9 

 
 R. L. JACK.
 
 i
 
 , 
 
 . 
 
 ** 
 
 
 * 
 
 x 
 
 V- 
 
 A

 
 . N 
 
 IM^
 
 GUIDE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 M O U N T'S B A Y 
 
 AND THE 
 
 LAND'S END; 
 
 COMPREHENDING THE 
 
 TOPOGRAPHY, BOTANY, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, 
 
 ANTIQUITIES, MINING, MINERALOGY, AND 
 
 GEOLOGY OF 
 
 WESTERN CORNWALL. 
 
 A NEW EDITION. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, FOR THE INFORMATION OF INVALIDS, 
 
 A DIALOGUE ON THE PECULIAR ADVANTAGES OF THE CLIM ATE<- 
 
 OF PENZANCE, DEVONSHIRE, AND THE SOUTHERN 
 
 PARTS OF EUROPE. 
 
 BY A PHYSICIAN. 
 
 " Auditque suis tria littora canipis." 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED FOR THOMAS AND GEORGE UNDERWOOD, 
 32j FLEET-STREET ; 
 
 AND SOLD BY T. VIGURS, PENZANCE. 
 1828.
 
 

 
 TO 
 
 THE VICE PATRONS, PRESIDENT, 
 
 VICE PRESIDENTS, 
 AND MEMBERS 
 
 OF 
 
 d&oto&ical ^ocietr of Cornwall, 
 
 THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, 
 AS A HUMBLE, YET SINCERE TRIBUTE OF RESPECT, 
 
 FOR THE ZEAL AND LIBERALITY WITH WHICH THEY CONTINUE 
 TO UPHOLD 
 
 AN INSTITUTION 
 
 " WHICH HAS RENDERED THEIR HOME THE SCHOOL OF 
 SCIENCE, 
 
 AND THEIR NATIVE RICHES INCREASING SOURCES 
 OF PROSPERITY." 
 
 2091 04 G
 
 TO THE READER. 
 
 THIS little volume has been republished, at 
 the earnest solicitation of numerous friends and 
 applicants, and with such additions and improve- 
 ments as the present extended state of information 
 appeared to render necessary. In obeying this 
 call, the author trusts that he may, in some 
 degree, remove the prejudice to which the care- 
 lessness of his provincial compositor must, on 
 the former occasion, have exposed the work. 
 
 Since the publication of the first Edition, 
 PBNZANCE, and the District of the Mount's Bay, 
 have become objects of greatly increased interest; 
 the successful establishment of the Geological 
 Society, the erection of commodious Sea Baths, 
 
 the growing confidence of the Public, and of 
 
 v 
 
 a
 
 vi To the Render. 
 
 the medical profession, in the superior mildness 
 of the climate, and the general amelioration of 
 every thing connected with the wants and com- 
 forts of a winter residence, have powerfully 
 operated in augmenting the influx of strangers 
 and invalids, into this formerly obscure, and 
 comparatively neglected district. Such consider- 
 ations, it will be acknowledged, were quite suf- 
 ficient to sanction the propriety and expediency 
 of the present undertaking, but the author must 
 in candour allow, that they would scarcely have 
 prevailed, had not another powerful motive been 
 in silent but effectual co-operation the "Antiques 
 vestigia Flammce" a secret lingering after the 
 pursuits of Geology have, for once at least, sedu- 
 ced him from a resolution he had formed on 
 quitting Cornwall, that of abandoning a science 
 which can never be pursued except with enthu- 
 siasm ; but which, from its direction and tendency, 
 is wholly incompatible with the duties of an 
 anxious and laborious profession. 
 
 As the work is calculated for the guidance of 
 those who may seek the shores of the Mount's 
 Bay, for its genial atmosphere, the introduction
 
 To the Reader. vii 
 
 of some general observations upon the subject 
 of Climate, appeared essentially necessary. For 
 this purpose, the form of a Dialogue has been 
 preferred to that of a Didactic essay ; by which 
 much circumlocution is avoided, while the only 
 interesting parts of the question are thus made 
 to appear in a more prominent and popular point 
 of view. 
 
 The Cornish Dialogue, introduced in the 
 Appendix, for the sake of illustrating the pro- 
 vincial Dialect, has been composed after the 
 model of the well known " Tim Bobbin" which 
 was written for the accomplishment of the same 
 object, with reference to Lancashire. From the 
 direction in which it came into the hands of the 
 author, he is inclined to consider it as an hither- 
 to unpublished production of the celebrated Dr. 
 Walcott. VALETE.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 OF THE MOUNT'S BAY, AND THE LAND's END 
 DISTRICT. 
 
 (Page 1.) 
 
 THE Mo UN r's BA Y Its Topography and Scenery, 1 . 
 Northern Shores, their aspect cheerless but interest- 
 ing, 3. Minerals and Antiquities, 4. The Climate 
 of Mount's Bay, 5. Meteorological Records, 5. 
 Vegetation, 6. Tender Exotics flourish in the open 
 air, 7. Proofs of superior mildness from the animal 
 kingdom, 9. Coolness of the Summer, 10. Rain; 
 Storms, 11. Hurricane of 1817, 14. Encroach- 
 ments of the Sea, 16. The Bay formerly a wood- 
 land, 17. Causes oftheSea's inundation, 1 8. Rapid 
 decomposition of the Cornish hills, 19. PENZANCE 
 an eligible residence, 22. Its situation most beauti- 
 ful. Extraordinary fertility of the neighbouring 
 lands, 23. Corporation Pier Chapel Meeting 
 Houses, 24. Penzance a Coinage Town, 25. Public 
 Dispensary, 25. ROYAL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF 
 CORNWALL, 26. Its Cabinet of Minerals, 27.
 
 x Contents. 
 
 Laboratory, 29. Accidents from explosion in Mines 
 prevented by the scientific efforts of the Society, 30. 
 Miner alogical Collection of Joseph Carne, Esq. 31. 
 Penwith Agricultural Society, 32. Penzance Mar- 
 ket, 33. Wildfowl and fish abundant and cheap, 
 Newlyn Fish-women remarkable for their beauty, 
 33. PUBLIC HOT AND COLD SEA BATHS, 34. 
 Beautiful prospect from the waiting room, 35. 
 Packet to Stilly, 35. indent Customs Festivities 
 at Midsummer, 36. Penzance remarkable in his- 
 tory from having been burnt by the Spaniards, 38. 
 Tobacco first smoked in this town, 39. The birth 
 place of Sir Humphry Davy, 40. LIST OF INDIGE- 
 NOUS PLANTS OF WESTERN CORNWALL, 41, $c. 
 
 EXCURSION I. 
 
 (Page 45) 
 TO SAINT MICHAEL'S MOUNT. 
 
 An object of the very first interest Excursion by 
 water By land, 45. The Eastern Green celebrated 
 as the habitat of some rare plants, 46. MARAZION, 
 or MA RKET JEW, 47. Its origin and Charter, 47. 
 Chapel Rock, 48. ARRIVAL AT SAINT MICHAEL'S 
 MOUNT, 49. Conical form of the hill Its dimen- 
 sionsTown at its base The Pier Interesting as 
 a geological object, 50. Why Its scenery most 
 magnificent Geological structure, 51. Militates 
 against the Wernerian doctrines De Luc's impro- 
 bable explanation, 51. Dr. Berger's gratuitous 
 assumption, 52. Plutonian views, 52. Western
 
 Contents. x'i 
 
 base of Hie Mount Beds of Granite, 53. Quartz 
 veins Interesting contents of the veins, 55. Finite 
 discovered in this spot, 55. Other minerals, 56. 
 Lodes of Tin and Copper Remains of a Tin Mine 
 Feins of Mica, 57 The Tamarisk, 57. A 'seen! to 
 the Castle, 57. Ancient Fortifications The Chcvy- 
 chace room, 58. The Chapel, 59. Mysterious dis- 
 covery in the Chapel, 59. More Discoveries Ascent 
 to the top of the tower Prospect hence of the grand- 
 est description, 60. Saint Michael's Chair Its ori- 
 gin and supposed mystic powers-^ A remnant of 
 Monkish fable, 61. The modern Apartments, 62. 
 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HILL Formerly 
 cloathed with wood Its old Cornish appellation, 62. 
 Once at a distance from the sea, 63. ECCLESIAS- 
 TICAL HISTORY Monkish Legends of the vision 
 of Saint Michael, 63. Saint Keyne's Pilgrimage to 
 the Mount in the fifth century, 64. Ihe Confessor's 
 Endowment, 65. Ancient instrument A.D. 1070 
 found amongst its registers, 65 Annexed to a Nor- 
 man Priory at the Conquest, 66. The Nunnery 
 Its establishment broken up The connection of the 
 Priory with Normandy destroyed, 67. Granted by 
 Henry the Sixth to King's College Cambridge, 67. 
 Transferred by Edward IV. to the Nunnery ofSion 
 in Middlesex, 68. Bestowed upon Lord Arundel at 
 the Reformation, 68. //* PRIVATE HISTORY con- 
 tinued, 69. MILITARY HISTORY. Pomeroy's 
 
 Treachery Monks expelled Monks restored, 70. 
 The Mount is again reduced by the Earl of Oxford, 
 71 j who in his turn is compelled to surrender to the 
 forces of Edward the Fourth, 71. The Lady
 
 xi i Contents. 
 
 Catherine Gordon., wife ofPerkin Warbeck, fiies to 
 the Mount for safety , 71. Besieged by the Cornish 
 rebels in the reign of Edward VI, 71. Reduced by 
 Colonel Hammond during the Civil war of Charles 
 the First, 72. The Mount supposed by Sir Christopher 
 Hawkins andDr.Maton to be the ICTII ofDiodorus 
 Siculus, 73. 
 
 EXCURSION II. 
 
 (Page 74) 
 TO THE LAND's END, LOGAN ROCK, &c. 
 
 Intermediate objects zcorthy of notice, 74. Castle Hor- 
 neck, 75. Rose Hill Trereiffe, 76. The country 
 wild but susceptible of cultivation, 77. Furze 
 Boulders of Granite ', 77. Capable of numerous ap- 
 plications in rural (economy, 78. Cornish Granite, 
 (provincially, Grovtan), when in a state of decomposi- 
 tion is used as a manure, 79. Theory oj its operation, 
 79. Form of the Felspar crystals, 79. State of 
 Agriculture The Farm of John Scobcll, Esq. at 
 Leha, 80. ArishMows, 81. Ancient Stone Crosses, 
 81. Druidical Circle atBoscawenlln, 81. Opinions 
 concerning the origin of such circles, 82. Chapel 
 Enny, and Us mystic well, 82. Caerbran Round, 
 83. Other Hill Castles, 84. Chapel Cam Bre 
 Its or/gin, 84. Commands a very extensive view, 
 85. Sennan Church-toicn The First and Last Inn 
 in England, 85. The Village of Mayon or Mean, 
 85. Table Mean the vague tradition concerning, 86. 
 THE LAND'S END, 86. A Spot of great geological
 
 Contents. xiii 
 
 interest^ 87. Grotesque appearance of its granitic 
 rocks, 87. The firmed Knight, Irish Lady, and 
 Dr. Johnson's Head, 88. Cape Cornwall, and Whit- 
 sand Bay, 88. Historical recollections, 88. The 
 Long-Ships Light-house, 89. Tradition of the 
 Lioness, 91. The Wolf rock, 91. THE SCILLY 
 ISLANDS, 92. Ancient Accounts Six of the Islets 
 only inhabited, 92. Saint Agnes, 93. The Light- 
 house, 93. Civil Government of the Islands, 93. 
 Present inhabitants all new comers, 94. A robust 
 and healthy race, 94. Their employment, 96. 
 Experience great distress, 96. Curious fact with 
 respect to the migration of the Woodcock, 98. 
 Climate undGeology, 99. RETURN TO THELAND'S 
 END Fine rock Scenery at the Cape near the Signal 
 Station, 101. Tol Pedn Penwith, 102. Cornish 
 Chough A Cliff Castle, 102- Castle Treryn 
 Stupendous Rock Scenery TIIE LOGAN ROCK, 103. 
 Its weight, 103. How and whence it came, 104. 
 A natural production, 104. Its appearance easily 
 reconciled with the known laws of decomposition, 105. 
 Used probably by the Druids as an engine of 
 superstition, 105. Plants Geological phenomena, 
 106. Rare Shells to be found in Treryn Cove, 107. 
 SAINT BURYAN, once the seat of a College of 
 Augustine Canons, 108. Church Tower commands 
 a very extensive prospect Remarkable ancient Mo- 
 nument in the church, 109. Ancient Crosses, 110. 
 The Deanery, 111. The supposed Sanctuary, 111. 
 Return to Penzance by a circuitous route, through 
 the parish of Saint Paul, 111 . Boskenna, the ro- 
 mantic seat of John Puynter, Esq. 112. A Druidicul
 
 xiv Cuntcnls. 
 
 circle, called the Merry Maidens, 112. Sepulchral 
 Stones called the Pipers, 113. Cam Boscazeen, 
 Pensile Stone at, 113. Trove or Trezsoof, the re- 
 mains of a triple entrenchment at, 113. The romantic 
 valley of Lemorna, 113. Kerris, supposed Druidical 
 monument at, 114. PAUL CHURCH, 114. Epitaph 
 of Dolly Pentreath, 115. Mousehole and Neiclyn, 
 Colonies of Fishermen, 116. Geological phenomena, 
 117. 
 
 EXCURSION ill. 
 (Page 119) 
 
 TO BOTALLACK MINE; CAPE CORNWALL; AND THE 
 MINING DISTRICT OF SAINT JUST. 
 
 Plan of the excursion, 119. Nanccalverne, the seat of 
 John Scobell,Esq. Poltair, of Edward Scobell, Esq. 
 and Trengwainton, of Sir Rose Price, Bart. 119. 
 Original Paintings by Opie, 120. Village of 
 Madron, 120. Madron Well and Baptistry, An- 
 cient Superstitions attached to it, 121. Lanyon 
 Cromlech (represented in the title page of this work) 
 known by the name of the Giant's Quoit, 122. 
 Its supposed origin, 123. Men-an-Tol, 124. Men 
 Skryfa, or the Inscribed Stone, 125. Chun Castle, 
 126. Stamping Mills, Burning Houses, or Roasting 
 Furnaces, 127. Cavern at Pendeen, 126. Pendeen 
 Cone, 128. Geological phenomena, 128. The Gur- 
 nard's head, 129. Minerals to be found in this dis- 
 trict, 130. Axinite at Trewellard Prehnite Stil- 
 bilc Mesotype, 131. THE CROWN ENGIKE OF
 
 Contents. x v" 
 
 BOTALIACK Extraordinary Scenery of the spot, 
 132. Descent to the Engine, 133. The workings 
 of the Mine extend under the bed of the Atlantic 
 ocean, 133. Mineralogical observations, 134. 
 CAPE CORNWALL, 136. Little Sounds Mine, 136. 
 Its workings under the sea, 137. Curious Stalac- 
 tites found there, 138. CARAGLOSE HEAD, a spot 
 well worthy the stranger's notice, 138. Portnanvon 
 Cove, 139. SAINT JUST CHURCH TOWN, 139. 
 Ancient Amphitheatre, where Tournaments are held 
 at this very day, 140. Botallack circles, 140. 
 Antiquarian speculations, 141. 
 
 EXCURSION IV. 
 
 (Page 143) 
 TO SAINT IVES, HAYLE, HUEL ALFRED, &c. 
 
 Embowered Village of Gulval Kenegie the seat of 
 J. A. Harris Arundel, Esq. Rosmorran, the retired 
 cottage of George John, Esq. 143. Ascent to the 
 great Granite ridge, 143. Castle an Dinas, 144. 
 Atmospheric Phenomenon, 144. SAINT IVES, 145. 
 THE PILCHARD FISHERY. Confusion and bustle 
 which are occasioned on the appearance of a shoal, 
 146. Natural History of the Pilchard, 147. 
 Period of its appearance, 148. Hots discovered by 
 the Huer, 149. Necessary outfit for the fishery, 
 149. The Great Net, or Slop Seine How shot, 
 150. The quantity offish usually secured Tuck- 
 ing, a beautiful sight, 152. Driving Nets, 153.
 
 xvi Contents. 
 
 Fish brought to the cellars and cured lying in bulk, 
 153. Packed in hogsheads, headed up, and ex- 
 ported, 154. The great importance of this fishery to 
 the county, 155. Refuse fish used as manure, 155. 
 Their fertilizing powers increased by lime, 156. 
 THE HERRING FISHERY, 156. Tregenna Castle, 
 the seat of Samuel Stephens, Esq. KniWs Mauso- 
 leum, 157. Quinquennial Games instituted, 158. 
 Hayle Sands The Port of Hayk, 1 59. Desolate 
 appearance of the district, 161. Sand-flood, 162. 
 RECENT FORMATION OF SANDSTONE, 163. Inves- 
 tigation of the causes rchich have operated in con- 
 solidating the sand, 166. Huel Alfred Copper-mine, 
 169. The Herland Mines, 170. Saint Erth 
 Trevethoe, 171. Tin Smelting, 173. Ludgvan 
 Church The tomb of the venerable and learned Dr. 
 Borlase, 174. 
 
 EXCURSION V. 
 
 176.) 
 
 TO REDRUTH, AND THE MINING DISTRICTS IN ITS 
 VICINITY. 
 
 The country uninteresting to the traveller in search of 
 the picturesque, but affording a rich and instructive 
 field of Mineralogical inquiry , 176. Antiquity of the 
 Cornish Tin Trade, 177. Stannary Courts Copper 
 Ore of comparatively modern discovery, 178. Lead, 
 Cobalt, and Silver ores, 180. Average width of the 
 metalliferous veins Depth of the principal mines,
 
 Contents. xvfi 
 
 181. North and South veins, or Cross Courses, 181. 
 Heaves of the Lodes A remarkable instance in 
 Huel Peever, 1 82. Costeening, the meaning of the 
 term METHOD OF WORKING THE CORNISU 
 MINES, 183. Blasting the rock with gunpowder, 
 186. DESCENT INTO A MINE, 186. Interior of a 
 Mine, 187. Temperature of Mines, 189. Mines 
 considered as property, 190. Various processes by 
 which the ore is rendered marketable, 191. Spoiling, 
 1 9 1 . Stamping, 1 92. Dressing, 193. Vanning, 
 194. Burning, 194. The Standard Barrow, 195. 
 Names of Mines, whence derived, 196. Number 
 of Mines, 196. STREAM WORKS, 197. Gold found 
 there, 197. Clowance, the seat of Sir John St. Aubyn 
 Pendarves, the seat of E. W. W. Pendarves, Esq. 
 TehidyPark, the mansion of Lord de Dunstanmlle, 
 198. DOLCOATII COPPER MINE, 198. COOK'S 
 KITCHEN, 199. REDRUTH The Great Steam 
 Engine at Chacewater, 200. The Consolidated 
 Mines Huel Unity Poldice, 202. Hints to the 
 Collectors of Cornish Minerals, 202. Mineralogical 
 Cabinets That in the possession of Mr. Rashleigh, 
 203. Of Mr. Williams' s Collection, 206. Saint 
 Agnes, 208. CARNBREH HILL The supposed 
 grand centre ofDruidical worship, 209. Imaginary 
 monuments of the Druids Their true nature de- 
 veltped, 209. C le av c Ian flite found in the porphyritic 
 granite on the summit of the hill, 212. Carn-brch 
 Castle, 213.
 
 x\iii Contents. 
 
 EXCURSION VI. 
 
 (Page 214.) 
 TO KYNANCE COVE AND THE LIZARD POINT. 
 
 fundamental Rocks of the Lizard Peninsula, 215. 
 Alternate beds of Slate and Greenstone at Marazion 
 CuddenPoint Acton Castle Pengerszeick Castle, 
 216. Tregoning, Godolphin, and Breage Hills, 217. 
 ->-~Huel For, a great Tin Mine, 218. Portleven 
 Harbour HELSTON, 219. Its Borough The 
 ancient and singular festival of the Furry commemo- 
 rated in this tozcn, 210. The Furry-day Tune, 222. 
 Penrose, the seat of John Rogers, Esq. 223. 
 The Loe Pool, an exsensivefrtih-water lake, 224. 
 Interior of the Lizard Peninsula, 225. Gunwalloe 
 Cove Bolerium Mullion Cove Geology of this 
 line of Coast, 226. Serpentine Formation Goon hilly 
 Dozens Erica Fagans, 227. SOAP ROCK, 228. 
 Copper found in this district, 229. KYNANCE CorE 
 Asparagus Island The Devil's Bellows, 229. 
 Explanation of the phenomenon, 230. LIZARD 
 LiGnr-nousES, 231. Geology of the Eastern Coast 
 of the Peninsula, 232. Frying Pan Rocks near 
 Cadgwith, 233. Diallage Rock Mr. Majendie's 
 researches in this district, 233. Coverack Cove, a 
 spot of the highest geological interest, 234. Professor 
 Sedgwick's Observations thereon, 235. Tregomcell 
 Mill, tha habitat of Menacchanite or Gregorite, 236. 
 CONCLUDING REMARKS, 237.
 
 Contents. xix 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 PART I. 
 
 A Dialogue, between Dr. A. a Physician, and 
 Mr. B. an Invalid, on the comparative merits 
 of different Climates, as places of Winter resi- 
 dence p. 239 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 PART II. 
 
 An Account of the First celebration of the Knillian 
 
 Games at Saint Ives p. 260 
 
 A Cornish Dialogue 267 
 
 Cam Breh An Ode hitherto unpublished, by Dr. 
 Watcot .. .271
 
 A GUIDE 
 
 MOUNT'S BAY 
 
 THE LAND'S END. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Of the Mount's Bay, and the Land's End District. 
 
 AT the most western extremity, and in the 
 lowest latitude of Great Britain, is situated this 
 delightful and justly celebrated Bay. It is bound- 
 ed by an irregularly curved outline of many miles 
 in extent, the extreme points of which constitute 
 the well known promontory of the " Lizard" and 
 the singular head-land, " Tol-Pedn-Penwith^ 
 near the " Land's End" 
 
 From the Lizard, the shores pass northward 
 and westward, and gradually losing, as they 
 proceed, their harsh and untamed features, swell 
 
 A
 
 % Mount's Bay Scenery* 
 
 into sloping sweeps of richly cultivated land, 
 and into hills glowing with the freshest verdure. 
 As the coast advances, and at the same time 
 spreads itself southward, it unites to its luxuriant 
 richness a bolder character, and, rising like a 
 vast amphitheatre, it opposes a barrier to western 
 storms, while it presents its undulating bosom to 
 the sun, and collecting his rays, pours them 
 again with multiplied effect, upon every part 
 of the surrounding country. The shores now 
 pass westward, and extend to the Land's End y 
 in their approach to which they become more 
 rocky and precipitous, and occasionally exhibit 
 some of the finest cliff scenery in the island, 
 displaying by splendid natural sections the exact 
 structure and relations of the rocks of which the 
 country is composed. 
 
 The western shores are sprinkled with pictu- 
 turesque villages, churches, cottages, and villas; 
 and near the eastern margin of the bay, a pile of 
 rocks, supporting a venerable chapel on its sum- 
 mit, starts abruptly from the waves, and pre- 
 sents an appearance of a most singular and beau- 
 tiful description this is Saint Michael's Mount, 
 an eminence eq.ually celebrated in the works of 
 the poet, the naturalist, the antiquary, and the 
 historian.
 
 Northern Coast. 3 
 
 If we pursue the coast, and, turning round the 
 western extremity of our island, trace its outline 
 as it proceeds northerly, and then easterly to the 
 Bay of Saint Ives, a very different country pre- 
 sents itself, instead of the undulating curves, and 
 luxuriant herbage of the southern shores, the 
 land is generally high, the vallies short, narrow, 
 and quick of descent, and the whole landscape 
 affords a scene of incomparable cheerlessness ; 
 on the summit of almost every hill the granite is 
 to be seen protruding its rugged forms in the 
 most fantastic shapes, while the neighbouring 
 ground is frequently covered for some distance 
 with its disjointed and gigantic fragments, tum- 
 bled together in magnificent confusion ; scarcely 
 a shrub is seen to diversify the waste, and the 
 traveller who undertakes to explore the more 
 desolate parts of the district, will feel as if he 
 were walking over the ruins of the globe, and 
 were the only being who had survived the general 
 wreck ; and yet Ulysses was not more attached 
 to his Ithaca, than is the Cornish peasant to his 
 wild and cheerless dwelling. 
 
 " Dear is that shed to which his soul conforms, 
 " And dear that hill which lifts him to the storms." 
 
 Nor let the intelligent tourist despair of amuse- 
 ment, for he will find much to interest, much to 
 A 2
 
 4 Minerals and Antiquities. 
 
 delight him. There is not perhaps a district in 
 Great Britain which presents greater attractions 
 to the mineralogist or geologist ; and there is 
 certainly not one which, in so small a compass, 
 has produced so many species of earthy and me- 
 tallic minerals, or which displays so many geolo- 
 gical varieties. At the same time the antiquarian 
 may here occupy himself with the examination of 
 the rude relics of antiquity, which lie scattered 
 on all sides nothing is more pleasing than that 
 sacred enthusiasm which is kindled in the mind 
 by the contemplation of the faded monuments of 
 past ages, and surely no spot was ever more con- 
 genial to such sensations. But to return from 
 the digression. 
 
 THE CLIMATE of Mount's Bay is the circum- 
 stance which has principally contributed to its 
 celebrity, and is that which renders its shores so 
 beneficial to invalids. Its seasons have been 
 aptly compared to the neap tides, which neither 
 ebb nor flow with energy ; for, notwithstanding 
 its southern latitude, the summer is never sultry, 
 while the rigour of winter is so ameliorated that 
 thick ice* is rarely seen ; frost, if it occurs, is but 
 
 * Skaiting, as an amusement, is entirely unknown among the 
 young men of Penzance. The marsh between this place and 
 Marazion, which is generally overflowed in the winter season, and 
 which offers, when frozen, a very fair field for the skaiter, has not
 
 Climate of Mount's Bay. 5 
 
 of a few hours duration; and the snow storms 
 which, coming from the north and east, bury the 
 fields of every other part of England, are gene- 
 rally exhausted before they reach this favoured 
 spot, or their last sprinkling is dissolved by the 
 warm breezes which play around its shores. 
 
 The records lately collated and published by 
 Dr. Forbes, from the meteorological journals of 
 Messrs. Giddy, eminent surgeons at Penzance, 
 afford abundant proof that this neighbourhood 
 enjoys a mean summer temperature under, and 
 a mean winter temperature greatly above, the 
 mean of places similarly situated as to latitude, 
 but differing in the latter being placed at a dis- 
 tance from the sea ; for the mass of water held in 
 the vast basin of the ocean preserves a far more 
 even temperature than the atmosphere, and is 
 constantly at work to maintain some degree of 
 equilibrium in the warmth of the air; so that hi 
 the summer it carries off a portion of the caloric 
 from it, while in the winter it restores a part of 
 that which it contains.* 
 
 been more than four times during the last thirty years sufficiently 
 solidified to admit of that diversion, viz. in the years 1788, 1794, 
 1814, and 1819. 
 
 * It is this fact that permits the cultivation of many species of 
 plants in the open ground about London, which in the vicinity of 
 Paris will not live without a green-house.
 
 6 Mildness of its Winter. 
 
 The same registers have, moreover, recorded a 
 fact with respect to the Penzance climate which 
 renders it still more acceptable to the invalid, 
 the comparatively small annual, monthly, and 
 daily range of its temperature. Nor are the in- 
 dications of the thermometer the only test upon 
 which we need rely, the productions of nature 
 will furnish striking elucidations, and amply con- 
 firm the justness of our meteorological observa- 
 tions. From the vegetable kingdom we derive 
 conclusive evidence of the mildness of our win- 
 ter, since all green-house plants may be preserved 
 with far less care and attendance than in any 
 other part of England ; myrtles * and geraniums, 
 even of the tenderest kind, and many other ex- 
 otics, are here constantly exposed during the win- 
 ter, and yet they flower most luxuriantly in the 
 summer. The Hydrangea attains an immense 
 size in our shrubberies, as does also the Verbena 
 Triphylla. The great American aloe (Agave 
 Americana) t has flowered in the open air at 
 Mousehole, at Tehidy park, and in the Scilly 
 
 * These plants thrive in the open air, and commonly attain a 
 height often or twelve feet; they may be seen trained on the front 
 of some of the houses in Penzance to double that height. A suffi- 
 cient quantity of cuttings was obtained from a tree of this descrip- 
 tion, covering one of the houses, in the course of six weeks, to sup- 
 ply the oven with fuel for three months !
 
 Vegetation. 
 
 7 
 
 islands. To these we may add a long Jist * of 
 tender exotics, all of which are flourishing in the 
 neighbourhood of Penzance, and it has been justly 
 remarked that were ornamental horticulture to 
 become an object of attention in this neighbour- 
 hood, as it is in many other parts of England, 
 this list might be very considerably extended. 
 Amomgst the rare indigenous plants of this dis- 
 trict, the Sibthorpia Europcea may be particu- 
 larised as affording a remarkable proof of the 
 
 drawn up by the Rev. W. T. Bree, 
 
 * The following catalogue was 
 of Allesley, Warwickshire, viz. 
 Amaryllis Vittata. 
 Arum Colocasia. 
 Azalea Indica. 
 Buddlcea Globosa. 
 Bocconia Cordata. 
 Coronilla Glauca, &c. 
 Calla JEthiopica. 
 Cistus Salvifolius. 
 Chrysanthemum Indicum 
 Camellia Japonica. 
 Cyclamen Persicum. 
 Canna Indica. 
 Cheiranthus Tristis. 
 Dahlia (many varieties.) 
 Daphne Indica. 
 Eucomis Striata. 
 Fuchsia Coccinea. 
 Geranium (several species of 
 
 the African G.) 
 Hypericum Coris. 
 
 Crispum 
 
 Balearicum. 
 
 Hydrangea Decolor. 
 Haustonia Coccinea. 
 Hemerocallis Alba. 
 Lavandula Viridis. 
 Lobelia Fulgens. 
 Myrtus Communis. 
 Mesembryanthemum Deltoideum 
 Melianthus Major. 
 Mimulus Glutitiosus. 
 Magnolia Tripetala. 
 Metrosideros Lanceolata. 
 Olea Fragrans. 
 Pittosporum Undulatum. 
 Phylica Ericoides. 
 Protffia Argentea. 
 Punica Nana. 
 
 Solanum Pseudo-Capsicum. 
 Teucrium Frutescens. 
 
 Marum. 
 
 Verbena Triphylla. 
 Westringia Rosmarinacea.
 
 8 Abundance of vegetable 
 
 mildness of our winter. This elegant little plant 
 when transplanted into the midland counties is 
 killed even in the most sheltered gardens. Nor 
 must we pass over unnoticed the more substantial 
 proofs of the same fact, as furnished by our win- 
 ter markets, for at a season when pot-herbs of all 
 kinds are destroyed by frost in the eastern coun- 
 ties, our tables are regularly supplied in abun- 
 dance ; * and so little is the progress of vegeta- 
 tion checked during the months of winter, that 
 the meadows retain their verdure, and afford even 
 a considerable supply of grass to the cattle. 
 
 Nor is the animal kingdom deficient in proofs 
 of the congenial mildness of western Cornwall. 
 We are indebted to the Reverend W. T. Bree, of 
 
 * Cabbages are ready for the table as early as February ; Turnips 
 before the end of March ; Broccoli, against Christmas; Green Peas 
 are generally ready by the middle of May. But the most remark- 
 able exception, perhaps, to the ordinary routine of the culinary 
 calendar is to be found in the growth of the potatoe. It is cus- 
 tomary for the gardeners in the vicinity of Penzance to raise two 
 crops in one year. The first being planted in November is gathered 
 in April, May, and June; the second crop is planted immediately 
 on taking up the first, and as late as to the middle of July. The 
 first or spring crop has, in general, no other defence from the cold 
 of winter than the stable dung used as manure, and it is rarely 
 injured by the frost! Such is the ordinary practice of the market- 
 gardener; but Mr. Bolitho of Chyandour, has constantly new pota- 
 toes at Christmas, and through the whole of January and part of 
 February, raised in the open garden, with no other shelter than that 
 afforded by some matting during the coldest nights.
 
 food in Winter. 9 
 
 Allesley, Warwickshire, for the following re- 
 marks, which were communicated by him to Dr. 
 Forbes of Penzance, and published by that gen- 
 tleman in his Observations on the Climate of this 
 neighbourhood. 
 
 " One of the most remarkable instances of the 
 mildness of your climate is the unusually early 
 appearance of frog's spawn : this I observed at 
 Gulval on the 8th of January. According to 
 White's Naturalist's Calendar (which was made 
 from observations taken in Hampshire, a warm 
 and early county,) the earliest and latest appear- 
 ances there specified, are February 28th, and 
 March 22d. Taking therefore the second week 
 in March as the average for its appearance, you 
 should seem, in this instance, to be full two 
 months earlier than Hampshire." 
 
 " In this neighbourhood (near Coventry) I 
 rarely see any of our species of Swallow, except 
 perhaps an occasional straggler, before the second 
 week in April, but in the year 1818 I was not a 
 little gratified at observing upwards of a score of 
 Sand Martins, (Ilirundo Riparia), sporting over 
 the marsh between Gulval and Marazion, on 
 March 31st. The wind at that time was N. W. 
 and the thermometer at 50 in the shade at noon. 
 The Chaffinch (Frittgillu Calebs) I heard, in
 
 10 Coolness of its Summer. 
 
 Cornwall, begin to chirp his spring note the last 
 day of December. With us he is seldom heard 
 until the beginning of February. The Viper, 
 (Coluber Benis), a great lover of warmth and 
 moisture, occurs more frequently in Cornwall 
 than in the midland counties." 
 
 We have already stated that our summers are 
 as remarkable for coolness, as our winters are de- 
 sirable for mildness. This circumstance neces- 
 sarily renders our fruit inferior in flavour to that 
 which is produced in the inland counties ; indeed 
 the grape very rarely ripens in the open air, and 
 the apricot tree seldom affords any fruit, except 
 in a few favoured spots. The tree of the green- 
 gage plum is nearly equally unproductive. The 
 walnut, and the common hazel-nut very seldom 
 bear fruit. .Apples for the table, however, are 
 plentiful and good ; and our strawberries may be 
 considered as possessing a decided superiority. 
 
 Why then, it may be asked, should not this 
 climate be as eligible to invalids as that which 
 they are generally sent across the Channel to 
 enjoy ? In reply we will venture to assert, and 
 without the least fear of being contradicted by 
 those, whose experience renders them competent 
 judges, that it is not only equally beneficial, but 
 far more eligible, unless, indeed, the patient can
 
 Climate Rain. 11 
 
 possess himself of the cap of Fortunatus, to re- 
 move the difficulties and discomfiture of a con- 
 tinental journey. But since the present volume 
 is, in some measure, written for the information 
 and guidance of those who are seeking a winter's 
 residence, in pursuit of health, the author has 
 been induced to subjoin a short essay, in the ap- 
 pendix, for the purpose of examining the compa- 
 rative pretentions of the several places to the 
 reputation for superior mildness and salubrity, 
 which they have acquired. 
 
 From the peninsular situation of Cornwall, and 
 its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, over which 
 the wind blows, at least, three-fourths of the 
 year, the weather is certainly very subject to 
 rain, and it is found that when other parts of 
 England suffer from drought, Cornwall has rarely 
 any reason to complain ; this peculiarity seems 
 highly congenial to the inhabitants, as well as to 
 the soil ; a Cornishman never enjoys better health 
 and spirits than in wet seasons, and there is a 
 popular adage, that li the land will bear a shower 
 every day, and two upon a Sunday ;" this, like most 
 of our popular sayings, although it requires to be 
 understood with some grains of allowance, is 
 founded on observation and experience. The 
 philosophical explanation of the fact is obvious;
 
 12 Its rains not injurious 
 
 the shallowness of the soil, and the large propor- 
 tion of siliceous matter which enters into its com- 
 position, together with the nature of its rocky 
 substratum, necessarily render a constant supply 
 of moisture indispensable to its fertility. And 
 we here cannot but admire the intelligence dis- 
 played by Nature in connecting the wants and 
 necessities of the different parts of Creation with 
 the power and means of supplying them ; thus in 
 a primitive country, like Cornwall, where the 
 soil is constantly greedy of moisture, we perceive 
 that the rocks, elevated above the surface, solicit 
 a tribute from every passing cloud ; while in al- 
 luvial and flat districts, the soil of which is rich, 
 deep, and retentive of water, the clouds float 
 undisturbed over the plains, and the country very 
 commonly enjoys that long and uninterrupted 
 series of dry weather which is so congenial and 
 essential to its productions. 
 
 It deserves, however, to be noticed, that the 
 rains of Cornwall are, in general, rather frequent 
 than heavy. 
 
 " Not such as wintry storms on mortals shed 
 Oppressing life, but lovely, gentle, kind, 
 And full of every hope, and every joy, 
 The wish of Nature." 
 
 It has been satisfactorily ascertained, by means 
 of the rain gauge, that the actual quantity of rain
 
 to invalid residents. 13 
 
 that falls is rather under the mean of the whole 
 of England ; and Dr. Borlase observes that " we 
 have very seldom a day so thoroughly wet, but 
 that there is some intermission, nor so cloudy, 
 but that the sun will find a time to shine." This 
 circumstance may, perhaps, in part depend upon 
 the narrow, ridgelike form of the peninsula, over 
 which the winds make a quick, because they have 
 a short passage, and therefore do not suffer the 
 clouds to hang long in one place, as they fre- 
 quently do in other situations; we are, besides, 
 much indebted to Ireland for this moderation of 
 the elements ; she may be truly denominated the 
 Umbrella of Cornwall, for were not the vast body 
 of clouds, which the winds bring from the Atlan- 
 tic, attracted and broken by her hills, we should 
 most probably be deluged with more constant and 
 excessive rain. 
 
 Notwithstanding the supposed moisture of the 
 Mount's Bay, the air is not less fit for respiration, 
 nor less beneficial to the valetudinarian, than that 
 of drier situations. The porous nature of the 
 shelfy substrntum soon disposes of any excess of 
 water; so that, after a short cessation of rain, 
 the invalid may safely venture abroad to enjoy 
 the delightful walks which surround the bay ; at 
 the same time, the numerous promontories which
 
 14 Violent Storms. 
 
 distinguish this coast, promote a constant circu- 
 lation of breezes around their extremities, so that 
 mists seldom linger, and we never experience 
 those sultry calms, or suffocating fogs, which not 
 unfrequently infest other parts of our island. 
 
 As Cornwall is directly exposed to the expanse 
 of the Atlantic ocean, lying south-west of it, we 
 cannot be surprised that the winds, which blow 
 so generally from that quarter, should occasion- 
 ally produce very violent storms. Their approach 
 is frequently predicted by the experienced fisher- 
 man, from the agitation of the water along shore, 
 a phenomenon which is called a " ground s&ell ; " 
 and which is probably occasioned by a storm in 
 the Atlantic, with the wind west; in which case, 
 as the storm proceeds eastward, the waves raised 
 by it will outgo the wind, and reach the eastern 
 coast long before it. A tremendous instance of 
 this kind occurred, during the residence of the 
 author of these pages, on the night of Sunday, 
 January 19th, 1817. The storm assumed the 
 character of a hurricane, and acting in conjunc- 
 tion with a spring tide, impelled the waves with 
 such fury, that they actually broke over the mast 
 heads of the vessels which were lying within Pen- 
 zance harbour, and bore down every thing before 
 them ; two of the four pillars recently erected
 
 r Hurricane of 1817. 15 
 
 for the reception of a light were thrown down, 
 and several of the foundation stones of the pier 
 removed. The windows of the bath-house were 
 demolished, and the whole of its furniture washed 
 into the sea. The green between Penzance and 
 Newlyn was torn up, and several boats, lying on 
 the strand were actually carried into the neigh- 
 bouring meadows. The towns of Newlyn and 
 Mousehole suffered corresponding damage, and 
 several of their houses were washed away. The 
 road between Marazion and St. Michael's Mount 
 was torn from its lowest foundation, and stones 
 of more than a ton in weight, though clamped 
 together with massy iron, were severed and re- 
 moved from their situation. The turnpike road 
 between Penzance and Marazion was, in many 
 places, buried with sand; and in others, broken 
 up by the violence of the waves, and covered by 
 the sea to the depth of from three to five feet. 
 Had the violence of the storm lasted but a few 
 hours longer, who will venture to say that the 
 two channels would not have been united by the 
 inundation of the low land which constitutes the 
 isthmus, and the district of the Land's-end been 
 converted into an island ! 
 
 The sea is encroaching upon every part of the 
 Cornish coast. In the memory of many person*
 
 16 Encroachments of the Sea. 
 
 still living, the cricketers were unable to throw a 
 ball across the " Western Green" between Pen- 
 zance and Newlyn,* which is now not many feet 
 in breadth, and the grandfather of the present 
 vicar of Madron is known to have received tithes 
 from the land under the cliff of Penzance. On 
 the northern coast we have striking instances of 
 the sea having made similar inroads. This how- 
 ever is the natural result of the slow and silent 
 depredation of the water upon the land; but at a 
 very remote period we are assured by tradition, 
 that a considerable part of the present bay, espe- 
 cially that comprehended within a line drawn 
 from near Cuddan point on the east side, to 
 Mousehole on the west, was land covered with 
 wood, but which, by an awful convulsion and 
 irruption of the sea, was suddenly swept away. 
 "If we trace the north-west shore of the bay, 
 from the Mount westward to Newlyn, the ebb 
 tide leaves a large space uncovered ; the sea sand 
 is from one to two or three feet deep ; and under 
 
 * Mr. Boase has lately published, in the 2d volume of the Trans- 
 actions of the Cornish Society, a very interesting letter upon this 
 subject, (in the possession of Mrs. Ley of Penzance, who is the 
 present representative of the Daniel family.) It was written, in the 
 reign of Charles II, to the then proprietor of an estate, which in- 
 cluded part of the " Western Green ;" and that part is there esti- 
 mated at thirty-six acres of pasturage !
 
 Sub-marine Forest. 17 
 
 this stratum of sand is found a black vegetable 
 mould, full of woodland detritus, such as the 
 branches, leaves, and nuts of coppice wood, to- 
 gether with the roots and trunks of forest trees 
 of large growth. All these are manifestly indi- 
 genous ; and, from the freshness and preservation 
 of some of the remains, the inundation of sand, 
 as \vell as water, must have been sudden and 
 simultaneous; and the circumstance of ripe nuts 
 and leaves remaining together would seem to 
 shew that the irruption happened in the autumn, 
 or in the beginning of winter. This vegetable 
 substratum has been traced seaward as far as the 
 ebb would permit, and has been found continuous 
 and of like nature. Another proof of these shores 
 having been suddenly visited by a tremendous 
 catastrophe, has been afforded by the nature of 
 the sand banks constituting the " Eastern," and 
 <c Western Greens" and which will be found to 
 be the detritus of disintegrated granite; whereas 
 the natural sand, which forms the bed of the sea, 
 is altogether unlike it, being much more comminu- 
 ted, different in colour, and evidently the result 
 of pulverised clay-slate:"* but when did this 
 mighty catastrophe occur, and what were its 
 
 * See " A memoir on the submersion of part of the Mount's Bay, 
 by H. Boase, Esq." in the 2d volume of the Cornish Transactions.
 
 18 Geological convulsions. 
 
 causes ? These are questions which are not rea- 
 dily answered ; the event is so buried in the 
 depths of antiquity, that nothing certain or satis- 
 factory can be collected concerning it ; although 
 it would appear from the concurrent testimony of 
 Florence of Worcester,* and the Saxon Chronicles, 
 that a remarkable invasion of the ocean occurred 
 in November 1099. With respect to the causes 
 of the phenomenon we are equally uninformed ; 
 let the geologist examine the appearance of the 
 coast with attention, and then decide with what 
 probability De Luc attributed the catastrophe to 
 a subsidence of the land. It must not, however, 
 be concealed that many geologists have ques- 
 tioned the probability of the occurrence alto- 
 gether, and argue from the appearance of the 
 coast, " whose rocks beat back the envious siege 
 of watery Neptune," that no very important 
 change in the hydrographical outline of the Cor- 
 nish peninsula can have taken place, during the 
 present constitution of the earth's surface. If 
 Saint Michael's Mount be in reality the " 
 
 * On the third of the nones of November," cries Florence of Wor- 
 cester, " the sea comes out upon the shores, and buried towns and men, 
 very many, oxen and sheep innumerable." While the Saxon Chro- 
 nicle relates that " this year eke, on Saint Martin's mass day, sprang 
 up so much the sea flood, and so ntyckle harm did, as no man minded 
 it ever afore did."
 
