of this, as well as some other manors in the Isle of Wight; and many tales have been told of the inhumanity of the wreckers who in those days are said to have resided in the neighbourhood,—­which, if true, are strongly contrasted by the ready zeal and liberality which the present inhabitants display in assisting those unfortunates whom the furious elements so often cast on this fatal shore.

Of the numerous vessels which have been lost here in our own time, the largest was perhaps the Carn-brea Castle East Indiaman, in July 1829:  she left Spithead at nine o’clock in the morning, and about six hours afterwards struck on the rocks near Mottistone:  the weather being fine, her crew and passengers easily reached the shore.  The size of the ship, and the remarkable circumstances under which she was lost, attracted a considerable number of visitors to the spot,—­as she was not immediately broken up, though all hopes of removing her were soon abandoned.

A far more disastrous wreck was that of the CLARENDON, a West India trader of 350 tons, which took place on the 11th of October, 1836:  and will be remembered with increased interest, as the acknowledged fact of her loss being mainly attributable to the want of some warning beacon on the land, led almost directly to the erection of the splendid light-house at Niton.  She had 11 passengers, male and female, and 17 seamen on board:  her cargo consisted of sugar, rum, molasses, and turtle; she was heavily laden, and had been about six weeks on her voyage.  The preceding evening was fine, and the breeze favorable, and the passengers retired to rest in fancied security, with the pleasing hope of safely reaching their destination on the following day.  After midnight the wind increased; but though the ship drove rapidly before it, no danger was perceived till about day-break,—­when, already in the surf, there was no longer a possibility of escape.  The crew immediately proceeded to set all sail the storm would permit, in hopes of weathering the point; but their gallant efforts could not long delay the fate of the doomed vessel, she continued to drift towards the beach, on which she struck a little before six o’clock, and within five minutes was totally demolished.  It would be a useless attempt to describe the horrors of that short but fearful period:  all that could be gathered from the statements of the survivors was, that she twice touched the ground lightly, forward, at which time all her people were assembled on the deck; and presently one mountain wave hurled her broadside on the beach with such stupendous force, that the huge hull at once parted into a thousand fragments!  The frightful brevity of the whole catastrophe prevented any measures being taken for the relief of the passengers and crew, although the ship was scarcely twice her own length from the cliff; and all perished except the mate and two seamen, who were rescued by the courageous exertions of some countrymen who had hastened