To our modern minds, beachcombing is a pursuit practiced by retired old men with metal detectors on sandy beaches, seeking in their spare time coins or jewelry lost by some careless reveller. In fact, beachcombing was, (and still is in some places), a desperate way to make a living, where the beachcomber walked the often rocky shoreline seeking anything and everything of some value. Once, when sailing was far more hazardous, and a ship was as likely to vanish with all hands as arrive safely at port with her cargo, the ocean could be counted on to give up her treasures, albeit grudgingly. Now shipping is relatively safe, and most of what washes ashore is debris of little or no value. There is plenty of flotsam here on this stony beach. Just imagine, if you will, the beachcomber of old, seeking his livelihood along the strand.