 Ruin of the Mountains. 19 
 
 of Diodorus Siculus, we have certainly a decisive 
 proof that no material change has taken place for 
 the space of eighteen centuries at least ; for the 
 Historian describes the access to this island pre- 
 cisely such as it is at the present period prac- 
 ticable only at low water for wheel carriages. 
 
 Nor is the corroding operation of the other 
 elements upon the hills of Cornwall less evident 
 and striking ; no where are the vestiges of degra- 
 dation more remarkable ; granitic countries usu- 
 ally present a bold and varied outline, whereas 
 the aspect of Cornwall, with some few exceptions, 
 is comparatively tame, and even flat. " / went 
 into Cornwall," said a geologist of well known 
 celebrity, " to see an example of a primitive 
 country; but, instead of an example, I found an 
 exception" The same observation would apply 
 to the agricultural character of the county, for 
 its fertility is much greater than that which 
 usually occurs in a country composed of primi- 
 tive rocks. 
 
 All that peninsular portion of Cornwall which 
 is situated to the westward of a line drawn from 
 the estuary of Hayle on the north, to Cuddan 
 point on the south, has been distinguished by 
 the appellation of the Land'e End District. It 
 is about thirteen miles long from east to west, 
 
 B2
 
 20 band's End District. 
 
 and five or six miles broad from north to south, 
 and contains, by superficial admeasurement about 
 54,000 statute acres. It has been remarked that 
 the small extent of this district, and its peninsular 
 character, preclude the existence of rivers of any 
 magnitude ; its varied and uneven surface, how- 
 ever, gives it a great profusion of small streams 
 and rivulets, which add greatly to its value. We 
 shall take occasion to introduce some remarks on 
 its agriculture, in our excursion to the Land'a 
 End. 
 
 Pentaitce.
 
 PENZANCE. 
 
 HAVING offered a rapid coup d'oeil of the 
 country we are about to examine, we shall now 
 conduct the stranger into Penzance,* as being a 
 
 * Penzance signifies, in Cornish, Holy-head, i. e. holy headland} 
 and the town appears to have been so called in consequence of a 
 small chapel, dedicated to that universal patron of fishermen, Saint 
 Anthony, having; formerly stood on the projecting point near the 
 present quay. When it became necessary to adopt arms for the 
 town, the true origin of its name was forgotten or overlooked, and 
 the holy head of Saint John emblazoned. It would, however, ap- 
 pear from the Liber valorum, that Buriton was the old name of
 
 22 Penzance. 
 
 town well calculated to afford him an eligible 
 residence; many of the various objects of interest 
 are within the range of a morning's ride, and he 
 will meet with every accommodation that may be 
 required for the performance of his excursions; 
 if his pursuit be mineralogy and geology, it is in 
 this town that he will find others zealously en- 
 gaged in the study of the same science, from 
 whom he will readily obtain much local infor- 
 mation ; while in the collection of the Geological 
 Society, so liberally opened for the inspection of 
 every scientific stranger, he will see well defined 
 specimens illustrative of the districts he may be 
 desirous of exploring. 
 
 The reader of this Guide, therefore, must 
 thoroughly understand that in the arrangement 
 of the subsequent " Excursions," the various 
 objects of interest, to which it directs him, are 
 described in an order best adapted to the con- 
 venience of the resident at Penzance. 
 
 PENZANCE is the most western market town in 
 the kingdom ; about ten miles from the land's 
 
 Penzance, a sound which to the ear of the antiquary is full of his- 
 torical intelligence, for the addition of Bury to the name of a town 
 signified that it was a town with a castle ; thus, Suriton signified 
 Bury-town, i. e. the Castle town. Some cellars near the quay are 
 to this day called the Barbican cellars; thus trsydition points out 
 the castle to have been upon, or near, the site of the present chapel.
 
 Fertility of its neighbourhood. 23 
 
 end, and 282 miles W. S.W. of London. It is 
 beautifully situated on the north-west shore of 
 the Mount's Bay, on a declivity jetting into the 
 sea. The lands in its vicinity having a substratum 
 of hornblende rock and slate, are not exceeded in 
 fertility by any soil in the kingdom ; a belt of 
 land around the town, which consists of about 
 a thousand acres, producing an annual rent of 
 rflOjOOO ! The town is well defended by sur- 
 rounding hills from the fury of Atlantic storms. 
 It is large and populous, containing more than 
 six thousand inhabitants. The Corporation* con- 
 sists of a mayor, recorder, eight aldermen, and 
 twelve common-council men ; by whose funds,t 
 unaided by any parliamentary grant, a very com- 
 modious pier was erected about fifty years ago, 
 
 * Penzance was first incorporated in the reign of king James, in 
 1614; which charter was confirmed by Charles II. 
 
 t The history of these funds exhibits a curious instance of the 
 increase in value which property undergoes, in a series of years, 
 from the progressive improvements of the district in which it lies. 
 The revenue of the Corporation, nearly ,2000 per annum, is de- 
 rived from an estate which was purchased from one Daniel, in thp 
 year 1614, for the sum of 3i, and20 shillings a year fee farm rent, 
 payable out of the same to the vender and his representatives for 
 ever. This estate is described in the writings to be " a three cor- 
 ner plot with a timber house (then) lately erected thereon, together 
 with the tolls, profits, and dues of the fairs, markets, and of the 
 pier." The increase of its value has arisen from the enlargement 
 of the market now held on the spot, and from the dues arising from 
 the improved and extended pier.
 
 2t Penzance. Pier C/iapel. 
 
 and which has lately been considerably extended, 
 so that it is now more than COO feet in length, and 
 is the largest pier in Cornwall. It has, more- 
 over, received the addition of a light which is 
 displayed every night, from half flood to half 
 ebb, and is consequently extinguished as soon as 
 there is less than nine feet of water within the 
 pier. At high water there is now at Spring tides 
 22 feet* of water, which is about five feet more 
 than that at the pier of Saint Michael's Mount. 
 The expenses incurred by these late improve- 
 ments are to be paid by a new tariff, established 
 by an act passed in the year 1817. 
 
 The mother church is situated at Madron, but 
 there is a chapel of ease in the town, dedicated to 
 Saint Mary, the simple and unassuming spire of 
 which forms a very interesting object in the bay. 
 
 Besides the established church, there are seve- 
 ral places of religious worship. The Wesleyan 
 Methodists' chapel, built in the year 1814, is the 
 most complete and capacious meeting-house in 
 the county. There are, moreover, appropriate 
 
 * We are desirous of recording this fact since it continues to be 
 erroneously stated in the publication called the " Coasting Pilot,'" 
 as well as in all charts, to be only 13 feet, as it was before the im- 
 provements. From the perpetuation of this error the masters of 
 vessels unacquainted with the place, refuse to credit the pilots, 
 when informed by them of the depth of the water.
 
 Coinage of Tin. 25 
 
 places of worship for the Independents, Baptists, 
 and Quakers, and a synagogue for the Jews. 
 
 Penzance is one of those towns to which the 
 tinners bring their tin to be "coined" as it is 
 called, that is, to be assayed and licensed by the 
 officers of the Duchy, who take off a piece from 
 the corner* of each block; and if they find it 
 sufficiently pure, stamp the former with the 
 Duke's arms. The stranger will be much struck 
 by the singular sight of many thousand blocks of 
 Tin, which lie in heaps, like worthless rubbish, 
 about the street,t each weighing about 320 Ib. 
 and may perhaps be worth from jlS to t620. 
 The Tin intended for the Mediterranean trade is 
 here formed into bars, while that designed for 
 exportation to the East Indies is cast into ingots. 
 
 There is a Public Dispensary, supported by the 
 voluntary contributions of the inhabitants, aided 
 occasionally by the donations of those invalid 
 strangers, who, grateful for the reestablishment of 
 health in themselves, eagerly adopt this mode of 
 contributing to its restoration in others. Few 
 
 * The operation is termed " Coining," not, as is very generally 
 supposed, from the stamping of the Duke's arms, but from the 
 cutting off the corner of each block, from the French word com, a 
 corner. For every cwt. so stamped, the Duke receives four shil- 
 lings, producing an annual revenue of ,10,000. 
 
 + Since the first edition, the place of coinage has been changed 
 from the middle of the town to a large area near the quay.
 
 26 Royal Geological Society. 
 
 institutions for the accomplishment of a similar 
 object, have proved more extensively beneficial ; 
 and none, we will venture to add, were ever 
 superintended with more humane attention. 
 
 To the scientific visitor, Penzance possesses 
 an interest of no ordinary degree. In the year 
 1814, DR. PARIS, who was at that time the resi- 
 dent physician, succeeded, through the support 
 of the nobility, gentry, and mine agents of the 
 county, in establishing a society for the cultiva- 
 tion and promotion of mineralogical and geologi- 
 cal science; and, when we consider the immense 
 advantages of its locality, the ability of its mem* 
 bers, and the zeal and munificence of its patrons, 
 we cannot be surprised to find that the short 
 period of nine years has been sufficient to raise it 
 to a respectable rank amongst the eminent insti- 
 tutions of this country. His present Majesty, 
 having graciously condescended to become its 
 patron, it is now denominated the ROYAL 
 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF CORNWALL. The 
 Marquis of Hertford, Lord Warden of the Stan- 
 naries, and The Right Honourable Lord De 
 Dunstanville, are its Vice-Patrons, and Davies 
 Gilbert, Esq. M.P., the President ; while amongst 
 its officers and members it has enrolled the names 
 of many individuals of the first rank and science
 
 Its Cabinet of Minerals. 27 
 
 in the kingdom. Two volumes of the Society's 
 Transactions are already given to the public, 
 from which a fairer estimate may be formed of 
 the value of its labours, than from any sketch 
 which the limited pages of this " Guide'"'' could 
 possibly afford ; we shall, however, for the in- 
 formation of our scientific readers, present, in 
 the Appendix, a list of the different memoirs 
 which each volume contains. The splendid and 
 extensive series of minerals, already exceeding 
 four thousand specimens, which are deposited in 
 an elegant and spacious museum, * offers a most 
 honourable and durable testimony of the zeal 
 and talent with which this department has been 
 conducted; while to the student in mineralogy 
 it affords a most desirable and solid system of 
 instruction ; indeed it has already excited such a 
 spirit of inquiry among the miners, as to have led 
 to the discovery of several minerals before un- 
 known in Cornwall. 
 
 There is also an economical department, con- 
 
 * The rooms originally occupied by the Society, and which are 
 represented in the vignette at the head of this chapter, becoming 
 too small to accommodate the growing collection, a capacious and 
 handsome suite of rooms were erected in the year 1817; to which* 
 are now attached a public library, and a room for the reception 
 of newspapers. The former was established in 1818, under the 
 auspices of Sir Rose Price, Bart, and with the support of above a 
 hundred subscribers in the neighbourhood.
 
 28 Cabinet of 
 
 taming specimens in illustration of the various 
 changes which the ores of Tin, Copper, &c. un- 
 dergo in the processes of dressing and smelting. 
 Models are likewise to be seen of the machinery 
 which is employed in such operations. The whole 
 has been admirably arranged under the skilful 
 direction of the Curator, E. C. Giddy, Esq. 
 
 In the geological department of the Museum 
 are complete series of specimens illustrative of 
 the serpentine formation of the Lizard, of the 
 slate formation of the " Land's End District" 
 of the limestone formation of Veryan, and of the 
 hornblende rocks of St. Cleer near Liskeard. 
 There is besides an interesting series of " El- 
 T0s" * from different levels in many of the prin- 
 cipal mines of the county, together with a col- 
 lection of veins of metallic and earthy substances. 
 
 Among the earthy minerals, we may particu- 
 larize, as unusually fine, the specimens of Cal- 
 cedony, Sodalite, Hauyne, Petalite, Colophonite, 
 Vesircian, &c. In the metallic department, we 
 may notice the Carbonate of Lead, Specular Iron, 
 Arseniale of Iron, the Oxide, Carbonate, Arseniate 
 and Phosphate of Copper, Native Gold from the 
 Tin-stream-works of Cornwall, Arsenical Pyrites, 
 
 * See a paper " On Elvan Course*" by J. Carne, Esq. in the 
 first volume of the Royal Geological Socit'ty of Cornwall.
 
 Minerals. 29 
 
 Uranite, Urun-ochre, Native Nickel, &c. Here 
 also may be seen a mineral, hitherto almost un- 
 known, a Sub-carburet of Iron ; it was analysed 
 by that late eminent chemist, the Rev . W. Gregor, 
 who received it from the hands of the Rev. J. 
 Rogers of Mawnan. It was found in a vein 
 about half an inch wide, intersecting either hard 
 Clay-slate or Graywacke. Among the saline mine- 
 rals in the cabinet are Glauberite, and Sassoline 
 or native Boracic acid. 
 
 A Laboratory, containing the necessary appa- 
 ratus for analytical operations, is attached to the 
 establishment. 
 
 In conclusion, we will venture to affirm, that 
 the advantages and enjoyments which such socie- 
 ties are calculated to afford are not only obtained 
 without any expense to the country in which 
 they are encouraged, but that they actually repay 
 in wealth and emolument much more than they 
 require for their support. Had the Cornish 
 Society been earlier called into existence, we 
 should never have heard of the most valuable 
 productions of our country having been thrown 
 into the sea, nor of their having been used as 
 materials for the repair of roads, or the construc- 
 tion of cottages : on the contrary, how many 
 thousand tons of ore might have been gained?
 
 SO Accidents from Explosion 
 
 how many years of unprofitable but expensive 
 labour saved ? and how many individual adven- 
 turers preserved from disappointment, or rescued 
 from ruin ? Amongst the efforts made by this 
 Society to improve the theory and art of mining, 
 through the application of science, not the least 
 interesting and praiseworthy is that which relates 
 to the prevention of accidental explosion in the 
 methods of blasting rocks with gunpowder, by 
 the introduction of " Safety Instruments" 
 
 How little aware is the great mass of the com- 
 munity at what an expense of human suffering 
 and misery the ordinary necessaries of civilized 
 life are obtained ! Few of our readers, we will 
 venture to say, have ever heard of the dreadful 
 extent of the accidents which have occurred in 
 the mines of Cornwall from the use of iron ram- 
 mers, in the process of charging the rock with 
 gunpowder, in order to blast it. Hundreds have 
 been thus sent to an, untimely grave, or, what 
 perhaps is still worse, have been so mutilated as 
 to remain blind and helpless objects of misery 
 for the rest of their days, while their wives and 
 children have been thus driven, in a state of des- 
 titution, to the hard necessity of seeking from 
 charity that pittance which honest industry could 
 no longer supply. We must refer the reader for
 
 in Mines prevented. SI 
 
 a full account of this appalling subject to Dr. 
 Paris's Memoir, in the first volume of the Society's 
 Transactions, entitled " On the Accidents which 
 occur in the Mines of Cornwall, in consequence of 
 the premature explosion of Gunpowder in blasting- 
 rocks ; and on the methods to be adopted for pre- 
 venting it, by the introduction of a Safety Bar, 
 and an instrument termed the Shifting Cartridge.' 1 
 
 We earnestly, therefore, entreat the Society to 
 persevere in those laudable efforts, which have 
 already ensured for it the respect of the learned, 
 and the gratitude of the public. Floreat. 
 
 Besides the instructive collection of the Geolo- 
 gical Society, the splendid cabinet of Joseph Carne, 
 Esq. may now be seen in this town, for since the 
 first edition of this " Guide" the Cornish Copper 
 Company have given up their smelting establish- 
 ment at Hayle, at which place Mr. Carne for- 
 merly lived as the resident partner. Among the 
 principal excellencies of this collection we may 
 notice Prehnite, in a variety of forms ; Axinite in 
 the usual forms of that mineral;, Stilbite in flat 
 four.sided prisms, terminated by pyramids ; Me- 
 sott/pe radiated ; Garnets in twelve, and twenty- 
 four sided crystals ; Pintle in six and twelve sided 
 prisms; Uranite in quadrangular tables with the 
 angles sometimes truncated, and also in forms
 
 32 Mr. Game's Collection. 
 
 much resembling cubes and octohedrons ; Uran- 
 ochre ; Native Bismuth ; and Specular Iron ore, 
 little inferior in beauty to that brought from 
 Elba, all of which are from Saint Just. From 
 other parts of Cornwall are Sulphate of Lead 
 (Vellenoweth Mine) in a variety of forms, more 
 especially in one resembling an octahedron ; 
 Grey Sulphuret of Copper (Crenver mine), the 
 best defined crystals of which are very obtuse 
 dodecahedrons, and six sided prisms ; in some 
 specimens the dodecahedron is so placed upon 
 the summit of a prism as to produce the whim- 
 sical appearance of a nail, which from its rarity 
 is sought after by mineral collectors with con- 
 siderable avidity. Two specimens of rarity also 
 in this collection are the Yellow, and Grey Sul- 
 phuret of Copper, in forms approaching that of 
 Cube ; the latter is pseudomorphous. 
 
 The Penwith Agricultural Society holds its 
 meetings, and distributes its premiums, in this 
 town. Nothing can be more in place than such 
 an institution. Geology and Agriculture are 
 kindred sciences, and it has been truly observed 
 that there is no district in the British Empire 
 where the natural relations between the varieties 
 of soil and the subjacent rocks can be more easily 
 discovered and traced, or more effectually inves-
 
 Penzance Market. 33 
 
 tigated, than in the county of Cornwall ; and no 
 where can the information which such an enquiry 
 is capable of affording, be more immediately and 
 successfully applied for the improvement of waste 
 lands, and the general advancement of agricultu- 
 ral science. 
 
 The market of Penzance, for the goodness, 
 variety, and cheapness of its commodities, is cer- 
 tainly not surpassed by any other in the kingdom ; 
 to the great quantity of salt usually mixed with 
 the food of the swine, is perhaps to be attributed 
 the delicacy and richness of the pork; whilst, 
 owing to the fine pasturage of the neigbourhood, 
 the heifer beef is superior, beyond comparison, 
 to the Scotch. It is worthy also of notice, that 
 during the winter season the market is filled 
 with a variety of wild-fowl, woodcocks, snipes, 
 &c. which are offered for sale at extremely 
 low prices. The market is held on Thursdays 
 and Saturdays ; but every description of fish in 
 season, as Red Mullet, John Doree, Turbot, Sole, 
 Mackarel, Whiting, Pilchard, Herring, &c. &c. 
 may be purchased from the Newlyn fish-women, 
 who are in daily attendance at their stalls, and 
 whose fine symmetry, delicate complexions, curl- 
 ing ringlets, and the brilliancy of whose jet black 
 eyes, as they dart their rays from beneath the 
 c
 
 34. ^ Sea Baths. 
 
 shade of large gypsey hats of beaver, fill the tra- 
 veller with admiration. 
 
 We beg leave to introduce the reader to two 
 of these Nymphs of the CozseL* 
 
 Whilst speaking of the delicacies of the table 
 we must not omit to mention the clotted or clouted 
 cream of this and the neighbouring county, t 
 a luxury with which the epicures of other parts 
 are wholly unacquainted. 
 
 The town of Penzance is rapidly extending 
 itself; new houses are continually rising in com- 
 manding situations; and, since the publication of 
 the first edition of this work, HOT AND COLO 
 SEA BATHS have been completed upon a suitable 
 
 * The Cowel is the provincial name of the peculiar basket in 
 which they convey their fish, and is carried by means of a string 
 round their hats, as represented above. Its name lias been sup- 
 posed to have been derived from its resemblance in position and 
 appearance to the Monk's cowl. 
 
 f The custom of obtaining the cream from new milk by coagu- 
 lation from heat, is peculiar to Devonshire, Cornwall, and the op- 
 posite coast of Brittany, and is supposed to be of Celtic origin. 
 The butter obtained by beating up this cream does not differ much 
 in flavor from that procured by churning new cream, except the 
 process be carelessly conducted, when it will acquire a smoky taste.
 
 A Packet to Stilly. 35 
 
 scale of convenience. The waiting room belong- 
 ing to this establishment commands a prospect 
 of very singular beauty. St. Michael's Mount 
 rising boldly in front, forms a striking relief to 
 the extended line of coast which constitutes the 
 back ground; while the undulating shores on 
 the left, skirted by the little village of Chy'an- 
 dour, are well contrasted, on the opposite side, 
 with the busy scene of the pier, and the nume- 
 rous vessels in the harbour. 
 
 In enumerating the advantages this town holds 
 out as a residence to invalids, it deserves notice 
 that a packet sails every Friday to the Scilly 
 Islands, and returns on the following Tuesday. 
 The distance is about fourteen leagues, and, with 
 a fair wind, the passage is generally accomplished 
 in six hours; but with contrary winds it has 
 sometimes, though very rarely, exceeded two days. 
 
 In a town so remote from the metropolis, and 
 in a great degree insulated from the other parts 
 of the empire, it is not extraordinary that we 
 should find the traces of several verv ancient 
 
 tf 
 
 customs. The most singular one is, perhaps, the 
 celebration of the Eve of Saint John the Baptist,* 
 
 * It is reasonable to advert to the Summer Solstice for this cus- 
 tom, although brought into the Christian Calendar under the 
 
 sanction of John the Baptist. Those sacred fires " kindled al t 
 
 midnight, on the moment of the Solstice by the great part of tho
 
 36 Singular Festivities 
 
 our town saint, which falls on Midsummer Eve; 
 and that of the Eve of Saint Peter, the patron of 
 fishermen. No sooner does the tardy sun sink 
 into the western ocean than the young and old of 
 both sexes, animated by the genius of the night, 
 assemble in the town, and different villages of 
 the bay, with lighted torches. Tar barrels hav- 
 ing been erected on tall poles in the market 
 place, on the pier, and in other conspicuous spots, 
 are soon urged into a state of vivid combustion, 
 shedding an appalling glare on every surrounding 
 object, and which when multiplied by numerous 
 reflections in the waves, produce at a distant 
 view a spectacle so singular and novel as to defy 
 the powers of description ; while the stranger 
 who issues forth to gain a closer view of the fes- 
 tivities of the town, may well imagine himself 
 suddenly transported to the regions of the furies 
 and infernal gods ; or, else that he is witnessing, 
 in the magic mirror of Cornelius Agrippa, the 
 awful celebration of the fifth day of the Eleu- 
 sinian Feast ; * while the shrieks of the female 
 
 ancient and modern nations. The origin of which loses itself in 
 antiqnity ; " See Gebelin, and also Brand's Observations on Popular 
 Antiquities. 
 
 * The fifth day of the Eleusinian feast was called " the day of 
 the Torches" because at night the men and women ran about with 
 them in imitation of Ceres, who, having lighted a torch at the fire
 
 on Midsummer Eve. 37 
 
 spectators, and the triumphant yells of the torch 
 bearers, with their hair streaming in the wind, 
 and their flambeaus whirling with inconceivable 
 velocity, are realities not calculated to dispel 
 the illusion. No sooner are the torches burnt 
 out than the numerous inhabitants engaged in 
 the frolic, pouring forth from the quay and its 
 neighbourhood, form a long string, and, hand 
 in hand, run furiously through every street, vo- 
 ciferating "an eye," "an eye," "an eye"! 
 At length they suddenly stop, and the two last of 
 the string, elevating their clasped hands, form 
 an eye to this enormous needle, through which 
 the thread of populace runs; and thus they con- 
 tinue to repeat the game, until weariness dis- 
 solves the union, which rarely happens before 
 midnight. 
 
 On the following day (Midsummer day) fes- 
 tivities of a very different character enliven the 
 bay ; and the spectator can hardly be induced to 
 believe that the same actors are engaged in both 
 dramas. At about four or five o'clock in the 
 afternoon, the country people, drest in their best 
 apparel, pour into Penzance from the neighbour- 
 
 of Mount ./Etna, wandered about from place to place, in search of 
 her daughter Proserpine. Hence may we not trace the high anti- 
 quity of this species of popular rejoicing.
 
 38 Penzance burnt by 
 
 ing villages, for the purpose of performing an 
 aquatic divertisement. At this hour the quay and 
 pier are crowded with holiday-makers, where a 
 number of vessels, many of which are provided 
 with music for the occasion, lie in readiness to 
 receive them. In a short time the embarkation 
 is completed, and the sea continues for many 
 hours to present a moving picture of the most 
 animating description. 
 
 Penzance is remarkable in history for having 
 been entered and burnt by the Spaniards, in the 
 year 1595. From time immemorial a prediction 
 had prevailed, that a period would arrive when 
 " Some strangers should land on the rocks of 
 Merlin, who should burn Paul's Church, Pen- 
 zance, and Newlyn" Of the actual accomplish- 
 ment of this prediction we receive a full account 
 from Carew, from which it would appear that on 
 the 23d of July, 1595, about two hundred men 
 landed from a squadron of Spanish gallies, on 
 the coast of Mousehole, when they set fire to the 
 church of Paul, and then to Mousehole itself. 
 Finding little or no resistance, they proceeded 
 to Newlyn,* and from thence to Penzance. Sir 
 Francis Godolphin endeavoured to inspire the 
 
 * Will not (his historical fact explain the peculiar cast of beauty 
 j-osseseed by many of the Fish-women residing in this village.
 
 the Spaniards in 1595. 39 
 
 inhabitants with courage to repel these assail- 
 ants ; but, so fascinated were they by the remem- 
 brance of the ancient prophecy, that they fled in 
 all directions, supposing that it was useless to 
 contend against the destiny that had been pre- 
 dicted. The Spaniards availing themselves of 
 this desertion, set it on fire in different places, 
 as they had already done to Newlyn, and then 
 returned to their galleys, intending to renew the 
 flames on the ensuing day ; but the Cornish hav- 
 ing recovered from their panic, and assembled in 
 great numbers on the beach, so annoyed the 
 Spaniards with their bullets and arrows, that 
 they drew their galleys farther off, and availing 
 themselves of a favourable breeze, put to sea 
 and escaped. 
 
 It is worthy of remark, that when the Spaniards 
 first came on shore, they actually landed on a 
 rock called " Merlin." The historian concludes 
 this narrative by observing that these were the 
 only Spaniards that ever landed in England as 
 enemies. 
 
 In recalling the historical events which have 
 invested this town with interest, we had nearly 
 omitted to state, that a tradition exists here, that 
 Tobacco was first smoked by Sir Walter Raleigh 
 in Penzance, on his landing from America. By
 
 40 Sir If. Davy. 
 
 the Philosopher of a future age Penzance will, 
 doubtless, as the birth place of the illustrious 
 SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, be regarded with no 
 ordinary share of interest ; and to those who may 
 be led to perform a pilgrimage to the early labor- 
 atory of this highly gifted philosopher, the vig- 
 nette at the head of the present chapter will be 
 found materially useful in directing his steps.* 
 
 It would be inconsistent with the plan and 
 objects of the present work to enter into the de- 
 tails of biography, that duty must be reserved for 
 an abler pen, we shall therefore only state that 
 the present distinguished President of the Royal 
 Society was born in this town in the year 1779, 
 and that after having received the earlier part of 
 his education under Dr. Cardew at Truro, he was 
 placed with a respectable professional gentleman 
 of Penzance, of the name of Tonkin, in order 
 that he might acquire a knowledge of the pro- 
 fession of a surgeon and apothecary. His early 
 proofs of genius, however, having attracted a 
 gentleman well known for his strong perception 
 of character, he was fortunately removed to a 
 field better calculated to call forth the latent 
 
 * The house is the first on the left of the ascending footway, and 
 its only two small windows visible in the vignette, are situated im- 
 mediately beneath the clock of the market house tower.
 
 Indigenous Plants. 41 
 
 energies of his mind. The result is too well 
 known to require comment. 
 
 In the vicinity of the town are delightful walks 
 through shady dingles, and over swelling hills, 
 from whose summits we catch the most delicious 
 sea and land prospects ; and which are not a 
 little heightened in beauty and effect by the glow- 
 ing aerial tints so remarkably displayed in this 
 climate at the rising and setting of the sun. Here 
 too the Botanist may cull, in his rambles, a great 
 variety of rare indigenous plants ; with a cata- 
 logue* of which we shall now close the present 
 chapter. 
 
 LIST OF INDIGENOUS PLANTS OF 
 WESTERN CORNWALL. 
 
 Alisma Damasonium (Star-headed Water Plantain) between Pen- 
 zance and Marazion. 
 
 A Ranuncoloides. Marazion Marsh. 
 
 Anchusa Officinalls (Common Alkanef) St. Ives, &c. 
 Anethum Fceniculum, common near Marazion. 
 
 A Graveolens. Marazion Marsh. 
 
 Aquilegia Vulgaris (Common Columbine) St. Ives, Goldsithney,&*e. 
 Antirrhinum Orontium (Lesser Snapdragon) Gulval, Land's End. 
 
 A Montspessilanum (liee Orchis) Penhryn. 
 
 Anthemis Nobilis (Common Chamomile) passim. 
 
 * Many of these plants were enumerated in the former edition of 
 this work, to which are now added some others, from the catalogue 
 published by Dr. Forbes, in his observations on the climate of 
 Penzance.
 
 4f Indigenous Plants. 
 
 O 
 
 Anthyllis Vulneraria (iltcarf tcith a red Jlower.) (Kidney-fetch. 
 
 Ladies' Finger). Downs, Whitsand Bay. 
 Aspidium Oriopteris (Heath Shield-fern} Gear Slamps and New 
 
 Mill. 
 
 Aspidium Dilatatum. Variety. (Great Crested ditto) Moist Bank*. 
 Asplenium Marinum (Sea Spleenworl) St. Michael's Mount, Land's 
 
 End, Logan rock. 
 A Lanceolatum (Lanceolate ditto) Gulval, St. Michael's 
 
 Mount, Lemorna Cove, &c. 
 
 Bartsia Viscosa (Yellow Viscid B arista) Corn-fields near Hayle. 
 Brassica Oleracea (Sea Cabbage) Cliffs, Penzance. 
 Briza Minor (Small Quaking-grass) Cornfields between Gulval and 
 
 Ludgvan. 
 
 Bunias Cakile (Sea Rocket) Beach between Penzance and Newlyn. 
 Campanula Hederacea (Ivy-leaved Bell-Jlower) Trevaylor Bottom, 
 
 Gear Stamps, &c. 
 Chironia Littoralis (Sea Centaury) Beach between Penzance and 
 
 Marazion. 
 Cochlearia Officinalis (Common Scurvy-grast) Cliffs near the Sea, 
 
 common. 
 Convolvulus Soldanella (Sea Bindweed) Whitsand Bay, Maraziou 
 
 Green. 
 
 Cucsnta Epithymnm (Lesser Dodder) common upon Gorse. 
 Cynosurus Echinatus (Rough Dog's-tail Grass) Ludgvan. 
 Daucus Maritimus (Wild Carrol) Land's end, Logan rock, Botal- 
 
 lack, &c. 
 Dicranum Cerviculatum (Red-necked Forked Moss) Gulval. Scilly^ 
 
 D Crispuin (Curled ditto) St. Mary's, Scilly. 
 
 Drosera Longifolia (Long-leaved Sun-dew) Marsh between Mara- 
 zion and Penzance. 
 
 Erica Vagans (Cornish Heath) Lizard Peninsula. 
 Erodium Maritimum (Sea Stork's Bill) Sea shore, common. 
 
 E Cicutarium (Hemlock's Stork's Bill) ditto. 
 
 Eryngium Maritimum (Sea Holly) Sea shore, common. 
 Euphorbia Peplis (Purple Spurge) Marazion Green. 
 
 E Portlandica (Portland ditto) Scilly Islands. 
 
 Exacum Filiforme (Least Gentianella) Marazion Marsh, beyond the 
 
 half way houses. 
 Genista Pilosa (Hairy Green-weed) Kynance Cove.
 
 Indigenous Plants. 43 
 
 Gentiana Campestris (Field Gentian) Downs, Whitsand Bay. 
 Lizard, &c. 
 
 Geranium Columbinum (Long-stalked Crane's-bill) Ludgvan. 
 
 G Sanguini'iim (Bloody Crane's bill) Kynance Cove. 
 
 Glaucium Luteuin (yellow Horned Poppy) Scilly Islands. 
 
 HelleborusViridis (Green Hellebore) between Rosmorran and Kene- 
 gie, near the brook. 
 
 Herniaria Hirsuta (Hairy Rupture wort) between Mullion and the 
 Lizard. 
 
 Hookeria Lucens (Shining Feather-moss) Trevaylor Bottom. Be- 
 tween Rosmorran and Kenegie. 
 
 Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense ( Filmy-leaved fern) Among the 
 loose stones at Castle An Dinas, on the east side. 
 
 Hypnum Scorpioides (Scorpion Feather-moss) Gulval, Zennor, &c. 
 
 H Alopecuruui, variety (Fox-tail ditto) Gulval. 
 
 Illecebrum Verticillatum (WhorUd Knot-grass) Gulval, Gear 
 Stamps, Land's end. 
 
 Inula Ilelenium (Elecampane) Gulval, The Mount, St. Ives, Scilly. 
 
 Iris Fcetidissima (Stinking Iris, Roast Beef Plant) Madron. 
 
 Linum Angustifolium (Narrow-leaved pale Fla^) St. Ives. 
 
 L - Usitatissimum. Near Redruth. 
 
 Littorella Lacustris (Plantain S/ioreteeed). In a watery lane near 
 Penzance. 
 
 Mentha Odorata (Bergamot Mini} Burian. 
 
 M Rotundifolia (Round-leaved Mint) Between Penzance and 
 Newlyn, Whitsand Bay. 
 
 Myrica Gale (Sweet Gale. Dutch Myrtle) Marsh, Gulval, and Ludg- 
 van. 
 
 Neckera Heteromalla (Lateral Neckera) Trevaylor Bottom, Try, 
 &c. 
 
 Neottia Spiralis. Between Penzance and Marazion. 
 
 Orchis Pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchis) near Ilayle. 
 
 Ornithogalum Umbellatum (Common Star of Bethlehem) near Mara- 
 zion. 
 
 Ornithopus Perpusillus (Common Bird' 's- foot) Gulval, Carne, &c. 
 
 Osmunda Regalis (Royal Moontcort) Poltair. 
 
 Panicum Dactylum (Creeping Panick Grass) Marazion Beach. 
 
 Pinguicula Lusitanica (Pale Buitencort) Bogs in the neighourhood. 
 
 Pyrethrum Maritimum (Sea Feverfew) Sea-shore. 
 
 Rubia IVrugriua (Wild Madder) Hayle-lleUtcu, &c.
 
 44 Indigenous Plants. 
 
 Reseda Luteola (Wild Woad, Dyer's Weed) Coarse lands beyond 
 Marazion. 
 
 Rumex Sanguineus (Bloody-veined Dock) Gulval. 
 
 Ruscus Aculeatus (Butcher'' s Broom) Lemorna Cove, &c. 
 
 Salvia Verbenacea (Wild English Clary) St. Ives, Scilly, &c. 
 
 Saniolus Valerandi (Brook-weed or Water Pimpernel) Land's end, 
 &c. 
 
 Santolina Maritima (Sea Cotton weed) Marazion beach. 
 
 Saponaria Officinalis (Soap-wort) St. Levan, Tresco Island, Scilly. 
 
 Saxifraga Stellaris (Hairy Saxifrage) Logan rock. 
 
 Scilla Verna (Vernal Squill) St. Ives, near Zennor, Morvah, oppo- 
 site to Three Stone Oar. 
 
 Scirpus Fluitans (Floating Club Rush) Gulval Marsh. 
 
 Scutellana Minor (Lesser Skull-cap) Bogs, Gulval. 
 
 Scrophularia Scorodonia (Balm-leaved Figwsorl) St. Ives, Gulval, 
 and Chyandour, plentifully. 
 
 Sedum Anglicum (English Stonecrop) very common. 
 
 S Telephium (Orpine or Livelong) Logan rock. 
 
 Sibthorpia Europoea (Cornish Moneywort) Moist banks, Gulval, 
 Madron Well, Trereife Avenue ; Helston, &c. 
 
 Silene Anglica (English Catchfly) common in Cornfields. 
 
 Solidago Virgaurea (Common Golden-rod) Penzance, &c. 
 
 Spergula Nodosa (Knotted Spurrey) near Marazion. 
 
 Spiraea Filipendula (Common Dropteort) Kynance Cove. 
 
 Stachys Arvensis (Corn Woundwort) Cornfields, common. 
 
 Tamarix Gallica (French Tamarisk) The Mount-Lizard, Scilly 
 
 Islands, but very probably introduced. 
 
 Trichostomum Polyphyllum (Fringe Moss) Gulval, Kenegie, &c. 
 Trifolium Subterraneum (Subterraneous Trefoil) near the Sea-shore. 
 Verbascum Nigrum (Dark Mullein) Gulval. 
 Utricularia Vulgaris (Common Bladdervoort) between Rosmorran 
 
 and Kenegie.
 
 Saint Michael's Mount. 45 
 
 EXCURSION I. 
 
 TO SAINT MICHAEL'S MOUNT. 
 
 This precious stone, set in the silver sea ! " 
 
 Richard II. Actl. scene \. 
 
 THE traveller no sooner catches a glimpse of 
 this extraordinary feature in the bay, than he 
 becomes impatient to explore it; anticipating 
 this feeling 1 we have selected it as an object for 
 his first excursion, and in its performance we 
 promise him an intellectual repast of no ordinary 
 kind. 
 
 To proceed to the Mount, by sea, the stranger 
 may embark at Penzance pier, from which it is 
 not more than two miles distant; by this arrange- 
 ment an opportunity will be afforded for witness- 
 ing a fine panoramic view of the coast ; should, 
 however, his inclination, or the " tyranny of the 
 winds and waves" oppose this project, he may 
 proceed by land through the little village of
 
 46 JMamzion, or Market Jew. 
 
 Chy'andour, over a semicircular beach covered 
 with fine sand of about three miles in extent. 
 Between this sand and the high road is the 
 " Eastern Green^ celebrated as the habitat of 
 some rare plants, viz. Panicum Dactylum (in a 
 line with Gulval church); Chironia Littoralis ; 
 Alisma Damasonium ; Neotlia SpiraJis ; Euphorbia 
 JPeplis ; Euphorbia Paralias; Santolina Maritima ; 
 Convolvulus Soldanella, &c. On the beach the Con- 
 chologist may collect some fine specimens of the 
 Echinus Cordalus^ which is the onlv shell ever 
 found there. In the marshes on the left side of the 
 road the common observer will be struck with 
 the extreme luxuriance of the Ni/mphaia alba, 
 while the Botanist may reap an ample harvest 
 of interesting plants, viz. splendid specimens of 
 Montia Font ana , as large as the figure of Micheli ; 
 Illecebrum Vcrticillalum ; Sison Inundatum ; Api- 
 um Grareolens ; a rare variety of Senechio Jaco- 
 bcea ; Alisma Ranunculoides ; Slellaria Ulighioxa ; 
 Pinguicula Lusilanica ; Scirpus Flu i tans ; E.ra- 
 cum Filiforme ; Drosera Longifolia; Sculellurut 
 Minor ; Myrica Gale, &c. 
 
 Before our arrival at Saint Michael's Mount, 
 the only intermediate object worthy of notice is 
 the town of MARAZION, or MARKET JEW as it 
 is sometimes called. It stands upon the sea
 
 Its Corporation and Borough. 47 
 
 shore, on the eastern shoulder of the bay, and is 
 well sheltered from cold winds by a considerable 
 elevation of land to the north ; still, however, as 
 it is exposed to the south-west, which is the pre- 
 vailing wind, it is far less eligible as a place of 
 residence for invalids than Penzance. 
 
 The town contains more than 1100 inhabitants; 
 its principal support, if not its origin, according 
 to some authors, was derived from the resort of 
 pilgrims and other religious devotees to the 
 neighbouring sacred edifice on Saint Michael's 
 Mount ; but its name was indisputably derived 
 from the Jews who traded here several centuries 
 ago, and held an annual market for selling va- 
 rious commodities, and purchasing tin, and other 
 merchandize in /return. In the reign of Queen 
 Elizabeth it obtained a charter, vesting its go- 
 vernment in a mayor, eight aldermen, and twelve 
 capital burgesses, with a power to hold a weekly 
 market, and two annual fairs. In the preamble 
 to this charter it is stated " that Marghaisewe 
 was a trading borough town of great antiquity, 
 and that it suffered considerable dilapidation in 
 the days of Edward VI., when a number of 
 rebellious people entered, and took possession 
 of the town, and laid many of the buildings iu 
 ruin." From this disaster the town does not
 
 48 The Chapel Rock. 
 
 appear to have ever recovered, while from the 
 growing importance of Penzance, the suppression 
 of the Priory, and the loss of the Pilgrims, from 
 whom it derived its principal resources, its con- 
 sequence gradually declined, until at length it 
 dwindled into its present condition. 
 
 It has been asserted on good anthority, that 
 under this charter of Elizabeth, the town for- 
 merly sent members to Parliament, and Dr. 
 Borlase in his manuscripts, mentions the names 
 of Thomas Westlake, and Richard Mills, Esqrs. 
 as those of the two members who were actually 
 returned for Marazion in the year 1658. It does 
 not, however, appear that they ever took their 
 seats. It would seem, moreover, from some 
 original letters which passed between the Sheriff 
 of Cornwall and the mayor of this borough, du- 
 ring the protectorate of Cromwell, that the in- 
 habitants were solicitous to recover their Ions: 
 
 o 
 
 neglected rights ; but this effort proved ineffec- 
 tual. 
 
 In going from Marazion to the Mount, we 
 pass a large insulated rock, known by the name 
 of the " Chapel Rock" whereon the Pilgrims, 
 who came to visit the Priory of Saint Michael, 
 are said to have performed certain devotionary 
 and superstitious ceremonies, in a kind of initia-
 
 Arrival at St. Michael's Mount. 49 
 
 tory chapel, previous to their admission to the 
 more sacred Mount ; there is not, however, the 
 slightest vestige of any masonry to be discovered, 
 and it would therefore seern more probable that 
 it merely derived its name from its vicinity to 
 the shrine of Saint Michael. The rock is com- 
 posed of well marked Greenstone, resting on a 
 bed of clay slate, and which, in its direction and 
 dip, will be found to correspond with the slaty 
 rock on the western base of the Mount. 
 
 We arrive at Saint Michael's Mount. The 
 rock of which it is composed is of a conical form; 
 gradually diminishing from a broad, craggy base, 
 towards its summit, which is beautifully termi- 
 nated by the tower of a chapel, so as to form a 
 pyramidal figure. On its eastern base, is a small 
 fishing town, holding about 250 inhabitants ; and 
 a commodious pier,* capable of containing fifty 
 sail of small vessels, and which proves to the 
 proprietor of the Mount a considerable source of 
 revenue. 
 
 The height from low water mark to the top of 
 the chapel tower is about 250 feet, being 48 feet 
 higher than the monument in London. In cir- 
 
 o 
 
 * This Pier has lately been considerably enlarged at the expense 
 of Sir John St. Aubyn. The work was completed only in the last 
 Summer (1823), and will now admit vessels of five hundred ton* 
 burthen. 
 
 D
 
 50 Geology 
 
 cumference at the base, the Mount measures 
 nearly a mile, and is said to contain about seven 
 acres of land ; such, however, is the effect of the 
 vast extent of horizon, and the expanded tract 
 of water which rolls around its base, that its 
 real magnitude is apparently lost. 
 
 In a mineralogical point of view, this eminence 
 is certainly the most interesting in Cornwall, or 
 perhaps in England ; who can believe that this 
 little spot has occasioned greater controversy, 
 and more 2#-shed than any mountain in the 
 globe ? yet such is the fact ; let us therefore be- 
 fore we ascend walk around its base and examine 
 the geological structure which has excited so 
 much attention. The scenery too is here of the 
 most magnificent description ; rocks overhang 
 rocks in ruinous grandeur, and appear so fear- 
 fully equipoised, that, although secure in their 
 immensity, they create in the mind the most 
 awful apprehension of their instability, whilst 
 the mighty roar of the ocean beneath, unites in 
 effect with the scenery above. All around is 
 
 sublime. But the Geology, enough of the 
 
 picturesque. 
 
