Climbing to the top of the hill, we obtained a view to the northward of the crescent-shaped line of shingle, ten miles long, called Chesil Bank, which joins Portland to the main land.  At the Portland end the pebbles are of the size of a hen's egg, gradually diminishing to that of a bean at the other extremity.  This enabled smugglers to ascertain on the darkest night the part of the shore they had reached.  The west side of the bank is known as Dead Man's Bay, from the number of persons who have perished there.  The most disastrous event occurred in 1794, when a fleet of transports, under convoy of Admiral Christian, bound out for the West Indies, stranded in the bay, and one thousand persons were drowned.  In this century, the Abergavenny and Alexander (Indiamen) were driven on this treacherous shore, and upwards of two hundred persons perished; and as late as 1838, the Columbine was wrecked on the bank, and many of her crew lost.  In those days there were no lifeboats to hasten to the rescue of the helpless seamen.