On their last day before leaving the Isle of Wight en route homeward, they drove to the southeast to view the undercliffs, and looked across the British Channel to France. Coming abruptly to the termination of the walk at the edge of the cliff, they could see the rich border of land, a half-mile in breadth, through which lay the carriage road to Steep Hill and Bonchurch. On this road was found the cottage of Lord Dysart, long-known as the “Cottage at the Back of the Island.” There were other very pretty cottages, but that of Lord Dysart was unrivalled in its situation. The thatched cottage with its white walls was of two-stories; the apartments within were comfortably well-furnished, and contained some very good pictures. However, the most admirable advantage of the cottage was in its surroundings: verdant fields, hedgerows, and woods, framed by the gently rising hills to be seen receding from the house. A fine spring appeared through a large, hollowed stone in the lawn, and over to the left an expanse of ocean was perfectly framed by the trees.

Coming back to Newport through Shanklin and St. Helens, the Darcys took the same road which led to the daily scenes of English sailors and merchant-men bidding adieu to their homeland, and sailing out to the most distant parts of the globe.

In the morning, they collected their servants and belongings, and drove out to Cowes. They had arranged to meet Mr. Drummond, who had very kindly offered to give them a day of sailing on his pleasure-yacht, delivering the Darcys back to the mainland at Cadland, whilst their servants met them that evening, returned via the horse-boat. The famous Mr. Nash had designed and built his own establishment in the neighbourhood of East Cowes on the summit of the hill above the town. The crenellated roof was interspersed with a succession of towers, which in turn commanded the prospect of West Cowes and the Medina. The parkland was not large, but very striking. However, Mr. Nash’s aspirations to the pre-eminence of this residence had latterly been outdone by Norris Castle, which had been placed so as to be prominent from almost any vantage-point. At the summit of the road approaching from East Cowes now rose Norris, an immense pile of castellated turrets with its park descending all the way to the water’s edge on the Solent, and with unrivalled views of the New Forest, Southampton Water, and the Hampshire coast all the way to Portsmouth. Elizabeth felt a momentary pang of regret for the feelings of Mr. Nash, but the bright sun and pleasant breeze made all disagreeable feeling evaporate in the exquisite pleasure of the scene.