 The body of the rock is composed of Slate and 
 Granite ; the whole northern base consists of the 
 former, but no where does it extend to any
 
 of the Hill. 51 
 
 height, the upper part, in every direction, con- 
 sisting of Granite. On the south side this Granite 
 descends to the water's edge, and it continues to 
 constitute the whole of the hill, both on the east- 
 ern and western side, for about three-fourths of 
 its whole extent. Where the granite terminates 
 numerous veins of it appear in the slate, in many 
 different directions; while the granite in its turn, 
 encloses patches of slate. In the vicinity of the 
 former rock the latter is found to contain so 
 much Mica, as to resemble Micaceous Schist, or 
 fine giained Gneiss, for which it has been erro- 
 neously taken by some of our earlier observers. 
 And, while at some of these junctions there would 
 seem to be a mere apposition of the two rocks, 
 at others, the intermixture is so complete as to 
 render it difficult to say to which of the two cer- 
 tain considerable masses belong. 
 
 Here then is the phenomenon which has in- 
 vested the spot with so much geological interest. 
 Here is Granite, which Werner conceived to be a 
 primary formation, and around which he sup- 
 posed all other rocks to have been deposited, if 
 not of a later date, at least contemporaneous, in 
 origin, with slate. How is this anomaly to be 
 explained ? T)e Luc at once asserts what wo 
 presume no rational observer can for one moment 
 n 2
 
 52 Geohgy 
 
 believe, that the rock of which these veins are 
 composed is not true Granite, but " Pseudo- 
 granite" \ Dr. Berger attempts to surmount the 
 difficulty by a different expedient, and declares 
 that they are not veins I but prominences from the 
 granite beneath, which have been filled up by 
 the subsequent deposition of clay-slate. It might, 
 says Sir H. Davi/,* with nearly as much reason 
 be stated, that the veins of copper and tin belong 
 to a great interior metallic mass, and that they 
 existed prior to the rocks in which they are 
 found. The advocates of the Plutonian theory 
 have, as might have been supposed, eagerly 
 availed themselves of the support which this 
 phenomenon is so well calculated to afford their 
 favourite doctrine. They accordingly affirm that 
 the granite has been raised up through the in- 
 cumbent slate, into whose fissures it has insinu- 
 ated itself. Upon these theories we shall offer 
 no comment; it is the humble task of a " Guide" 
 merely to direct the attention of the traveller to 
 the phenomena themselves, and then to leave 
 him to deduce his own conclusions from their 
 appearance. In the fulfilment of this duty we 
 recommend the geologist to proceed to the west- 
 ern base of the Mount, where he will find near 
 
 * Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
 Vol. i. P . 41.
 
 of the Hill. 63 
 
 the water's edge, what have been considered by 
 Dr. Thomson as " two large beds of granite in 
 the slate, with veins running off from thorn ; the 
 position and appearance of which are such as to 
 leave no doubt but that the great body of the 
 granite has been deposited posterior to the slate 
 formation." Mr. Carne, on the other hand, con- 
 tends that " these granitic bodies cannot with 
 any propriety be called ' Beds in the Slate ;' " one 
 of them,'* says he, " is a granite vein, and al- 
 though six feet wide near the granite mass, it 
 becomes gradually smaller as it recedes, and 
 dwindles to a point at the distance of 80 feet. 
 The other is a part of the granitic mass, from 
 which some veins appear to diverge ; and, in no 
 part does it overlie the slate." * 
 
 The whole body of the Granite of the Mount 
 is traversed by an uninterrupted series of quartz 
 veins, which run parallel to each other with 
 wonderful regularity. They are very nearly ver- 
 tical, and their direction is east and west. On 
 the north-east side of the Mount many of them 
 can be traced into the incumbent slate; a cir- 
 cumstance which strongly supports the idea of 
 the cotemporaneous origin of these two rocks. 
 In the investigation of these veins the Mineralo- 
 
 * Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
 Vol. ii. p. 73.
 
 54 Minerals found 
 
 gist may pass many an hour with satisfaction, we 
 shall therefore point out some of the more lead- 
 ing phenomena which deserve his attention. De 
 Luc observed that " that part of the vein termed 
 in Cornwall the Capel, and on the Continent 
 Selebanque, and which is the first stratum adhe- 
 rent to the sides of the fissures, changes as it 
 passes through different kinds of strata, some- 
 times consisting of white Quartz, sometimes of 
 Mica." Dr. Forbes * says, that occasionally, 
 though rarely, the line of division between the 
 vein and the rock is tolerably distinct ; frequent- 
 ly, however, there is rather an insensible grada- 
 tion of the matter of the one into that of the 
 other, than an obvious apposition of surfaces." 
 The exterior parts of the veins consist of a bluish 
 quartz, very compact, and uniformly containing a 
 great deal of Schorl. This schorlaceous character 
 is much more distinct towards the sides or walls 
 of the veins, their centre being generally pure 
 quartz', and, commonly, crystallized. In most of 
 the veins there is a central line, or fissure, which 
 divides them into two portions ; this is formed 
 by the close apposition and occasional union of 
 
 * Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
 Vol. ii. p. 369.
 
 at the Mount. 55 
 
 two crystallized, or, as they may be called, drusy 
 surfaces. 
 
 Since Veins must be considered as havin<j once 
 
 O 
 
 been the most active laboratories of Nature, so 
 may they now be regarded as her most valua- 
 ble cabinets of mineralogy. In those of Saint 
 Michael's Mount may be found crystals of Apa- 
 tite, from a very light to a very dark green colour, 
 and exhibiting most of the modifications of form* 
 which are common to that mineral ; Oxide of 
 Tin; Felspar', Mica beautifully crystallized in 
 tables ; Topaz in small whitish or greenish crys- 
 tals, t both translucent and opaque, and which 
 are extremely numerous, many hundred being 
 observable on the face of some small blocks of 
 granite that have fallen from the precipices. 
 
 finite has been said to have been also dis- 
 covered in this spot. Besides which may be found 
 that rare mineral, the Triple Sulphuret of Cop- 
 
 * See MR. PHILLIPS'S " ELEMENTARY INTRODUCTION TO MINE- 
 RALOGY." We shall on all occasions refer to this work without 
 reserve, as being a book which is, or ought to be, in the hands 
 of every scientific traveller. Its copious catalogue of English habi- 
 tats renders it extremely valuable. 
 
 T The mineralogist is apt to overlook these Topazes, or to regard 
 them as common quartz crystals, to which they bear a great resem- 
 blance, until we inspect their prisms, which will rarely be found 
 to be six-sided ; there is also another simple mark of distinction 
 in the quartz crystal the striated appearance on its surface is 
 horizontal, whereas on the Topaz it is longitudinal.
 
 56 Minerals found 
 
 per. Antimony ) and Lead ; Sulphuret of Tin ; 
 Malachite; Fluor Spar; and Wolfram. The 
 occurrence of this latter mineral was, we believe, 
 first noticed in the earlier edition of the present 
 work, and is important in as far as its presence 
 is generally supposed to afford decisive evidence 
 of the primitive formation of the mountain masses 
 in which it occurs. 
 
 This spot also presents us with several lodes 
 of Tin and Coppery the latter may be traced for 
 a considerable distance from the eastern to the 
 southern base of the hill. The lode of Tin was 
 formerly worked at the Mount, and a considerable 
 quantity of ore obtained; any farther excavation, 
 however, threatened to injure the foundations of 
 the castle, and it was therefore prudently aban- 
 doned. 
 
 The remains of the Mine may be seen on the 
 south side of the hill, and should be visited by 
 the mineralogist, who will find in the Drift,* Tin 
 crystals and Carbonate of Copper, besides some 
 other minerals. Veins of Lead are also discover- 
 able in the rocks. Mr. Carne t has lately directed 
 the attention of the mineralogist to the veins of 
 
 * A Drift is a trench or foss, cut in the ground to a certain 
 depth, resembling a channel dug to convey water to a mill wheel. 
 
 t Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
 Vol.. ii. p. 56.
 
 at the Mount. 57 
 
 Mica, which have hitherto only been found in 
 the granite of this singular spot. They are sel- 
 dom more than half an inch wide; and, although 
 tolerably straight, are very short. They gene- 
 rally consist of two layers of Mica in plates, 
 which meet in the centre of the veins. Some of 
 the masses of Granite which constitute the sum- 
 mit of the Mount have the appearance of an old 
 wall retaining, in parts, a coating of plaster; this 
 is the effect of decomposition, and of the capel 
 having in many places remained attached to the 
 face of the rock, after the vein itself has crumbled 
 down. 
 
 The Botanist will also find some amusement 
 among the rocks ; he will observe the Tamarisk, 
 (Tamarix Gallica) growing in their crevices, and 
 relieving by a delicate verdure the harsh unifor- 
 mity of their surfaces. This shrub was probably 
 imported from Normandy by the Monks. Aspic- 
 nium Marinum and Inula Ilelenium are also to 
 be seen among the rocks but let us leave the 
 Botanist and Mineralogist to their researches, 
 while we climb the hill and examine the venera- 
 ble building on its summit. 
 
 We ascend on the north-eastern side by a 
 rocky winding path, in the course of which, 
 several remains of its ancient fortifications pre-
 
 58 Castle on the 
 
 sent themselves; thus, about the middle of the 
 hill, there is a curtain, parallel to, and flanking 
 the approach, at whose western end is a ravelin, 
 through which every one is to pass, walled with 
 three embrasures, and at the angle in the eastern 
 shoulder is a centry box to guard the passage, 
 and there was formerly also an iron gate ; after 
 having passed this ruin, we turn to our left, and 
 ascend by a flight of broken steps to the door of 
 the castle, whose appearance is much more mo- 
 nastic than martial. The most ancient parts of 
 the building are the Entrance, with the Guard- 
 room on the left hand ; the Chapel, and the for- 
 mer Refectory, or common hall of the Monks. 
 The other parts are of a modern date, although 
 the style of their architecture confers upon them 
 a corresponding air of antiquity. 
 
 The Refectory, or Common Hall, from the 
 frieze, with which it is ornamented, appears to 
 have been fitted up, since the reformation, as a 
 dining room for a hunting party, and is popularly 
 denominated " The Chevy-Chace Room" The 
 cornice represents in stucco, the modes of hunting 
 the wild boar, bull, stag, ostrich, hare, fox, and 
 rabbit. At the upper end of this room are the 
 royal arms, with the date 1644; and, at the op- 
 posite end, those of the St. Aubjn family. The
 
 Summit of the Mount. 59 
 
 room is 33 feet long, 16 wide, and 18 high, and 
 has a solemn and imposing appearance, which is 
 not a little heightened by the antique and appro- 
 priate character of its furniture and ornaments. 
 
 The Chapel exhibits a venerable monument of 
 Saxon architecture; its interior has lately been 
 renewed in a chaste style of elegance, and a 
 magnificent organ has been erected. During 
 these repairs, in levelling a platform for the 
 altar, under the eastern window, a low gothic 
 door was discovered to have been closed up with 
 stone in the southern wall, and then concealed 
 with the raised platform ; when the enclosure 
 was broken through, ten steps appeared descend- 
 ing into a stone vault under the church, about 
 nine feet long, six or seven broad, and nearly as 
 many high. In this room was iound the skeleton 
 of a very large man, without any remains of a 
 coffin. The discovery, of course, gave rise to 
 many conjectures, but it seems most probable, 
 that the man had been there immured for some 
 crime. The bones were removed and buried in 
 the body of the chapel. At the same time upon 
 raising the old pavement, the fragment of an 
 inscribed sepulchral stone of some Prior was 
 taken up; there was also a grave stone, not in- 
 scribed, which Antiquaries have supposed to have
 
 00 Extensive Prospect 
 
 covered the remains of Sir John Arundel, of 
 Trerice, Knight, who was slain on the strand 
 below, in the wars of York and Lancaster. In 
 the tower of this chapel are six sweet toned bells, 
 which frequently ring when Sir John St. Aubyn 
 is resident ; at this time also choral service is 
 performed ; and, on a calm day, the undulating 
 sound of the bells, and the swelling note of the 
 organ, as heard on the water, produce an effect 
 which it is impossible to describe. 
 
 From the chapel, we may ascend by a narrow 
 stone stair-case to the top of the tower. The 
 prospect hence is of the grandest description, 
 and is perhaps as striking as any that can occur 
 to " mortal eye" " The immense extent of sea,'* 
 says Dr. Malon, " raises the most sublime emo- 
 tions, the waves of the British, Irish, and Atlantic 
 seas all roll within the compass of the sight," 
 whilst the eye is relieved from the uniform, 
 though imposing grandeur of so boundless an 
 horizon, by wandering on the north and west, 
 over a landscape, which Claude himself might 
 have transfused on his canvas. 
 
 On one of the angles of this tower is to be seen 
 the carcase of a stone lantern, in which, during 
 the fishing season, and in dark tempestuous nights, 
 it may reasonably be supposed that the monks,
 
 from the Chapel Tower. 61 
 
 to whom the tithe of such fishery belonged, kept 
 a light, as a guide to sailors, and a safeguard to 
 their own property ; this lantern is now vulgarly 
 denominated Saint Michael's Chair, since it will 
 just admit one person to sit down in it; the at- 
 tempt is not without danger, for the chair, ele- 
 vated above the battlements, projects so far over 
 the precipice, that the climber must actually turn 
 the whole body at that altitude, in order to take 
 a seat in it; notwithstanding the danger, how- 
 ever, it is often attempted ; indeed one of the 
 first questions generally put to a stranger, if 
 married, after he has visited the Mount, did 
 you sit in the chair ? for there is a conceit that, 
 if a married woman has sufficient resolution to 
 place herself in it, it will at once invest her with 
 all the regalia of petticoat government ; and that 
 if a married man sit in it, he will thereby receive 
 ample powers for the management of his wife. 
 This is probably a remnant of monkish fable, a 
 supposed virtue conferred by some saint, perhaps 
 a legacy of St. Keyne, for the same virtue is at- 
 tributed to her well. 
 
 " The person of that man or wife, 
 Whose chance, or choice attains 
 First of this sacred stream to drink, 
 Thereby the mastery gains."
 
 62 Natural History. 
 
 On the north-eastern side of the fabric are 
 situated the modern apartments. They were 
 erected by the late Sir John St. Aubyn upon the 
 ruins of the ancient convent, in clearing away 
 which, cart loads of human bones were dug up, 
 and interred elsewhere, the remains probably 
 both of the nuns and of the garrison. All that 
 deserves notice in this part are two handsome 
 rooms leading into each other, from which the 
 
 ^y f 
 
 prospect is of the most extensive description. In 
 the first parlour, placed in niches, are two large 
 vases, with an alto relief of statuary marble in 
 each, relating to Hymeneal happiness. 
 
 Let us now take a review of the various inter- 
 esting events, which the traditionary lore of past 
 ages represents as having occurred at this spot, 
 and first of the natural history of the Hill itself. 
 
 THE NATURAL HISTORY. The rock of the 
 Mount has worn the same aspect for ages ; tra- 
 dition however whispers, that at a remote period 
 it presented a very different appearance, that it 
 was cloathed with wood, and at a considerable 
 distance from the sea ! Its old Cornish name, 
 " Carreg Lug en Kug^" 1 that is, the hoary rock 
 in the wood, would seem to add some probability 
 to the tradition. It appears also from the origi- 
 nal charter of the Confessor, that the Mount was
 
 Ecclesiastical History. 63 
 
 in his time only nigh the sea, for he describes it 
 expressly as Saint Michael near the sea, " Sanct- 
 um Michaelum qui estjuxta mare." What this 
 distance was the charter does not inform us, but 
 the words of Worcester, who gained his informa- 
 tion from the legend of Saint Michael, are suffi- 
 ciently decisive, " this place was originally in- 
 closed within a very thick wood, distant from the 
 ocean six miles, affording thejinest shelter to wild 
 beasts." With respect to the period and causes 
 of the catastrophe which have changed the face 
 of this country, we have already offered some 
 observations. 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. The Mount ap- 
 pears to have been consecrated by superstition 
 from the earliest period ; and, according to monk- 
 ish legends, from the supposed appearance of the 
 archangel Saint Michael to some hermits, upon 
 one of its craggy points. Tradition has not pre- 
 served the place where the vision appeared, but 
 antiquarianism has attempted to supply the defi- 
 ciency by conjecture ; the spot was denominated 
 " Saint Michael's Chair ^ and is said to be one 
 of the large rocks overhanging the battery, an 
 appellation which has been erroneously trans- 
 ferred to the carcase of a stone lantern, situated, 
 as we have just stated, on the tower of the chapel.
 
 64 Ecclesiastical History. 
 
 Our poet Milton alludes to this vision in the fol- 
 lowing passage of his Lycidas 
 
 " Or whether thou to our moist views deny'd 
 
 " Sleeps't by the fable of Bellerus old 
 
 " Where the great vision of the guarded mount 
 
 " Looks towards Namancos and Bayonas hold. 
 
 " Look homeward Angel now, and melt witli ruth, 
 
 " And O ye dolphins, waft the hapless youth." 
 
 Spencer also makes mention of this spot in a 
 manner which proves that it was universally hal- 
 lowed by the devout. 
 
 " In evil hour thou lenst in hond 
 ' Thus holy hills to blame, 
 ' For sacred unto Saints they stond, 
 ' And of them han their name, 
 ' St. Michael's Mount who does not know 
 ' That wards the western coast." 
 
 Very little is known with respect to the eccle- 
 siastical history of the Mount, previous to its 
 endowment by Edward the Confessor. From 
 what may be collected, however, from expiring 
 tradition, it would appear that so early as the 
 end of the fifth century, Saint Keyne, a holy vir- 
 gin of the blood royal, daughter of Breganus 
 Prince of Brecknockshire, with her cockle hat 
 and staff, performed a pilgrimage to Saint Mi- 
 chael's Mount : now it is fair to conclude that it 
 was before this time a place universally hallowed, 
 or a person of Saint Keyne's rank would not have
 
 of Saint Michatr* Mount. 65 
 
 paid it such a visit; thus then was it renowned 
 for its sanctity for at least five hundred years 
 before the grant and settlement of it by the 
 Confessor; before this period, however, it was 
 probably little more than an hermitage, or ora- 
 tory, with the necessary reception for pilgrims. 
 
 The Confessor found monks here serving God, 
 and gave them by charter the property of the 
 Mount together with " all the land of VennefirC 
 (a district probably in Cornwall), with the towns, 
 houses, fields, meadows, land cultivated, and 
 uncultivated, with their rents; together with a 
 port called Ruminclla (Romney in Kent), with 
 all things that appertain, as mills and fisheries," 
 first obliging them to conform the rule of the 
 order of Saint Benedict. 
 
 The peculiar respect in which this church was 
 held may be estimated from an instrument re- 
 corded by William of Worcester, and asserted to 
 have been found amongst its ancient registers. 
 
 " To all members of Holy Mother Church, who 
 " shall read or hear these letters, Peace and Sal- 
 ^ vation. Be it known unto you all, that our 
 *' Most Holy Lord Pope Gregory, in the year of 
 " Christ's Incarnation, 1070, out of his great zeal 
 " and devotion to the church of Mount Saint 
 " Michal, in Tumba, in the county of Corn wall, 
 G
 
 66 Ecclesiastical History 
 
 " hath piously granted to the aforesaid church, 
 " which is entrusted to the Angelical Ministry, 
 " and with full approbation, consecrated and 
 " sanctified, to remit to all the faithful, who shall 
 " enrich^ endow, or visit the said church, a third 
 " part of their Penance, and that this grant may 
 " remain for ever unshaken and inviolable, by 
 " the authority of God the Father, and of the 
 " Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he forbids all his 
 " Successors from attempting to make any altera- 
 " tion against this Decree." 
 
 We learn from the same author, that in order 
 to encrease, as much as possible, the influx of 
 votaries to the shrine, the above decree was 
 placed publicly on the gates of the church, and 
 enjoined to be read in other churches. 
 
 When the Normans came in, Robert Earl of 
 Morton and Cornwall became the patron of this 
 religious house, erected buildings, and gave some 
 lands, but from a superior affection for Nor- 
 mandy, he abridged its liberties, and annexed it 
 to the monastery of Saint Michael de periculo 
 Maris, on the coast of Normandy, to which situ- 
 ation the Mount is said to bear a striking resem- 
 blance; from this time, it became only a cell 
 dependant upon, and subordinate to that foreign 
 priory. As these Monks were of the reformed
 
 r Saint Michael's Mount. 
 
 67 
 
 order of Bedictines, and of the Gilbertine kind, 
 a nunnery as allowed in their vicinity; this 
 they woul<]make us believe was done with no 
 other vieuthan to shew the triumph of faith 
 over the ipulse of sense, but it certainly must 
 be confess^, to speak even most charitably of it, 
 that such i union amid the sequestration of soli- 
 tude, cares a strange appearance with it to our 
 protestan suspiciousness. The remains of this 
 con vent, Ire have already said, were removed by 
 the late proprietor, and the New Buildings, as 
 they articallcd, erected on their site ; from the 
 appeararie of the carved fragments of stone, and 
 other maks of architectural distinction, found 
 among tq ruins, the Nunnery appears to have 
 been by ff the most costly and magnificent part 
 of the edice, the result we presume of Monkish 
 gallantri/\ Its establishment appears to have ter- 
 minated jt the time Pomeroy surprised it, (an 
 account |f which transaction is recorded under 
 the miliury history,) but the Priory continued a 
 cell to aint Michael's in Normandy, until that 
 connectijn was destroyed, and all the alien prio- 
 ries wen seized in the reign of Edward the 
 Third. 
 
 Henrjjthe Sixth granted this Priory to King's 
 College/ Cambridge, but it was afterwards trans- 
 
 E2
 
 68 Ecclesiastical History 
 
 ferred by Edward the Fourth to tli nunnery of 
 Sion, Middlesex ; and so it contin>d until the 
 general dissolution: at which periorits revenues 
 were valued at j110 : 12s. per anum, a con- 
 siderable sum at that time, especiallys the num- 
 ber of Monks maintained on the foumtion never 
 exceeded six ; this sum, together withhe govern- 
 ment of the Mount, which was thena military 
 post, was bestowed on Hugh Arunde who was 
 executed for rebellion in the year 1544 On his 
 death it was demised to John Milliton f Penger- 
 sick, Esq., to William his son, and irther to 
 William Harris, Esq. of Hayne in Dvonshire, 
 connected by marriage with the famil of Milli- 
 ton. Queen Elizabeth, by Letters Pajnt, in the 
 29th years of her reign, demised it to Arthur 
 Harris* of Kenegie, Esq. a younger ;on of the 
 above William Harris, for life. It is in the 
 Patent (which recites the former graits to the 
 Millitons) described as in the notet belov. Arthur 
 
 * Ancestor of William Arundel Harris Arundel, Esc of Kenegie. 
 
 + Firmam nrtsm sti michis ad montem in dco nro ornub ac tot 
 ilium scit domu mansional sive capital messuag nrncvocat Sainte 
 Michaells Mounts als diet the Priorie of Sainte Michals Mounte in 
 dco com nso cornub quondm menastr de Sion in om nro midd 
 spectan & ptinen habendum & tenendum ad tmnm &pr tmno vite 
 natural ipsius Arthuri Harris. Reddendo inde amuatim nob 
 hered & successoribs nris viginti sex libras tres de-,em solid et 
 quatuor denar legalis monete Angel." &c.
 
 Of Saint Michael's Mount. 69 
 
 Harris was about this time appointed Governor 
 of the Mount, and held that appointment until 
 his decease in 1628. It was then granted, it is 
 supposed, in trust for the Earl of Salisbury, from 
 whom it passed to Francis Bassett, Esq. who 
 being imprisoned by the usurping powers in the 
 reign of Charles the First, was obliged in order 
 to purchase his liberty to part with it to John St. 
 Aubyn, Esq. in whose family it now remains. 
 The present Baronet seldom visits it, a circum- 
 stance universally regretted, for no gentleman 
 better understands how to grace the venerable 
 seat with Knightly dignity and splendor : Sir 
 John too is a zealous mineralogist, and might by 
 his presence in Cornwall contribute essentially 
 to the progress of that science ; in one respect 
 his absence is fortunately supplied by the vigi- 
 lance of his agents, and every geologist ought to 
 feel obliged to them, we allude to the care with 
 which they protect the picturesque and minera- 
 logical beauties of the rocks by opposing the 
 sacrilegious removal of any part of them. 
 
 MILITARY HISTORY From the time of King 
 Edward the Confessor, to the middle of the reign 
 of Richard the First, the Mount appears to have 
 been exclusively the sacred nursery of religion ;
 
 70 Military History 
 
 the earliest transaction of a military nature was 
 during the captivity of Richard the First, in Ger- 
 many, when Henry de la Pomeroy, of Berry 
 Pomeroy in Devonshire, having stabbed a ser- 
 jeant at arms who came to summon him to appear 
 for a heavy crime, fled into Cornwall, and cast 
 himself upon the protection of John, Earl of 
 that province, who readily supplied him with an 
 armed force, for he was then aspiring to his bro- 
 ther's throne ; with this, Pomeroy went in dis- 
 guise to the Mount, and under a pretence of 
 visiting his sister, who was in the nunnery, gained 
 admission, and treacherously reduced it to the 
 service of the said John ; upon the return how- 
 ever of the King from imprisonment, he surren- 
 dered the garrison on mercy, although, despairing 
 himself of pardon, he soon died, or as some say, 
 caused himself to be bled to death ; after this 
 event, the Prior and the Monks were restored to 
 the full possession of their cells, revenues, snd 
 chapel ; a small garrison however was still main- 
 tained, to defend it against the sudden invasion 
 of enemies, and in this condition, " manned out 
 with carnal and spiritual soldiers," did the Mount 
 remain for a space of 275 years, when another 
 military transaction occurred to disturb its re- 
 pose. After the defeat of the Lancastrians at
 
 of Saint Michael's Mount. 71 
 
 Barnet, in the eighteenth year of Edward the 
 Fourth, John Vere, Earl of Oxford, one of the 
 most zealous partisans, fled from the field, set 
 sail for Saint Michael's Mount, and having dis- 
 guised himself, together with a few attendants, 
 in the habits of pilgrims, obtained entrance, mas- 
 sacred the unsuspecting garrison, and seized the 
 fortress, which he valiantly defended for some 
 time against the forces of Edward, but was at 
 length compelled to surrender. Sir John Arundel 
 de Trerice, Sheriff of Cornwall, at the command 
 of the King, marched thither with posse comitalus 
 to besiege it, but he fell a victim on the sands, 
 at its base, and lies buried in the chapel. 
 
 In King Henry the Seventh's reign, the Lady 
 Catherine Gordon, wife of Perkin Warbeck, the 
 pretended son of Edward the Fourth, remained 
 here for safety, but after the flight of her hus- 
 band, she was taken prisoner by Giles, Lord 
 Banbury, and carried before that King. 
 
 During the Cornish commotion in the reign of 
 Edward the Sixth, many of the superior families 
 fled to the Mount for security, and were besieged 
 by the rebels, who took the plain at the bottom 
 of the rock by assault, at the time of low water, 
 and afterwards the summit, by carrying great 
 trusses of hay before them to obstruct the defen-
 
 72 Military History 
 
 dants sight, and deaden their shot. This situa- 
 tion, together with the fears of the women, and 
 the want of food, obliged the besieged to sur- 
 render. During the civil contentions in the reign 
 of Charles the First, the fortifications of the 
 Mount were so much increased, that the works 
 were styled " impregnable and almost inacces- 
 sible." The Parliament forces, however, under 
 the command of Colonel Hammond, reduced the 
 place, and liberated the Duke of Hamilton, who 
 was there confined; a service which the his- 
 torians of that period represent as full of danger 
 and difficulty, and this was the last military tran- 
 saction that occurred upon this romantic spot. 
 Several batteries were erected by government 
 during the late war, to command the western 
 part of the bay, the eastern being too shallow to 
 allow the entrance of large vessels. 
 
 We cannot conclude this account of the Mount 
 without observing, that several antiquarians have 
 considered it as the Ictis of Diodorus, whither 
 * the Greek merchants traded for Cornish Tin ; 
 the limits of this work will not allow us to enter 
 upon the discussion, but we beg to refer the 
 curious reader to an ingenious work, published 
 by Sir Christopher Hawkins,* and to Dr. Matons 
 
 * See Sir C. Hawkins's Tract on the Tin Trade of the ancients 
 in Cornwall, and on the Ictis of Diodorus ijiculus
 
 of Saint Michael's Mount. 73 
 
 " Observations on the Western Counties. It is 
 curious, and satisfactory, that these gentlemen 
 should have arrived at the same conclusion upon 
 the subject, and by nearly the same train of rea- 
 soning", without any previous communication with 
 each other.
 
 74 To the Land's End, 
 
 EXCURSION II. 
 
 TO THE LAND'S END. LOGAN ROCK, &c. 
 
 " The Sun beams tremble, and the purple light 
 Illumes the dark Bolerium ; seat of storms, 
 High are his granite rocks ; his frowning brow 
 Hangs o'er the smiling ocean. In his caves, 
 Where sleep the haggard spirits of the storm, 
 Wild dreary are the schistose rocks around, 
 Encircled by the waves, where to the breeze 
 The haggard cormorant shrieks ; and far beyond 
 Are seen the cloud-like islands, grey in mists." 
 
 Sir 11. Davy. 
 
 IN an excursion to the Land's End the travel- 
 ler will meet with several intermediate objects 
 well worthy his attention, more worthy, perhaps, 
 than the celebrated promontory itself, as being 
 monuments of the highest antiquity in the king- 
 dom. They consist of " Druidical circles, Cairns, 
 or circular heaps of stones, Cromlechs, Crosses, 
 Military Entrenchments, and the obscure remains 
 of Castles. Many of these venerable objects, 
 however, to the eternal disgrace of the inhabi-
 
 , Castle Horneck, and Rose Hill. 75 
 
 tants be it spoken, have of late been much muti- 
 lated, and indeed some have been entirely de- 
 molished. That the noblest monuments of Greece 
 should have been converted into lime by the 
 barbarous Turks, or that the temple of Diana 
 should have furnished a cement for the volup- 
 tuous apartments of the Haram, are instances of 
 degeneracy which we might have been prepared 
 to witness in such a people ; but that the venera- 
 ble remains of British antiquity, the silent but 
 faithful monuments of men and days long past, 
 which are so interesting from their connection 
 with the primitive history of our island, should 
 in this enlightened age have been sawed into gate 
 posts, or converted into pig-troughs, is really 
 past all endurance. But to proceed. In riding 
 from Penzance to the Land's End, which is about 
 ten miles distant, the first objects to be noticed 
 are two beautiful villas, well wooded, and ad- 
 joining each other, Castle- II 'orneck, the seat 
 of the Borlase family, and Rose Hill, the pro- 
 perty of the Rev. Uriah Tonkin. The sea and 
 land views from these houses are of the most 
 enchanting description. In viewing the latter 
 place, the stranger will scarcely believe that the 
 spot which now exhibits so rich a pastural scene, 
 was a few years since a deformed and barren
 
 76 Trereiffe. 
 
 rock ! but what cannot gold effect, or where is 
 the wild which its magic cannot convert into 
 fairy land ? The cost of the gunpowder alone 
 for blowing up the rocks to facilitate their renio- 
 al amounted to several hundred pounds. 
 
 About a mile farther west, the road passes 
 another villa, Trereiffe, the ancient seat of the 
 family of Nicholls, who have been proprietors of 
 the great tythes of the parish of Madron from the 
 period of the reformation. It is now the resi- 
 dence of the Rev. Charles Valentine Le Grice, 
 into whose possession it has passed by marriage. 
 The scenery about this place is of a very ex- 
 quisite cast, and, from the richness of the land, 
 and luxuriance of its productions, it may be 
 fairly denominated the garden of the Mount's 
 Bay. After passing through a shady avenue, 
 from which we catch a delicious peep of the sea 
 bounded by a grotesque group of rocks, we take 
 leave of the picturesque, and plunge into a coun- 
 try of a very different aspect and description, 
 rough, wild, and unsheltered ; never was contrast 
 more complete or striking, not a tree is seen to 
 break the extended uniformity of the hills, nor is 
 there a single object, with the exception of a few 
 scattered monuments of antiquity, to recommend 
 it to notice. The agriculturist may, perhaps,
 
 Wild Downs. 77 
 
 view the district with somewhat different sen- 
 sations, for the downs are certainly improveable, 
 and those portions which have been brought into 
 tillage have amply rewarded the labour of the 
 adventurer : indeed in several districts cultivation 
 has even spread to the very brim of the ocean. 
 
 The natural product of the high lands is only a 
 thin turf interspersed with heath, fern and furze,* 
 and many huge blocks of granite are disseminated 
 in all directions ; this circumstance has materially 
 impeded the progress of cultivation, for in order 
 to remove these boulders it is necessary to blast 
 them with gunpowder ; the fragments, however, 
 
 * This product is carefully collected, and preserved in stacks 
 by the inhabitants, for the purpose of fuel. It is worthy of re- 
 mark that the nature of the fuel employed in a country always 
 imparts a character to its cookery, hence the striking difference 
 between that of Paris and London; so in Cornwall, the conveni- 
 ence afforded by the furze in the process of Baking, has given 
 origin to the general use of pies. Every article of food is dressed 
 in a pie, whence it has become a proverb, that " the Devil tcil! 
 not come into Cornwall, for fear of being put into a pie." In a 
 season of scarcity the Attorneys of the county having at the 
 Quarter Sessions very properly resolved to abstain from every 
 kind of pastry, an allusion to the above proverb was very happily 
 introduced into an Epigram, extemporaneously delivered on the 
 occasion, and which, from its point and humour, deserves to be 
 recorded 
 
 " If the proverb be true, that the fame of our pies 
 Prevents us from falling to Satan a prey, 
 
 It is clear that his friends the Attorneys, are wise 
 In moving such obstacles out of the way."
 
 78 Growan, its uses. 
 
 become useful in their turn, and are employed in 
 making enclosures, which bear the provincial 
 name of hedges. This stone, commonly called 
 Growari) is, moreover, wrought into columnar 
 masses, eight or ten feet long, which are used as 
 supporters to sheds and outhouses, or gates posts, 
 and bridges over rivulets. It is also the material 
 of which common rollers, mill-stones, salting and 
 pig troughs are made ; in short, few stones are 
 converted to more various purposes of rural 
 oeconomy, and it accordingly forms an article of 
 some commercial value. The mode of splitting it 
 into the required forms is somewhat curious ; it 
 is effected by applying several wedges to holes 
 cut, or pooled as it is termed, in the surface of 
 the stone at the distance of three or four inches 
 from each other, according to its size and hard- 
 ness ; the harder the mass, the easier it may be 
 split into the required form ; the softer, the less 
 regularly it separates. The blocks of granite 
 employed in the construction of the Waterloo 
 Bridge over the Thames were procured from the 
 downs in the vicinity of Penhryn.* 
 
 * We insert the following facts collected by Dr. Paris, from the 
 first volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
 Cornwall " The total quantity of Granite shipped at Falmouth 
 during the last seven years, amounts to Forty Thousand Tons. It 
 has been employed for building the Docks at Chatham, and the
 
 Applied as a Manure. 79 
 
 The Granite of the Land's End district is re- 
 markable for its coarse grain, and the large pro- 
 portion of its felspar, which, according to the 
 observations of Dr. Paris, may be estimated as 
 high as from 70 to 90 per cent. It moreover pos- 
 sesses an earthy texture, which greatly accelerates 
 its decomposition. This circumstance will in 
 some measure account for the unusual fertility of 
 the growan soil in the parishes of Saint Burian, 
 Sennen, and Saint Levan. It will moreover 
 explain the theory of a practice, which would 
 otherwise appear absurd, that of actually apply- 
 ing the disintegrated growan to certain lands as 
 a manure ! 
 
 On a closer examination of this Granite, the 
 prismatic crystals of felspar will often be found 
 to exhibit that structure which Haiiy calls hcmi- 
 trope ; more often, they are termed macles, and 
 
 Waterloo Bridge in London. The lands in the vicinity of Penhryn 
 have furnished it; indeed the quantity actually quarried has been 
 considerably greater, for many of the blocks, in consequence of 
 being damaged, have been condemned and sold at a low price to 
 the inhabitants for building, and other purposes. The number of 
 men generally employed in quarrying it is about four hundred ; 
 their wages from twelve to eighteen shillings per week, varying 
 with the quantity raised. The lord of the soil receives one halt- 
 penny a foot for all that is quarried ; the freight during war was 
 as high as 25 shillings per ton, at present it is only 16s. Fourteen 
 cubic feet weigh one ton. The weight of the blocks generally variea 
 from five cwt. to seven tons.
 
 80 Cornish Agriculture. 
 
 are compounded of two crystals intersecting each 
 other at particular angles. 
 
 The Botanist as he rides along in the Summer 
 months will observe amongst the gorse (Ulex), 
 which is abundant on each side of the road, the 
 parasitical plant Cuscuta Epithymum, (called 
 Epiphany by the country people,) winding its 
 spiral structure in all directions, and producing 
 from its reddish hue a beautiful contrast. 
 
 The farming of this country is in general slo- 
 venly, and certainly very far behind any other 
 part of the kingdom,* although it is but just to 
 acknowledge that Lelia, a farm situated near the 
 Land's End road, forms a pleasing exception to 
 this general remark. The proprietor, John 
 Scobell Esq. of Nancealverne, has here intro- 
 duced the Drill Husbandry of Northumberland, 
 which would seem to be well adapted to a coun- 
 try so infested with weeds, those hungry invaders 
 of the farmer's property, and usurpers of his soil. 
 The farmers have a peculiar practice, obviously- 
 suggested by the inconstancy of the weather, that 
 of putting up their wheat, barley, and other kinds 
 
 * It is not more than three hundred years since the art of hus- 
 bandry was first introduced. The lands were formerly all in com- 
 mon, and the inhabitants being wholly engaged in the mines, actu- 
 ally let out their pastures to the graziers of Devon, by whom they 
 were in return supplied with cattle and corn.
 
 Ancient Crosses Druidical Circles. 81 
 
 of grain, in the field into what are called " Arish- 
 mows" The sheaves are built up into a regular 
 solid cone about twelve feet high ; the beards all 
 turned inwards, and the butt end only exposed 
 to the weather. The whole is finished by an 
 inverted sheaf of reed or corn and tied to the 
 upper rows. 
 
 The first objects of antiquity which we have to 
 notice are the stone crosses placed by the roads' 
 side ; some of them still retain their original 
 situation, while others, broken and mutilated, 
 have been converted into the various purposes of 
 rural oeconomy. They appear to have been ori- 
 ginally designed as guides to direct the pilgrim 
 to the different churches. A few of the more 
 remarkable of them are represented as vignettes 
 in different parts of the present work, from which 
 the reader will become acquainted with their 
 general appearance. 
 
 At Bosc A WEN-UN, in a field about a quarter 
 of a mile west of Leha, we meet with one of the 
 most ancient British monuments in the kingdom ; 
 " a Druidical circle," as it has been pronounced, 
 consisting of nineteen stones, some of which have 
 fallen, placed in a circle of about twenty-five 
 feet in diameter, having a single one in the cen- 
 tre. There is considerable doubt and obscurity
 
 82 ; 'O ' Chapel Euny. 
 
 with respect to the origin and intended use of 
 these circles, of which there are many similar 
 examples in Cornwall. Camden is inclined to 
 consider them as military trophies, while Borlase 
 deems it highly probable that such monuments 
 were of religious institution, and designed origi- 
 nally and principally for the rites of worship ; at 
 the same time he conceives " they might some- 
 times have been employed as places of council 
 and judgment, and that, whilst any council or 
 decree was pending, the principal persons con- 
 cerned stood, each by his pillar, and that where 
 a middle stone was erected, as at Boscawen-Un, 
 there stood the Prince or General elect." This 
 must certainly be acknowledged as one of the 
 most extraordinary specimens of antiquarian 
 dreaming ever presented to the public. 
 
 About half a mile to the right of the high 
 road stands an object of later origin, but not 
 of less interest to the antiquary ; the ruins of a 
 small oratory, or baptistry, dedicated to Saint 
 EuinuSj and commonly known by the name of 
 Chapel Euny. It is situated near a well, whose 
 waters have been long supposed to possess very 
 extraordinary virtues, and to have performed 
 many miraculous cures. There is a similar ruin, 
 which we shall hereafter have occasion to notice
 
 Caerbran Castle. 83 
 
 at Madron ; and it is worthy of remark that 
 these wells do not possess any mineral impreg- 
 nation ; the sick, however, at this very day, repair 
 to them, while the credulous attempt to read the 
 future in the appearance of the bubbles produced 
 in their waters by the dropping in of pins or 
 pebbles. This mode of divining is perhaps one 
 of the most ancient superstitions that have de- 
 scended to us, and was termed Hydromancy. 
 The Castalian fountain, and many others amongst 
 the Grecians, were supposed to be of a prophetic 
 nature ; thus, by dipping a fair mirror into a well 
 did the Patraeans of Greece receive, as they vainly 
 imagined, some notice of ensuing sickness, or 
 convalescence. 
 
 On the summit of the hill above these ruins, 
 are situated the remains of Caerbran Castle or 
 Round (that is Brennus's Castle) which is thus 
 described by Borlase. " It is a circular fortifi- 
 cation, consisting first of a deep ditch, fifteen 
 feet wide, edged with stone, through which you 
 pass to the outer vallum^ which is of earth, fifteen 
 feet high, and was well perfected towards the 
 north-east, but not so towards the west ; within 
 this vallum, passing a large ditch about fifteen 
 yards wide, you come to a stone wall, which 
 quite rounded the top of the hill, and seems to 
 
 F2
 
 84 Chapel Cam Ere. 
 
 have been of considerable strength, but lies, 
 now, like a ridge of disorderly stones ; the dia- 
 meter of the whole is ninety paces, and in the 
 centre of all is a little circle." 
 
 There are no less than seven of these hill cas- 
 tles, as they are termed, although they might 
 with more propriety be called strong entrench- 
 ments, to be seen at this time within five miles 
 around Penzance ; all so placed on the hills as 
 to admit of immediate communication with each 
 other by signal. From several of them we have 
 views of the North and South Channel, but from 
 all of them either that of one sea or the other. 
 Much doubt has arisen concerning their origin. 
 Mr. Polwhcle attributes them to the Irish, while 
 Dr. Borlase, like an orthodox antiquary, who 
 takes shelter, whenever he is bewildered, under 
 the sanction of a popular name, at once boldly 
 decides upon their Danish origin. 
 
 The lonely ruins of Chapel Cam Bre next 
 attract our notice; they are situated upon the 
 extremity of a high granite ridge, overlooking 
 the surfy recess of Whitsand Bay, from their 
 great elevation they are visible from every part 
 of the country, although they scarcely form a 
 skeleton of the original building, and in a short 
 time, probably, not a vestige will remain to mark
 
 Scnnan Church-town. 85 
 
 the consecrated spot. It appears to have been a 
 Chantry, erected for the performance of religious 
 service for the safety of mariners. It is not for 
 the inspection of these ruins that we direct the 
 stranger to ascend the hill, for they are too in- 
 significant to merit attention, but it is for the 
 purpose of his viewing the extensive prospect 
 which its summit commands, a wild expanse of 
 waters occupying twenty-rnine points of the com- 
 pass ! From this spot also Saint Michael's Mount 
 has a singularly fine effect, appearing as if placed 
 in the centre of a lake at a distance from the 
 ocean. 
 
 We now proceed to Sennan Church-town,* 
 which according to barometrical admeasurement 
 is 391 feet above the level of the sea. It is about 
 a mile from the Land's End., and is celebrated 
 for containing the Ale-house whimsically called 
 " The First and Last Inn in England" On the 
 western side of its sign is inscribed u The First" 
 and on the eastern side " The Last Inn in Eng- 
 land" 
 
 The last village towards the Land's End is 
 named Mayon or Mean. In this place is the 
 
 * Chnrch-Town. This expression is peculiar to Cornwall the 
 fact is, that since many market, and even Borough towns are vsith- 
 out a church, the Cornish dignify those that have it with the title 
 of Church-town.
 
