That is to say,it is nearly three times the height of Flamborough,half as high again as the South Foreland,a hundred feet higher than Beachy Head--the loftiest promontory on the east or south side of this island--twice the height of St.Aldhelms,thrice as high as the Lizard,and just double the height of St.
Bees.One sea-bord point on the western coast is known to surpass it in altitude,but only by a few feet.This is Great Ormes Head,in Caernarvonshire.
And it must be remembered that the cliff exhibits an intensifying feature which some of those are without--sheer perpendicularity from the half-tide level.
Yet this remarkable rampart forms no headland:it rather walls in an inlet--the promontory on each side being much lower.Thus,far from being salient,its horizontal section is concave.The sea,rolling direct from the shores of North America,has in fact eaten a chasm into the middle of a hill,and the giant,embayed and unobtrusive,stands in the rear of pigmy supporters.Not least singularly,neither hill,chasm,nor precipice has a name.On this account I will call the precipice the Cliff without a Name.*
See Preface What gave an added terror to its height was its blackness.And upon this dark face the beating of ten thousand west winds had formed a kind of bloom,which had a visual effect not unlike that of a Hambrogrape.Moreover it seemed to float off into the atmosphere,and inspire terror through the lungs.
This piece of quartz,supporting my feet,is on the very nose of the cliff,said Knight,breaking the silence after his rigid stoical meditation.Now what you are to do is this.Clamber up my body till your feet are on my shoulders:when you are there you will,I think,be able to climb on to level ground.
What will you do?
Wait whilst you run for assistance.
I ought to have done that in the first place,ought I not?
I was in the act of slipping,and should have reached no stand-point without your weight,in all probability.But dont let us talk.Be brave,Elfride,and climb.