undertook to attempt its destruction, which, after a terrible conflict, he accomplished.  He was accompanied in this adventure by a vassal of whose fidelity he had no suspicion, but who, seeing his lord overcome by fatigue, after having vanquished the reptile, suddenly bethought himself of monopolizing the glory of the action.  Instigated by this foul ambition, he assassinated