 86 The Land's End. 
 
 large stone spoken of by Dr. Borlase under the 
 name of " Table mean" and concerning which 
 there is a vaguo tradition that three kings once 
 dined together on it, in their journey to the 
 Land's End. 
 
 On the turf between this village and the Land's 
 End, the Botanist will find Bartsia Viscosa, and 
 Illocebrum Verticillatum^ the latter of which is 
 peculiar to this county. 
 
 Having arrived at the celebrated Promontory, 
 we descend a rapid slope, which brings us to a 
 bold group of rocks, composing the western ex- 
 tremity of our island. Some years ago a military 
 officer who visited this spot, was rash enough to 
 descend on horseback; the horse soon became 
 unruly, plunged, reared, and, fearful to relate, 
 fell backwards over the precipice, and rolling 
 from rock to rock was dashed to atoms before it 
 reached the sea. The rider was for some time 
 unable to disengage himself, but at length by a 
 desperate effort he threw himself off, and was 
 happily caught by some fragments of rock, at 
 the very brink of the precipice, where he re- 
 mained suspended in a state of insensibility until 
 assistance could be afforded him ! The awful 
 spot is marked by the figure of a horse-shoe, 
 traced on the turf with a deep incision, which is
 
 Its magnificent Scenery. 87 
 
 cleared out from lime to time, in order to pre- 
 serve it as a monument of rashness which could 
 be alone equalled by the good fortune with which 
 it was attended. 
 
 Why any promontory in an island should be 
 exclusively denominated the Land's End, it is 
 difficult to understand; yet so powerful is the 
 charm of a name, that many persons have visited 
 it on no other account ; the intelligent tourist, 
 however, will receive a much more substantial 
 gratification from his visit ; the great geological 
 interest of the spot will afford him an ample 
 source of entertainment and instruction, while 
 the magnificence of its convulsed scenery, the 
 ceaseless roar, and deep intonation of the ocean, 
 and the wild shrieks of the Cormorant, all com-f 
 bine to awaken the blended sensations of awe 
 and admiration. 
 
 The cliff which bounds this extremity is rather 
 abrupt than elevated, not being more than sixty 
 feet above the level of the sea. It is composed 
 entirely of Granite, the forms of which present a 
 very extraordinary appearance, assuming in some 
 places the resemblance of shafts that had been 
 regularly cut with the chisel ; in others, regular 
 equidistant fissures divide the rock into horizon- 
 tal masses, and give it the character of basaltic
 
 88 Cape Cornwall. 
 
 columns ; in other places, again, the impetuous 
 waves of the ocean have opened, for their retreat, 
 gigantic arches, through which the angry billows 
 roll and bellow with tremendous fury. 
 
 Several of these rocks from their grotesque 
 forms have acquired whimsical appellations, as 
 that of the Armed Knight, the Irish Lady, &c. 
 An inclining rock on the side of a craggy head' 
 land, south of the Land's End, has obtained the 
 name of Dr. Johnson's Head, and visitors after 
 having heard the appellation seldom fail to ac- 
 knowledge that it bears some resemblance to the 
 physiognomy of that extraordinary man. 
 
 On the north, this rocky scene is terminated 
 by a promontory 229 feet above the level of the 
 sea, called " Cape Cornwall," between which and 
 the Land's End, the coast retires, and forms 
 Whitsand Bay, a name which it derives from 
 the peculiar whiteness of its sand, and amongst 
 which the naturalist will find several rare micro- 
 scopic shells. There are, besides, some historical 
 recollections which invest this spot with interest. 
 It was in this bay that Stephen landed on his first 
 arrival in England ; as did king John, on his re- 
 turn from Ireland ; and Perkin Warbeck, in the 
 prosecution of those claims to the crown to which 
 some late writers have been disposed to consider
 
 Long'ships Lighthouse. 89 
 
 that he was entitled, as the real son of Edward 
 the Fourth. In the rocks near the southern ter- 
 mination of Whitsand Bay may be seen the junc- 
 tion of the granite and slate ; large veins of the 
 former may be also observed to traverse the 
 latter in all directions. 
 
 In viewing the whole of the scenery of this 
 stern coast " it is impossible" says De Luc, not 
 to be struck with the idea, that the bed of the sea 
 is the effect of a vast subsidence, in which the strata 
 were broken off on the edge of what, by the re- 
 treat of the sea towards the sunken part, became 
 a continent ; the many small islands, or rocks of 
 granite, appear to be the memorials of the land's 
 abridgement, being evidently parts of the sunken 
 strata remaining more elevated than the rest." 
 There is a small Archipelago of this kind called 
 the Long-ships, at the distance of two miles west 
 of the Land's end ; on the largest of these rocks 
 is a light-house, which was erected in conse- 
 quence of the very dangerous character of the 
 coast, by a Mr. Smith, in the year 1797, who ob- 
 tained a grant from the Trinity House, and was 
 rewarded for a limited number of years by a cer- 
 tain rate on all ships that passed it. This period 
 having expired, it is at present under the juris-
 
 90 Tradition of the Lioness. 
 
 diction of the Trinity House.* The tower is con- 
 structed of granite, the stones of which are /re- 
 nailed on the same plan as that adopted by Smea- 
 ton in the construction of the Eddystone light- 
 house. The circumference of the tower at its 
 base is 68 feet; the height from the rock to the 
 vane of the lantern, 52 feet; and from the sea to 
 the base of the light-house it is 60 feet ; but not* 
 withstanding this elevation its lantern has been 
 often dashed to pieces by the spray of the ocean 
 during the winter's tempest! The management 
 of this establishment is entrusted to two men, 
 who during the winter are often, for two or three 
 months, confined to this sea-girt prison without 
 the possibility of communicating with the land ; 
 they accordingly lay in a store of provisions, as 
 if they were about to embark for a long voyage. 
 
 We have already stated that the historians of 
 Cornwall, from Leland, Norden, and Carew, 
 downwards, have all recorded the ancient tra- 
 dition of a considerable portion of the Mount's 
 bay having been formerly woodland. They have 
 likewise handed down the concurrent tradition 
 relative to the supposed tract of land which once 
 
 * We take this opportunity to state, that the annual revenue of 
 the Long-ships lighthouse is about three thousand pounds. Every 
 British vessel that passes pays a halfpenny per ton ; every foreign 
 vessel pays one shilling, without reference to its tonnage.
 
 Scilly Islands. 91 
 
 connected the islands of Scilly with Cornwall. 
 This tract, to which we are told was given the 
 name of the Lioness (" the Silurian Lyonois") 
 is said to have contained one hundred and forty 
 parish churches, all of which were swept away 
 by the resistless ocean ! As to the Cornish word 
 Lethowstow, or Lioness^ by which the sea be- 
 tween Scilly and Cornwall is distinguished, we 
 may observe, that the appropriation of such a 
 term is sufficiently accounted for from the general 
 violence and turbulence of the sea, just as the 
 celebrated rock lying south of the channel be- 
 tween the Land's end and Scilly retains the name 
 of the Wolf)* from the howling of the waves 
 around it. Those who may wish for farther evi- 
 dence upon this subject may consult Mr. Boase's 
 excellent memoir " On the submersion of part of 
 the Mount's bay," published in the second volume 
 of the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
 Cornwall. 
 
 ibWe shall in this place make a short digression, 
 in order to afford some account of the Scilly 
 Islands, which are situated in a cluster about 
 nine leagues, west by south, from the Land's 
 end, and are distinctly visible from it. 
 
 * It is a curious fact that the whole or part of this rock is Lime 
 stone.
 
 92 Sc///y Islands. 
 
 The SCILLY ISLANDS were called by the 
 Greeks Hesperides and Capiterides, or the Tin 
 Isles, and by this name they are mentioned by 
 Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and Solinus. They 
 must, however, have undergone some material 
 revolution since the age of these writers, for we 
 fail in every attempt to reconcile their present 
 state with the description which they have trans- 
 mitted to us; and what is very unaccountable, 
 not a vestige of any ancient mine can be dis- 
 covered in the islands, except in one part of 
 Trescow; and these remains are so limited, that 
 they rather give an idea of an attempt at dis- 
 covery, than of extensive and permanent mi- 
 ning. We are strongly inclined to believe that 
 the Tin of those days came, in part at least, from 
 the opposite coast of Saint Just, but of this we 
 shall hereafter speak more fully. In the time of 
 Strabo we learn that the number of these Islands 
 did not exceed ten, whereas at present there are 
 upwards of one hundred and forty, but of which 
 the following only are inhabited, viz. Saint 
 Mary's, Saint Agnes', Saint Martin's Trescow, 
 Bryer, and Sampson. It is curious that the name 
 of the cluster should have been derived from one 
 of the smallest of the islets (Scilly), whose sur- 
 face does not exceed an acre. The number of
 
 Lighthouse at St. Agnes. 93 
 
 inhabitants amounts to about two thousand, 
 nearly half of which reside in Saint Mary's, 
 which contains 1600 acres; it possesses three 
 towns, a pier, a garrison, a custom house, and 
 some monuments of British antiquity. 
 
 At SAINT AGNES is a very high and strong 
 lighthouse, which was erected in the year 1680. 
 Its present machinery was designed by the inge- 
 nious Adam Walker, the well known lecturer on 
 Natural Philosophy, although it has lately un- 
 dergone some modification at the suggestion of 
 Mr. Wyatt. The machinery consists of a trian- 
 gular frame attached to a perpendicular axis, 
 which, by means of an appropriate power, is 
 made to revolve once every three minutes. On 
 each face of the triangle are arranged ten para- 
 bolic reflectors of copper plated with silver, each 
 having an argand lamp in its focus. By this 
 device the light progressively sweeps the whole 
 horizon, and by its regular intermission and in- 
 crease is readily distinguished from every other 
 on the coast. * 
 
 The civil government of these islands is chiefly 
 managed by twelve of the principal inhabitants, 
 
 * Vessels passing this light pay the same dues as those received 
 by the Long-ships, except in the case of coasting vessels, which 
 pay, not according to their tonnage, but simply a shilling per 
 vessel.
 
 94 Of the Inhabitants of the 
 
 who meet monthly at Heugh Town, St. Mary's, 
 and settle differences by compromise. The Duke 
 of Leeds holds the islands by lease for thirty-one 
 years from the year 1800, at the rent of j40, 
 besides paying the fine of -s4000, as a renewal. 
 
 The reader is no doubt anxiously waiting to 
 be introduced to the classical descendants of the 
 Grecian or Phoenician race, Whether they have 
 been swallowed up with the " Lioness," or wash- 
 ed into the ocean by the tempests, we know not ; 
 but certain it is that the present inhabitants are 
 all new comers ; Phoenician or Grecian, there 
 
 are none Jenkins, Ellis, Hicks, Woodcock, 
 
 Ashford, and Gibson* are names which would 
 even defy the ingenious author of the Diversions 
 of Purley to trace to a classical source. 
 
 The Scillonians are a robust and healthy peo- 
 ple, and were it not for the facility with which 
 they obtain spirits, they would attain a very ad- 
 vanced age. It is a common saying amongst 
 them, and is no doubt intended to express how 
 highly favourable the spot is to longevity, al- 
 though it obviously admits of another construc- 
 tion, that "for one man who dies a natural death* 
 
 * One half of the inhabitants of St. Agnes are named Hicks ; one 
 quarter of those of Trescow, and a third of those at Bryher are 
 called Jenkins; and a half of St. Martin's is divided between. 
 Ellis and Ashford.
 
 Stilly Islands. 95 
 
 nine are drowned" It has been remarked that a 
 deformed person is not to be found in the islands; 
 but we apprehend that this fact requires an ex- 
 planation very different from that which is usu- 
 ally assigned; it cannot be received as any test 
 of the salubrity of the spot, or of the superior 
 healthiness of the race; the fact is simply this, 
 that exposure to inclement weather, want of 
 proper food, and those various privations which 
 necessarily increase as we recede from the luxu- 
 ries of civilization, kill, during infancy, those 
 feeble subjects which might, otherwise, have 
 become deformed during the progress of their 
 growth. It is for the same reason that we so 
 frequently observe the troops of barbarous coun- 
 tries composed of the most athletic individuals, for 
 the hardship of their service weeds out the feeble 
 and invalid. We have already alluded to the 
 tenacity with which the Cornishman clings to his 
 native soil, but the attachment of the Scilionian, 
 if possible, is still stronger to his desolate rock. 
 What a striking contrast does this form with the 
 roving inhabitant of an alluvial country, where 
 every object, it might be presumed, was calcu- 
 lated to excite and sustain the strongest attach- 
 ment ; but this principle of Nature is wise and 
 universal, the plant is easily loosened from a 

 
 96 Distress of the 
 
 generous soil, hut with what difficulty is the 
 lichen torn from its rock. 
 
 The islanders are chiefly employed in fishing, 
 making kelp from the Algce, which is disposed of 
 to the Bristol merchant for the use of the glass 
 manufacturer, and in pilotage. From a combi- 
 nation, however, of unfortunate circumstances, in 
 addition to the fatal blow given to the smuggling 
 trade, by the activity of the preventive service, 
 the inhabitants were reduced to such extreme 
 distress that it became necessary in the year 1819 
 to appeal to the generosity of the public in their 
 behalf; and, notwithstanding the great difficul- 
 ties of the times, the sum of nine thousand pounds 
 was collected for their relief. In this great work 
 of charity it is but an act of justice to state, that 
 the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, 
 by their purse, as well as by their writings, per- 
 formed a very essential service. The funds thus 
 obtained were in part appropriated to the relief 
 of the immediate and pressing distress under 
 which they laboured, while the remainder was 
 very judiciously applied towards the promotion of 
 such permanent advantages as might prevent the 
 chance of its recurrence. A Fish-cellar was 
 accordingly provided in the island of Trescow, 
 for the purpose of storing and curing fish ; boats
 
 of the Scillonians. 97 
 
 adapted for the Mackarel and Pilchard Fisheries 
 were purchased, and others were repaired ; nets 
 and various kinds of tackling were also at the 
 same time liberally supplied. By such means 
 have the inhabitants of these cheerless rocks 
 been enabled to avail themselves of some of the 
 resources which Providence has placed within 
 their reach, and their families have been thus 
 enabled to exist without the dread of absolute 
 starvation.* Much, however, still remains for 
 philanthropic exertion, and should this humble 
 volume fall into the hands of those, who are 
 enabled by the superior gifts of fortune to 
 contribute to the wants of their unhappy breth- 
 ren, we may perhaps serve their cause by sta- 
 ting that any donation, however small, will be 
 received by Henry Boase, Esq. at the Penzance 
 Bank. The greatest benefit would arise from the 
 extension of their fisheries, for in consequence of 
 the peculiar situation and convenience of these 
 islands, the Cod and Ling fisheries might be car- 
 
 * See " A view of the present state of the Scilly Islands; exhi- 
 biting their vast importance to the British Empire, the Improve- 
 ments of which they are susceptible, and a particular account of the 
 means lately adopted for ameliorating the condition of the Inhabi- 
 tants, by the establishment and extension of their Fisheries. By the 
 Rev. George Woodley, Missionary from the Society for promoting 
 Christian Knowledge ; and Minister of St. Agnes, and St. Mar- 
 tin's." 8ro. pp. 344. London, 1822. 
 
 G
 
 98 Stilly Islands, 
 
 ried to almost any extent ; and, while boats in 
 any part even of the Mount's Bay, would be 
 weather-bound with the wind W.S.W. to S., they 
 can proceed from Scilly into the channel, without 
 the least difficulty. The Scillonians, however, 
 have as yet been unable to avail themselves of 
 the advantages of their locality ; the want of pro- 
 per boats prevents their proceeding in the pursuit 
 of their occupation, farther than four or five 
 leagues from the land. 
 
 During the summer months various species of 
 fish are caught with hook and line ; among the 
 smaller kind, which are salted by the Scillonians 
 for their winter consumption, are " Bass, Wrass, 
 Chad, Scad, Brit, Barne, Cuddle, Whistlers, &c. 
 all of which are included by the islanders under 
 the general appellation of " Rock-fish." 
 
 There is a very curious fact noticed here with 
 respect to the Woodcock. These birds generally 
 arrive in Scilly before they are observed in any 
 part of England; more frequently with a north- 
 east,* though sometimes with a north-west wind, 
 and are often so exhausted as to be caught in 
 great numbers by the inhabitants, especially near 
 
 * The same wind is said to bring them on the Southern shores 
 of Ireland. It is generally believed that they come from Norway, 
 not so much to avoid the cold, as to obtain the worms which are 
 locked up in the earth during the frost.
 
 Their Climate and Geology. 99 
 
 the lighthouse, the splendour of whose light ap- 
 pears to attract them, and striking against its 
 lantern they not unfrequently fall lifeless in the 
 gallery. It is for the naturalist to consider from 
 whence they migrate. 
 
 The Climate of these islands is both milder and 
 more equable than that of Cornwall, but this 
 advantage is counterbalanced by the frequent 
 occurrence of the most sudden and violent storms. 
 By those who have kept journals it has been 
 found that not more than six days of perfect calm 
 occur in the course of a year, and that the wind 
 blows from between S.W. and N.W. for more 
 than half of that period. 
 
 With respect to Geology, these islands will 
 afford but little variety; with the exception of 
 some beds of Porphyry at Saint Mary's, and 
 some beds of Chlorite^ containing Pyrites, in the 
 same island, they consist entirely of Granite, and 
 are doubtless a continuation of the Devonian 
 range, although the rock assumes an appearance 
 less porphyritic ; it contains, however, veins of 
 red Granite. At the Lizard Point in the island 
 of Trescow, a variety of granite occurs, in which 
 the felspar is of a remarkably pure white, and 
 might, we should conceive, be advantageously 
 employed in the manufacture of Porcelain. ! In
 
 100 Si. Mary's, Sd%. 
 
 some chasms of this rock, and in the centre of 
 large masses, the Mica is of a silvery hue, and 
 occurs crystallized in its primitive form. In the 
 same island is a remarkable cavern, in the centre 
 of which is a pool of fresh water. The porphy- 
 ritic beds in Saint Mary's are interesting on 
 account of the distinct appearance of stratification 
 which they display, and Mr. Majendie thinks 
 that an undoubted instance of stratified granite 
 is to be seen near the same spot. The Granite 
 of Scilly is very liable to decomposition ; whence 
 has arisen all that fancied statuary of the Druids, 
 of which we have spoken in another place. The 
 Islands are undoubtedly undergoing a gradual 
 diminution. At no great distance of time Saint 
 Mary's will probably be divided by the sea, and 
 a channel formed through the low land between 
 the New-town and the south-east side of the gar- 
 rison. This might perhaps be prevented by 
 throwing down masses of granite from a neigh- 
 bouring hill, so as to form a barrier against the 
 sea. The object may be worthy of attention, as 
 the sea in winter, with a high tide, has been 
 known to pass over this land, and the effect of its 
 forcing a channel there would be to divide the 
 garrison from the rest of the island. If the Geolo- 
 gist proceeds to a spot behind the quay, and be-
 
 Return to the Land's End. 101 
 
 tween the front of the garrison-hill and that 
 island, he will be gratified by the discovery of a 
 process the very converse of that which we have 
 been just describing. In these places the granitic 
 sand is becoming indurated by the slow infiltra- 
 tion of water holding iron in solution, and which 
 appears to be derived from the decomposing hills 
 above it. Some fine specimens of this " regene- 
 rated" granite have been placed in the Geologi- 
 cal Society's cabinet at Penzance. 
 
 We now return to the Land's End, from 
 which we should proceed to visit a promontory 
 called " Castle TrerynJ* where is situated the 
 celebrated " Logan Stone." If we pursue our 
 route along the cliffs, it will be found to lie seve- 
 ral miles south-east of the Land's End, although 
 by taking the direct and usual road across the 
 country, it is not more than two miles distant ; 
 but the Geologist must walk, or ride along the 
 coast on horseback, and we can assure him that 
 he will be amply recompensed for his trouble. 
 
 From the Cape on which the signal station is 
 situated, the rock scenery is particularly magnifi- 
 cent, exhibiting an admirable specimen of the 
 manner, and forms, into which Granite disinte- 
 grates. About forty yards from this Cape is the 
 promontory called Tol-Pedn-Pcmvith, which in
 
 102 Tol-Pedn-Penwith. 
 
 the Cornish language signifies the holed headland 
 in Penwith. The name is derived from a singu- 
 lar chasm, known by the appellation of the Fun- 
 nel Rock ; it is a vast perpendicular excavation 
 in the granite, resembling in figure an inverted 
 cone, and has been evidently produced by the 
 gradual decomposition of one of those vertical 
 veins with which this part of the coast is so fre- 
 quently intersected. By a circuitous route you 
 may descend to the bottom of the cavern, into 
 which the sea flows at high water. Here the 
 Cornish Chough (Corvus Graculus) has built its 
 nest for several years, a bird which is very com- 
 mon about the rocky parts of this coast, and may 
 be distinguished by its red legs and bill, and the 
 violaceous blackness of its feathers. This pro- 
 montory forms the Western extremity of the 
 Mount's Bay. The antiquary will discover in 
 this spot the vestiges of one of the ancient " Cliff 
 Castles," which were little else than stone walls, 
 stretching across necks of land from cliff to cliff. 
 The only geological phenomenon worthy of par- 
 ticular notice is a large and beautiful contempo- 
 raneous vein of red Granite containing Short; is 
 one foot in width, and may be seen for about 
 forty feet in length. 
 
 Continuing our route around the coast we at
 
 Logan Rock. 
 
 103 
 
 length arrive at " Castle Treryn." Its name is 
 derived from the supposition of its having been 
 the site of an ancient British fortress, of which 
 there are still some obscure traces, although the 
 wild and rugged appearance of the rocks indicate 
 nothing like art. 
 
 The foundation of the whole is* a stupendous 
 group of Granite rocks, which rise in pyramidal 
 clusters to a prodigious altitude, and overhang 
 the sea. On one of those pyramids is situated 
 the celebrated " Logan Stone," which is an 
 immense block of Granite weighing above 60 
 tons. The surface in contact with the under 
 rock is of very small extent, and the whole mass
 
 104 Logan Rock. 
 
 is so nicely balanced, that, notwithstanding its 
 magnitude, the strength of a single man applied 
 to its under edge is sufficient to change its centre 
 of gravity, and though at first in a degree scarcely 
 perceptible, yet the repetition of such impulses, 
 at each return of the stone, produces at length a 
 very sensible oscillation ! As soon as the astonish- 
 ment which this phenomenon excites has in some 
 measure subsided, the stranger anxiously en- 
 quires how, and whence the stone originated 
 was it elevated by human means, or was it pro- 
 duced by the agency of natural causes ? Those 
 who are in the habit of viewing mountain masses 
 with geological eyes, will readily discover that 
 the only chisel ever employed has been the tooth 
 of time the only artist engaged, the elements. 
 Granite usually disintegrates into rhomboidal 
 and tabular masses, which by the farther opera- 
 tion of air and moisture gradually lose their solid 
 angles, and approach the spheroidal form. De 
 Luc observed, in the Giant, mountains of Silesia, 
 spheroids of this description so piled upon each 
 other as to resemble Dutch cheeses; and appear- 
 ances, no less illustrative of the phenomenon, 
 may be seen from the signal station to which we 
 have just alluded. The fact of the upper part 
 of the cliff being more exposed to atmospheric
 
 Logan Rock. 105 
 
 agency, than the parts beneath, will sufficiently 
 explain why these rounded masses so frequently 
 rest on blocks which still preserve the tabular 
 form ; and since such spheroidal blocks must ob- 
 viously rest in that position in which their lesser 
 
 - 
 axes are perpendicular to the horizon, it is equally 
 
 evident that whenever an adequate force is ap- 
 plied they must vibrate on their point of support. 
 Although we are thus led to deny the Druidical 
 origin of this stone, for which so maay zealous 
 antiquaries have contended, still we by no means 
 intend to deny that the Druids employed it as an 
 engine of superstition ; it is indeed very probable 
 that, having observed so uncommon a property, 
 they dexterously contrived to make it answer the 
 purposes of an ordeal, and by regarding it as 
 the touchstone of truth, acquitted or condemned 
 the accused by its motions. Mason poetically 
 alludes to this supposed property in the following 
 lines. 
 
 " Behold yon huge 
 
 And unknown sphere of living adamant, 
 Which, pois'd by magic, rests its central weight 
 On yonder pointed rock: firm as it seems, 
 Such is its strange, and virtuous property, 
 It moves obsequious to the gentlest touch 
 Of him, whose heart is pure, but to a traitor, 
 Tho' e'en a giant's prowess nerv'd his arm, 
 It stands as fix'd as Snowdon." 
 
 The rocks are covered with a species of Byssus
 
 JOG Logan Rock. 
 
 long and rough to the touch, forming a kind of 
 hoary beard ; in many places they are deeply 
 furrowed, carrying with them a singular air of 
 antiquity, which combines with the whole of the 
 romantic scenery to awaken in the minds of 
 the poet and enthusiast the recollection of the 
 Druidical ages. The Botanist will observe the 
 common Thrift (Statics Armeria) imparting a 
 glowing tinge to the scanty vegetation of the spot, 
 and, by growing within the crevices of the rocks, 
 affording a very picturesque contrast to their 
 massive fabric. Here too the Daucus Maritimus, 
 or wild carrot; Sedum Telephium^ Saxifraga 
 Slellaris, and Asplenium Marinum, may be found 
 in abundance. 
 
 The Granite in this spot is extremely beauti- 
 ful, on account of its porphyritic appearance ; 
 the crystals of felspar are numerous and distinct; 
 in some places the rock is traversed by veins of 
 red felspar, and of black tourmaline, or schorl, 
 of which the crystalline forms of the prisms, on 
 account of their close aggregation, are very in- 
 distinct. Here may also be observed a contem- 
 poraneous vein of schorl rock in the granite, 
 nearly two feet wide, highly inclined and very 
 short, and not having any distinct walls. On 
 the western side of the Logan rock is a cavern,
 
 Treryn Cove. 107 
 
 formed by the decomposition of a vein of granite, 
 the felspar of which assumes a brilliant flesh-red, 
 and lilac colour; and, where it is polished by 
 the sea, exceeding even in beauty the Serpentine 
 caverns at the Lizard. 
 
 Mr. Majendie observed in this spot numerous 
 veins of fine grained granite, which he is inclined 
 to consider as cotemporaneous ; he also observed 
 what, at first sight, appeared to be fragments, 
 but which, upon closer examination, he pronoun- 
 ces to be cotemporaneous concretions ; for large 
 crystals of felspar may be seen shooting from the 
 porphyritic granite into these apparent fragments. 
 These phenomena are extremely interesting in a 
 geological point of view, and well deserve the 
 attention of the scientific tourist. 
 
 In Treryn cove, just below the site of the 
 castle, Dr. Maton found several of the rarer 
 species of shells, as Patella Pellucida, P. Fissura^ 
 MytilusModioluS) Trochus Conulus, Turbo Cimex, 
 and T. Fascitatus (of Pennant.) 
 
 Before we quit this coast we beg to state, for 
 the information of the geological tourist, that the 
 Granite which we have just traced from beyond 
 the Land's End to this spot, continues until with- 
 in half a mile of the signal post near Lemorna 
 cove, where it meets with a patch of slate, and is
 
 108 Saint hurt/an. 
 
 lost for about the space of three quarters of a 
 mile. At the western extremity of this junction 
 (Cam Silver) the mineralogist will find em- 
 bedded Garnet-rock with veins of Epidote and 
 Axinite. Here may also be seen the rare occur- 
 rence of a granite vein penetrating both the slate 
 and the granitic rock. 
 
 But let us return. About two miles north- 
 east of the Logan rock, and in the high road to 
 Penzance, stands the town of SAINT BURY AN, 
 which though now only a group of wretched cot- 
 tages was once a place of very considerable note, 
 and the seat of a College of Augustine Canons; 
 the latter was founded by Athelstan after his 
 return from the conquest of the Scilly Islands, 
 A.D. 930. The remains of the College were wan- 
 tonly demolished by one Shrubshall, Governor 
 of Pendennis Castle, during the usurpation of 
 Cromwell. 
 
 The Church tower stands on the highest point 
 in this part of the country, being 467 feet above 
 the level of the sea ; it consequently forms a very 
 conspicuous object, and is so exposed to the rains 
 from the Atlantic, that the stones carry a decep- 
 tive face of freshness with them which lends an 
 aspect of newness to the whole building. From 
 the top of the tower the prospect is of a very
 
 It's ancient Church. 109 
 
 extensive kind, commanding the whole range of 
 the surrounding country, and an immense surface 
 of sea. In clear weather the Scilly Islands may 
 be easily distinguished in the horizon, especially 
 with a setting sun, when they appear to project 
 from the brilliant ground of the western sky like 
 figures embossed on burnished gold. 
 
 Both from the history and appearance of this 
 edifice the antiquary will enter it with sensations 
 of awe and veneration, but he will find with 
 regret that the ancient Roodloft has been lately 
 removed, from an idea that it deadened the voice 
 of the preacher, and that the parishioners have 
 also converted the original forms into modern 
 pews, a change which has cruelly violated the 
 venerable uniformity of the interior. There is a 
 singular monument in the church, in the shape of 
 a coffin, having an inscription around the border 
 in very rude characters, and now partly oblitera- 
 ted ; it is in Norman French, and has been thus 
 translated. 
 
 CLARICE 
 
 The wife of Geffrei de Bollait lies here 
 God of her soul have mercy 
 They who pray for her soul shall have 
 Ten days Pardon.
 
 110 
 
 Ancient Crosses. 
 
 On the middle of the stone is represented a 
 Cross fleury, standing on four steps ; the monu- 
 ment is said to have been found many years ago 
 by the sexton, while sinking a grave. 
 
 Opposite the great door in the church-yard 
 stands a very ancient Cross, on one side of which 
 are five balls, and, on the other, a rude figure 
 intended to represent the crucified Saviour. We 
 here present our readers with a sketch of this 
 singular monument. 
 
 BuryoA ChureH-yard, 
 
 Another Cross stands in the road, and faces the 
 entrance into the church-yard, of which also we 
 have introduced a delineation. 
 
 Buryan,
 
 Deanery of St. Buryan. 1 1 1 
 
 The Deanery is in the gift of the Crown, as a 
 royal peculiar, and is tenable with any other 
 preferment. The Dean exercises an independent 
 jurisdiction in all ecclesiastical matters within 
 the parish of St. Burian, and its dependent pa- 
 rishes of St. Levan, and Sennan. He is the 
 Rector, and is entitled to all tithes. A Visitation 
 court is held in his name, and the appeal from it 
 is only to the King- in council. Athelstan is said 
 to have granted to this church the privilege of a 
 Sanctuary, and a ruin overgrown with ivy; stand- 
 ing on an estate called Bosliven, about a mile 
 east from the church, is thought to be its remains, 
 but Mr. Lysons justly observes that the Sanctuary 
 usually comprised the church itself, and perhaps 
 a certain privileged space beyond it, and that the 
 ruins to which the tradition attaches, are proba- 
 bly those only of an ancient chapel. 
 
 From St. Buryan the traveller may at once 
 return to Penzance, which is about six miles dis- 
 tant, but as no object of particular interest will 
 occur in the direct road, it is unnecessary for us 
 to attend him thither. Should he, however, be 
 inclined to extend his excursion, he will receive 
 much gratification in returning by a somewhat 
 circuitous route along the southern coast, through 
 the parish of Saint Paul. In this case, we may
 
 112 Boskenna. Merry Maidens. 
 
 first proceed to Boskenna t the seat of John 
 Paynter Esq. a highly romantic spot, abounding, 
 with woodcocks, and which under the direction 
 of a skilful landscape gardener might be made to 
 emulate in beauty any of the charming villas that 
 adorn the under-cliff of the Isle of Wight. On 
 this estate there is a superficial quarry of decom- 
 posing granite, which the mineralogist ought to 
 visit, for the purpose of obtaining some remark- 
 ably fine specimens of felspar in separate crys- 
 tals, which may be easily removed from the mass 
 in which they lie imbedded. 
 
 At Bolleit, in a croft near Boskenna, and ad- 
 joining the high road, is to be seen a circle of 
 stones very similar to that we have already de- 
 scribed (p. 81,) except that it has not a central 
 pillar; the appellation given to these stones is 
 that of the " Merry Maidens" on account of a 
 whimsical tradition, that they were once young 
 women transformed like Niobe into stones, as 
 a punishment for the crime of dancing on the 
 Sabbath day. In a field on the opposite side of 
 the road there are two upright stones standing 
 about a furlong asunder, the one being nearly 
 twelve, the other sixteen feet in height. They 
 are probably sepulchral monuments; the same 
 ridiculous tradition, however, attaches to them
 
 The Pipers. Lemorna Cove. 1 13 
 
 as to the circle, and has accordingly bestowed 
 upon them the appellation of the " Pipers.' 3 
 
 At CARN BOSCAWEN, on this coast, is to be 
 seen a very extraordinary group of rocks, con- 
 sisting of a large flat stone, the ends of which 
 are so poised upon the neighbouring rocks, as to 
 leave an opening underneath ; Dr. Borlase, with 
 his accustomed zeal, insists upon its Druidical 
 origin, and ever ready to supply the deficiency 
 of both history and tradition by the sallies of an 
 active imagination, very confidently informs us, 
 that " this said opening beneath the pensile stone 
 was designed for the seat of some considerable 
 person, from which he might give out his edicts, 
 and decisions, his predictions, and admissions to 
 Noviciates" ! Risum teneaiis gcologici ? 
 
 In our road to Saint Paul, we pass Trouye, or 
 Trewoof, an estate situated on the side of a 
 woody hill, overlooking a romantic valley, which 
 is terminated by Lemorna Cove, a spot which 
 should be visited by every stranger who delights 
 in the " lone majesty of untamed Nature." 
 Within the estate of Trouve are the remains of a 
 triple entrenchment, in which runs a subterranean 
 passage; and, it is said, that during the civil 
 wars a party of Royalists were here concealed 
 from the observation of the forces of Sir Thomas 
 H
 
 114 Paul Church. 
 
 Fairfax. There is a fine chalybeate spring on 
 this estate. 
 
 At KERRIS, in the parish of Paul, about five 
 miles from Penzance, is an oval enclosure called 
 " RoundagO)" which is stated to have been con- 
 nected with Druidical rites; time and the Goths, 
 however, have nearly destroyed its last remains, 
 so that the antiquary will require the eyes of a 
 Borlase to recognise its existence by any descrip- 
 tion hitherto given of it. 
 
 PAUL CHURCH is a very conspicuous object 
 from its high elevation,* and interests the his- 
 torian from the tradition, already stated, of its 
 having been burnt by the Spaniards, upon which 
 occasion the south porch alone is said, in con- 
 sequence of the direction of the wind, to have 
 escaped the conflagration. A pleasing confirma- 
 tion of this tradition was lately afforded during 
 some repairs, when one of the wooden supporters 
 was found charred at the end nearest the body of 
 the church. It also deserves notice that the thick 
 stone division at the back of the Trewarceneth 
 pew, which has so frequently occasioned enquiry, 
 is a part of the old church, which escaped the 
 
 * It may be observed in the engraving of Saint Michael's Mount, 
 on the elevated line of coast which forms the back ground to the 
 picture.
 
 Old Dolly Pentreath. 1 1 5 
 
 fire. In the church is the following curious no- 
 tice of its having been burnt, " The Sponger 
 burnt this church in the year 1595." 
 
 Most tourists inform us that in this church- 
 yard is to be seen the monumental stone, with 
 the epitaph of Old Dolly Pentreath) so celebrated 
 among antiquaries, as having been the last per- 
 son who spoke the Cornish language. Such a 
 monument, however, if it ever existed, is no 
 longer to be found, nor can any information be 
 obtained with regard to its probable locality. 
 Her Epitaph is said to have been both in the 
 Cornish and English language, viz. 
 
 " Coth Dol Pentreath canz ha deaw 
 Marir en Bedans en Fowl pleu 
 Na en an Eglar ganna Poble bra?. 
 Bet en Eglar Hay Coth Dolly es ! " 
 
 " Old Dol Pentreath, one hundred age and two 
 Both born, and in Paul Parish buried too ; 
 Not in the Church 'mongst people great and high 
 But m the Church-yard doth old Dolly lie !" 
 
 In the parishes of Paul and Buryan are sevesal 
 Tin streams ; in some of which the Wood Tin, or 
 wood-like oxide of Tin, is occasionally found in 
 large, and well defined pieces. It has been also, 
 although rarely, found in its matrix. 
 
 From Paul Church we may proceed to Pen- 
 ii 2
 
 116 Fishing Villages of 
 
 zance, either by the high road over Paul Hill, 
 which becomes extremely interesting from the 
 picturesque beauty and superior cultivation of 
 the country ; or we may descend towards the sea 
 shore, and return through the villages of Mouse- 
 hole and Newlyn, which may be called colonies 
 of Fishermen, for here the Pilchard* and Mack- 
 arel fisheries are carried on to a very great ex- 
 tent ; and every kind of fish which frequent this 
 coast are caught and sent to Penzance, and other 
 Cornish towns; and, in the early part of the 
 season, they supply the London market with 
 Mackarel, which are conveyed thither by way of 
 Portsmouth. The Lobster fishery also proves 
 an ample source of revenue to the Mount's Bay 
 fishermen, from which alone they divide not less 
 than Two Thousand Pounds, annually. 
 
 The ride or walk along the coast from MOUSE- 
 IIOLE to NEWLYN is highly interesting. The 
 former town which is situated about two miles 
 south-west of Penzance ; and half a mile from 
 Paul Church-town, contains about six hundred 
 inhabitants. There is a small Pier capable of 
 admitting vessels of one hundred tons burthen ; 
 but it is chiefly used as a harbour for the nume- 
 rous fishing boats. 
 
 * A History of the Pilchard Fishery will be presented to our 
 readers in the Excursion to Saint Ives.
 
 Mousehole and Newly n. 117 
 
 NEWLY N, with respect to population, exceeds 
 by one-third that of Mousehole. It has a com- 
 modious pier, which is also usually occupied by 
 the fishing boats of the place, which exceed four 
 hundred in number. In the cliff-road between 
 these villages, we pass a platform, which during 
 the late war was a battery, forming a security to 
 the bay from any privateers that might visit it. 
 Adjoining this battery stands a furnace for the 
 purpose of heating the shot. It was under the 
 direction of a small party of the Royal Artil- 
 lery. 
 
 The Geologist in performing this part of the 
 excursion will have much to observe. About 
 one hundred yards west of Mousehole, the clay- 
 slate ceases, and the granite commences. At 
 this junction numerous granite veins, varying in 
 width from about a foot to less than an inch, pass 
 tli rough the slate.* A little farther west, a cavern 
 may be observed in the cliff, which has evidently 
 been produced by the decomposition of the walls 
 of an old Adit. In this cavern the Mineralogist 
 has found good specimens of Eisenkeisel, or Iron 
 
 flint : but we will conclude, for our tourist 
 
 must be wearied by the length of the excursion ; 
 
 * See Mr. Majendie's interesting account of this phenomenon in 
 the first volume of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall.
 
 118 Conclusion of the Excursion. 
 
 tomorrow we shall be again prepared to accom- 
 pany him in a different direction, and to point 
 out a succession of fresh objects, when antiqui- 
 ties, minerals, and picturesque views will, in 
 their turn, again present themselves for his ex- 
 amination. 
 
 Brtwttn Peazance, and Sury
 
 Nanceahernc Poltair Trcngwainlon. 1 19 
 
 EXCURSION III. 
 
 TO BOTALLACK MINE; CAPE CORNWALL; AND THE 
 MINING DISTRICT OF SAINT JUST. 
 
 To exhibit the greatest variety of interesting 
 objects, in the least possible space and time, may 
 be said to constitute the essential excellence of a 
 11 Guide" For the accomplishment of such a 
 purpose we now proceed to conduct the stranger 
 to Botallack Mine and Cape Cornwall, through 
 the Parishes of Madron, Morvah, and Saint Just. 
 
 In our road to the village of Madron, or 
 Madron Church-town, as it is commonly called, 
 we pass Nancealverne, the estate of John Scobell 
 Esq., Poltair, the residence of Edward Scobell 
 Esq., and Trengwainton the seat of Sir Rose 
 Price, Bart. At this latter place considerable 
 exertions have been made to raise plantation?, 
 and to clothe the granitic hills behind it with 
 wood ; and from the progress already made, we 
 feel sanguine in the ultimate success of the enter-
 
 120 Pictures by Opie. 
 
 prize. Amongst the pictures in the possession of 
 the worthy Baronet are several of the earlier 
 productions of Opie. The head of an aged beg- 
 gar, by that artist, has frequently excited our 
 admiration, and presents a characteristic specimen 
 of the native simplicity and expression of his 
 style, and the magic force of his chiaro-scuro. 
 This head was painted also under circumstances, 
 a knowledge of which cannot fail to heighten its 
 interest. The father of Sir Rose having been 
 struck by the venerable aspect of an aged mendi- 
 cant as he was begging in the streets of Penzance, 
 immediately sent for Opie, then residing in the 
 town, and expressed a desire that the young 
 artist should paint his portrait. The beggar was 
 accordingly regaled with a bounteous meal upon 
 the occasion, and Opie appears to have caught 
 his expression at the happy moment, when like 
 the " Last Minstrel" of our northern bard, 
 
 " Kindness had his wants supplied 
 
 And the old man was gratified." 
 
 The Villag-e of Madron is about two miles to 
 the north-west of Penzance. The church is 
 placed on an elevated situation, and commands 
 a very striking view of Saint Michael's Mount, 
 and its bay, Penzance is a Chapelry of this 
 parish.
 
 Madron mil. 121 
 
 MADRON WELL is situated in a moor about a 
 mile and a half from the Church-town. It is 
 enclosed within walls, which were partially de- 
 stroyed in the time of Cromwell, by Major Ceeley 
 of St. Ives, but the remains of them are still suf- 
 ficiently entire to exhibit the form of an ancient 
 Baptistry. * The inner wall with its window 
 and door-way, and the altar with a square hole 
 or socket in the centre, which received the foot of 
 the cross or image of the patron saint, are still 
 perfect. The foundation of the outer wall, or 
 anti-room, may be traced with great ease. 
 
 Superstition has, of course, attributed many 
 virtues to waters which had been thus hallowed, 
 and this Well, like that of Chapel Euny, has been 
 long celebrated for its medicinal efficacy in restor- 
 ing motion and activity to cripples, t Baptism 
 was administered only at the stated times of Easter 
 and Whitsuntide ; but, at all seasons, the virtues 
 of the waters attracted the lame and the impo- 
 tent ; and the altar was at hand to assist the 
 devotion of their prayers, as well as to receive 
 the offerings of their gratitude. 
 
 * Baptistries were continued out of the church until the sixth 
 century. 
 
 r The learned Bishop Hall in his work entitled " The Mystery of 
 Godliness," bears ample testimony to the medicinal efficacy of this 
 water in restoring motion and activity to cripples.
 
 122 Lanyon Cromlech. 
 
 Chemical analysis has been unable to detect in 
 this water the presence of any active ingredient 
 that might explain the beneficial operation attri- 
 buted to it. 
 
 In the road to Morvah we meet with the cele- 
 brated Cromlech* at Lanyon. It is placed on a 
 prominent hill, and from its lonely situation, and 
 the wildness of the country by which it is sur- 
 rounded, it cannot fail to inspire sensations of 
 reverential awe in every one who approaches 
 it. t This rude monument has been long known 
 amongst the country people by the appellation 
 of the "Giant's Quoit. 1 " When the last edition 
 of this " Guide" went to the press it was still 
 standing in its original position, and was thus 
 described. It consists of three unshapen pillars 
 
 * Cromlech in the Cornish language signified a crooked stone. 
 
