'West of the Lizard.....'

[cleo]

\'West of the Lizard.....\'

Would some kind sole - or even an ould trout - please remind me of the source of the well-known advice - "West of the Lizard is no place for a small boat after September".

Was it McMullen, Worth, Coles - or even Tilman? And where..........

bilbo

 

[hlb]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

I dont know but it says some thing similar in my pilot book.
How ever thats 300 miles away in Plymouth and cant remember who wrote it.
Anyway who ever it was, there probably right!

Haydn

 

[nickbailhache]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

At a guess I would say Worth - I am reasonably familiar with the others and they are too contemporary.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

Not Worth or Tilman - I re -read their books often and it would have stuck in my mind. I've loaned my copy of McMullen, but I don't think it is he. The quote is one that I have heard before, I think. My guess is Hiscock, or perhaps Coles

 

[Guest]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

Try 'Squeaky' Street.

 

[tonyleigh]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

"Jack Pender, an old Mousehole fisherman, told me many years ago as I langished there in early September that "west of the Lizard's no place for a small boat, come the end of August.""
Mark Fishwick, West Country Cruising, 1989, p106.
However, there's something about the phrase that suggests it may have appeared in slightly different form in other contexts.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

Attack on the Pretender's Fleet
Captain Peircy Brett to the Secretary of the Admiralty



Lyon, Plymouth Sound, 30 July 1745

On the 9th inst. west of the Lizard 39 leagues, I saw two of the enemy's ships. By four o'clock I was within two miles of them, they then hoisted French colours, and shortened sail, one was a man of 64 guns, and the other a small ship of 16 guns. At five I ran alongside the man of war within pistol shot, and began to engage. By six my mizzen mast and yard came down upon deck. By nine all my lower masts and top-masts were shot to pieces, so that I lay muzzled and could do nothing. The enemy did not receive much damage in his masts and yards, but his hull must have suffered greatly. At ten he sheered off, and as he was going I gave him a farewell with two of my 24-pounders, but he made no return, and in less than an hour was out of sight, and my condition was such I could not follow him. The small ship in the beginning of the engagement made two attempts to rake me, but I soon beat him off with my stern chase.

From the beginning to the end of the engagement we kept a continual fire at each other, about the distance of a pistol shot. The Lyon's hull is very much shattered as well as her masts, yards, rigging, two of my guns dismounted, and 45 of my men killed and 107 wounded. The next morning at daylight I saw the enemy to the southward of me, making the best of his way to some port in the Bay of Biscay, and as the small ship was not then in company I imagine he proceeded on his voyage to the westward. It was near 24 hours after the engagement before I was in a tolerable condition of making sail....

My officers all behaved extremely well except the Captain of the Marines, whom I have put under arrest, for skulking on the poop under cover of some bags that were there, for the greatest part of the engagement, which encouraged most part of his men to do the like. I was not an eye witness of his bad behaviour, else I should have treated him as he deserved, for the poop ladder being shot away, and myself wounded, rendered me incapable of climbing up.... As I was not so happy as to take him, I have only this satisfaction left, that I spoiled his voyage.



Naval Miscellany, III:110.

 

[cleo]

Re: \'West of the Lizard.....\'

Thank you all, and Tony Leigh. It is Mark Fishwick's 'West Country Cruising' that I've been trying to recall; Passages, The Manacles To Land's End, para 3! And, oddly enough, that's quite a help.

bilbo