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14

tablet with Roman numerals.

Owing to the fact that Tintagel is part of a slate country the castle was built of the same material. From the process of decay some parts of the slate walls have turned soft gray and crumble to the touch. The deserted appearance of the ruins was very romantic to me. In olden times there were steps from the castle to Merlin's Cave which at different periods has been used by smugglers to store their goods.

Merlin's Cave is long with a vaulted roof and has a large openning at either end. One opens on the beach which we entered. We walked through to the other end where there was a fascinating little surf that at high tide rolls half way into the cave filling it with the music of the sea. The floor like the beach is laden with small pieces of slate smooth and rounded by the action of the water that has carried them there. I felt very awed and mysterious while standing in the cave with it's dim light and black walls, watching the waves beat against it's sides.

The coast of Tintagel is the noblest I have seen and