 + This ancient monument is faithfully depicted in the frontis- 
 piece of the present work ; but we are in candour bound to acknow- 
 ledge that, in the introduction of Saint Michael's Mount, the 
 artist has availed himself of the ' quidlibet audendf so universally 
 conceded to Painters and Poets ; in reality, an intervening emi- 
 nence obstructs the view of the Mount from this spot, and he has 
 therefore, upon the present occasion, just taken the liberty to 
 remove this barrier to our vision. If the Geological tourist con- 
 demn this harmless deviation from truth, we shall recriminate by 
 reminding him that even Geologists have sometimes appropriated 
 to themselves an indulgence which Horace extended only to the 
 votaries of the Muses, and have not hesitated to overlook the ex- 
 istence of a mountain where it stood in the way of a favourite 
 theory.
 
 Conjectures respecting its origin. 123 
 
 inclining from the perpendicular, which support 
 a large table stone (resembling a Discus or Quoit) 
 in a horizontal position, the direction of which 
 is nearly north and south. The flat stone is 47 
 feet in girth, and 12 in length, and its height 
 from the ground is sufficient to enable a man on 
 horseback to pass under it The aged monu- 
 ment, however, has at length bent beneath the 
 hand of time, and fallen on its side. Its down- 
 fall, which happened during a violent tempest, 
 occasioned a universal feeling of regret in the 
 country. 
 
 In the same tenement, about a quarter of a 
 mile west of Lanyon house, is another monument 
 of this kind, nearly as large as the former; and 
 It is singular that this should have been the only 
 Cromlech in Corwall which escaped the notice 
 of Dr. Borlase. It has fallen on its edge, but 
 is still entire. 
 
 All our notions respecting the origin and use 
 of these monuments are purely conjectural ; it 
 seems, however, very probable that they are the 
 most ancient in the world, erected possibly by 
 one of the first colonists which came into the 
 island. As Cromlechs are known to abound in 
 every country where the Celts established them- 
 selves, many antiquaries have concluded that
 
 124 Men-an-Tol. 
 
 they are of Celtic origin. The same doubt and 
 uncertainty involve every consideration with re- 
 spect to their use; it has been a general idea 
 that they were intended for altars, but the upper 
 stone is evidently too gibbous ever to have ad- 
 mitted the officiating priest, or to have allowed 
 him to stand to overlook the fire, and the con- 
 sumption of the victim ; besides, what occasion 
 is there to suppose a Cromlech any thing more 
 than a sepulchral monument ? Is it not the most 
 natural and probable conclusion ? Indeed Mr. 
 Wright actually found a skeleton deposited un- 
 der one of them in Ireland, and it must strike 
 the most superficial observer that our modern 
 tombs are not very dissimilar to the former in 
 their construction, and probably derived their 
 form from a very ancient model. 
 
 MEN-AN-TOL. The next object of curiosity 
 consists of three stones on a triangular plane, 
 the middle one of which is perforated with a large 
 hole, and is called Men-an-Tol, i.e. the holed 
 stone. Dr. Borlase who, as we have often ob- 
 served, has recourse to the chisel of Druidism to 
 account for every cavity or crevice, conjectures 
 that it was appropriated to the rites of that 
 priesthood, and asserts, on the authority of a 
 farmer, that even in his time, it was deemed to
 
 Men Skrt/fa. Its origin. 125 
 
 possess the power of healing those who would 
 crawl through it. 
 
 In a croft, about half a mile to the north-west 
 of Lanyon, lies a very ancient sepulchral stone, 
 called by the Cornish " Men Skryfa" i. e. the 
 Inscribed Stone. It is nine feet ten inches long, 
 and one foot eight inches broad ; the inscription 
 upon it is " Riolobran Cunoval Fil" which sig- 
 nifies Riolobran the Son of Cunoval lies buried 
 here.* With respect to the date of this monument, 
 all antiquaries agree in thinking that it must have 
 been engraven before the corruptions crept into 
 the Roman alphabet, such for instance as the 
 junction of the letters by unnatural links, or 
 when the down strokes of one were made to serve 
 for two, &c. This practice arose soon after the 
 Romans went off, and increased until the Saxon 
 letters were introduced at Athelstan's conquest. 
 The most striking deviation from the Roman 
 orthography to be observed in this monument is 
 in the cross stroke of the Roman N not being 
 diagonal as it ought to be, nor yet quite horizon- 
 tal as we find it in the sixth century ; and hence 
 
 * Before the beginning of the seventh century we are informed 
 by Strutt that it was held unlawful to bury the dead in the cities, 
 and that there were no church-yards. Anglo-Saxon sEra, vol. 1. 
 p. 69.
 
 126 Chun Castle. 
 
 it is fair to assign to it a date antecedent to that 
 period.* 
 
 CHUN CASTLE, a prominent object in this 
 neighbourhood, is similar to Caerbran Round, 
 which has been described, except that the ruins 
 are more extensive, and less confused. The re- 
 mains occupy the whole area of a hill command- 
 ing a wide tract of country to the east, some low 
 grounds to the north and south, and the wide 
 expanded ocean to the west. Another Cromlech 
 may also be seen from this spot, and stands upon 
 the very line which divides the parishes of Mor- 
 vah and Saint Just; but it is far inferior to that 
 at Lanjon. We will now for awhile abandon 
 the contemplation of these faded monuments of 
 past ages, and proceed to the examination of a 
 rich and interesting field of mineralogical and 
 geological research. In introducing the stranger, 
 however, to the district of Saint Just, we must 
 repeat to him the caution with which Mr. Garnet 
 
 * There are several monumental inscriptions of the same kind 
 to be seen in Cornwall, but none so ancient as Men Skryfa. In 
 Barlowena bottom, for instance, as you pass from the church of 
 Gulval to that of Madron, there is one which is now converted into 
 a foot-bridge across a brook; if the antiquary examine the letters- 
 upon this stone, which he cannot conveniently do without getting 
 ^der it, he will discover the corruptions alluded to in the text, 
 viz. the / in Filius linked to the L. 
 
 + To the elaborate memoir, by Mr. Came, published in. the 
 second volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society
 
 District of St. Just. 127 
 
 has very prudently accompanied his history of its 
 mineral productions. "If the stranger on his 
 arrival shall expect to find any of the minerals so 
 prominently situated as to salute his eyes at 
 once; or if he shall suppose that those objects 
 which are especially worthy of notice in a geolo- 
 gical point of view, are to be discovered and 
 examined in the space of a few hours, he will be 
 greatly mistaken and disppointed ; for very few, 
 either of the minerals or the veins are to be found 
 in situ, except by a diligent, patient, and per- 
 severing search." 
 
 Without further delay we shall now attend the 
 traveller to Pendeen Cove; in our road to which, 
 the only objects worthy attention are the Stamp- 
 ing Mills, and Burning Houses or Roasting Fur- 
 naces, belonging to Botallack Mine. They are 
 situated on the bank of the river which runs into 
 the sea at Pendeen Cove. The Tin ore of Botal- 
 lack is generally mixed with a portion of Sulphu- 
 ret of Copper, which not being separable from it 
 by the mechanical process of dressing, is sub- 
 mitted to the action of a roasting furnace, by 
 which the Copper being converted into an oxide, 
 
 of Cornwall, and entitled " On the Mineral Productions, and the 
 Geology of the Parish of Saint Just," we would especially direct 
 the attention of the scientific traveller.
 
 128 Pendeen Cave, or Van. 
 
 and the Sulphur into Sulphuric acid, a Sulphate 
 of Copper is thus produced, which is easily sepa- 
 rated by washing. The solution obtained is then 
 poured into casks, containing pieces of iron, by 
 the agency of which the Copper is prtcipitated.* 
 
 There is to be seen at Pendeen^ a cave, known 
 by the name of Pendeen F, and concerning 
 which there are many ridiculous stories. It ap- 
 pears to have been one of those hiding places in 
 which the Britons secreted themselves, and their 
 property, from the attacks of the Saxons and 
 Danes. The cave is still almost entire, a circum- 
 stance which is principally owing to the super- 
 stitious fears of the inhabitants, many of whom, 
 at this very day, entertain a dread of entering it. 
 
 At Pendeen Cove, the Geologist will meet with 
 several phenomena well worthy his attention. 
 At the junction of the Slate and Granite, veins 
 of the latter will be observed traversing the for- 
 mer rock, and what is particularly worthy of 
 notice, they may he seen emanating from a great 
 mass of granite and passing into the schistose rock 
 by which it is covered. One part of the cliff of 
 
 * The quantity of Copper procured in this way at Botallack, 
 says Mr. Came, is about a ton in a year. This chemical process is 
 now practised in most of the mines in which the " Tin-stone" is 
 mixed with Copper ore, as in Dolcoath, Cook's Kitchen, Chace- 
 water, and in some parts of St. Agnes.
 
 Geology of the Gurnard's Head. 129 
 
 this cove consists of large fragments of granite 
 imbedded in clay and earth ; the interstices of 
 which are filled with white sand, which has been 
 probably blown there from the beach ; through 
 this sand, water impregnated with iron is slowly 
 percolating, the effect of which is the induration 
 of the sand, and the formation of a breccia, which 
 in some parts has acquired very considerable 
 hardness. 
 
 Before proceeding to the metalliferous district 
 of Saint Just, we may observe that, if the tra- 
 veller's object be to reach Saint Ives by the road 
 along the cliffs, through the parish of Zennor, he 
 will meet with a most cheerless country, but by 
 no means destitute of geological interest. He 
 ought particularly to examine a bold rocky pro* 
 montory, called the " Gurnard's Head" where 
 he will find a succession of beds of slaty felspar, 
 hornblende rock, and greenstone. The geology 
 of this headland has been accurately described 
 by Dr. Forbes in the second volume of the Trans- 
 actions of the Royal Geological Society of Corn- 
 wall. Polmear Cone ought also to be visited on 
 account of the Granite veins, which are perhaps 
 as singular and interesting as any of those already 
 described. But let us proceed to complete our 
 examination of the coast of Saint Just. Many of 
 i
 
 130 Sub-marine Mines. 
 
 the mines are situated on the very edge of the 
 cliff, and are wrought to a considerable distance 
 under the sea ; but all communication to them 
 is from land.* For a description of the nume- 
 rous minerals found in this district, t we must 
 refer the reader to the highly valuable paper by 
 Joseph Carne, Esq. which is published in the 
 second volume of the Transactions of the Royal 
 Geological Society of Cornwall. We cannot, how- 
 ever, allow the mineralogist to pass Trewellard, 
 without reminding him that, at this spot, Axinite 
 was first discovered in Cornwall, and that the 
 most beautifully crystallized specimens of that 
 mineral, scarcely inferior to those brought from 
 Dauphine, may still be procured here. In the 
 cliff at Huel Cock Cam, a vein of this mineral, 
 of a violet colour, three feet in width, may be 
 traced for upwards of twenty yards ; and in its 
 vicinity there is to be found also a vein of garnet 
 rock. Apatite, of a greyish- white colour, asso- 
 ciated with Hornblende, may be seen in the same 
 spot. In the slate rocks between Huel Cock and 
 
 * The principal sub-marine mines on this part of the coast are 
 Levant; Tolvaen; Huel Cock ; and Huel Castle; Copper Mines 5 
 and Praze* Little Bounds ; Riblose ; Huel St. Just; Tin Mines ; 
 and Botallack Tin and Copper Mine. 
 
 t A miner of the name of James Walt, who resides in the village 
 <if Carnyorth, has generally a variety of these minerals for sale.
 
 Minerals recently discovered. 131; 
 
 Botallack, Prehnite has lately been found, for. 
 the first time ; it appears to form a small vein, 
 which in one part is divided into two branches. 
 Upon the discovery of the above mineral, says 
 Mr. Joseph Came, an expectation was naturally 
 formed, that Zeolite^ its frequent associate, and 
 an equal stranger to Cornwall, might shortly 
 make its appearance. This opinion has been 
 lately verified by the discovery of, at least, two 
 varieties of that mineral, imbedded in i\\&Prehnite 
 vein, viz. Stilbite, or foliated Zeolite, crystallized 
 in flat four-sided prisms, with quadrangular sum- 
 mits ; and the radiated Mesott/pe, which some- 
 times contains nodules nf Prehnite. Other spe- 
 cimens have been found in rather an earthy state, 
 and may possibly be the mealy Zeolite of Jameson. 
 In the same slate rocks Apatite occurs of a yel- 
 lowish-green colour, and crystallized in hexaedral 
 prisms. In the granite rocks on the high hills 
 south-east of Trewellard, Pinite is to be observed. 
 We arrive at the " Crown Engine" of Bo r 
 tallack 
 
 " How fearful 
 
 And dizzy 'tis to cast one's e.yes so low, 
 The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air 
 
 Show scarce so gross as beetles : 
 
 I'll look no more, 
 
 Lest my brain turn, and the deficient sight 
 Topple down headlong.*'
 
 138 Extraordinary Scenery 
 
 This is undoubtedly one of the most extraordi- 
 nary jand surprising places in the mining districts 
 of Cornwall, whether considered for the rare and 
 rich assemblage of its minerals, or for the wild 
 and stupendous character of its rock scenery. 
 Surely, if ever a spot seemed to bid defiance to 
 the successful efforts of the miner, it was the site 
 of the Crown Engine* at Botallack, where at the 
 very commencement of his subterranean labours, 
 he was required to lower a steam engine down a 
 precipice of more than two hundred feet, with 
 the view of extending his operations under the 
 bed of the Atlantic ocean ! ! ! There is something 
 in the very idea which alarms the imagination ; 
 and the situation and appearance of the gigantic 
 machine, together with the harsh jarring of its 
 bolts, re-echoed from the surrounding rocks, are 
 well calculated to excite our astonishment. 
 
 But if you are thus struck and surprised at the 
 scene when viewed from the cliff above, how 
 much greater will be your wonder if you descend 
 
 * " Crown Engine" so named from its vicinity to three rocks 
 called the " Three Crowns." 
 
 It was our intention to have presented the reader with an en- 
 graving of this extraordinary scene, and indeed measures had been 
 taken for its accomplishment, when we were induced to abandon 
 the design on learning that a lithographic print had been pub- 
 lished by a meritorious and self-taught artist at Penzance, the sale 
 of which we were anxious not to diminish.
 
 of Botallack Mine. 133 
 
 to the surface of the mine. You will then behold 
 a combination of the powers of art with the wild 
 sublimity of Nature which is quite unparalleled; 
 the effects of the whole being not a little height- 
 ened by the hollow roar of the raging billows 
 which are perpetually lashing the cliff beneath. 
 In looking up you will observe troops of mules 
 laden with sacks of coals, for the supply of the 
 engine, with their undaunted riders, fearlessly 
 trotting down the winding path which you trem- 
 bled at descending even on foot. As you ap- 
 proach the engine, the cliff becomes almost per- 
 pendicular, and the ore raised from the mine is 
 therefore drawn up over an inclined plane,* by 
 means of a horse engine placed on the extreme 
 verge of the overhanging rocks above, and which 
 seems to the spectator below as if suspended in 
 mid air." 
 
 The workings of this mine extend at least 
 seventy fathoms in length under the bed of the 
 sea; and in these caverns of darkness are many 
 human beings, for a small pittance, and even that 
 of a precarious amount, constantly digging for 
 ore, regardless of the horrors which surround 
 them, and of the roar of the Atlantic ocean, whose 
 boisterous waves are incessantly rolling over their 
 
 * This apparatus is termed " The Shammel Whim"
 
 134 Crown Engine. 
 
 lieatls. We should feel pity for the wretch who, 
 as an atonement for his crimes, should be com- 
 pelled to undergo the task which the Cornish 
 miner voluntarily undertakes, and as cheerfully 
 performs ; yet such is the force of habit, that very 
 rarely does any other employment tempt him to 
 forsake his own ; the perils of his occupation are 
 scarcely noticed, or if noticed, are soon forgotten. 
 The I&de* of the mine may be seen cropping 
 out, in the group of rocks beneath the engine. 
 The ore is the grey and yellow sulphuret of cop- 
 per, mixed with the oxide of tin,t of which she% 
 has already " turned up" a sufficient quantity to 
 afford a very handsome premium to the adven- 
 turers. In the grey sulphuret of this mine, pur- 
 ple copper ore, of the kind called by the Germans 
 " Buntkupfererz," is frequently met with. Be- 
 sides which, a great number of interesting mine- 
 rals may be collected, as several varieties of 
 Jasper ; arborescent native Copper ; Jaspery iron 
 ore; Arseniate of Iron, which until it was dis- 
 covered in the Crown lode of Botallack, was un- 
 
 * A metalliferous vein is provincially called a Lode. 
 
 t The tin and copper are in a state of mechanical mixture, 
 although Dr. Boose has lately found amongst the heaps, a speci- 
 men of " Tin Pyrites," in which these metals are chemically 
 combined. 
 
 | The miners always distinguish their mines by a feminine 
 Appellation.
 
 Minerals found there. 133 
 
 known in St. Just. It is of a brown colour, and is 
 crystallized in cubes. Sulphuret of Bismuth, im- 
 bedded in Jasper ; beautiful specular iron ore / 
 hcematitic Iron ; and the hydrous oxide of iron, in 
 prisms terminated by pyramids, and which was 
 supposed by the Count de Bournon to contain 
 Titanium. The picturesque rocks of this district 
 may be considered as composed of Hornblende 
 rock, which will be found to alternate with slate. 
 The contorted appearance of the former in the 
 vicinity of Botallack is very singular, and will 
 admit of much speculation. The Crown rocks, 
 to which the mineralogist must not neglect to 
 descend, consist of extremely compact Hornblende 
 rock, in which occur numerous veins and beds of 
 different minerals; viz. veins of Garnet rock, with 
 numerous imbedded crystals, being at one part 
 almost a foot in width; Magnetic Iron Pyrites, 
 massive, in beds, near the engine ; its colour is 
 bluish-grey, and it is called by the workmen 
 Spelter, who mistake it probably for Blende, 
 which latter mineral also occurs here in conside- 
 rable quantities. In a part of the rock, which is 
 almost inaccessible, there is a vein of Epidote, 
 distinctly crystallized, and about six inches wide. 
 The miners, however descend the fearful precipice 
 without any difficulty, in order to collect speci-
 
 136 Cape Cornwall. 
 
 mens for the inquisitive visitant. Axinile also 
 occurs in veins, or perhaps in beds ; Thallite, Chlo- 
 rite^ Tremolite, and a black crystallized Schorl, in 
 which the late Rev. William Gregor detected six 
 per cent, of Titanium, are to be found also in this 
 interesting spot. 
 
 CAPE CORNWALL is the next object of interest 
 after Botallack. This point of land stretches out 
 tp the west, at an elevation of two hundred and 
 thirty feet, and forms the northern boundary of 
 Whitsand Bay (p. 88). It is entirely composed 
 of a slaty rock, traversed by numerous veins of 
 Actinolite. To the geologist this spot will be 
 interesting, since on the shore beneath, a junction 
 may be observed between the Granite of the 
 Land's End, and the slate of this promontory.* 
 These formations are separated by a large vein 
 of metalliferous quartz, which forms the lode of 
 the mine in the neighbourhood, called " Little 
 Bounds" and whose engine suspended in the 
 cliff" above, constitutes a very striking feature in 
 the scenery. This vein, besides Oxide of Tin, 
 for which it is worked, contains Native Copper, 
 different Oxides of Iron, Red Jasper, Quartz of a 
 bright brownish red colour, and Scaly red Iron 
 
 * See a paper by Dr. John Davy, in the first volume of the 
 Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, entitled 
 * k On the Granite Veins of Perth Just.''
 
 Little Bounds Mine. 137 
 
 ore, sometimes investing Quartz, and occasionally 
 in small masses consisting of red cohering scales, 
 which are unctuous to the touch. 
 
 Mr. Carne states, that in this mine three dis- 
 tinct lodes, distant from each other, have been 
 worked under the sea; two of them being in 
 granite, the third in slate. Here also, at two 
 parts of the lode, known by the name of " Save- 
 aU's lode" probably, as the name would seem to 
 imply, in consequence of the avarice of the miner, 
 a communication has been made between the sea 
 and the mine; one of them is at about high water 
 mark at spring tides ; the other is covered by the 
 sea at every tide, except at very low neaps ; great 
 and constant attention is therefore necessary for 
 the security of this latter breach. At first the 
 opening was stopped by a piece of wood covered 
 with turf; but as this defence was not found to 
 be sufficiently secure, a thick platform caulked 
 like the deck of a ship, was ultimately placed 
 upon it, and which renders it nearly water proof. 
 The breaking of the waves is heard in all the 
 levels of the mine, and in the part directly be- 
 neath the pebbly beach, the rolling of the stones 
 in boisterous weather produces a most terrific 
 effect. In the drift at the forty fathom level, 
 which is carried a considerable way under the
 
 138 Formation of Stalactites. 
 
 sea, Mr. Chenhalls, the intelligent agent of the, 
 mine, had formerly observed a successive forma- 
 tion of Stalactites ; in consequence of which state- 
 ment, Dr. John Davy and Mr. Majendie were 
 induced to visit the spot. It had been closed for 
 two years previously, but before it was shut up 
 Mr. Chenhalls had carefully removed all the 
 Stalacites which then existed. Upon examination 
 it was observed that a fresh crop had been pro- 
 4Jluced during the interval just stated; some of 
 which were eighteen inches in length, and above 
 an inch in diameter. The Stalagmites directly 
 underneath them were of still larger dimensions; 
 both however had the same yellowish-brown co- 
 lour, and were found to consist of Peroxide of 
 iron. Specimens may be seen in the cabinet at 
 Penzance. Dr. Paris has suggested that they 
 resulted from the decomposition of Pyrites, form- 
 ing, in the first instance, a soluble Sulphate of 
 iro, but which, by attracting farther oxygen, 
 deposited its base in the form here discovered. 
 
 At a little distance southward of Cape Corn- 
 wall, is a high rocky promontory called CABA- 
 GLOSE HEAD, from which the traveller may 
 command one of the most interesting views in 
 this part of Cornwall. On the north are Cape 
 Cornwall, and the romantic machinery of Little
 
 Caraglose Head. Its Scenery. 139 
 
 Bounds Mine. Southward and directly under the 
 head, the interesting creek called POKNANVON 
 COVE, with the engine of Huel St. Just Tin 
 Mine near the sea shore. Westward, on a clear 
 day, the Scilly Islands may be distinctly seen, 
 This is a spot seldom visited by strangers, but 
 with the exception of Botallack, it is certainly 
 one of the most striking in the district of Saint 
 Just. At Pornanvon Cove, a stratum of sea sand 
 and pebbles may be seen in the cliff, at an eleva- 
 tion of fifteen feet above high water mark ! 
 
 Advancing from the coast into the interior of 
 the country towards Saint Just's Church-town, 
 Dr. Berger observed many blocks of Schorl rock* 
 scattered on this part of the granitic plain, par- 
 ticularly amongst the rubbish of some old tin 
 mines, which are here very numerous, but are 
 now quite deserted. |t 
 
 SAINT JUST CHURCH TOWN. Nothing of any 
 interest is to be seen at this place, except a very 
 
 * This rock is a binary compound of Quartz and Schorl, with- 
 out any, or scarcely any, admixture of the other constituents of 
 Granite; and yet when we consider its various relations, it must be 
 regarded as rather a variety of the latter than a distinct rock. The 
 locality now mentioned and that singular group of rocks between 
 Truro and Bodmin, known by the name of Roach Rock, are, as far 
 as we know, the only places in Cornwall where this modification 
 of granite is found in mass. In the form of veins its occurrence is 
 not unusual, especially at the junction of granite and slate, where 
 it would often seem to exist as an intermediate rock.
 
 140 Saint Just Church Town. 
 
 ancient cross, a sketch of which we shall intro- 
 duce at the conclusion of the present chapter; 
 and the remains of an ancient Amphitheatre. 
 
 In this, and similar " Rounds," as they are 
 provincially called, the ancient British assembled, 
 in order to witness those athletic sports, for which 
 the Cornish are still remarkable; indeed, at this 
 very day, Wrestling matches are held in the am- 
 phitheatre at Saint Just, during the holidays of 
 Easter and Whitsuntide. 
 
 The Antiquary ought not to quit this parish 
 without visiting the " Botallack Circles'," when 
 examined separately they do not differ essentially 
 from that at Bolleit, or at Boscawen Un before 
 described (p. 81); but they intersect each other 
 and form a confused cluster; " but in this seem- 
 
 f The Cornish have ever been celebrated for their skill in the art 
 of Wrestling; hence the expression " To give one a Cornish Hug," 
 which is a dexterous lock in that art peculiar to them. It must, 
 however, be admitted, whether as a matter of triumph or humilia- 
 tion, we will not declare, that the Cornish have greatly declined 
 in their art, so as to be now inferior even to the Devonians, and to 
 the inhabitants of many other districts in their prowess. This de- 
 generacy might perhaps be attributed to the change which has 
 taken place during the lapse of time, in the mode of working for 
 Tin ; formerly it was all procured by Streaming, an occupation as 
 healthy and invigorating, as the present one of subterranean mining 
 is debilitating. We apprehend, however, that a moral cause of 
 still greater force has contributed to the change the diffusion ot' 
 Methodism; which has unquestionably proved a powerful instru- 
 ment in the amelioration of the habits and disposition of the Cornish
 
 The Botallack Circles The Cassiterides. 141 
 
 ing confusion," exclaims Dr. Borlase, " I cannot 
 but think that there was some mystical meaning, 
 or, at least, distinct allotment to particular uses ; 
 some of these might be employed for the sacrifice, 
 others allotted to prayer, others to the feasting 
 of the priests, others for the station of those who 
 devoted the victims ; and lastly, that these cir- 
 cles intersected each other in so remarkable a 
 manner, as we find them in this monument, might 
 be to intimate that each of these holy rites, though 
 exercised in different circles, were but so many 
 links of one and the same chain, and that there 
 was a constant dependance and connection be- 
 tween sacrifice, prayer, holy feasting, and all the 
 several -parts of Druidical worship." 
 
 In taking leave of the metalliferous district of 
 Saint Just we have to observe, that it has been 
 considered by Mr. Carne, and not without pro- 
 bability, as having constituted the principal por- 
 tion of what was formerly known under the name 
 of the Cassiterides^ and that if it would redound 
 to the honour, or contribute to the prosperity of 
 Saint Just, it might be said, " that her Tin was 
 probably a constituent part of the Shield and 
 Helmet of Achilles, of the Tabernacle of the 
 Israelites, of the Purple of Tyre, and of the 
 Temple of Solomon."
 
 142 St. Just. 
 
 From Saint Just's Church-town, the road con- 
 ducts us over a wild part of the peninsula, al- 
 though highly salubrious, and invigorating from 
 the fine sea breezes which blow from every side; 
 
 ^ 
 
 after a ride over such bleak and barren hills, the 
 eye experiences a singular repose on our ap- 
 proach to the cultivated shores of the Mount's 
 Bay. 
 
 Saint Just. 
 
 :.. 
 

 
 Kenegie -Rosmor ran. 143 
 
 EXCURSION IV. 
 
 PASSING through the little village of Chyan- 
 dour, we ascend by a shady road through that of 
 Gulval, to Kenegie,* the seat of the family of 
 John Arundel Harris Arundel, Esq. This spot 
 commands a very interesting- view of the Mount's 
 Bay, the beauty of which is greatly heightened 
 by the diversified and picturesque foreground. 
 On a neighbouring hill is Rosmorran^ the re- 
 tired cottage ornee of George John, Esq. of Pen- 
 zance ; we scarcely know a situation where the 
 skill of the landscape gardener could be exerted 
 with greater advantage or effect. 
 
 Pursuing the road, and passing the gate of 
 Kenegie, we ascend the great granite range 
 which extends from Dartmoor to the Land's 
 End, and which appears, in this part of the 
 
 * Kenegie became the seat of the younger branch of Harris of 
 Heyne, in about the year 1600.
 
 144 Castle an Dinas. 
 
 country, to be broken into a number of detached 
 groups. Upon the summit of one of these hills 
 stands a castellated building which, although of 
 modern construction, occupies the site of an an- 
 cient " hill castle, called " Castle an Dinas ;" it 
 was erected by John Rogers, Esq., as a pictu- 
 resque object from his occasional residence at 
 Treassowe. 
 
 On descending the northern side of the granite 
 ridge, a curious atmospheric phenomenon is fre- 
 quently observable, the clear and cloudless sky 
 becoming suddenly dense and hazy ; the change 
 is evidently occasioned by the condensation of 
 the vapours contained in the warm and rarefied 
 air of the Mount's Bay, by the colder one which 
 blows from the Bristol channel. Amidst wild 
 and rugged hills the road winds to Saint Ives, in 
 the course of which, the geologist will have 
 many opportunities of furnishing his portfolio 
 with sketches, in illustration of the changes 
 which time and weather produce on Granite; 
 hugh blocks of this stone lie scattered on all 
 sides, while stupendous masses are seen on the 
 hills above in different stages of decomposition, 
 and which from their threatening attitude, would 
 appear as if in preparation to join their former 
 companions in the plains below.
 
 Saint Ives. 145 
 
 SAINT IYES. This populous sea port and 
 borough stands on the shores of the Bristol Chan- 
 nel, in a very fine bay bounded by bold rocks of 
 Greenstone and Slate. The latter of these rocks 
 is in many places undergoing rapid decompo- 
 sition, in consequence of which large masses of 
 the Hornblende rock have fallen in various di- 
 rections, and given a singular character of pictu- 
 resque rudeness to the scene : this is remarkably 
 striking in the group of rocks which constitute 
 Godrevy Island. 
 
 Saint Ives is a populous sea port, of very con- 
 siderable antiquity, deriving its name from that 
 of Ha, a religious woman, who came hither from 
 Ireland in about the year 460. The Corporation, 
 which obtained its powers from a charter granted 
 by Charles the First, consists of a mayor, record- 
 er, town-clerk, twelve capital burgesses, and 
 twenty-four inferior burgesses. The Borough 
 returns two members to Parliament, a privilege 
 which was conferred in the fifth year of Queen 
 Mary ; and the right of election was vested in 
 all the householders in the parish paying scot 
 and lot. In the year 1816, the magistrates, and 
 trustees of the Pier and Port of Saint Ives re- 
 solved to extend the former, and to construct a 
 breakwater, in order to shelter it. The under- 
 K
 
 146 The Pilchard Fishery. 
 
 taking has been commenced, but it is at present 
 far from being completed^ 
 
 Saint Ives is the birth place of the Reverend 
 Jonathan Toup, Rector of Saint Martin's near 
 Looe, the learned ann'otator of Suidas, and editor 
 of Longinus. His father was formerly the lec- 
 turer of this town. 
 
 On no part of the Cornish coast is the Pilchard 
 fishery carried on with greater activity or suc- 
 cess 1 ?; and at the time of large draughts, it is 
 usual for all the inhabitants to contribute their 
 assistance ; shops and dwelling-houses are fre- 
 quently deserted on such occasions, and even the 
 church has been abandoned, when large shoals 
 have made their appearance on the Sabbath ! 
 By a certain signal given by a person stationed 
 on the heights, the approach of a shoal is gene- 
 rally announced to the town ; the effect is most 
 singular. Trumpets are immediately heard in 
 different parts, and the inhabitants rushing from 
 their houses, and quitting their 'ordinary occu- 
 pations, are to be seen running in all directions, 
 and vociferating the word " ffever //erer 
 He^er" What the term signifies, or whence it 
 was derived, no one can conjecture, but its sound 
 is no less animating to the ears of a Saint Ives- 
 man, than is the cry of " To Arms," to the Son
 
 The Pilchard Fishery. 147 
 
 of Mars; and the tumult which it excites is more 
 like that of a besieged city, than the peaceable 
 and joyful bustle of an industrious fishing town. 
 
 As we have not hitherto described the manner 
 in which the Pilchard Fishery is conducted, per- 
 haps the present will be an appropriate oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 The Pilchard, in size and form, very much 
 resembles the common Herring,* and is actually 
 confounded with it by Linnaeus, under the name 
 of" Clupcea Harengus'," upon close inspection, 
 however, an essential difference may be readily 
 discovered. The Pilchard is less compressed, as 
 well as smaller; there is besides a very simple, 
 and common test of distinction, depending upon 
 the dorsal fin of the Pilchard being placed ex- 
 actly in the centre of gravity, if therefore it be 
 taken up by this fin, it will preserve an equili- 
 brium ; while the body of the Herring, when so 
 tried, will dip towards the head. Mr. Pennant 
 likewise observes that the scales of the latter 
 easily drop off, whereas those of the Pilchard 
 adhere very closely. 
 
 It has been commonly stated that these fish 
 
 * There is also a very considerable similarity in their mode of 
 migration. The word Herring is derived from the German "//er," 
 an Army, to express their numbers, and order of array.
 
 148 The Pilchard Fishery. 
 
 migrate from the North sea in immense shoals, 
 during- the summer months, and reach the Cor- 
 nish coast about the middle of July, where they 
 remain until the latter end of September, when 
 they again depart to the arctic regions. This 
 statement, however, cannot be correct, as the 
 fish are never seen off the coasts of Scotland, the 
 northern shores of Ireland, the Isle of Man, nor, 
 in fact, off any coast north of Cornwall. It 
 would therefore seem more probable, that they 
 come from some part of the Western ocean, and 
 return thither at the end of the season. Within 
 the last ten years a considerable alteration in 
 their usual course has taken place, much to the 
 disappointment of the Cornish Fishermen; they 
 have kept at a greater distance from the shores ; 
 whether this circumstance has arisen from their 
 food being farther than usual out at sea, or from 
 any alteration in the currents, it is impossible to 
 ascertain. In the present year, however, they 
 seem to have returned to Saint Ives; an immense 
 Quantity, calculated at three thousand hogsheads, 
 having been taken at one " ca/c/i," by two Seines 
 in this bay. The other parts of the coast have 
 been visited only by very small shoals. 
 
 The preparations for this fishery are generally
 
 The Pilchard Fishery. 149 
 
 commenced about the end of July,* as the period 
 at which the Pilchards are expected to pay their 
 annual visit. As they usually make their ap- 
 pearance here in the evening, the boats engaged 
 in the adventure seldom go to sea before three or 
 four o'clock in the afternoon, and as rarely re- 
 main longer than ten. On some occasions, how- 
 ever, they go out again very early in the morn- 
 ing, and have sometimes succeeded in taking fish 
 at sun rise. The fishermen, arranged in boats 
 which are scattered at a little distance from each 
 other, are directed to the shoals by persons who 
 are stationed on the cliffs, or who sometimes 
 follow in boats. These persons vyho are called 
 " Jitters," probably from the hue and cry which 
 they raise, discover them by the peculiar red 
 tintt which the water assumes, and from other 
 
 * The first outfit of a Seine, with its boats, oars, ropes, sails, 
 nets, and a quantity of salt sufficient to cure five hundred hog- 
 sheads of fish, if purchased new, cannot be estimated at less than 
 a Thousand pounds. The preparations for the water consists of 
 three boats, i. e. two large ones and a small one ; each large boat 
 containing seven men, and in the small one are the master, another 
 man, and two boys. The " Seine Boat " and the " Follower" are 
 the names by which the two large boats are distinguished ; and 
 the small one is called the " Lurker." 
 
 + The whiteness of the sand in the Bay of St. Ives renders t!ie 
 shoals of fish easily distinguishable, and contributes very ^reat.y 
 to the success of the fishery upon this coast.
 
 The Pilchard Fishery. 
 
 indications with which they are well acquainted.* 
 The spot where the nets should be cast, or " shot" 
 having been determined from the signals of the 
 Huer" the boat containing the great net or " Stop 
 Seine" as it is called, and which is frequently as 
 much as 300 fathoms in length, and 10 in depth, 
 is gradually cast from the boat into the sea by 
 two men, as the vessel is gently rowed round the 
 shoal by others of the crew ; a service which is 
 performed with such dexterity that in less than 
 four minutes the whole of this enormous net is 
 shot, and the fish enclosed. Upon this occasion 
 it is always the first care of the Seiner to secure 
 that part to which the fish were swimming ; and 
 then so to carry the net around them, that they 
 shall be hemmed in on every side. The net im- 
 mediately spreads itself, the corks on one edge 
 rendering it buoyant, and the leaden weights on 
 the other causing it to sink to the bottom ; for if 
 the depth of the water should exceed that of the 
 Seine, it is evident that there would be little 
 
 * The Tunny fish in the Archipelago was caught by a similar 
 process, " Ascendebat quidam (Anglice the JF/uer, Graece Thun- 
 noscopoi) in ultum promontorium, unde Thunnorum gregem spe- 
 cularetur, quo viso, signum piscatoribus dabat, qui ratibus totuiu 
 gregem includebant." Vide Klomfield's Notes on the Pertte of 
 Eschylus, p. 148. The seine was as familiar to the Athenians, as 
 the Pilchard fishery is to the inhabitants of Cornwall; and it i 
 aid that Egcliylu* took great delight in witnessing it.
 
 The Pilchard Fishery. 151 
 
 probability of securing any fish, however large 
 the shoal might be. As the circle in which the 
 Seine is shot, is generally larger than the net can 
 compass, its two extremities are at a distance 
 from each other when the whole is in the water. 
 Ropes are therefore carried out from each of 
 these ends, by which they are warped together 
 by the men on board the two large boats, so as to 
 bring them into contact. When this is effected, 
 the two extremities, if the shoal be large, are 
 lifted from the bottom, and expeditiously tacked 
 together. During this last operation every me- 
 thod is adopted to agitate the water, and drive 
 back the body of fish from this only aperture 
 through which they can escape. This having 
 been accomplished, the fish remain within the 
 enclosure formed by the encircling net, which 
 extends from the surface to the bottom of the 
 sea. It only now remains to secure the Seine in 
 its position, for which purpose grapnels, or small 
 anchors, are carried out at some distance on 
 every side, the ropes from which are fastened to 
 the rope at the upper end of the net ; these grap- 
 nels will of course retain the Seine in its circular 
 position, and preserve it against the influence of 
 the tides, and the changes of the weather. Where, 
 however, the shore is sandy and shelving, as in
 
 152 The Pilchard Fishery. 
 
 Saint Ives' Bay, the Seine is at once drawn into 
 shallow water by a number of men, who are 
 called " Blowsers" 
 
 The quantity of fish which is thus secured will 
 depend of course on many contingent circum- 
 stances, such for instance, as the strength of the 
 tides, the nature of the coast, and the dexterity 
 of the fishermen, &c. A Seine has sometimes 
 enclosed as many as fifteen hundred, or two 
 thousand hogsheads. The next operation is to 
 remove the fish from the Seine, and to convey 
 them in boats to the shore. This is performed 
 by another smaller net, termed a " Tuck net" 
 and the process is called " Tucking," and is a 
 sight which the stranger should not, on any ac- 
 count, neglect to witness. This busy scene al- 
 ways takes place at low water, and when it hap- 
 pens on one of those calm evenings which so 
 frequently occur in the summer season, it is im- 
 possible to imagine a more exquisite scene. The 
 moon shedding her lustre on the sea displays its 
 surface covered with vessels, sailing or rowing 
 in all directions to the Seine, whilst her beams 
 by striking upon the dripping fish as they are 
 poured, by baskets, from the tuck net into boats,* 
 
 * The boats which attend for the purpose of conveying the fish 
 from the tuck net to the shore are termed " Dippera,'" the proprie-
 
 The Curing oj Pilchards. 153 
 
 produce an appearance which resembles a stream 
 of liquid silver. 
 
 There is another mode of catching: Pilchards 
 
 o 
 
 by " Driving Nets"* which are drawn aftet 
 their respective boats, fastened only at one end; 
 in the meshes of which the fish are arrested as 
 they attempt to pass. This -species of fishery is 
 always carried on at a considerable distance from 
 the shore, lest, by approaching too near the land 
 they should disperse the shoals which the Seiner 
 is waiting to enclose. The quantity thus taken 
 is very small ; but the fish are remarkably fine, 
 and the expense of the adventure is comparatively 
 trifling. 
 
 The fish, having been brought to the fish cel- 
 lars, undergo the process of being " cured; 11 
 which is performed by laying them up in broad 
 piles, " in bull:" as it is called, and salting them 
 as they are piled up, with bay salt. In this situa- 
 tion they generally remain for forty days, although 
 the time allowed for their lying in bulk is often 
 
 tors of which are differently compensated in different places ; they 
 cither leceive a certain proportion of the fish, as from one-fourth to 
 one-sixth, according to the distance from the shore, or else they 
 receive a certain sum of money for each boat load. When the fish 
 are caught in the night, fires are instantly kindled on the nearest 
 shore, as a signal for the boats in the bay to repair to the spot. 
 
 * These nets are of far greater antiquity than the Seine, Ihe lat- 
 ter ha\ing been introduced from Ireland.
 
 154 The Curing of Pilchards. 
 
 regulated by the interests of the merchant, who, 
 it may be supposed, is ever ready to avail himself 
 of any favourable turn in the foreign markets. 
 The period directed by Government is that of 
 thirty-three days. During this process a great 
 quantity of oil, blood, and dirty pickle, drains 
 from the fish ; and which, from the inclination of 
 the floor, immediately find their way into a re- 
 ceptacle placed for their reception.* The Pil- 
 chards, when taken from the bulk, are carried to 
 large troughs, in which they are washed, and 
 completely cleansed from the salt, filth, and coa- 
 gulated oil which they had acquired. t They are 
 then packed into hogsheads, and pressed by a 
 strong lever, for the purpose of squeezing out the 
 oil, which issues through a hole at the bottom of 
 the cask ; the pressing continues for a week, and 
 formerly ten gallons of oil were procured from 
 every hogshead, but at this time, not more than 
 four can be obtained ; such a change in the fat- 
 ness of the fish is not easily to be explained. The 
 hogsheads are now headed up, and exported to 
 the different ports of the Mediterranean, princi- 
 
 * These dregs are sold to the curriers, at about sixteen pence 
 per gallon. 
 
 t The skimmings which float on the water in which the pilchards 
 are washed, bear the name of Garbage, and are sold to the soap- 
 boilers.
 
 (Economical importance of the Fishery. 155 
 
 pally to the Italian ports; and upon every hogs- 
 head so exported, Government allows a bounty 
 of 8s6d. Upwards of 30,000 hogsheads are an- 
 nually consumed in England ; and above 100,000 
 have been exported in one year. The quantity 
 of salt necessary to cure a hogshead of fish is es- 
 timated at about 300 Ibs. and the expense of the 
 whole for that quantity, including the cask, salt, 
 labour, &c. is from *Gl :3s to *8l : 6s ; and it has 
 been calculated that the bounty, together with 
 the value 'of the oil (from j20 to rf28 per ton), 
 will in general reimburse the whole expense. 
 
 This fishery is in every respect of the highest 
 importance to the county of Cornwall, affording 
 employment to at least twelve thousand persons,* 
 whilst the capital engaged cannot be fairly esti- 
 mated at less than three hundred and fifty, or 
 four hundred thousand pounds. 
 
 The broken and refuse fish are sold at about 
 lOd per bushel, for manure, arid are used through- 
 out the county with excellent effects, especially 
 
 * In salting, packing, pressing, and preparing the fish for the 
 market, there are at least 5000, 4-5ths of which are women ; the 
 rope-makers, blacksmiths, shipwrights, &c. upwards of 400 ; the 
 twine spinners are women, about 130 in number ; the makers 
 and menders of nets are chiefly women and children, in all about 
 600. Nets are also made (hiring the winter season, by the fisher- 
 men and their families. These numbers are of course exclusive of 
 the seamen employed.'
 
 156 The Herring Fishery. 
 
 for raising all green crops ; they are usually mix- 
 ed with sand, or soil, and sometimes with sea 
 weed, to prevent them from raising too luxuriant 
 a crop, arising from a too rapid decomposition ; 
 thus employed their effects are very permanent, 
 and there is a popular belief that a single pil- 
 chard will fertilize a foot square of land for 
 several years ; and certain it is, that after the 
 apparent exhaustion of this manure, its powers 
 may be again excited by ploughing in a small 
 proportion of quick lime, which will produce a 
 still further decomposition of the animal matter, 
 and develope a fresh succession of those elements 
 which are essential to the growth of vegetable 
 substances. 
 
 The Herring fishery is also carried on to a 
 great extent at Saint Jves; this fish appears after 
 the pilchard has quitted the shores, and is much 
 smaller than that which is caught on the northern 
 coasts of Britain ; which corroborates the general 
 opinion, that the farther it migrates to the south, 
 the more it decreases in size. It is also worthy 
 of remark that, notwithstanding the great abun- 
 dance of this fish in the Bristol Channel, it very 
 seldom passes the Land's End, and is conse- 
 quently rarely caught in the Mount's Bay, or on 
 the southern shores of Cornwall.
 
 Tregenna Castle. Knill's Pyramid. 157 
 
 But let us return from this digression, and pro- 
 ceed with our excursion. 
 
 Quitting Saint Ives by the eastern road, we 
 are conducted along an elevated cliff, which 
 affords a complete command of every object in 
 the bay ; in our route we pass Tregenna Castle^ 
 the seat of Samuel Stephens, Esq. and on the 
 summit of a lofty hill, about a mile from this 
 mansion, stands a pyramid, which immediately 
 attracts the notice of the traveller, as well on 
 account of the singular wildness of its situation, 
 as the complete absence of every shrub, or rural 
 ornament, with which such objects are usually 
 associated. It was erected by the late eccentric 
 John Knill, Esq., a bencher of Gray's Inn, and 
 some time collector of the Port of Saint Ives, it 
 having been intended as a Mausoleum for the re- 
 ception of his remains, although he afterwards 
 revoked this intention, and ordered his body to 
 be given to an anatomist in London, for dissec- 
 tion. On one side of this pyramid is inscribed, 
 " Johannes Knill" on another, " Resurgam" 
 and on a third, " / know that my Redeemer 
 liveth." He directed in his will, that at the end 
 of every five years, a Matron and ten girls, 
 dressed in white, should walk in procession, with 
 music, from the market house at Saint Ives, to
 
 158 ,bK Quinquennial Celebration . ? 
 
 this pyramid, around which they should dance, 
 singing the hundredth Psalm! 
 
 " Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae 
 
 Sacra canunt." 
 
 For the purpose of keeping up this custom, he 
 bequeathed some freehold lands, which are vested 
 in the officiating minister, the mayor, and the 
 collector of the port of Saint Ives, who are al- 
 lowed Ten Pounds for a dinner. The first cele- 
 bration of these Quinquennial rites excited, as 
 may easily be supposed, very considerable in- 
 terest throughout the western parts of the county. 
 
 " No tongue was mute, nor foot was still, 
 But One and All* were on the hill, 
 In chorus round the tomb of Knill." 
 
 The report which was drawn up at the time by 
 an eye witness of these festivities, exhibits such 
 an admirable specimen of the mock Heroic, that 
 we feel assured that the tourist will thank us for 
 having given insertion to it in the Appendix. 
 
 Pursuing the road along the cliff we pass Lelant 
 church, and arrive at the river Hayle, which 
 takes its rise near Crowan, and falls into Saint 
 Ives Bay; although it arrives at the level of the 
 sea three miles before it reaches the northern 
 coast, and winds its way through an area of sand, 
 
 * One and All) the motto of the Cornish arms.
 
 of the Knillian Games. 159 
 
 nearly half a mile wide, and more than two miles 
 long; this sand, at high water, is generally sub- 
 merged, so that the traveller who wishes to cross 
 is obliged to take a circuitous route over the 
 bridge at Saint Erlh ; but upon the ebbing of 
 the tide, it soon becomes fordable, and may be 
 passed over even by foot passengers. It is a 
 curious circumstance that at twelve o'clock at 
 noon, and at midnight, it is always fordable; 
 this apparent paradox is solved by knowing, that 
 at Spring tides it is always low water at these 
 hours, and that the Neap tides never rise suf- 
 ficiently high to impede the passage. 
 
 The Port of Hayle is situated on the eastern 
 side of the river, where a great trade is carried 
 on with Wales for timber, coals,* iron, and lime- 
 stone ; and with Bristol, for earthen-ware, gro- 
 ceries, &c. It is also one of the principal places 
 of export for the copper ore of the western mines* 
 In the former edition of this work we described 
 the processes by which the smelling and refining 
 of Copper were conducted at this place, but as it 
 was acknowledged to be much cheaper to carry 
 the ore to the coal, than to bring the coal to the 
 ore, the proprietors found themselves compelled 
 
 * Cornwall is exempted from the payment of any duties on coal, 
 so far as it is used for the working of the mines.
 
 ICO Port of Hayle. 
 
 to abandon the speculation. The buildings in 
 the neighbourhood, however, still continue as 
 memorials of the former existence of such works, 
 having been constructed with square masses of 
 the scoria,* which had been cast into moulds for 
 such purposes, as it issued from the furnace. In 
 the museum of the Geological Society at Pen- 
 zance the stranger may see an interesting model 
 of this Copper Jlouse, and of the furnaces em- 
 ployed in the reduction of the ore. 
 
 There are now at Hayle two very extensive 
 Iron Founderies, in which are cast the largest 
 engines which have been hitherto erected on 
 mines. They are wrought partly by water, and 
 partly by Steam Engines. Near the Copper 
 House the traveller will not fail to notice the 
 fine back-water dam, which was constructed 
 about thirty years since, for the scouring out of 
 the harbour. The effect has been a considerable 
 reduction of the sand which forms its bottom, so 
 that ships of much greater burden may now enter 
 it. The plan and execution of this work, which 
 was undertaken at the expense of the then exist- 
 
 * All the walls in the neighbourhood are built of the same ma- 
 terial ; and since these vitreous cubes are so piled upon each other 
 as to leave interstices, it has been facetiously observed that " in 
 Cornwall the walls are built of glass, and that you may distinctly see 
 through them."
 
 Inundation of Sand. 161 
 
 ing Hayle Copper Company, reflect great credit 
 on the late John Edwards, Esq., who first con- 
 ceived its practicability and advantage, and under 
 whose direction it was completed. A phenome- 
 non occurred at these works some years ago 
 which afforded a curious illustration of the secret 
 and destroying agency of Galvanic electricity. The 
 flood gates were found to undergo a very rapid 
 decay, which was perfectly inexplicable, until 
 the engineer ascertained that it depended en- 
 tirely upon the contact of iron and copper bolts 
 and braces, which had been introduced into the 
 different parts of the frame work. 
 
 The country around Hayle is entirely desolated 
 with sand, consisting of minutely comminuted ma- 
 rine shells, and which, with some few interrup- 
 tions extends all along the coast, from Saint Ives 
 to near Padstow, and in many places is drifted 
 into hills of sixty feet in elevation. There can 
 be but little doubt that this sand was originally 
 brought from the sea side by hurricanes, but not 
 even a popular tradition remains of the time or 
 manner of this extensive devastation, which has 
 reached, with some distinct intervals, nearly forty 
 miles in length. Some allusion to this event has 
 been supposed to have been discovered amongst 
 the ancient records of the Arundel family, fixing 
 L
 
 Arundo Arenaria. 
 
 the period about the twelfth century ; but Mr. 
 Boase observes, that the fact of the churches still 
 remaining more or less ingulphed, the age of 
 which does not much exceed three centuries, 
 decisively refutes such a conjecture. On the 
 other hand, it would appear that in the liber 
 calorum of Henry the Eighth, the living of Gwy- 
 thian was estimated far above its proportion to 
 adjoining parishes. By the shifting of the sand 
 by high winds, the tops of houses, and the ruins 
 of ancient buildings, may be occasionally seen at 
 this very day ; and in some places a great num- 
 ber of human bones have been discovered, deri- 
 ved from the cemetries which have been formerly 
 inundated. 
 
 The farther progress of the sand flood is at 
 length arrested by extensive plantations of the 
 Arundo Arenaria, or common sea rush.* 
 
 The most important geological circumstance 
 connected with the history of this sand is, that 
 
 * The value of this useful rush in checking the progress of sand, 
 has been long known ; there was an act of parliament in Scotland, 
 so long ago as the year 1695, to prevent persons who collected this 
 rush (then known by the name of Starre or Bent) for the purpose 
 of making mats, from plucking it up, and thereby loosening the 
 sand. A clause to the same effect was introduced into a multifarious 
 act of parliament in the year 1742. The operation of this clause 
 extends generally to the north-west coast of England ; but such 
 persons as claimed prescriptive right of cutting it on the sea coast 
 of Cumberland are exempted from its operation.
 
 The Sand solidifying into Rock. 163 
 
 on several parts of the coast, it is passing into 
 the state of a solid compact rock ! The fact was 
 first investigated by Dr. Paris, who has published 
 a memoir upon the subject in the first volume of 
 the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
 Cornwall; and as every scientific traveller must 
 be desirous of exploring so interesting a pheno- 
 menon we have extracted, from the paper above 
 mentioned, such notices as may be useful in 
 assisting his researches. 
 
 " The Sandstone which occurs on the northern 
 coast of Cornwall undoubtedly affords one of the 
 most splendid and instructive instances of a 
 Recent Formation upon record. We actually 
 detect Nature at work in changing calcareous 
 sand into stone ; and she does not refuse admit- 
 tance into her manufactory, nor does she conceal 
 with her accustomed reserve the details of the 
 operations in which she is engaged. It does not 
 however appear that any geologist has fully 
 availed himself of so rare an indulgence; to 
 drop the allegory, no complete or satisfactory 
 explanation has been hitherto afforded of this 
 most interesting formation, nor of the phenomena 
 which attend it. At the period that Dr. Borlase 
 wrote his History of Cornwall, the science of 
 Chemistry had scarcely dawned ; we cannot there-
 
 164 Interesting Formation 
 
 fore feel surprised at his having attributed * the 
 concretion of shelly sand to the agglutinating qua- 
 lity of sea water." 
 
 " The sand first appears in a slight, but en- 
 creasing state of aggregation on several parts of 
 the shore in the Bay of Saint Ives; but on ap- 
 proaching the Gwythian river it becomes more 
 extensively indurated. On the shore opposite 
 to Godrevy Island, an immense mass occurs of 
 more than a hundred feet in depth, containing 
 entire shells and fragments of clay-slate ; and it 
 is singular that the whole mass should assume a 
 very -striking appearance of stratification. In 
 some places, it appears that attempts have been 
 made to separate it, probably for the purpose of 
 building, for several old houses in Gwythian are 
 entirely built with it. The rocks in the vicinity 
 of this recent formation in the Bay of Saint Ives 
 are Greenstone and Clay-slate, which appear to 
 alternate. But it is around the promontory of 
 New Kaye, in Fistrel Bay, in the parish of Saint 
 Colurob Minor, that the geologist will be most 
 struck with this formation, for here there is 
 scarcely any other rock in sight. The cliffs, 
 which are high and extend for several miles, are 
 wholly composed of it, and are occasionally in- 
 tersected by veins and dykes of Breccia. In the
 
 of Recent Sandstone. 165 
 
 cavities hang calcareous stalactites of rude ap- 
 pearance. The beach is covered with disjointed 
 fragments, which have been detached from the clift' 
 above, many of which weigh at least from two to 
 three tons. The sandstone is also to be here seen 
 in different stages of induration ; from a state in 
 which it is too friable to be detached from the 
 rock upon which it reposes without crumbling, 
 to a hardness so considerable as to require a very 
 violent blow from a hammer to break it ;* indeed 
 holes are actually bored in some parts for the 
 purpose of admitting cables with which vessels 
 are moored. Buildings are here commonly con- 
 structed of it, and the church of Crantock is 
 entirely built with it. By the inhabitants the 
 stone is employed for various articles of domestic 
 and rural ceconomy." 
 
 " The Geologist, who has previously examined 
 the celebrated specimen from Guadaloupe, en- 
 closing a human skeleton, and which is now in 
 the British Museum, will be forcibly struck with 
 the great similitude which this stone bears to it ; 
 and suspecting that masses might be found con- 
 taining human bones imbedded, if a diligent 
 search were made in the vicinity of those ceme- 
 
 * A highly illustrative scries of this rock is deposited in the Gco- 
 logical Cabinet at Penzancc.
 
 166 Recent Sandstone. 
 
 tries which have been overwhelmed, 1 made an 
 excursion with my friend Sir ChristopherHawkins, 
 for that purpose ; but time and patience failed us, 
 and the discovery is reserved for some more per- 
 severing and fortunate member of the society." 
 
 " Such then is the nature and situation of this 
 most interesting formation. In the next place, 
 we have to enquire into the causes which have 
 operated in thus consolidating the sand, and into 
 the peculiar circumstfinces under which the ope- 
 ration has been conducted." 
 
 " It will appear that there are at least three 
 distinct modes by which the lapidification of cal- 
 careous sand may be effected, and that the present 
 formation is capable of affording characteristic 
 examples of each." 
 
 " The three species of cementing matter to 
 which I allude, are all deposited from water in 
 which they either exist chemically dissolved, or 
 mechanically suspended. The water deriving 
 them from the substances through which it perco- 
 lates ; thus is the first species of cement obtained 
 
 1. By the percolation of water, through a stra- 
 
 tum of calcareous sand, by which it becomes 
 impregnated with carbonate of lime. 
 
 2. By the percolation of water through strata 
 
 containing decomposing Sulphurels ; by
 
 Theory of the Phenomenon. JC7 
 
 which it becomes impregnated with Sitl- 
 phuric salts. 
 
 3. By the percolation of water through decani- 
 posing Clay-slate, or any other ferruginous 
 strata', by which it becomes impregnated 
 with Iron, Alumina, and other mineral 
 matter. 
 
 In the first case, the very small proportion of 
 carbonate of lime which is held in solution will 
 necessarily render it a powerful cement, since the 
 density and compactness of a precipitate will gene- 
 rally vary, inversely as the rapidity with which it 
 is deposited. This fact is familiarly illustrated by 
 the obstinate adhesion of calcareous incrustations 
 to the interior surfaces of water decanters. In 
 the second case, wherein a sulphuric salt would 
 appear to act the part of a cement, it may be ob- 
 served, that the sulphatization of pyrites in the 
 presence of calcareous matter is a very general 
 source of gypsum. The granular gypsum from 
 the Falls of Niagara, which is described by Dr. 
 Kidd as being " as white as snow," owes its 
 origin to a natural process of this decomposition ; 
 for I am informed by Dr. Maclure of Philadel- 
 phia, who has visited the spot, that it is formed 
 in consequence of the action of water upon de- 
 composing slate, which contains numerous veins
 
 168 Recent Sandstone. 
 
 of carbonate of lime and sulphate of iron. I have 
 also in my possession a series of incrustations 
 which were taken out of steam boilers in Corn- 
 wall, one of which presents an admirable instance 
 of the formation of sulphate of lime, its surface 
 being beautifully studded with its crystals ; the 
 water which supplied the boiler, and by the eva- 
 poration of which this substance was deposited, 
 was derived from a mine in clay-slate intersected 
 with veins of Pyrites and carbonate of lime. ," 
 
 " With regard to the third species of cementing 
 matter, viz. Oxide of Iron, it is scarcely neces- 
 sary to state, that in the induration of mineral 
 bodies Iron has been long known to act a very 
 important part; the most superficial observer 
 must have noticed the concretions which so fre- 
 quently appear on the beach around a rusty nail, 
 or any fragment of iron, while the mineralogist 
 must be acquainted with the proofs which Mr. 
 Kirwan has collected in support of the fact, |V>'or 
 is the part which it performs in the disintegration 
 of mineral bodies less obvious ; by its agency we 
 have seen a loose sand become a hard rock, but if 
 we extend our inquiry we shall find that Iron by 
 attracting a farther proportion of oxygen from 
 air or moisture, soon crumbles into dust, and 
 thus proves the immediate cause of the decom-
 
 Huel Alfred her Workings resumed. 169 
 
 position of that very rock, of which it formerly 
 constituted the indurating ingredient. In this, as 
 in every other operation, Nature preserves her 
 uniformity, producing the most diversified and 
 opposite effects by the modified application of 
 the same principles." 
 
 For this long digression we feel conscious that 
 some apology is necessary ; the extreme interest 
 as well as novelty of the phenomenon will at 
 once suggest a sufficient excuse to the geologist; 
 and to other observers it may at least be pleaded 
 in extenuation, that they have lost nothing by 
 the delay, for it has been in a district which offers 
 but few objects of amusement or instruction. 
 
 About a mile and a half south-east of Hayle is 
 Huel Alfred^ which was some years ago one of 
 the richest and most profitable Copper mines in 
 the county. The adventurers gained a clear 
 profit of nearly aB 130,000 during the period in 
 which it was wrought. In the year 1816, from 
 various causes, this mine was stopped, but about 
 six months ago a company of London gentlemen 
 embarked in the concern, and commenced their 
 operations in a very spirited manner. Before 
 Midsummer 1821, they expect to set at work two 
 steam-engines with cylinders of the immense size 
 of 90 inches in diameter, and one of less dimen-
 
 170 The Herland Mines. 
 
 sions. This mine will undoubtedly prove attrac- 
 tive and interesting to the mineralogist, as, du- 
 ring the last period of working, several curious 
 and rare minerals were discovered, as Stalactitic, 
 swimming, and cubic quartz ; carbonate, and phos- 
 phate of Lead f stalactitic, botryoidal, and invest- 
 ing Calcedony, &c. The lodes of this mine are 
 so large that should the stranger intend to visit 
 the interior of the earth, he cannot select a bet- 
 ter opportunity. 
 
 About a mile east of Huel Alfred are situated 
 the Herland Mines, which, after an interval of 
 twenty years, have been lately set at work again. 
 The adventurers in these mines are also prin- 
 cipally London capitalists, who have erected two 
 steam-engines of which the cylinders are 80 inches 
 in diameter. The mineralogist will not fail to 
 visit mines which were celebrated for the beauti- 
 ful specimens of Native Silver, Vitreous Silver 
 ore, and black oxide of Silver, found there during 
 the last period of its working, an account of 
 which, by the Rev. M. Hitchins, was published 
 in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 
 1801. 
 
 There is a remarkable contrast between the 
 lodes of Huel Alfred and those of Herland. The 
 former being few, but very large; the latter,
 
 Trevet/ioc. Saint Ert/i. 171 
 
 small but very numerous, and the ore peculiarly 
 rich. 
 
 The stranger may now proceed to Redruth, 
 between which place and Hayle, there is a regu- 
 lar line of rich Copper mines, but as we propose 
 to examine this metalliferous district in a future 
 excursion, we shall return by Saint Erth to Pen- 
 zance. 
 
 The desolate and barren appearance of the 
 country in the neighbourhood of Hayle Sands, is 
 much relieved by the woodland scenery of Treve- 
 thoe, the seat of the family of Praed; the father 
 of the present possessor first introduced the Pine- 
 aster JFVr, as a nurse for the growth of forest 
 trees, and the estate of Trevethoe, as well as 
 many others in the county, affords a striking 
 evidence of the expediency of the plan. To the 
 same gentleman we are indebted for the intro- 
 duction of the Arundo arenaria, above mentioned. 
 
 Arriving at the bridge of Saint Erth., the tra- 
 veller will perceive that a considerable portion 
 of the breadth of the peninsula is here penetrated 
 by an arm of the sea, and that the land which 
 succeeds it in a direction towards the south is so 
 low, that a canal might easily be cut along the 
 hills which terminate at Marazion, and a com- 
 munication be thus opened between the English
 
 172 The Smelting House. 
 
 and Irish Channels ; or that an iron rail-way for 
 the conveyance of coals, sand, &c. might be con- 
 structed at a comparatively small expense. 
 
 At Saint Erth, were formerly situated the 
 " Rolling Mills" for reducing blocks, or bars of 
 Copper, into flat sheets, as described in the first 
 edition of this " Guide ;" since, however, the 
 Copper-works at Hayle have been abandoned, 
 these mills have been used for rollinar and ham- 
 
 o 
 
 mering iron. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Saint Erth is Tredrea, 
 the Cornish residence of Da vies Gilbert, Esq. 
 M.P. 
 
 On our return to Penzance an opportunity 
 occurs of witnessing the operation of smelting 
 Tin ore.* It consists in first heating the ore, 
 
 * Tin appears to have been formerly smelted by the Jews, who 
 in the reign of King John monopolized the tin trade, by merely 
 hollowing out a plot of ground, and fusing the oxide with wood, in 
 an open fire. Many ancient remains of this operation have been 
 discovered in different parts of Cornwall, in which portions of 
 metallic tin embedded in a stratum of charred wood, or charcoal, 
 have been found ; and which have given rise to the fallacy res- 
 pecting the discovery of this metal in a native state. In examining 
 a fragment of this kind which was found under the surface of a 
 low and boggy ground in the parish of Kea, the late eminent che- 
 mist, Mr. William Gregor, observed a vein of saline matter running 
 through the mass, which he ascertained to be muriate of tin ; a 
 full account of this interesting phenomenon is published in the 
 first volume of the Transactions of the Cornish Society.
 
 Ludgican Church. 173 
 
 with about an eighth part of Culm,* in a rever- 
 batory furnace for six hours, during which period 
 the sulphur and arsenic are volatilized, and the 
 ore is reduced to its metallic state; the furnace 
 is then tapped, and the liquid metal run out', a 
 second melting, however, is necessary before it is 
 sufficiently pure to be cast into blocks^ and as- 
 sayed at the Coinage. After this last melting, 
 and before the Tin is poured into the moulds, a 
 piece of green apple-tree wood is thrown into 
 the liquid metal, and kept under its surface; the 
 effect of which is to throw up the scoria with ra- 
 pidity ; it would seem to act merely in producing 
 a violent ebullition by the sudden disengagement 
 of steam. One hundred parts of the oxide of Tin 
 (" Black Tin 1 '') at an average will yield about 
 65 parts of metal, or White Tin, as it is technically 
 termed. 
 
 Ludgvan Church, which appears upon an eleva- 
 tion on the right of the road leading to Penzance, 
 and which forms so prominent a feature on the 
 shores of the bay, will be visited by the Antiquary 
 
 * Culm. A species of very pure coal containing no sulphur. 
 It is imported from Wales. 
 
 + It is a favourite custom to dress a beef-steak on the pure Tin 
 in the mould, as soon as the surface becomes sufficiently hard to 
 bear it ; and it must be admitted to be very far superior to that 
 which is cooked in the ordinary manner.
 
 174 Tomb of Dr. Borlase, 
 
 with sensations of respect, when he learns that it 
 contains the mortal remains of Dr. Borlase the 
 venerable and learned author of the Natural His- 
 tory and Antiquities of Cornwall. From the latin 
 Inscription on his tomb it appears that he was 
 fifty-two years rector of this parish, and that he 
 died August 31st 1772, in the 77th year of his 
 age. Although Dr. Borlase spent the greater 
 part of a long life in this retired district, his fame 
 as a scholar had spread through all the literary 
 circles of the age. If we require any other tes- 
 timony of his talents than that which his own 
 works will afford, we may receive it from no less 
 an oracle than POPE, with whom he regularly 
 corresponded. In a letter written by the Poet, 
 to express his thanks for the present of a Cornish 
 diamond, presented by Dr. Borlase for the deco- 
 ration of his grotto, Pope thus expresses himself, 
 " I have received your gift, and have so placed 
 it in my grotto, that it will resemble the donor 
 in the shade , but shining." 
 
 If in the course of the present work we have 
 ventured any remarks upon the opinions of Dr. 
 Borlase which may be considered in the slightest 
 degree disrespectful to his talents, we willingly 
 offer this expiation at his shrine. His errors, 
 whatever they may have been, were the inevi-
 
 the learned Antiquarian. 175 
 
 table consequence of the infant state of those 
 sciences indirectly connected with his pursuits, 
 not the result of literary incapacity, or of de- 
 praved judgment. 
 
 " Custodial Urnam 
 Cana Fides, vigilentque perenni lampade Musae." 
 
 About half a mile below the Church-Totsn, 
 crossing the road to Marazion, is a vallum thrown 
 up in the civil war by the Parliament forces when 
 they besieged Saint Michael's Mount.
 
 176 Excursion to Red ruth. 
 
 EXCURSION V. 
 
 TO REDRUTH, AND THE MINING DISTRICTS IN ITS 
 VICINITY. 
 
 IN the present excursion, the traveller in search 
 of the Picturesque will meet with but meagre 
 fare ; for many a mile has the face of nature been 
 robbed of all ornament, and the interior of the 
 earth has been scattered over its surface in the 
 anxious pursuit of mineral treasures. The un- 
 sightly mounds of rubbish thus produced have 
 been accumulating for centuries, and are so high- 
 ly impregnated with mineral matter that not a 
 blade of grass will vegetate upon them. 
 
 The intelligent traveller, however, must not 
 anticipate an excursion as destitute of interest 
 and variety as the surface of the country which 
 he is about to traverse, for like the shabby mien 
 of the miser, its aspect but ill accords with its 
 hoards; and the total absence of cultivation ami 
 rural ornament, is soon forgotten amidst the
 
 Antiquity of the Tin Mines. 177 
 
 richest field of mineraloglcal enquiry which any 
 country ever afforded. 
 
 As our present object is to afford the stranger 
 such directions as may enable him to inspect this 
 mining district with advantage, and to visit what- 
 ever is interesting and instructive in connection 
 with it, it may in the first instance be expedient 
 to offer a general outline of the modes in which 
 the Cornish mines are worked, before we enter 
 into the details of topographical description. 
 
 For many centuries* the Tin Mines in Corn- 
 wall ha^e given to the country a very important 
 place in the (Economical history of nations, and 
 furnished a perpetual source of employment to a 
 very large population, which exclusive of the 
 artisans, tradesmen, and merchants, cannot be 
 estimated at less than sixty thousand persons. 
 
 All the transactions connected with the Tin 
 Mines are under the controul of the Stannary 
 Laws. Courts are held every month, arid they 
 
 * The Phoenicians traded upon the western coasts of Cornwall, 
 for at least six hundred years before the birth of our Saviour, and 
 that for the sake of Tin ; so that the antiquity of our tin trade 
 has been established upon mercantile principles for not less than 
 twenty-four centuries. But in the earlier ages this metal was all 
 procured from Stream Works, the method of working mines not 
 having been known and practised for more than seven hundred 
 years. 
 
 M
 
 178 The Manner of working 
 
 decide by juries of six persons, with a progres- 
 sive appeal to the Lord Warden, and Lords of 
 the Duke of Cornwall's council ; no custom, 
 however, or ancient law, prevails as to the work- 
 ing of Copper or Lead in the Stannaries, and 
 therefore all agreements are made upon such 
 terms as are decided on by the contracting 
 parties. 
 
 At present the greatest metallic product of the 
 county is Copper,* although this metal is, com- 
 paratively of modern discovery, and has not 
 been worked longer than a century. The reason 
 assigned for its having so long remained con- 
 cealed is the assumed fact, that Copper generally 
 occurs at a much greater depth than Tin, and 
 that, consequently, the ancients for want of 
 proper machinery to drain off the water were 
 compelled to relinquish the metallic vein before 
 they reached the Copper ; it is stated by Pryce, 
 in his Mineralogia Cornubiensis, as a general 
 rule, that Tin seldom continued rich and worth 
 working lower than 50 fathoms ; but of late years 
 the richest Tin mines in Cornwall have been 
 
 * In the year 1822, the produce of the Copper mines in Corn- 
 wall amounted to 106,723 tons of ore, which produced 9,331 tons 
 in Copper, and 676,285 in money. Whereas the quantity of Tin 
 Ore raised did not exceed 20,000 tons.
 
 the Cornish Mines. 179 
 
 much deeper. Trevenen Mine was 150, Hewas 
 Downs 140, Poldice 120, and Huel For is now 
 upwards of 130 fathoms in depth. 
 
 Upon the first discovery of Copper ore, the 
 miner to whom its nature was entirely unknown, 
 gave it the name of Poder ; and it will hardly 
 be credited in these times, when it is stated, that 
 he regarded it not only as useless, but upon its 
 appearance was actually induced to abandon the 
 mine, the common expression upon such an 
 occasion was, that " the ore came in and spoilt 
 the Tin.* About the year 1735, Mr. Coster, a 
 mineralogist of Bristol, observed this said Poder 
 among the heaps of rubbish, and seeing that the 
 miners were wholly unacquainted with its value, 
 he formed the design of converting it to his own 
 advantage ; he accordingly entered into a con- 
 tract to purchase as much of it as could be sup- 
 plied. The scheme succeeded, and Coster long 
 continued to profit by Cornish ignorance. 
 
 The mines in the county of Cornwall consist 
 chiefly of Tin and Copper, besides which there 
 
 * The Saxon Miners formerly regarded Cobalt in the same way. 
 They considered it so troublesome when they found it among other 
 ores, that a prayer was used in the German Church, that God 
 icould preserve Miners from Cobalt, and from Spirits. 
 
 M 2
 
 180 The Manner of working 
 
 are some which yield Lead*, Cobalt,t and 
 Silver.}: The ores are in veins which are pro- 
 vincially termed Lodes, the most important of 
 which run in an east and west direction ; during 
 their course they vary considerably in width, 
 from that of a barley-corn to 36 feet ; || the aver- 
 age may be stated at from one to four feet. It 
 is, however, by no means regular, the same lode 
 will vary in size from six inches to two feet, in 
 the space of a few fathoms. No instance has yet 
 occurred of lodes having been cut out in depth ; 
 the deepest mine now at work is Dolcoath, which 
 
 * Lead is principally found in cross courses, or north and south 
 veins. Pentire Glaze, near Padstow, which has lately produced 
 the finest cabinet specimens of Carbonate of Lead, ever found in 
 this country ; and Iluel Golding in Perranzabuloe, are the principal 
 mines in which the Lead occurs in cross courses. Lately, how- 
 ever, East and West Lodes of Lead have been discovered in the 
 Parish of Newlyn, by Sir C. Hawkins, in draining a marsh. They 
 are about two feet wide. Besides the Lead and a little quartz, they 
 consist entirely of Clay ; neither Copper nor Tin have been seen in 
 them. The Lead yields about Sixty Ounces of Silver per Ton. 
 
 f Cobalt. Iluel Sparnon Tin and Copper Mine in the Parish of 
 Redruth, is the only mine in the county that ever produced any 
 considerable quantity of Cobalt; one fragment raised from it 
 weighed 1333 Ibs. 
 
 Silver. In the Copper Lode of Huel Ann, there occurred a 
 distinct vein of black and grey Silver ore, with Native Silver, from 
 two to five inches wide with a wall of Quartz, on each side. It 
 was however very short. See Mr. Game's paper on the Silver 
 Mines of Cornwall, Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
 Cornwall, vol. i. p. 118. 
 
 || Only one Lode in Cornwall has, however, been found of this 
 size, and that only for the length of 20 fathoms in Jtdistian. In 
 Nangiles the lode is, in some parts, 30 feet wide.
 
 the Cornish Mines. 181 
 
 is about 235 fathoms from the surface to the 
 lowest part.* Crenver and Oaffield have lately 
 been stopped ; they were 240 fathoms deep. The 
 rocks through which the lodes descend are of 
 different kinds, thus are Copper and Tin found 
 in granite, as well as in slateA The Tin in these 
 veins \ generally occurs in the state of an oxide', 
 the only Copper ore of any consequence is Cop- 
 per Pyrites, or Sulphuret of Copper; the arsen- 
 iates, carbonates, &c. being too small in quantity 
 to be of any importance in a mining point of 
 view. Iron and Arsenical Pyrites are also very 
 common attendants, and are both confounded 
 under the name of Mundic. Besides the metal- 
 liferous veins which run easterly and westerly, 
 we have already stated that there are others, not 
 generally containing ore, which maintain a direc- 
 tion from North to South, and on that account 
 are called cross courses, and often prove to the 
 miner a great source of trouble and vexation ; 
 
 * As the Counting House of Dolcoath has been determined to 
 be 360 feet above the level of the sea, the mine extends 1050 feet 
 below it ; which is probably deeper under the sea level than any 
 mine in the globe. 
 
 + Clay Slate is provincially called Killas; and Porphyry is 
 known by the name of Elvan. 
 
 | For a full account of this subject, the reader must consult 
 Mr. Game's laborious paper, " On the Veins of Cornwall" in the 
 2nd Volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society 
 of Cornwall.
 
 182 The Manner of working 
 
 for they not only cut through the other veins, 
 but frequently alter their position, OP heave them, 
 as it is termed ; and it is a very curious fact that 
 most of the Tin and Copper lodes, thus heaved, 
 are shifted in such a manner, as to be generally 
 found by turning to the right hand ; left handed 
 heaves being comparatively rare. Jn Huel Peever 
 this vexatious phenomenon occurred, and it was 
 not until after a search of forty years that the 
 lode was recovered.* The discovery of metalli- 
 ferous veins is effected by various methods, the 
 most usual one is by sinking pits to the solid 
 rock, and then driving a trench north and south, 
 so as to meet with every vein in the tract through 
 which it passes; the process is a very ancient 
 one, and is termed Costeening.^ The operation, 
 however, of opening a new mine from the sur- 
 face, or from Grass, | as it is called, is not one 
 
 * We must refer the reader to a Paper, " On the Veins of Corn- 
 wall," by W. Phillips, Esq, published in the 2nd vol. of the 
 Transactions of the London Geological Society ; and also to a 
 Paper, " On the relative Age of Veins," by Joseph Carne, Esq. in 
 the 2nd vol. of the Cornish Transactions. 
 
 + We shall pass oyer, as being too absurd to require any 
 serious refutation, the former belief in the power of the Virgula 
 Divinatoria to discover Lodes. A power less poetical but not less 
 fabulous then the story of the Virga Fatalis that conducted ^Eneas 
 to the Shade". 
 
 Grass is the technical name for the surface on all occasions.
 
 the Cornish Mines. 183 
 
 of frequent occurrence.* The reworking of 
 mines which have been formerly abandoned, on 
 account of the produce being insufficient to pay 
 the costs, from the fall of the standard price of 
 ore, is quite sufficient to absorb all the specu- 
 lative spirit of the country. 
 
 But by whatever accident or method a lode 
 may be discovered, the leave of the proprietor of 
 the soil must be obtained before any operations 
 can be commenced, except in such cases of Tin 
 Mines as are anciently embounded according to 
 the provisions of the Stannary Laws. The owner 
 of the land is technically called the Lord, whose 
 share (which is termed his Disk) is generally 
 one-sixth, or one - eighth of the profits ; the 
 parties who engage to work the mine are called 
 Adventurers, their shares depending upon their 
 original contributions and agreements. 
 
 When it has been determined to work a mine, 
 three material points are to be considered ; viz. 
 the discharge of the water, the removal of the 
 barren rock and rubbish (deads), and the raising 
 of the ore. One of the first objects, therefore, is 
 to cut an Adit,+ as it is called, which in an in- 
 
 * The great Copper Mine, railed Crennin, was discovered by 
 some casual observers in the cliff. 
 + From 4ditus, a passage ?
 
 184 The Manner of working 
 
 clined underground passage, about six feet high, 
 and 2| wide, and is generally commenced at the 
 bottom of a neighbouring valley, and is driven 
 up to the vein, for the purpose of draining it of 
 water above their point of contact ; these Adits 
 are sometimes continued to a very considerable 
 distance, and although the expense of forming 
 them is necessarily very considerable, yet they 
 are found to afford the most oeconomical method 
 of getting rid of the water, in as much as it saves 
 the labour of the steam-engine in raising it to 
 (Grass) the surface. As soon as the vertical 
 aperture, or Shaft, is sunk to some depth, a 
 machine called a Whim is erected, to bring up 
 the deads, and ore. It consists of a perpendicular 
 axis on which a large hollow cylinder of timber, 
 termed the Cage, revolves; and around this a 
 rope, directed down the Shaft by a pulley, winds 
 horizontally. In the axis a transverse beam is 
 fixed, at the ends of which two horses are fast- 
 ened, and going their rounds haul up a basket 
 (or Kibbul) full of ore, or deads, whilst an empty 
 one is descending.* As the lode never runs down 
 perpendicularly it is necessary to cut galleries, 
 
 * The application of this machine in the county is estimated as 
 saving the labour of 10,000 men; whilst the powers of the dif- 
 ferent steam-engines are considered as at least equivalent to 40,000 
 more,
 
 the Cornish Mines. 185 
 
 called Levels, horizontally on the vein, one above 
 another. These levels are, in the first instance, 
 about two feet wide, and six feet high, but vary- 
 ing according to circumstances, and being fre- 
 quently extended much beyond their original di- 
 mensions. They are driven one above the other 
 at intervals of from 10 to 20, or 30 fathoms. 
 When extended to a certain distance from the 
 original vertical Shaft, it is necessary, for the 
 sake of ventilation, as well as for other reasons, 
 to form a second which is made to traverse all 
 the levels in the same manner as the first. A 
 communication is frequently only made between 
 two galleries by a partial shaft (called a Wins) in 
 the interval between the two great shafts. When 
 there are more than one lode worked in the same 
 mine, as frequently happens, Levels often run 
 parallel to each other at the same depth. In this 
 case they communicate by intermediate Levels 
 driven through the rock (or Country as it is 
 called) which are denominated Cross-cuts. A 
 mine thus consists of a series of horizontal gal- 
 leries, generally one above the other, but some- 
 times running parallel, traversed at irregular in- 
 tervals by vertical shafts, and all, either directly 
 or indirectly, communicating with each other.* 
 
 * See Dr. Forbes's Paper " On the Temperature of Mines," in 
 the second volume of the Transactions of the Cornish Society.
 
 186 The Descent into a Mine. 
 
 The subterranean excavations are effected by 
 breaking down the looser parts by the pickaxe, 
 and by blasting the more solid rock by gun- 
 powder.* In accomplishing this latter operation 
 the most melancholy accidents have occurred, in 
 consequence of the iron rammer coming in con- 
 tact with some siliceous substance, and thus strik- 
 ing fire. The recurrence of this evil it is hoped 
 has been prevented by the laudable efforts of the 
 Geological Society as above related (see page 30), 
 and that the " Iron Age" has taken its final de- 
 parture. 
 
 If the traveller is inclined to descend into a 
 mine he is to be first accoutred in a flannel 
 jacket and trowsers, a close cap, an old broad- 
 brimmed hat, and a thick pair of shoes ; a lighted 
 candle is put into one hand, and a spare one sus- 
 pended to a button of his jacket. The flannel 
 dress is worn close to the skin, in order to absorb 
 the perspiration, and every part of the ordinary 
 dress is laid aside ; thus equipped, if he possess 
 sufficient strength of nerve, he may descend the 
 vertical ladders with the most perfect ease and 
 security ; but will a view of the mine repay all 
 this trouble and fatigue? let us hear what Dr. 
 
 * The annual cost of gunpowder, used in the mines of the county, 
 amounts to more than thirty thousand pounds.
 
 The Interior of a Mine. 187 
 
 Forbes has said upon this occasion.* " A person 
 unacquainted with the details of mining, on being 
 informed of many hundreds of men being em- 
 ployed in a single mine, might naturally imagine 
 that a visit to their deep recesses would afford a 
 picturesque and imposing spectacle of gregarious 
 labour and bustle, tremendous noise, and much 
 artificial brilliancy to cheer the gloom. Nothing, 
 however, is further from the truth, as far as re- 
 gards the mines of Cornwall ; for, like their fel- 
 low labourers the moles, the miners are solitary 
 in their operations. Seldom do we find more 
 than three or four men in one level, or gallery, at 
 a time, where they are seen pursuing the common 
 operations of digging or boring the rock, by the 
 feeble glimmering of a small candle, stuck close 
 by them, with very little noise or much latitude 
 for bodily movement ; besides whom there are 
 generally one or two boys employed in wheeling 
 the broken ore, &c. to the shaft. Each of these 
 boys has also a candle affixed to his wheelbarrow, 
 by the universal subterranean candlestick, a piece 
 of clay. A certain band of men, who, however 
 numerous, are always called " a Pair" generally 
 undertake tke working of a particular Level. 
 
 * Transactions of tlje Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
 vol. '2, page 162.
 
 188 Interior of a Mine. 
 
 These subdivide themselves into smaller bodies, 
 which, by relieving each other at the end of every 
 six or eight hours, keep up the work uninter- 
 ruptedly, except on Sunday. By means of this 
 subdivision of the Pairs, there is in general not 
 more than one-third of the underground labourers 
 below at any one time. Very seldom are the 
 miners within the sound of each other's opera- 
 tions, except occasionally when they hear the dull 
 report of the explosions. In the vicinity of the 
 main shaft, indeed, the incessant action of the 
 huge chain of pumps, produces a constant, but 
 not very loud noise, while the occasional rattling 
 of the metallic buckets against the walls of the 
 shaft, as they ascend and descend, relieves the 
 monotony both of the silence and the sound. Still 
 every thing is dreary, dull, and cheerless ; and 
 you can be with difficulty persuaded, even when 
 in the richest and most populous mines, that you 
 are in the centre of such extensive and important 
 operations." For keeping the workings from 
 being inundated, each mine is furnished with a 
 chain of pumps, extending from the bottom to 
 the adit-level, worked by a single pump-rod ; each 
 pump receiving the water brought up by the one 
 immediately below it. All the water of the deep- 
 est level finds its way into the bottom of the
 
 Temperature of Mines. 1 89 
 
 mine, technically called the Sump, whence it is 
 finally elevated to the adit, through which it 
 flows by a gentle descent to the surface.* 
 
 We have yet to notice a fact connected with 
 the natural history of these subterranean recesses, 
 which has lately excited a very considerable share 
 of interest in the members of the Cornish Geolo- 
 gical Society, that the natural temperature of the 
 earth in these mines is considerably above that of 
 the mean of the climate, and increases with the 
 depth, at the rate of about one degree for evert/ 50 
 or 60 feet.']: Does there exist then a permanent 
 source of heat in the interior of the earth ? 
 
 The business of a mine is managed by a fore- 
 
 *> 
 
 man, called the Captain, who keeps the accounts, 
 and pays and regulates the miners; there are 
 also Under-ground Captains, who have the imme- 
 diate inspection of the works below. There exists 
 a popular belief that the Cornish miner frequently 
 lives under ground for many days, or weeks, 
 
 * The quantity of water discharged by the pumps from many 
 of the Cornish mines is very considerable ; thus Hucl Abraham 
 discharges from the depth of 1440 feet, about 2,092,320 gallons 
 every 24 hours; Dolcoath^ from nearly the same depth, 535,173 
 gallons in the same time; and Hucl For, from the depth of 950 
 feet, 1,692,660 gallons. 
 
 + See Dr. Forbes's paper on the temperature of mines, in the 
 Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, vol. 2, 
 p. 208; also on the temperature of mines, by R.W. Fox, Esq. ibid, 
 p. 14, and a paper on the same subject byM. P. Moyle, Esq. p. 404.
 
 190 . The value of Mines, 
 
 without ever visiting the surface. This is never 
 the case at any time, or under any circumstances. 
 He does not even eat, much less sleep, in the 
 mine, but returns to grass, and to his home, often 
 many miles distant, at whatever depth he may 
 have been working, when relieved from his la- 
 bours. 
 
 With respect to the value of the mines, con- 
 sidered as property, it may be observed, that 
 the whole concern is a Lottery, in which there 
 exist many blanks to a prize, and were the whole 
 of the speculation to be invested in any one indi- 
 vidual, there is no doubt but that, after paying 
 the required dues to the lords of the soil, and 
 defraying the necessary expenses for working the 
 mines, he would at the conclusion of the year 
 be a loer by many thousand pounds. It is very 
 true that there are many cases of extraordinary 
 gain,* but these are balanced by more numerous 
 concerns in which loss is incurred. How then 
 
 * Crennis Copper Mine returned a clear profit to the adventu- 
 rers of ;84,000 in one year ; and Huel Alfred, during the last 
 period of its working, yielded very nearly =130,000, after having 
 defrayed every necessary expense. The adventurers in Huel Vor 
 have lately gained 10,000 in three months. But, on the contrary, 
 how numerous are the losses, not perhaps corresponding in mag- 
 nitude, in any individual mine, to the gains which have been above 
 stated. In North Downs as much as ,90,000 were lost, but this 
 is a rare instance.
 
 considered as Property. 191 
 
 does it happen that any capitalists can be induced 
 to engage in the speculation ? the answer is ob- 
 vious, for the very same reason that they are 
 induced to purchase tickets in the Sate Lottery. 
 There are moreover additional motives which 
 induce individuals of a certain description to 
 embark in the speculation, although, as simple 
 adventurers, they may scarcely anticipate suc- 
 cess, such are landholders, who are naturally 
 desirous of promoting an undertaking from which 
 they must necessarily receive considerable dues; 
 or merchants, who by becoming shareholders, 
 are empowered to supply the mines with timber, 
 candles,* gunpowder, and other articles which 
 are required for its working. 
 
 Having thus considered the mode in which the 
 ore is excavated from the mine, and brought to 
 the surface, let us examine the processes by 
 which it ultimately assumes the state of market- 
 able metal. 
 
 The Tin ore is first spoiled, as it is termed, 
 that is, broken into smaller fragments, and sepa- 
 rated from the worthless parts ; it is then pound- 
 
 * The consumption of such articles in a great mine far exceeds 
 any estimate which a person unacquainted with mining operations 
 could possibly imagine. In Huel For, no less than Three thousand 
 pounds of candles are consumed in a month, and about Three 
 thousand five hundred pounds of Gunpowder.
 
 192 Stamping. Buddling. 
 
 ed in the Stamping mill,* an operation which is 
 essential to the complete separation of the oxide 
 from the hard matrix through which it is dis- 
 seminated : if full of slime it is first thrown into 
 a pit called a huddle, where it is worked in order 
 to render the Stamping more free, and to prevent 
 it from choaking the grates ; if however it is free 
 from slime, the ore is shoveled into a kind of 
 sloping canal of timber, culled the Pass, whence 
 it slides by its own weight, and the assistance of 
 a small stream of water, into the box where the 
 Lifters work ; the Lifters are raised by a water 
 wheel, and they are armed at the bottom with 
 large masses of iron weighing nearly two hun- 
 dred weight, which pound or slump the ore small 
 enough for its passage through the holes of an 
 iron grate fixed in one end of the box, a rill of 
 water carries it by a small gutter into the^bre 
 pit, where it makes its first settlement, the lighter 
 particles running forward with the water into 
 the middle pit, and thence into the third, where 
 what is called the slime, or finest portion, settles ; 
 from these pits the ore is carried to the Keere, 
 which is a large vat containing water, in which 
 
 * Before the invention of the Stamping Mill, the Tin was pul- 
 verised in a kind of mortar, called a Crazing Mill; one of which 
 ancient machines is still in the possession of Mr. Williams of Scor- 
 rier House.
 
 Tozing, and other processes. 193 
 
 it is farther purified by an operation called tozing, 
 and which consists in stirring the water round 
 by means of a small shovel, with such velocity 
 as to keep the tin stuff in a state of suspension, 
 until the whole quantity which can be managed 
 by one operation is thrown into the vat, and when 
 the Tozer slackens his efforts, the Tin subsides 
 to the bottom, from its greater specific gravity, 
 leaving the sand and other impurities at the top; 
 while this is going on the upper part of the ves- 
 sel is beaten with mallets for some minutes, in 
 order more effectually to ensure this separation. 
 
 A third process still remains to be described, 
 that of Dressing the sand on an inclined plain 
 with the assistance of a small stream of water; a 
 great degree of manual dexterity is here requi- 
 site ; the object, however, is effected wi(h less 
 trouble and expense, and much more completely, 
 by the German "Repercussion Frames," of which 
 there is a model in the Geological Museum at 
 Penzance. 
 
 Upon the same mechanical principle of separa- 
 tion, founded on the relative specific gravities of 
 the Tin oxide, and the earthy matters with which 
 it may be mixed, the Tinner is at once enabled 
 to estimate the value of any given sample of ore ; 
 for which purpose the Tin stuff is placed on a 
 
 N
 
 194 The 1 in ruins; House. 
 
 shovel, and washed under a stream of water, 
 until the impure earthy particles are carried off 
 from its sides, when by a peculiar and dextrous 
 motion, not easily described, all the particles of 
 the ore are collected together on the fore part of 
 the shovel. This operation is called Vanning. 
 
 When the Tin ore is contaminated with Mundic, 
 that is, with Arsenical and Iron Pyrites, it is first 
 roasted in the Burning House, and then washed; 
 by which means the Tin, which is heavy, is easily 
 separated from the other ores, which are compara- 
 tively light. If any Sulphuret of Copper be pre- 
 sent, the same process is calculated to separate 
 it, by thus converting it into a Sulphate,* as 
 described at page 128. 
 
 When the ore is dressed, the lord of the soil 
 receives that portion which is his due, after which 
 it is divided into as many doles or shares, as there 
 are adventurers ; and these are measured out by 
 barrows, an account of which is kept, in the man- 
 ner of the old times, by a person who notches a 
 stick. 
 
 The manner of dressing and cleansing Copper 
 
 * This process might be more generally employed in Cornwall 
 with much advantage. The green coloured water which so fre- 
 quently issues from the adits, might be made to yield a consider- 
 able portion of Copper, if it were properly received in pits, and 
 submitted to the action of Iron.
 
 The Standard Barrow. 195 
 
 ore is nearly similar to that of Tin, except indeed 
 that as it is raised in large masses, and is tolera- 
 bly pure, it does not generally require Stamping, 
 nor much washing. 
 
 All these different processes furnish employ- 
 ment for a great number of women and children, 
 and it is really interesting to see the dexterity 
 and cheerfulness with which they pursue the oc- 
 cupation. There is, however, one practice which 
 ought to be reformed the burthen of the Stand- 
 ard Barrow used in carrying Copper, and which is 
 said to contain three hundred weight; in addition 
 to which we must allow for the weight of the 
 
 o 
 
 barrow itself, and that of the water held by the 
 recently washed ore, so that it cannot be esti- 
 mated at less than four hundred weight. This is 
 an enormous burthen, which is borne by all de- 
 scriptions of persons who are employed in dress- 
 ing and weighing, and it has given rise to many 
 evils. 
 
 Those who work below have generally a 
 wretched and emaciated appearance, although 
 they seldom continue longer under ground than 
 six hours in the twenty-four, but are relieved by 
 a fresh corps. Pulmonary consumption may be 
 said to be the disease to which they are more 
 particularly liable. 
 
 N 2
 
 196 Names of the Cornish Mines. 
 
 The names by which the Cornish mines are 
 distinguished are usually invented by the first 
 adventurers, and are often whimsical enough, 
 the usual prefix, Huel, (always pronounced, and 
 generally erroneously spelt, Wheel) signifies in 
 the Cornish language a hole ; while the specific 
 name of the mine is taken from some trivial or 
 accidental circumstance, thus Dolcoath was the 
 name of an old woman, Dorothy Koath, who lived 
 upon the spot where the working of the mine 
 commenced ; If uel Providence was so called from 
 the accidental way in which it was discovered ; 
 and Huel Boys from the lode having been first 
 noticed by children who had been playing, and 
 digging pits in imitation of shafts. 
 
 By a rough calculation it may be stated that 
 there are about 130 mines in the county, but the 
 number is of course subject to variation ; old 
 workings being frequently given up, and new 
 mines opened, or forsaken ones resumed. 
 
 Besides the mines, there are also " Stream 
 Works,'' which aftord a large quantity of the 
 purest oxide.* They occur in vallies, and derive 
 their name from the manner in which they are 
 worked ; which merely consists in washing the 
 
 * Stream Tin, on account of its purity, is alone capable of fur- 
 nishing the grain tin, employed principally by dyers.
 
 Stream Works. Native Gold. 197 
 
 alluvial soil by directing a stream of water over 
 it, when the finer particles being washed away, 
 the Tin ore is procured in a separate form.* The 
 process is termed Streaming for Tin. It is a 
 singular fact that the only traces of Gold to be 
 found in Cornwallt are in these alluvial deposi- 
 tions, in which it sometimes occurs in small 
 grains, mostly detached, but occasionally ad- 
 hering to quartz. The miners engaged in the 
 stream works are generally prepared with quills, 
 into which they drop these particles as they find 
 them, and when the quill is full, it is carried to 
 the goldsmith for sale, and considered as a per- 
 quisite. 
 
 * The principal Stream works are in the parishes of Lanlivery, 
 Luxilian, St. Blazy, St. Austel, St. Mewan, St. Stephens, and St. 
 Columb. The greatest Stream work in the county is at Carnon, 
 about half-way between Truro and Penrhyn ; but there is scarcely 
 a valley in which the operation has not been conducted on a small 
 scale. 
 
 f In the Ordnance Map of Cornwall, a spot marked " THE 
 GOLD MINE" is noticed, near Liskeard. This name serves only 
 to commemorate one of the many ruinous speculations into which 
 the inhabitants of this County have repeatedly fallen, from a want 
 of mineralogical knowledge. A mass of Pyrites having been dis- 
 covered in this place, its brilliancy induced a belief that it was 
 GOLD, in consequence of which workings were immediately com- 
 menced, and the sanguine adventurers, urged forward no doubt 
 by those who derived an interest from the undertaking, could not 
 be convinced of their error, until the complete ruin of their for-, 
 tunes obliged them to abandon every hope.
 
 198 Clowance. Pendarves. Tchidy. 
 
 But it is time for us to resume our topographi- 
 cal descriptions 
 
 In our road to Redruth we pass Clowance the 
 seat of Sir John St. Aubyn, Baronet. Pendarces 
 the residence of Edward William Wynne Pen- 
 darves, Esq. son of the late John Stackhouse, 
 Esq. the elegant author of " Nereis Britannica," 
 and Tehidy Park, the mansion of Francis Bas- 
 set, Lord de Dunstanville, &c. 
 
 About two miles west of Redruth, is DOL- 
 COATH, a copper mine which every intelligent 
 traveller ought to visit, not only on account of 
 the immensity of the concern, and the ability and 
 liberality with which it is conducted, but be- 
 cause it is so situated on the brow of a hill, that 
 the spectator can at one glance see all the prin- 
 cipal machinery by which it is worked. It is 
 quite impossibe to convey an idea of this singu-< 
 lar and interesting scene ; Steam Engines ; 
 Water Wheels ; Horse Whims ; Stamping 
 Mills, are all in motion before us, while in the 
 glen beneath us many hundred labourers are to 
 be seen busily engaged in the different operations 
 of separating, dressing, and carrying the ore. 
 The same stream of water pouring down the 
 hill turns successively numerous overshot wheels, 
 and serves various other purposes in its course;
 
 The Mines of Dolcoath and Cook's Kitchen. 199 
 
 and, having thus performed upon the surface, 
 all that ingenuity could devise, or the operations 
 of mining require, it is conducted into the bowels 
 of the earth, where, at a hundred and fifty feet 
 beneath its surface, it again turns an overshot 
 wheel of fifty feet in diameter, and becomes 
 again subservient to the skilful exertions of the 
 miner. In the whole circle of human inventions 
 there is nothing which so fully manifests the 
 resources of intellect, for the production of im- 
 mense effects, as the stupendous art of mining; 
 and it is impossible that the workings of Dol- 
 coath can be viewed without the strongest sensa- 
 tion of wonder and exultation. The works of 
 the mine stretch upwards of a mile in length 
 from east to west ; an extent of ground pene- 
 trated by innumerable shafts, and honey-combed 
 by subterranean galleries. Upon the summit of 
 the hill is another rich copper mine, Cook's 
 Kitchen, which is on the same suite of lodes as 
 JDolcoath, but separated by a cross-course which 
 forms a natural boundary to both. This cross- 
 course has so heaved the lodes, that many which 
 are worked with great profit in the former mine 
 cannot be discovered in the latter, notwithstand- 
 ing the laborious search which has been made 
 for that purpose.
 
 200 Redruth.Chaccwatcr Mine. 
 
 The picturesque effect of this scenery is not a 
 little heightened by the bold elevation of Carn- 
 breh Hill, which, crowned with the mouldering 
 remains of past ages, rises, as if in mockery of 
 the boasted prowess of art, and forms a most 
 striking and impressive contrast to the active 
 scene before us. 
 
 REDRUTH is a very populous town of high 
 antiquity, situated in the bosom of the mining 
 district, and capable of affording very excellent 
 accommodation to the mineralogist who may be 
 desirous of remaining some days for the purpose 
 of inspecting, at his leisure, the numerous mines 
 by which it is surrounded. The general level of 
 this metalliferous district is from 350 to 450 feet 
 above the sea ; and being frequently intersected 
 by vallies, great opportunities are presented for 
 the advantageous construction of Adits. 
 
 We next proceed to visit the great Steam- 
 Engine of Chacewater mine, situated three 
 miles south of Redruth. It was erected about 
 the year 1813, and was at that period the most 
 powerful machine in the world. It is a double 
 engine upon the improved principle of Bolton 
 and Watt, and the style and elegance with which 
 its different parts are finished, reflect no incon- 
 siderable credit upon the engineer. The follow*
 
 The Great Steam Engine. 201 
 
 ing are its dimensions ; the cylinder is 66 inches, 
 the box 19, in diameter. The depth of the en- 
 gine shaft is 128 fathoms. From the Adit to the 
 bottom 90 fathoms. It makes eight strokes in a 
 minute, and at every stroke it raises 108 gallons 
 of water to the Adit ;* and, at the same time 
 also, 60 gallons, 10 fathoms high, for the purpose 
 of condensing the steam. The quantity of coals 
 consumed in twenty-four hours is estimated at 
 about eight chaldrons. To give at once a popu- 
 lar idea of its immense power, it may be stated 
 that, if it were applied as a mill, it could grind a 
 Winchester bushel of wheat every minute. Not- 
 withstanding the immensity of its force, and com- 
 plexity of parts, so completely is it under the 
 discretion and guidance of the engineer, that in 
 one instant he is able to stop its motions by the 
 mere application of his finger and thumb to a 
 screw. " We put a hook in the nose of the 
 Leviathian ; play with him as a child, and take 
 him as a servant for ever." 
 
 From Chacewater we proceed southward about 
 
 * This is the deepest Adit in the country ; its mouth or ex- 
 tremity being nearly on a level with the water in one of the creeks 
 of Falmouth Harbour, into which it empties itself. Taking into 
 calculation its various windings, through the numerous mines 
 which it relieves of water, it may be baid to be not less than 
 twenty-four miles in length.
 
 202 The Consolidated Mines.IIud Unity. 
 
 two miles to visit the extensive Copper mines, 
 called " The Consolidated Mines," the working of 
 which has been lately resumed. Here we shall find 
 two immense Steam Engines, with cylinders of 
 90 inches in diameter, constantly at work ; the 
 interior of which is kept as clean as a drawing- 
 room. The capital expended in setting these 
 mines at work was not less than jG5,000, and 
 under the arrangement of Mr. William Davey, 
 the concern has proved so profitable, that shares 
 are now selling in London at j100 per cent, 
 profit. 
 
 Near the Consolidated Mines are Huel Unity 
 and Poldice; the former is a Copper mine; the 
 latter produces both Copper and Tin. The most 
 beautiful specimens of Arseniate of Copper, and 
 Arseniate of Lead have been found in these 
 mines. 
 
 Having concluded our account of the mining 
 district, it remains for us to offer to the minera- 
 logical tourist a few observations upon the sub- 
 ject of Cornish Minerals, and upon the best 
 method of procuring them ; before the stranger, 
 however, attempts to purchase any specimens, 
 it will be well for him to inspect the several 
 splendid cabinets in the county ; besides that in 
 the museum of the Royal Geological Society,
 
 Provincial Cabinets of Minerals. 203 
 
 at Penzance, he should see those in the posses- 
 sion of William Rashleigh, Esq. M. P. of Men" 
 abillu ;* John Williams, Esq. of Scorrier House, 
 and Joseph Came, Esq. of Penzance. The one 
 in possession of Mr. Rashleigh, if not the most 
 accessible to the mineralogist, must be confessed 
 to be without comparison, the most splendid. Its 
 chief excellence consists in the magnificence and 
 variety of the Oxide of Tinfi Fluors, Malachite, 
 and some of the rarer varieties of Sulphuret of 
 Copper, from mines which have long since ceased 
 to be worked. Among the more remarkable 
 specimens are those of Oxide of Tin (from Saint 
 Agnes) some of the more interesting varieties of 
 which present the following forms, very large 
 octohedrons with, and without, truncations ;-^ 
 the crystal described by Klaproth as one of the 
 rarest occurrence, vis. the four-sided prism^ 
 with a four-sided pyramid at each extremity ; 
 this is to be seen in its simple form, and also 
 with a rich variety of truncations ; a group of 
 four-sided pyramids covered with a thin coating 
 
 * Menabilly is situated about four miles west of Fowey, on an 
 eminence at a short distance from the sea. 
 
 + We have been told that this has been arranged by Mr. Aikin, 
 according to the different modifications of its crystalline form, as 
 they are described by Mr. William Phillips in his elaborate paper 
 published in the 2nd Vol. of the Transactions of the London 
 Geological Society.
 
 204 Mr. RashleigVs Collection 
 
 of Calcedony^ which, being hydrophanous, shews 
 the form of the crystal very distinctly after im- 
 mersion in water ; Wood-tin forming a vein in 
 a matrix of quartz, to one side of which adheres 
 a fragment of rock; it is hardly necessary to re- 
 mind the mineralogist of the importance of this 
 specimen in a geognostic point of view ;* Tin 
 crystals having a coating of black hcematite ; 
 Sulphuret of Tin, a mineral which has never 
 been found in any part of the world except at 
 Hud Rocky in Saint Agnes, Slenna-gwyn, in 
 Saint Stephen's, and Huel Scorrier in Gwen- 
 nap.t In the collection of Tins may be seen 
 several small blocks | of that metal, as prepared 
 by the Jews, for commerce, during the early 
 workings of the Cornish mines, among which is 
 a fraudulent one consisting of a mass of stone 
 covered with a thin coating of metal. In the 
 collection of Coppers may be noticed Yellow 
 
 * See an interesting account of this mineral in a notice entitled 
 " Contributions towards a knowledge of the Geological History 
 of Wood-Tin, by A. Majendie, Esq." in the first volume of the 
 Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. 
 
 f Since the first edition of this work was printed, the mineral 
 has been found at Saint Michaefs Mount, and, by Dr. Boase, 
 amongst a pile of ore which was supposed to come from Bolul- 
 lack. 
 
 J In one of which is to be seen the Muriate of Tin, as first 
 noticed by the late Revcread William Gregor.
 
 of Minerals at Menabilly. 205 
 
 Copper ore with Opal (from Roskeir); the triple 
 Sulphuret of Antimony, Copper, and Lead in 
 various forms ; Ruby Copper in cubes ; Quartz 
 containing globules of water ; the Hydrargyllite 
 or Wavellite, in a plumose form accompanied by 
 Apatite in a matrix of Quartz (from Saint 
 Stephen's), Topazes of considerable lustre (from 
 Saint Agnes), Green Fluor in crystals of twenty- 
 four sides (Saint Agnes). A most beautiful and 
 instructive cube of Fluor, the surface of which 
 reflects a delicate green hue, but upon being held 
 to the light the crystal exhibits its octohedral nu- 
 cleus of a purple colour. The mineralogist should 
 also notice a superb octohedron of Gold, and a 
 mass of Stalaclitical Arragonite from the grotto of 
 Antiparos. Before quitting Menabilly he ought to 
 visit the grotto, built in a beautiful and secluded 
 part of the grounds, near the shore in the port 
 of Polredmouth. It stands at the extremity of a 
 large grove, and is constructed with the finest 
 species of marble and serpentine, with brilliant 
 crystals, pebbles, and shells; its form is that 
 of an octagon, two of the sides of which are 
 appropriated to the door and window which 
 front each other, while the six remaining sides 
 form receptacles for minerals, four of which con- 
 tain specimens of ores found in the county, and
 
 206 Mineralogical Cabinet of 
 
 two are filled with organic fossils, polished agates, 
 and jaspers; the intermediate spaces are occupied 
 by shells, coralloids, and various other substances. 
 The roof is composed of Stalactites of singular 
 beauty, and which produce a very striking effect 
 as they are seen through the roughly formed 
 arch which composes the entrance. In this grotto 
 are preserved two links of the chain which were 
 found in Fowey harbour by some fishermen in 
 the year 1776; they are of a triangular form, 
 incrusted with shells and corals, and are sup- 
 posed to have formed a part of the chain which 
 extended from tower to tower, for the ancient 
 defence of the harbour. Among the mineralogi- 
 cal specimens in this place there is one of Calce- 
 dony which deserves particular notice for its 
 beauty as well as magnitude. In the centre of 
 the grotto is a table inlaid with thirty-two po- 
 lished specimens of granite, all found in the 
 county of Cornwall. 
 
 THE CABINET OF JOHN WILLIAMS, ESQ. is 
 at Scorrier House, about two miles east of Red- 
 ruth, and may therefore be visited by the mine- 
 ralogist in the present excursion. This collection 
 stands unrivalled in the magnificence of its spe- 
 cimens of Red Oxide of Copper, in octohedrons, 
 cubes, and capillary crystals ; it also contains the
 
 John Williams, Esq. of Scorrier. 207 
 
 finest specimens of Arseniate of Copper in very 
 perfect obtuse octohedrons ; a mass of Uranite, 
 which in size and beauty is superior to any speci- 
 mens ever discovered ; Blende, in octohedrons 
 and cubes; Native, and Ruby Silver', and a 
 specimen of the Muriate of that metal (Horn 
 Silver) so well known for its value, that it may 
 be said to constitute one of the most interesting 
 objects in the collection. The Arseniate of Lead, 
 in six-sided prisms, a most beautiful mineral, 
 which was first analysed by Mr. Gregor, and has 
 been found only in Hud Unity, may be seen 
 in this cabinet in its most perfect forms. 
 
 The collection of Mr. Carne has been already 
 noticed in our account of Penzance, at page 31. 
 
 In order to collect the various minerals of the 
 county the stranger must apply to the different 
 dealers,* (rapax et sordidum pecus) and make the 
 best bargain he is able ; he may also occasionally 
 purchase some good specimens of the miners at 
 the various mines he may happen to visit. In 
 his rambles we recommend him to visit Saint 
 
 * The following are the names of the respectable dealers to 
 whom we recommend the mineralogist to apply, At Truro, Tre- 
 goning, Mudge, and Heard; at Redruth, Bennett; at Gwenap, 
 Michell ; at Saint Agnes, Argall ; at Falmouth, Trathan ; and 
 at Penzance, Jacobs, the latter of whom has generally a great 
 variety of Saint Just minerals on sale.
 
 208 Saint Agnes Carn-breh Hill. 
 
 Agnes, where are the Trevaunance, and Seal 
 Hole mines, from which have been raised the 
 most beautiful specimens of crystallized Tin in 
 the world, accompanied occasionally with To- 
 pazes, and twenty-four-sided Fluor. Here too 
 may be seen a geological phenomenon of con- 
 siderable interest, the slate of the coast inter- 
 sected with Porphyry Dykes. Saint Agnes' 
 Beacon is also well worthy of observation ; it is 
 an insulated eminence of a pyramidal form, en- 
 tirely covered with debris, and is composed of 
 Slate, although it rises 664 feet above the level 
 of the sea. Saint Agnes is the birth place of the 
 celebrated artist OP IE,* and the tourist may be 
 gratified by inspecting many of the earlier pro- 
 ductions of his pencil. But we now take our 
 leave of the Mineralogist, and shall attend the 
 Antiquary in order to inspect Carn-breh hill, 
 which rises a little to the south-west of Redruth, to 
 an elevation of 697 feet ; its principal interest is 
 
 * OPIE was a parish apprentice to a person of the name of 
 Wheeler, a house carpenter, in the village of Saint Agnes ; Dr. 
 Walcott, better known by his poetical appellation of Peter Pin- 
 dar, having been struck, during his occasional visits to the village, 
 by some rude sketches in chalk which were shewn him as the 
 productions of this poor lad, invited him to his house at Trttro, 
 supplied him with the necessary materials, and enabled him to set 
 up as an itinerant portrait painter, from which station he rose to 
 be Professor of Painting to the Royal Academy.
 
 Supposed Druidical Monuments. 209 
 
 derived from the lucubrations of Dr. Borlase, 
 who regarded it as having been the grand centre 
 of Druidical worship, and he asserts that, in his 
 time, the remains of the monuments which were 
 peculiar to that priesthood were to be easily 
 recognized, such as Rock Basins ; Circles ; Crom- 
 lechs ; Hock Idols ; Karns ; Caves ; religious en- 
 closures ; Logan Stones ; a Gorseddau, or place 
 of elevation, whence the Druids pronounced their 
 decrees ; and the traces of a Grove of Oaks ! 
 this is all very ingenious and imposing, but is 
 there any rational testimony in support of such 
 an hypothesis? are there any just grounds for 
 considering the objects to which he alludes as the 
 works of art ? most certainly none, they are 
 unquestionably the lesults of the operation of 
 time and the elements, and have never been 
 formed by any agents except those which Nature 
 employs in the decomposition of granitic masses; 
 but the age of Antiquarian illusion is past; the 
 light of geological science dispels the phantoms 
 which the wizard fancy had created, just as the 
 rising sun dissolves the mystic forms which the 
 
 ~ * 
 
 most common object assumes in twilight, when 
 viewed through the medium of credulity and su- 
 perstition. The rock basins of Antiquaries are 
 rounded cavities on the surface of rocks, and are 
 o
 
 210 Geological explanation of 
 
 occasionally as spheroidal, internally, as if they 
 had been actually shaped by a turning lathe ; 
 it was this artificial appearance which first sug* 
 gested the hypothesis concerning their origin, 
 and induced the Antiquary to regard them as 
 pools of lustration. Dr. Mac Culloch,* however, 
 very justly observes, that their true nature is 
 very easily traced by inspecting the rocks them- 
 selves; on examining the excavations they will 
 be always found to contain distinct grains of 
 Quartz, and fragments of the other constituent 
 parts of the granite ; a small force is sufficient to 
 detach from the sides of these cavities additional 
 fragments, shewing beyond doubt, that a process 
 of decomposition is still going on under favour- 
 able circumstances ; these circumstances are the 
 presence of water, or rather the alternate action 
 of air and moisture ; if a drop of water can only 
 make an effectual lodgement on a surface of this 
 granite a small cavity must be sooner or later 
 produced, this insensibly enlarges as it becomes 
 capable of holding more water, and the sides as 
 they continue to waste necessarily retain an even 
 and rounded cavity, on account of the uniform 
 
 * A highly interesting paper " On the decomposition of the 
 Granite Tors of Cornwall," by this geologist, is published in the 
 second volume of the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
 London.
 
 the Grotesque Appearance of the Rocks. 211 
 
 texture of the granite. This explanation is suf- 
 ficiently satisfactory ; in addition to which it may 
 be further stated, that these very basins not un- 
 frequently occur on the perpendicular sides of 
 rocks,* which at once excludes the idea of their 
 artificial origin. 
 
 The other grotesque and whimsical appearances 
 of rocky masses, such as " rock idols, logan stones," 
 &c. are to be explained upon the tendency which 
 granite possesses of wearing more rapidly on the 
 parts which are most exposed to the action of 
 the weather, as already explained at page 104. 
 There occurs upon the western part of the ridge 
 of Carn-brth an equipoised stone, about 20 feet 
 in diameter, affording a very singular illustration 
 of these views, and of which we shall here pre- 
 sent a sketch to our readers. 
 
 * This may be distiuctly seen in the granitic rocks in the islands 
 ofScilly; and in the Gritstone in. the park of the late Sir Joseph 
 Banks, in the parish of Ashover in Derbyshire.
 
 212 Clearelandile Carnbreh Castle. 
 
 Thus upon simple and philosophical principles 
 are such appearances to be easily explained, and 
 this Phantasmagoria of the learned antiquary 
 vanishes. 
 
 For the information of the Geologist who may 
 visit this spot, we shall state, that in a porphyritic 
 granite on the summit, Mr. W. Phillips has 
 lately discovered that some of the crystals for- 
 merly considered as Felspar^ were Cleavelandite ;* 
 and we have little doubt that this curious dis- 
 covery might be extended to many of the granitic 
 masses in Western Cornwall. 
 
 At the eastern end of the hill is Carn-breh 
 Castle ; the rocks upon which this building stands, 
 not being contiguous, are connected by arches 
 turned over the cavities ; one part of the fortress 
 pierced with loop holes is evidently very ancient, 
 and is supposed to have been of British work; 
 the other is .of modern construction, and was 
 probably erected as an ornamental object from 
 the grounds of Tehidy. There were formerly 
 
 * The only chemical difference between Cleavelandite and Fel- 
 spar is, that about 12 per cent, of Potass in the latter is replaced 
 by an equal quantity of Soda in the former. The earthy ingre- 
 dients in both minerals are the same, and exist in similar propor- 
 tions. The primary form of each is a doubly oblique prism, but 
 the two prisms differ so essentially from each other in the measure- 
 ment of their angles, that the substances are easily distinguished 
 from each other by the Goniometer.
 
 Desolation of the Spot. 213 
 
 some outworks to the north-west ; and, near the 
 summit of the hill is a circular fortification called 
 the Old Castle, which appears to have been in- 
 cluded within a strong wall. The hill itself, on 
 which the spectator stands, is quite in unison 
 with the scene around him ; its silence and de- 
 solation, the awful vestiges of its convulsion, 
 and the immense rocky fragments which lie scat- 
 tered on its brow, are well calculated to harmo- 
 nize with an extended and barren tract of coun- 
 try, every where broken up by mining operations, 
 and whose horizon is bounded by the ocean.
 
 214 To Kynance Cove, and the Lizard Point. 
 
 EXCURSION VI. 
 
 TO KYNANCE COVE, AND THE LIZARD POINT. 
 
 AN excursion to the peninsula of the Lizard 
 offers to the scientific traveller many objects of 
 great geological interest ; he will be enabled to 
 examine a very rare and important series of Rock 
 Formations, while their various gradations and 
 transitions into each other will afford ample ma- 
 terials for speculation. In the course of this 
 excursion it will be our duty to point out some 
 of the more prominent features as they may occur 
 in our progress ; but in performing this duty we 
 wish to be considered as merely presenting the 
 geologist with a rough and imperfect outline, 
 which may give a useful direction to his re- 
 searches, and enable him to acquire, through the 
 medium of his own observation, more ample and 
 perfect information.* 
 
 * Before his departure upon this excursion, we recommend him 
 to examine the very instructive suite of specimens which were col-
 
 Fundamental Rocks of the Peninsula. 215 
 
 To the country south of a line drawn from the 
 mouth of the Helford river, on the east, to the 
 Loe-Bar on the west, has the appellation of the 
 " Lizard District" been exclusively applied by 
 Mr. Majendie ; and the division appears to have 
 been conventionally received by all the geologists 
 who have traced his steps. 
 
 The fundamental rock of this peninsula appears 
 to be Clay-slate, associated with Greywacke, upon 
 which are successively deposited Greenstone, 
 Diallage rock, and Serpentine. At Marazion 
 several alternate beds of Slate and Greenstone 
 may be observed; the latter of which contains 
 Asbestus-Actynolite, and is universally traversed 
 by veins of Axinite,* which occurs both in an 
 amorphous and crystalline form. 
 
 lected, and deposited in the Cabinet at Penzance by Mr. Ashhurst 
 Majendie, a gentleman whose geological labours in this country 
 are well known, and whose zeal and ability so greatly promoted 
 the early advancement of our Geological Society. This valuable 
 series has been greatly augmented by a Collection since presented 
 to the Society by The Reverend John Rogers. The Geological 
 tourist ought at the same time to make himself acquainted with the 
 observations of Mr. Majendie " On the Lizard-District," in the first 
 volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
 Cornwall ; and those of Mr. Professor Sedgwick, on the same sub- 
 ject, in the Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 
 * In the CreeJ-rocfc, an insulated mass of greenstone in the sea 
 beneath, there is a vein of Asbestus-Actynolite, mixed withAxinile, 
 from four to twelve inches wide. This is a curious spot, well 
 worthy the attention of the geologist.
 
 216 Acton and Pengerswick Castles. 
 
 In the vicinity of a projecting ledge of rocks, 
 known by the name of Cuddan Point, stands a 
 mansion called Acton Castle, which was erected 
 as a marine residence by the late John Stackhouse, 
 Esq. and is at present occupied by Capt. Praed. 
 Its situation is wild and unsheltered, but it com- 
 mands a prospect of very extraordinary grandeur 
 and beauty. 
 
 About four miles from Marazion, and half a 
 mile from the high road towards the coast, are 
 the remains of a building called Pengerswick 
 Castle, a square stone tower, with a smaller one 
 annexed, and some ruins of walls, are all that 
 remain of this ancient edifice, but its machiolated 
 gate and embattled turrets are still preserved to 
 announce its military origin. The different 
 rooms are now converted into granaries, but the 
 oak wainscot, which is curiously carved and 
 painted, remains in a tolerable state of preser- 
 vation. On one of these pannels, under a rude 
 representation of water dropping from a rock, 
 with the title ," Perseverance" is the following 
 poetical inscription. 
 
 " What thing is harder than a rock ? 
 
 What softer is than water clear ? 
 Yet will the same with often drop 
 
 The hard rock pierce, which doth appear, 
 K von so there's nothing so hard to attayne 
 But may he had with labour and pain."
 
 Rare Shells. 217 
 
 The classical reader will at once recognise in 
 this inscription a paraphrase of the well known 
 lines of Ovid : 
 
 " Quid magis est saxo durum, Quid mollius unda? 
 Dura tamen molli Saxa cavantur Aqua." 
 
 There exists a tradition that this place be- 
 longed in the reign of Henry VIII. to one 
 Milliton, who having slain a man privately, pur- 
 chased the castle in the name of his son, and 
 immured himself in a secret chamber in the 
 tower. 
 
 On a bold pile of Granite rocks which projects 
 from the shore near Pengerswick, Dr. Maton 
 observed clusters of Trochus crassus, besides 
 some species of Actinia and Aslerias^ not common 
 on other parts of the coast. Pursuing our route 
 we pass through a country principally composed 
 of Slate, the great Granite chain running to the 
 left of the road, and constituting Tregoning, 
 Godolphin, and Breage hills. The Signal house 
 at the top of Tregoning hill, which is 584 feet 
 above the sea, constitutes the most elevated point 
 in the country, and from which both channels 
 are visible. The granite of this hill bears in 
 some parts all the appearance of a stratified 
 rock.
 
 218 Hud Vor Tin Mine. 
 
 Upon arriving at the village of Breage^ three 
 miles west of Helston, the traveller should turn 
 off from the high road, in order to visit the Tin 
 Mine called Huel For, and which lies about a 
 mile and a half to the north-east, and is by far 
 the largest as well as the richest Tin Mine ever 
 worked in Cornwall. Here there are five large 
 Steam Engines for drawing the water out of the 
 mine, besides several others for raising the ore. 
 There are also four large Stamping Mills, work- 
 ed by Steam, which constitute by far the most 
 interesting part of the machinery. It is not many 
 years since steam was first applied as the moving 
 power of these mills, but without its aid it would 
 have been impossible to stamp the whole of Huel 
 Vor Tin with sufficient expedition. In this mine 
 all the operations are carried on which have been 
 already described in our excursion to Redruth, 
 and the Mining Districts. The ore is also roasted 
 and smelted on the spot. Here then the stranger 
 may witness the whole process, from the period 
 when the ore is broken in the vein, to that when 
 the pure Tin runs out of the furnace, and is 
 laded into moulds which contain about 370 
 pounds. The principal Tin lode in this mine is, 
 in one part, of the enormous width of 30 feet, 
 and is so rich withal, that the adventurers lately
 
 Porlleven Harbour Hehton. 219 
 
 gained a clear profit of upwards of j10,000, in 
 the space of three months. The workings extend 
 for more than a mile and a quarter under ground, 
 and about thirteen hundred persons are engaged 
 in conducting its operations. 
 
 On the Coast, about three miles west of Hel- 
 ston, is Portleven harbour; notwithstanding the 
 enormous sum of money which has been expended 
 in completing this work, we believe that it is 
 never likely to answer the object for which it 
 was projected ; the fact is simply this, that at 
 those times when the severity of the weather 
 renders such a refuge desirable to the navigators 
 of the Mount's Bay, the sea sets in with such 
 tremendous force upon this part of the coast that 
 it is absolutely unsafe for any vessels to approach 
 it, and still more so to attempt a passage into the 
 basin, through its narrow entrance. 
 
 HELSTON is a large and populous town, con- 
 taining nearly 3000 inhabitants, situated on the 
 side of a hill which slopes gradually to the little 
 river Cober. The houses are chiefly disposed in 
 four streets in the form of a cross, and, at the 
 point of intersection, stand the market house and 
 town hall. The church, which was erected A.D. 
 1762, at the sole expense of the then Earl of 
 Godolphin, stands on an eminence to the north,
 
 220 An account of the ancient 
 
 and forms a very pleasing object from the valley 
 below, while to the tempest tossed mariner it 
 serves as a useful landmark. 
 
 Helston has returned members to Parliament 
 ever since Edward I., being one of the five 
 ancient boroughs of Cornwall. There was for- 
 merly a castle, on the site of the present bowling 
 green, but of which no vestige remains. The 
 town is now lighted by means of gas. 
 
 In this town we shall be gratified to find the 
 traces of an ancient custom, which the Antiquary 
 has been anxious to trace to so high a source as 
 the Roman Floralia, a festival observed by that 
 people, in honour of the Goddess Flora, on the 
 fourth of the Calends of May. It is called the 
 Furry, and it is said that its present name alone 
 would discover its origin, were it not satisfac- 
 torily pointed out by the time of its celebration. 
 We confess ourselves to have been amongst the 
 happy number* who regarded the annual festival 
 of Helston as a faint trace of the Roman Floralia 
 which the abrasion of fourteen centuries had not 
 wholly obliterated. But the evil genius of Reality 
 has at length appeared to dispel the illusion, 
 
 * As will appear on the perusal of the first edition of this little 
 work.
 
 Festival, called the Furry. 
 
 and to extort from us the unwilling belief that it 
 can be no other than the anniversary of a victory, 
 obtained by the natives over an invading enemy. 
 The morning- of the Eighth of May is ushered 
 in with the sound of drums and kettles, when the 
 streets are soon thronged with spectators, and 
 assistants in the Mysteries. So strict is the ob- 
 servance of this day as a general holiday, that 
 should any person be found at work, he is in- 
 stantly seized, set astride on a pole, and hurried 
 on men's shoulders to the river, where, if he 
 does not commute his punishment by a fine, he is 
 sentenced to leap over a wide place, which he of 
 course fails in attempting, and falls into the 
 water, to the great amusement of the spectators. 
 At about the hour of nine the revellers appear 
 before the Grammar school, and make their de- 
 mand of a prescriptive holiday, after which they 
 collect contributions from house to house. They 
 then fade into the country (fade being an old 
 English word for go), and about noon return 
 with flowers and oak branches in their hats and 
 caps ; from this time they dance, hand in hand, 
 through the streets, preceded by a violin,* play- 
 
 * A violiu is in some parts of Cornwall called a Crowd, whence 
 doubtless the name of Crowdero, the fiddler in Hudibras.
 
 222 
 
 The Furry -day Tune. 
 
 ing an ancient traditional tune, the music of 
 which we shall here introduce. 
 
 There is also a traditional song which is sung 
 in chorus, involving the history of Robin-Hood, 
 whose connection with the present festival it is 
 not easy to understand. 
 
 Upon this occasion it is a right, assumed from 
 time immemorial, for the persons engaged in the 
 dance to enter and run through any house they 
 please, without molestation. 
 
 The higher classes of the inhabitants having, 
 with much good humour, assisted in the rites of 
 the day, and performed their exforensic orgies, 
 resort to the ball room, where they are usually 
 met by the neighbouring families, and by those 
 strangers who may happen to be in this part of 
 Cornwall. The merry dance is commenced at
 
 Penrose, the Scat of John Rogers, Esq. 221 
 
 an early hour, and generally protracted to the 
 dawn of the ensuing day. 
 
 Long may this harmless and innocent festival 
 continue to animate the blythe and young, on 
 each annual return of its celebration ; Its classic 
 spell may be dissolved, but the Temple of Hi- 
 larity, consecrated by the smiles of Cornish youth 
 and beauty, needs not a Roman goddess for its 
 sanction. 
 
 Why ask where the Flora derives its gay birth ! 
 
 Why each smiling brow wears its garland to-day ? 
 Enough that our sires kept it sacred to mirth, 
 
 And their children have hearts all as fervent as they. 
 
 And yet might we trace where his ashes are laid 
 Who first made the Fade to sound in our bowers, 
 
 To-day round his cromlech the dance should we braid, 
 And the fairest of Hellas* enwreath it with flowers. 
 
 And hallow'd for aye be their place of repose, 
 
 Who their race have enrich'd with a dowry so rare, 
 
 A spell that yet brightens each year as it flows 
 With one gleam of Eden a day free from care. 
 
 Then join we the Dance! to their mem'ries of yore, 
 Let the mirth which they lov'd be the homage we pay. 
 
 And the strain that inspir'd them long ages before, 
 Wake the joys, which they felt, in our bosoms to-day. 
 
 About two miles from Helston is Penrose, the 
 seat of John Rogers, Esq. situated in the midst 
 of a finely wooded scene, and on the border of a 
 
 * The ancient name of Helston. The modern apellation is de- 
 rived from a huge block of Granite which may be seen in the yard 
 of the Angel Inn Ilellas-stone, or Helslon.
 
 224 The Loe Pool. 
 
 large sheet of water called the Loe Pool; this 
 forms one of the most considerable lakes in the 
 county, and is produced by a very singular ope- 
 ration of nature, the continual rolling of the 
 waves of the British Channel towards the shore 
 forces in a vast quantity of sand and pebbles, 
 which, by constant accumulation, at length forms 
 a very high bank extending across the valley, 
 from hill to hill, and by closing up the mouth of 
 the channel occasions the river to spread its 
 waters over an area of nearly seven miles in cir- 
 cumference. This bar of gravel cannot be passed 
 over by the waves of the highest tides, even 
 during the excitement of a storm, unless it be 
 attended with a very rare combination of circum- 
 stances. The water of the lake gradually finds 
 its way through the gravel of the bar by slow 
 filtration ; but in wet seasons, as it cannot pass off 
 with a rapidity equal to its influx, the lake will 
 often rise ten feet higher than its ordinary level. 
 This produces the singular effect of stopping two 
 mills, one on the Loe, the other on a lateral 
 stream, their wheels being at this time partly un- 
 der water. When this occurs the millers present 
 the Lord of the Manor with two leathern purses, 
 each containing three halfpence, and solicit his 
 permission to open a passage through the bar.
 
 Loe Pool. Terrace of the Lhard. 225 
 
 This being of course granted, the Mayor of Hel- 
 ston engages workmen to carry the work into 
 effect. In a few days, however, the bar is again 
 filled up as before. 
 
 The Loe Pool abounds with a peculiar trout, 
 and other fresh-water fish. On its banks the 
 Botanist may gather Corrigiola Littoralis. 
 
 In proceeding to the Lizard Point, which is 
 about fourteen miles distant from Helston, we 
 shall examine the line of coast south of the Loe 
 bar. The interior of this peninsular region has 
 an aspect of dreary and barren uniformity, and 
 when viewed from the high granite ridge near 
 Constantine, it appears like a table land elevated 
 some hundred feet above the level of the sea, 
 presenting hardly any indication of rupture or 
 contortion throughout the whole extent of its 
 outline. The view of the same region from the 
 western shore of the Mount's Bay is still more 
 striking and characteristic; the upper surface 
 seems so exactly horizontal, that one might al- 
 most be led to conjecture, that every projecting 
 ledge had been planed down until the promon- 
 tory resembled a great artificial terrace.* 
 
 * On the physical structure of the Lizard district, by the Rev. 
 A Sedgwick.
 
 226 Geological Account 
 
 Near Gunwalloe Co-ce the geologist should no- 
 tice the singularly contorted appearance of the 
 slaty rock, which continues as far as a small cove 
 north of Mullion, called Bolerium, where it 
 runs under a Greenstone composed of Hornblende 
 and Compact Felspar. The Greenstone prevails 
 through the whole of this district, and appears to 
 pass by a slow gradation into Serpentine, under 
 which it lies, as may be distinctly' seen near the 
 south side of Mullion Cove.* A small quantity 
 of Diallage is occasionally present in this rock, 
 but the predominant ingredient is common Horn- 
 blende', and where this latter substance greatly 
 predominates over the Felspar, it in some places 
 assumes an earthy appearance and decomposes 
 into a kind of Clay, which is used in the neigh- 
 bourhood with excellent effect as a top dressing 
 for grass lands. 
 
 Serpentine is the next formation which we dis- 
 cover in our progress, and is that which confers 
 such singular interest upon this part of the coun- 
 ty, since it occurs in no other part of England. 
 This beautiful rock derives its name from the 
 variegated colours and spots, supposed to resem- 
 
 * The same relative position of these rocks may also be observed 
 at Cadgteith, an interesting part of the coast north-east of the Lizard 
 Point, and which we shall have occasion to notice hereafter.
 
 of the Lizard District. 227 
 
 ble the speckles of a serpent's skin ; it is prin- 
 cipally of a dark green or brown, suffused with 
 shades of red. It occupies not less than one- 
 third of the area of the peninsula ; the whole 
 extent of Goonhilly downs rests on it. Its bound- 
 ary is easily traced, says Mr. Sedgzoick, by the 
 brown scanty vegetation with which its surface is 
 imperfectly covered; and the Professor might 
 have added, by the growth of that beautiful 
 heath, the Erica Vagans, for so congenial and 
 essential would a Magnesian soil appear to 
 its production, that notwithstanding its im- 
 mense profusion on the downs, not a single spe- 
 cimen is to be found beyond the line which defines 
 the boundary of the Serpentine formation, nor is 
 it to be seen in any other part of England. 
 Genista Anglica is also to be found on these 
 downs. 
 
 About three miles south of Mullion, close to 
 the shore, is the celebrated Steatite, or Soap 
 Hock, which appears to run in veins* in the Ser- 
 
 * Sir H. Davy, in a paper on the Geology of Cornwall, pub- 
 lished in the first volume of our Transactions, observes that " the 
 nature and origin of the veins of Steatite in Serpentine are curious 
 subjects of inquiry. Were they originally crystallized, and the 
 result of chemical deposition ? Or have they been, as for the most 
 part they are now found, mere mechanical deposites, I am inclined 
 to the last opinion. The Felspar in Serpentine is very liable 1o 
 decompose, probably from the action of Carbonic acid and water
 
 228 The Soap Rock. 
 
 pentine, although Dr. Thomson is inclined to 
 consider it as Serpentine itself in a state of de- 
 composition. When it is first quarried it is soft, 
 but by exposure to air it gradually hardens, al- 
 though it never loses that peculiar soapy feel 
 which characterises it. Dillwyn & Co. of Swansea 
 have, at present, the works in their possession, by 
 paying to the proprietor, Lord Falmouth, a cer- 
 tain annual sum. Its value in the manufacture 
 of China depends upon its infusibility, and the 
 property it possesses of retaining its colour in 
 the heat of the furnace ; the first quality is to be 
 explained by the total absence of lime in its 
 composition, the latter by the very small pro- 
 portion of metallic matter contained in it. There 
 is, moreover, another purpose which it serves, 
 depending upon the peculiar property of Mag- 
 nesian earth in preventing that degree of con- 
 traction* which always occurs in the fire when 
 Alumina and Silica are alone made use of. Near 
 this spot veins of Native Copper may be fre- 
 
 on its Alkaline, Calcareous, and Magnesian elements ; and its parts 
 washed down by water, and deposited in the chasms of the rocks, 
 would necessarily gain that kind of loose aggregation belonging to 
 Steatite." 
 
 * It might on this account be worth while for the Glass-maker 
 to try the effects of a small mixture of Steatite with the materials 
 of which he makes his large crucibles, in order to prevent that 
 great degree of shrinking to which they are now so liable.
 
 Kynance Cove. 229 
 
 quently seen at low water during spring tides, 
 and a mass of this metal was once raised which 
 weighed 104 pounds. Copper is the only metal- 
 lic substance that has been found in any quantity 
 in the Serpentine formation; and this has never 
 occurred except native, as in the above instance, 
 or in the state of Green Carbonate, so that the 
 mining adventurer need not anticipate much ad- 
 vantage from it. 
 
 About a mile farther south is KYNANCE COVE, 
 justly celebrated as one of the most interesting 
 and extraordinary spots on the coast ; the descent 
 into it is extremely steep, and overhung with 
 frowning crags ; the cove itself is formed by a 
 numerous assemblage of Serpentine rocks of a 
 dark colour, and which exhibit a beautiful polish 
 from the constant attrition of the waves at high 
 water; in one part, these groups are so singu- 
 larly disposed as to open a fine natural arch into 
 a grotto, which penetrates deeply into the cliff; 
 the largest of these pyramidal masses is termed 
 the ASPARAGUS ISLAND, from its being the 
 habitat of Asparagus Ojficinalis. One of the 
 rocks in this cove exhibits a very curious phe- 
 nomenon whimsically called the DEVIL'S BEL- 
 LOWS; there is a very deep chasm, through which 
 the sea rushes like a water spout, preceded by a
 
 230 The Devil's Bellows. 
 
 submarine rumbling, as loud as thunder; a flow- 
 ing tide, accompanied with a swell of the waves, 
 seems to be essential for the production of this 
 effect. De Luc offers the following explanation 
 of the phenomenon ; " In the rock there is a 
 succession of caverns, into which the agitated sea 
 
 ' O 
 
 rushes by some sub-marine passage, and being 
 dashed and broken against their sides, a large 
 quantity of air* is thus disengaged from them, 
 which becoming highly compressed, and not 
 being able to escape beneath, in consequence of 
 the perpetual entrance of the waves, is forced to 
 pass with great violence and noise from cavern 
 to cavern, until it forces itself, together with a 
 column of water, through the opening above." 
 Amongst jthese beautiful rocks may be seen Dial- 
 lage of a brown colour; Jade; compact Felspar, 
 or Saussurite ; and Asbestus. Di/kes of Felspar 
 Porphyry are also to be observed in this spot. 
 It is hardly necessary to inform the geological 
 tourist that, in order to view this interesting 
 scene to his satisfaction, he must contrive to 
 arrive at a period near that of low water. 
 
 * The quantity of air thus separated from water is so great that 
 in the Alps and in the Pyrennees, very powerful bellows are made 
 for forges by the fall of a column of water, through a wooden pipe, 
 into a closed cask, 'in which it dashes on a stone in the bottom, 
 when the air thus dhengmged from it is curried by another pipe 
 placed in the cover of the cask into the foundery.
 
 Lizard Light Houses. 231 
 
 On the summit of the hill above this cove the 
 Botanist will observe Geranium Sangitineum 
 spreading itself in broad tufts. Campanula Ro- 
 tundifolia also occurs here. 
 
 Continuing our route towards Cape Lizard, 
 we shall perceive that the Serpentine terminates 
 about half a mile before we reach it, and is suc- 
 ceeded by Micaceous Slate, under which, at the 
 Lizard head lie alternate beds of Compact Fel- 
 spar, containing specks of Hornblende and green 
 Talc. There are two light-houses at this point 
 which front the south, and stand nearly abreast 
 of each other, but unhappily they are too often 
 found to be insufficient securities against the 
 darkness of the midnight storm, and the treachery 
 of the sunken rocks with which this stern coast 
 is beset. Foreign pilots, unacquainted with its 
 perils, seldom keep the necessary distance from 
 the shore, and from the steepness of the rocks no 
 kind of assistance can be afforded to the mariner 
 from the land. 
 
 On a low hedge under the light-houses is to be 
 founAHerniariaGlabra. It was here in the pur- 
 suit of this very plant that a well known Botanist, 
 during the late war, was seized as a spy by the 
 suspicious natives, and carried to Ilelston for 
 examination. The increased intercourse, how-
 
 232 Eastern Coast of the Lizard. 
 
 ever, with scientific travellers, will render the 
 recurrence of such an event impossible. 
 
 The name of the promontory was most proba- 
 bly derived from the striking contour which it 
 exhibits when viewed from sea, resembling the 
 elongated and compressed form of the Lizard ; 
 at the same time it must be observed, that the 
 colour of its rocks resemble also that of the ani- 
 mal to which we allude, while the British words 
 Lis-ard signify a lofty projection ; these are ex- 
 traordinary coincidences, and are well calculated 
 to fan the flame of etymological controversy. 
 
 If after visiting this promontory, the traveller 
 feels inclined to trace the different rock forma- 
 tions, and to complete his geological survey of 
 the Lizard Chersonesus, we recommend him to 
 return by a circuitous route along its eastern 
 coast. Greenstone reappears about half a mile 
 east of the Lizard Point, and continues for some 
 distance, with the occasional interruption of Ser- 
 pentine, which dips towards the sea. This latter 
 rock will be found best adapted fcr economical 
 purposes at the Balk Hill, Landezvednock, but 
 it is certainly far inferior to that worked for 
 chimney pieces, columns, &c. from the quarries 
 in the Isle of Anglesea. Near Cadgwith the rocks 
 on the coast form a very interesting and extra-
 
 The Frying Pan. 233 
 
 ordinary amphitheatre, which is termed by the 
 inhabitants the FRYING PAN, although the ap- 
 pellation of CAULDRON, which it strongly re- 
 sembles, would be much more appropriate. Its 
 sides are nearly two hundred feet in height, 
 and, at high water, the sea enters it and boils 
 up through an arch near its bottom. In this 
 spot the position of the Serpentine upon Green- 
 stone is very apparent. Beyond Cadgwith the 
 Serpentine assumes a dark green colour, and 
 contains small masses of the emerald green Dial- 
 lage, or Schiller-spar; whence it continues to 
 constitute the coast round the Black Head to 
 Coverack Cove. About a mile from the coast at 
 G&enter, the rock denominated by Abbe Haiiy 
 " Diallage Rock" (Gabbro) presents itself to 
 our notice ; it is composed of Saussurile, or Com- 
 pact Felspar, and Diallage Metalloide. In a 
 quarry near this spot it may be seen to join 
 Serpentine. In the Diallage Rock, at a small 
 village near the coast called Gwendra, as well 
 as in the rock of Saint Keverne, Mr. Majendie 
 discovered some small metallic specks, which he 
 found on chemical examination to consist of 
 Iron, with a portion of Titanium. Some of the 
 same substance was immediately transmitted to 
 Mr. William Gregor, who stated that the results
 
 234 Coverack Core, a spot 
 
 of his experiments proved it to be an assemblage 
 of several ingredients, viz. Silica, Alumina, and 
 the Oxides of Iron and Titanium, with a little 
 Potass. Some of which ingredients were no 
 doubt derived from the gangue with which the 
 metallic substance is intimately mixed. This is 
 a discovery no less curious than important, and 
 would seem to point out the origin of the Men- 
 uchanite, in which Titanium was first discovered 
 by Mr. Gregor. 
 
 The great mass of Serpentine ends at Coverack 
 Cove, a spot which well deserves the attention 
 of the Geologist, as offering a series of rocks of 
 a very mixed character; these consist of green 
 and reddish-brown Serpentine, with the Jade of 
 Saussure, (the feldspath tenace of Haiiy) and 
 Diallage * of the green and metalloide varieties ; 
 some of the Felspar found here is of a violet 
 colour, and is striated like that of Labrador. 
 In beds which lie below high- water mark in 
 this Cove the mineralogist may obtain masses 
 of Diallage Metallo'ide, six or eight inches in 
 
 * This substance presents with great distinctness those charac- 
 ters which distinguish it from Hornblende, viz. inferior hardness, 
 difficult fusibility into a green enamel, and peculiar cleavage 
 which discovers a considerable lustre in one direction which is 
 entirely absent in the other ; whereas Hornblende has natural 
 joints of the same lustre in two directions.
 
 of the greatest Geological Interest. 235 
 
 length. t A beautiful rock succeeds and con- 
 tinues for three miles along the coast to the 
 Manacles ; and in the interior of the country it 
 predominates through the greater part of the 
 parish of Saint Keverne. It has compact Felspar 
 for its base, in which are imbedded crystals both 
 of Diallage and Hornblende. In the proportion, 
 as well as the magnitude of these constituents, 
 says Mr. Professor Sedgwick, there is such an 
 unusual variety, that we were almost led to 
 conjecture, that during the deposition of the 
 mass many conflicting principles had been in 
 action, not one of which was long able to keep 
 the mastery over the others ; there are for in- 
 stance many large blocks which in one part 
 resemble a fine Greenstone, and in another, a 
 coarse porphyritic Diallage Rock; within the 
 distance of a few feet these varieties may be 
 observed to alternate repeatedly, sometimes in 
 the form of stripes, but more frequently in amor- 
 phous concretions separated from each other bv 
 
 + Mr. Majendie presented some of these specimens to Abbe 
 Haiiy, and compared them with those in the cabinet of that 
 illustrious mineralogist, which were brought from the hill of 
 Mussinet near Turin. M. Haiiy observed upon this occasion, that 
 the Coverack Specimens did not consist of pure Diallage, but that 
 fibres of common Hornblende interrupted its texture. That of 
 Munsinel is foliated, and has no such intermixture.
 
 236 Tregonwell Mill. Menace ban. 
 
 lines which are perfectly defined. Schistose 
 Greenstone occurs again at Porthowstock, and a 
 small bed of Serpentine, on the south-west side 
 ofPorthal/o in the cliff, which rests on a reddish 
 Talc which lies, as before, on Clay Slate. No 
 other variety is observable from hence to the 
 Helford River, except in the appearance of a 
 Pudding Stone, or Conglomerate, near the Dennis 
 Creek, composed of rounded fragments of Slate 
 in which veins of Quartz are distinctly visible. 
 The traveller will not fail to visit the stream of 
 Tregonwell Mill,* near the village of Menacchan, 
 celebrated as the habitat of the Titaniferous Iron 
 ( Menacchanite, or Gregorite) discovered by the 
 late celebrated Mr. William Gregor.t He will 
 also receive much gratification by extending his 
 route to Mawnan Cliffs, where he will observe 
 a most extraordinary intermixture of fine and 
 coarse grained (GrawackePj slate, which are 
 traversed by many contemporaneous veins, some 
 composed of Quartz, and others of Ferriferous 
 
 * For a long period this was considered as the only Cornish 
 habitat of this mineral ; but Dr. Paris subsequently identified 
 its presence in a sand brought from a stream near the house of 
 Colonel Sandys at Lanarth. See " Transactions of the Royal 
 Geological Society of Cornwall." Vol. I. p, 226. 
 
 t See a History of this curious discovery in " A Memoir on the 
 Life and Scientific Labours of the Rev, William Gregor, by 
 J. A. Paris, M. D." London, 1818.
 
 Mawnan Cliffs. 237 
 
 Carbonate of Lime; some small cavities are 
 coated with fine spicular Arragonite, and a much 
 rarer substance, which on a chemical examina- 
 tion by Mr. Giegor proved to be a Sub-carburet 
 of Iron, has been found in thin plates among 
 the laminae of the Slate. The Reverend John 
 Rogers has also obtained from this spot small 
 octohedral crystals of the Yellow Sulphuret of 
 Copper. 
 
 From a general review of the phenomena de- 
 veloped in the present excursion, Mr. Professor 
 Sedgwick is led to conclude, that the great Pla- 
 teau of the Lizard is not composed of stratified 
 rocks, for although some obscure indications of 
 an order of super-position appear near Covtrack 
 and Porlhalla, yet he considers them as being 
 too uncertain to be opposed to the clear evidence 
 offered to the south-eastern parts of the coast, 
 where the alternating masses of Greenstone and 
 Serpentine so often appear, like great wedges 
 driven side by side into the escarpment, without 
 any arrangement whatsoever. Mr. Majendie, 
 however, who, be it known, actually bivouacked 
 in this district for a week, was satisfied that the 
 Greenstone and Serpentine did exhibit characters 
 of Stratification. But we desist feeling what 
 no doubt our readers have likewise experienced,
 
 238 Conclusion. 
 
 the dry and uninviting nature of Geological 
 details. Having therefore completed the task 
 we assigned ourselves, and conducted the tra- 
 veller to the more prominent and interesting 
 objects of WESTERN CORNWALL, we take our 
 leave. The Agriculturist, the Antiquary, the 
 Botanist, the Geologist, and Mineralogist, must, 
 each in his turn, have received ample gratifica- 
 tion and instruction from his visit to this inte- 
 resting and important district of the British 
 Empire, while the Capitalist must have seen 
 from the agriculture, the mineral treasures, the 
 fisheries, and the commerce of the country, how 
 many, and what great opportunities are pre- 
 sented for the advantageous exercise of capital; 
 the Valetudinarian too has, as we sincerely hope, 
 derived his share of benefit from the excursions, 
 and felt the salutary influence of those mild and 
 genial breezes which clothe our fields with per- 
 petual verdure, and impart to our cottagers the 
 enviable blessing of HEALTH and LONG LIFE.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 A DIALOGUE 
 
 Between Dr. A. a Physician, and Mr. B 
 an Invalid, on the comparative merits of dif- 
 ferent Climates, as places of Winter residence. 
 
 " Ne quis error loci nascatur " 
 
 Mr. B. In a conversation which we held together 
 in the early part of the summer, you will remember the 
 promise you then gave of affording me such advice, 
 relative to the choice of a winter's residence, as the 
 declining state of my health might require. The 
 autumn is now rapidly advancing, and I feel that no 
 time should be lost in making such arrangements as 
 may enable me to pass the approaching winter with the 
 greatest prospect of benefit. 
 
 Dr. A. I fully acquiesce in the propriety of your 
 resolution, and shall readily afford you any information 
 in my power ; but you well know that to a physician
 
 240 Appendix 
 
 there is not a question which he approaches with so 
 much diffidence, or dismisses with such little satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. B. I am well aware of the difficulties to which 
 you refer, circumstances of a moral nature, with which 
 the physician can rarely become sufficiently acquainted, 
 must necessarily have considerable weight in directing 
 the decision j but in my own case it is fortunate that 
 no such embarrassment can impede your judgment. 
 My only object and care is the restoration of health, 
 and my means are sufficient to enable me to pursue it 
 in any way which may give the fairest promise of 
 success. 
 
 Dr. A. You mistake me, it was not to embarrass- 
 ments of that kind that I was alluding. 
 
 Mr. B. Can then any other source of difficulty 
 exist ? To a medical practitioner who is in the habit 
 of sending his patients to all parts of Europe in search 
 of health, the real and comparative advantages of each 
 locality must surely be well known. 
 
 Dr. A. Far otherwise, my dear friend ; there are 
 few subjects upon which medical men have more widely 
 differed. It is true that we send our pulmonary suf- 
 fererers to various parts of the continent, and that we 
 receive from them a multiplicity of reports ; but then 
 they are often totally at variance with each other upon 
 those very points which are generally considered as the 
 least questionable ; and when we attempt to reconcile 
 this discordance, by an appeal to meteorological re- 
 cords, and registers of prevalent diseases, we are mor- 
 tified to find that the evidence necessary for forming 
 a safe and practical conclusion, requires a union of 
 industry and accuracy which has not hitherto been
 
 On Climate. 241 
 
 found to exist in a sufficient number of collateral ob- 
 servers. Nor must it be forgotten, that the disease, 
 for the cure of which the invalid is persuaded to emi- 
 grate, may require a very different atmosphere in its 
 different stages and forms ; and after all, how often does 
 it happen that the sufferer is not sent abroad, until every 
 chance of palliation has gone by. 
 
 Mr. B. I do not hesitate to declare that such con- 
 duct, on the part of a medical adviser, is as cruel as it 
 is unprincipled ; my confidence however in your in- 
 tegrity satisfies me that you will never abandon an 
 unhappy sufferer to such a useless alternative ; I must 
 therefore request you to state your opinion, generally, 
 as to the peculiar conditions upon which you consider 
 the eligibility of a climate, in the cure or palliation of 
 pulmonary affections, to depend. 
 
 Dr. A. This I shall do most cheerfully, especially 
 in conversation with one, whose philosophical pursuits 
 will have already instructed him in those principles, 
 from which our conclusions are necessarily deduced. 
 Congenial warmth, and, above all, equability of tem- 
 perature, are the first objects of inquiry in the theo- 
 retical comparison of climates ; but these cannot be 
 practically ascertained, in relation to their effects upon 
 the human body, by the thermometer ; because they 
 are constantly liable to be modified by causes of which 
 we have no other indication but that afforded by our 
 sensations. 
 
 Mr. B. That is strange ; and, so gratuitous does 
 the assertion appear to me, that I should be better 
 satisfied were you to support it by some examples. 
 
 Dr. A. Well then, I may instance for your satis- 
 faction, the well known influence of peculiar winds 
 Q
 
 242 Appendix 
 
 combined with moisture, and which, although they 
 may produce little or no variation in the thermometer 
 will rapidly rob the body of its heat ; the north-west 
 winds which so commonly blow in the southern pro- 
 vinces of France are decidedly more mischievous to 
 the pulmonary invalid than the March winds that de- 
 solate the more delicate frames in our own country, 
 and yet the thermometer in this case affords no indi- 
 cation of their nature. 
 
 Mr. B. No one who wishes to form a just estimate 
 of a climate, can doubt the propriety of taking the 
 prevalence of wind, and the degree of atmospheric 
 moisture into the account; although reasoning, from 
 analogy, I should not suppose that this latter circum- 
 stance would be prejudicial ; look at the moist and 
 foggy atmosphere of Holland, and yet I am told that 
 catarrhal affections are extremely rare in that country. 
 
 Dr. A. Moisture must make both heat and cold 
 more sensible; the one, by diminishing perspiration, 
 the other, by increasing the conducting power of the 
 air;* humidity therefore may be an injurious, or a 
 salutary condition, according to circumstances; but 
 you are greatly mistaken in supposing that the Dutch 
 owe their immunity from Catarrh to the dampness of 
 their climate, for it is to be imputed to the greater 
 equability of its temperature. 
 
 Mr. B. You no doubt place great stress upon the 
 advantage of an equable climate. 
 
 Dr. A. I consider equability as the most important 
 condition of all ; especially where the temperature ran- 
 ges at about 60 of Fahrenheit. It not only diminishes 
 the chance of aggravating pulmonary disease by pre- 
 
 * See Paris's Pliarmacologia, vol. 1, chap. " Expectorants"
 
 On Climate. 243 
 
 venting Catarrhs, but it serves to preserve a genial and 
 regular action of the skin, to keep the balance of blood 
 constantly on the surface, and to prevent any undue 
 congestion of it in the lungs. Besides, it is acknow- 
 ledged on all sides, that consumption is most prevalent 
 in countries and districts which are subject to great and 
 rapid changes of temperature, and that it is compara- 
 tively rare in those which are free from the diurnal 
 changes and sudden transitions which so characterise 
 that of our own island. 
 
 Mr. B. Nothing can be more convincing than such 
 reasoning ; but tell me for what reason you consider 
 the temperature of 60 as an essential condition under 
 these circumstances. 
 
 Dr. A. It is evident that no climate, however equa- 
 ble it may be thermometrically^ can be considered as 
 such in a medical point of view, if its temperature ran- 
 ges much below the degree I have mentioned ; because 
 in that case a material change must always occur when- 
 ever the invalid quits his apartment, and goes into the 
 open air. So that I consider a cold climate must in 
 effect be always regarded as a variable one. 
 
 Mr. B. But cannot this objection be obviated by 
 suitable cloathing ? 
 
 Dr. A. To a certain extent perhaps, but recollect if 
 you please, that there is no furnishing a great coat for 
 the lungs, to protect their structure against the di- 
 minished temperature of the air which is breathed. 
 
 Mr. B. What opinion have you formed respecting 
 the effects of a marine atmosphere ? 
 
 Dr. A. I apprehend that question cannot be fairly 
 answered without a reference to the symptoms and cir- 
 cumstances of each particular case ; generally speaking, 
 Q2
 
 244 Appendix 
 
 I am induced to consider the air of the sea as not hos- 
 tile to diseased lungs, except perhaps in those cases in 
 which Hectic fever is fully established ; but then again 
 cases will sometimes occur which would appear to 
 sanction a contrary conclusion. Thus much I should 
 say was certainly true, that in such situations you will 
 always experience more humidity, and that when the 
 air is cold, that cold will in consequence be more in- 
 tolerable, for the reasons I have before stated. On the 
 other hand you must be aware that a marine situation 
 will enjoy a more equable temperature* than one simi- 
 larly situated, but remote from the ocean, and as far as 
 that goes it will have its advantages. 
 
 Mr. B. I should much like to know what the con- 
 tinental physicians think of this circumstance, with 
 reference to their own climate. 
 
 Dr. A. Upon that point you may be easily satisfied 
 by referring to Dr. Clark's work on foreign climates.t 
 He says that the physicians on the sea coast send their 
 consumptive patients into the interior, and those in the 
 interior to the shores of the Mediterranean or Adriatic. 
 From Genoa they send them into the interior, deeming 
 the sea air injurious to them. From Naples they fre- 
 quently send such invalids to Rome. From Rome, on 
 the other hand, they send them frequently to Civita 
 Vecchia, on the shores of the Mediterranean ; more 
 frequently to the shores of the Adriatic, and, occasion- 
 ally, even to Naples ! 
 
 Mr. B. And is this account to satisfy me ? why I 
 am plunged deeper in doubt than ever by such testi- 
 
 * See page 5 of the Guide. 
 
 f Medical Notes on Climate, Diseases, &c. in France, Italy, and 
 Switzerland, by James Clark, M.D. London 1820.
 
 On Climate. 245 
 
 mony. No wonder that the physician should approach 
 the subject of Climate with diffidence when he finds 
 those best able, from experience, to appreciate its me- 
 rits, so irreconcileably at variance with each other. In 
 the next place, let me ask whether you advocate the 
 advantages of a Sea Voyage ? 
 
 Dr. A. Not unconditionally. Dr. Young has said, 
 and I believe with much truth, that the greatest possible 
 equability of temperature is to be obtained in a sea 
 voyage to a warm climate ; in which the variation will 
 seldom amount to half as much as in the most favour- 
 able situation on shore, even on a small island. 
 
 Mr. B. The very condition which, of all others, 
 you consider the most beneficial. 
 
 Dr. A. Undoubtedly, and if you can make interest 
 with Neptune to push you forward with his trident, 
 and persuade ./Eolus to slumber quietly in his caverns, 
 lose no time in availing yourself of such advantages; 
 but as long as the wind " bloweth where it listeth," I 
 entreat you, my good friend, to remain on terrajirma', 
 depend upon it that experience will fully sanction this 
 advice ; of the great number of patients who have 
 been sent on such an errand, by far the greatest pro- 
 portion have had the progress of their pectoral com- 
 plaints rapidly accelerated during the voyage ; remember 
 the various kinds of physical injury and distress to 
 which you must be exposed on board of ship, before 
 you can reach a steady and warm climate, from bad 
 weather, and different local causes which it is not neces- 
 sary to enumerate; four and twenty hours beating to 
 windward are sufficient to counterbalance all the ad- 
 vantages that might be anticipated. 
 
 Mr. B. Why you must surely have been inoculated
 
 246 Appendix 
 
 with the prejudices of Mr. Matthews, who tells us that 
 the fatigue and discomfort of a vessel is much the same 
 thing as being tossed in a blanket during one half of the 
 day, and thrown into a pigsty for the remainder. 
 
 Dr. A. I never was more serious. If the weather 
 be bad the patient has but one alternative, he is either 
 half suffocated with smoke or an oppressive atmosphere 
 in the cabin, or exposed on deck to cutting winds, rain, 
 and cold, and to an air by far too free for diseased 
 lungs; then again sea sickness, whatever may have 
 been said to the contrary, reduces his strength rapidly, 
 and if damp sheets are the bug-bears of land travellers, 
 damp clothes of every description are unavoidable at 
 sea, and which in stormy weather can seldom be dried. 
 
 Mr. B. Well, you will at least allow that the motion 
 of a ship is preferable to that of a carriage on a rough 
 road. 
 
 Dr. A. I will not even concede this point, and were 
 you only to read the interesting case of Dr. Currie, I am 
 sure that you would be soon convinced of the contrary. 
 
 Mr. B. The opinion you have now expressed is suf- 
 ficient ; I shall not be readily induced to make the 
 experiment of a sea voyage ; suppose me then, if you 
 please, to have been already transported across the 
 channel on a calm day in a Steam-boat, and tell me to 
 what part of the continent I am to direct my steps, in 
 order to find a suitable residence for the winter months. 
 I take it for granted that you consider the English 
 Climate, from June to October as salutary to natives as 
 that of any country in the world. 
 
 Dr. A. Beyond question ; but as an invalid who 
 seeks permanent advantage from a foreign climate must 
 be content to remain abroad for, at least, two winters,
 
 On Climate. 247 
 
 you will readily perceive that the consideration of his 
 residence during the summer season is not entirely a 
 subject of indifference. 
 
 Mr. B. My inclination would lead me to the south 
 of France in preference to a more distant residence, pro- 
 vided the place should meet with your full concurrence. 
 
 Dr. A. The places to which English invalids have 
 been more usually sent are Montpellier, Marseilles, 
 Toulon, and Hieres ; but I never ventured an opinion 
 with less reserve when I declare, that I regard the very 
 coldest parts of our own country to he less inimical to 
 delicate lungs than the sharp and piercing air of the 
 places which I have just mentioned. As to Montpellier, 
 I am at a loss to understand how it could ever have 
 obtained a reputation for its climate ; and yet so uni- 
 versal was the belief, that its very name became, as you 
 must well know, a characteristic epithet to places sup- 
 posed to be preeminently salubrious. 
 
 Mr. B. Is it not remarkable for its clear blue sky, 
 the very idea of which will always carry a charm with 
 it to an Englishman ? 
 
 Dr. A. Clear and brilliant enough, but the air is at 
 the same time so sharp and biting, that every mouthful 
 irritates the lungs, and produces excessive coughing, 
 and then you are, moreover, constantly assailed by one 
 or the other of two destructive winds, the Bize bring- 
 ing cold, and the Mat-in, moisture. 
 
 Mr. B. And yet to this same Bize, of whose sharp- 
 ness you so greatly complain, did the Emperor Augustus 
 erect an altar. 
 
 Dr. A. Very true, but we are told it was an homage 
 like that which the Indians are said to pay to the infer- 
 nal deity ; to avert its wrath, not to conciliate its favour.
 
 218 Appendix 
 
 Mr. D. Is the locality of Marseilles less exception- 
 able ? 
 
 Dr. A. By no means. Cold winds are always inju- 
 rious, but they are rendered destructive, in a tenfold 
 proportion, when alternated with heat. At Marseilles 
 the dreaded Mistral of Provence (a north-west wind), 
 which is often accompanied by a clear atmosphere, and 
 a powerful sun, reigns in all its glory. Toulon has the 
 damning fault of Marseilles. 
 
 Mr. B. Is Hieres exposed to the same evil ? 
 
 Dr. A. Not in the same degree. It has generally 
 the credit of being much milder, and I really believe 
 that it is justly preferred to every other place in Pro- 
 vence, but it is not free from the Mistral. Dr. Clark, 
 however, tells us that about the bases of the hills, there 
 are some sheltered spots, where the invalid might enjoy 
 several hours in the open air on almost every dry day, 
 but then there exists a difficulty in reaching them at 
 those times, when they would be most useful. 
 
 Mr. B. I see plainly, that a residence in the south 
 of France would never realize my hopes of recovery ; 
 perhaps Nice may be more likely to afford satisfaction ? 
 
 Dr. A. Nice, as you probably know, was first 
 brought into vogue by our celebrated countryman, Dr. 
 Smollet, who resided there during two winters, and it 
 has been extolled by numerous writers since (hat period ; 
 the northern blasts, which rage with such fury in the 
 south of ranee, are averted from this favoured valley 
 by the maritime alps. Dr. Smollet, in speaking of its 
 superior mildness, when compared with Provence, says, 
 " the north-west winds blew as cold in Provence as 
 ever I felt them on the mountains of Scotland, whereas 
 Nice is altogether screened from them by mountains."
 
 On Climate. 249 
 
 Mr. B. If I have been correctly informed, the 
 neighbourhood of Nice is on many accounts preferable 
 to the town itself. 
 
 Dr. A. The suburbs of the l Croix de Marbre 1 have 
 been the favourite residence of the English, and indeed 
 on that account are not unfrequently called the c Faux- 
 bourg des Anglois'. This spot is situated immediately 
 beyond the river Paglion^ which, descending from its 
 Alpine sources, washes the western extremity of the 
 town and falls into the bay of Nice. 
 
 Mr. B. What accommodations are to be met with 
 at Nice ? 
 
 Dr. A. I have always understood that provisions 
 are both good and abundant ; some of my patients, 
 however, have complained greatly of the bread as being 
 sour and ill tasted from the leaven. As to the other ac- 
 commodations, Dr. Clark says that they are also good, 
 making allowance always for the inconveniences which, 
 to an English family, are inseparable from foreign 
 houses, such as smoky apartments, ill provided fire 
 places, &c. 
 
 Mr. B. Now state, if you please, the objections 
 that may be urged against Nice. 
 
 Dr. A. In the commencement of the winter, this 
 valley is remarkably infested with mosquitoes, which 
 greatly annoy strangers, especially children. During 
 the months of November, December, and January, the 
 climate would seem to embrace all the qualities so 
 favourable to pectoral complaints, but the three follow- 
 ing months are by no means unexceptionable. Although 
 Nice be protected from the Mistral, yet in the spring 
 of the year it is infested with cold sharp winds from the
 
 250 Appendix 
 
 east, and north and south-east, which are highly mis- 
 chievous to the valetudinarian. 
 
 Mr. B. It is clear then that he should quit Nice at 
 this season. 
 
 Dr. A. That is not so easy as you may suppose, for 
 unless be leaves it by sea, he must not venture to depart 
 by any of the usual roads before the month of May; for 
 should he direct his route to Turin, he will have a very 
 rough and hazardous journey over the '* Col de Tende^ 
 and may perchance be caught in a snow storm ; if on 
 the other hand, he returns by France, he must cross the 
 " EstrelleSf' and expose himself to the cold winds of 
 Provence. 
 
 Mr. B. Well these are strong objections ; but taking 
 into consideration all the advantages and disadvantages 
 of Nice, will not the former so greatly preponderate, 
 as to entitle it to the character it has long enjoyed as 
 an eligible winter residence for the consumptive ? 
 
 Dr. A. I fear that medical experience will not 
 sanction such a conclusion. Catarrhal affections are 
 frequent amongst the inhabitants, and it has been re- 
 marked by those best able to investigate the subject, 
 that the progress of pulmonary disease is rather accele- 
 rated than retarded by this climate. If you will allow 
 me, I will read a passage from a late work by Dr. 
 Carter, which places this subject in a very striking 
 point of view. " Notwithstanding the mildness of 
 Nice, it appeared to be of little or no service to per- 
 sons labouring under confirmed consumption ; during 
 the winter I was there, I saw no instance of great 
 amendment, and I even doubted whether life was not 
 shortened in some instances by a residence there. Some 
 medical meu were clearly of that opinion ; and as their
 
 On Climate. 251 
 
 interest should have led them to speak well of Nice, 
 they must have been pretty strongly impressed with the 
 conviction of its climate being hurtful to people in con- 
 firmed Phthisis, before they could have been induced 
 to make this opinion public." * 
 
 Mr, B. This is discouraging ; but is the testimony 
 of Dr. Carter supported by other authorities ? 
 
 Dr. A. By many others. Here is a work by Dr. 
 Clark, who is himself resident at Rome, and a physician 
 of great intelligence ; he not only confirms the opinion 
 of Dr. Carter, but adduces that of Professor Fodere 
 who practised at Nice for more than six years, and who 
 in a conversation with Dr. Clark, made the following 
 strong observation. " There is one thing certain, Sir, 
 you may safely assure your countrymen, that it is a very 
 bad practice to send their consumptive patients to Nice." 
 M. Fodere moreover observed, that consumption in this 
 district is not, as in Switzerland, on the banks of the 
 Soane, and in Alsace, a chronic disease ; but, on the 
 contrary, he has often seen it terminate in forty days ; 
 he says that the physician of the countries just men- 
 tioned would be quite astonished at the quickness with 
 which one attack of pulmonary hemorrhage succeeds 
 another, how readily the tubercles suppurate, and how 
 speedily the lungs are destroyed." He is even inclined 
 to believe that there exists, on the shores of the Medi- 
 terranean, some source of evil not appreciable by 
 meteorological observations. 
 
 * A Short Account of some of the Principal Hospitals of France, 
 Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, with Remarks upon the 
 Climate and Diseases ef those Countries. By 11. W. Carter, M.D. 
 London 1819,
 
 252 Appendix 
 
 Mr. B. Enough of Nice. What of Pisa ? 
 
 Dr. A. You may perhaps remember that Mr. Mat- 
 thews, in his comparison of these two places, says, 
 " I belie?e that Pisa is the very best place on the con- 
 tinent during the winter for complaints of the chest ; 
 and Nice, of which I speak from good authority, is 
 perhaps the very worst. The air of the first, which is 
 situated in a low plain, is warm, mild, and muggy ; 
 that of the second is pure, keen, and piercing." 
 
 Mr. B. To speak honestly, I entertain a very high 
 respect for Mr. Matthews as an intelligent and agree- 
 able tourist, but he is the very last authority upon 
 which I could repose my confidence, with regard to the 
 salubrity of a climate ; his observations upon this head 
 are too fretful and petulant to afford satisfaction. 
 
 Dr. A. His remarks upon Nice and Pisa will cer- 
 tainly justify the opinion you have formed ; for there 
 does not exist such a striking difference in the climate 
 of these places as he has been induced to believe ; al- 
 though the latter town is certainly milder than Nice, 
 and possesses the advantage of having good roads lead- 
 ing to it from all parts of Italy, so that the invalid may 
 leave it with safety much earlier than he could Nice. 
 
 Mr. B. Are the spring winds less violent than at 
 Nice ? 
 
 Dr. A. Scarcely. The site of the houses, however, 
 is better calculated to defend you from their influence. 
 On the northern bank of the Arno, there is a crescent 
 which faces the south, and is well protected from the 
 north winds ; this situation ought always to be selected 
 by invalids who winter at Pisa. 
 
 Mr. B. If I resolve to winter in Italy, I shall pro- 
 bably prefer Pisa. I confess that I have received a
 
 On Climate, 253 
 
 prejudice against Rome, as well as Naples, from the 
 reports of some frieuds who have lately returned from, 
 those places; but I should be glad to hear your opinion, 
 upon the subject. 
 
 Dr. A. Rome and Naples ought not to be named in 
 the same breath, unless indeed for the sake of contrast. 
 Rome possesses many points of excellence as a winter 
 residence, but as to Naples at this season, I would not 
 recommend an invalid, on any account, to try its cli- 
 mate : conceive the effects of a hot sun with a winter 
 wind of piercing bitterness ! " Vedi Napoli e po> mori" 
 says the proverb, and no wonder that it has received so 
 many illustrations from the English. Upon this one 
 point at least we must all concur with Mr. Matthews: 
 u If," says he, " a man be tired of the slow lingering 
 progress of consumption, let him repair to Naples; and 
 the denouement will be much more rapid." 
 
 Mr. B. But what of Rome of the Eternal City ? 
 
 Dr. A. That vehemence of expression, my good 
 friend, betrays your polarity ; in spite of your avowal I 
 see clearly that your wishes point to the ancient Mis- 
 tress of the world. 
 
 Mr. B. You really mistake me; depend upon it 
 that I shall undertake no pilgrimage but to the temple 
 of Hygeia. 
 
 Dr. A. Rome has, by far, too many temptations for 
 the invalid, and I confess that from the accounts which 
 I have received from my patients, I am unable to dis- 
 cover any advantages equivalent to the risks. 
 
 Mr. B. I am even told that the climate of Rome is 
 much colder than that of Nice in the winter. 
 
 Dr. A. You have been rightly informed ; in addition 
 to which, the streets are damp and chilly, and so vari-
 
 254 Appendix 
 
 able in temperature, that there is not unfrequently a 
 difference of twenty degrees between one street and 
 another. 
 
 Mr. B. In what then does its excellence consist ? 
 
 Dr. A. It is decidedly the best spring residence in 
 Italy. The air is much more moist than that of Nice ; 
 and, at this season, it has the advantage of being less 
 liable to cold winds; although it must be confessed 
 that the Tramontana (a sharp northerly wind,) is some- 
 times felt with considerable severity, but it does not 
 affect the human body like the dry cold winds of Pro- 
 yen ce. 
 
 Mr. B. The prejudice which exists in my mind 
 against Rome has arisen from the circumstance of many 
 of my friends having suffered severely from head-ache, 
 during their residence there. 
 
 Dr. A. Upon that point, I fear my opinion will 
 rather strengthen than remove your prejudice. I have 
 no hesitation in stating, that the same complaint has 
 been frequently made to me; and even Dr. Clark, the 
 English resident physician, confirms the objection.* 
 
 Mr. B. And then come the frightful Malaria. 
 
 Dr. A. The stranger has nothing to fear from these 
 exhalations between October and the middle of May, 
 
 * " There is one class of affections for which the Atmosphere of 
 Rome appeared to me unfavourable. These are head-aches arising 
 from a ,tendency to a fullness about the head. In many cases 
 among the English residents, I found persons not previously sub- 
 ject to head-aches affected with them here, and some already liable 
 to them had been aggravated. Apoplexy, I was told, was at one 
 time so frequent at Rome that a day of public fasting was ordered, 
 and a particular form of prayer addressed to St. Anthony to avert 
 so dreadful a calamity from the Holy city."
 
 On Climate. 255 
 
 after which period I should not recommend any invalid 
 to protract his visit. 
 
 Mr. B. But suppose his object is to remain two 
 winters at Rome, where is he to find refuge during 
 these intervals ? 
 
 Dr. A. In the vicinity of Rome there are many spots 
 which will furnish a very eligible residence during the 
 hot weather, such are Albano, Frascati, Tivoli, Castel 
 Gandolfo. 
 
 Mr. B. After what you have said, I think it is 
 scarcely worth \vhile for an invalid to encounter the 
 fatigues of so long a journey ; but you have not yet 
 mentioned Florence. 
 
 Dr. A. Its climate is almost as changeable as our 
 own, and far more mischievous, as its Siberian winds 
 alternate with a temperature equal to that of our finest 
 days in spring. The summer, however, is delightful, 
 the heat being greatly tempered by the Apennines. 
 Bicchierai, an Italian Physician of eminence, used to 
 say, that he wondered how any body could live at Flo- 
 rence in the winter, or die there in the summer. 
 
 Mr. B. Upon the whole you have presented me 
 with a very discouraging view of the Italian Climate ; 
 and I have always understood that Lisbon is intolerable 
 to an Englishman from its filth. 
 
 Dr. A. Lisbon is out of the question : the character 
 of its climate may be summed up in a few words. Its 
 winter temperature is neither mild nor equable, and its 
 spring is remarkable for dense and cold fogs ; and as to 
 what an Englishman calls comfort, there is not a city in 
 the world where it is so systematically neglected. 
 
 Mr. B. Suppose I wave the objections to a sea 
 voyage and set sail for Sicily ?
 
 256 Appendix 
 
 Dr. A. In that case you will undoubtedly find a 
 fine climate, superior in most respects to that of the 
 Italian continent. The winter and spring seasons are 
 remarkably mild, provided you select Palermo for your 
 residence ; Messina is exposed to cold piercing easterly 
 winds from the mountains of Calabria. 
 
 Mr. B. I have heard Catania well spoken of. 
 
 Dr. A. Its atmosphere is too sulphureous; in ad- 
 dition to which every egress from the town is difficult 
 and unpleasant, owing to the lava from the Volcano. 
 But there is in my opinion an insuperable objection to 
 the Sicilian climate from the extreme heat of its sum- 
 mer, from which the invalid cannot easily escape. 
 
 Mr. B. Well then, Malta. 
 
 Dr. A. Dr. Domeier, in his account of this climate, 
 tells us that the thermometer seldom varies in this 
 island more than 6 in the twenty-four hours, or stand? 
 below 51, even in the depth of winter: but then the 
 summer, which is protracted even to the month of No- 
 vember, is extremely mischievous from its heat, the 
 force of which is severely felt in a country where there 
 is scarcely any visible foliage, the place of hedges being 
 universally occupied by stone walls. 
 
 Mr. B. Let me hear what you have to say with 
 respect to the other islands which have gained celebrity 
 for their climates, such as Madeira, the Bermudas, 
 Jamaica, 
 
 Dr. A. You must be well aware that these places 
 are, generally speaking, beyond the reach of the ordi- 
 nary class of English invalids. Madeira has been 
 greatly extolled by Dr. Adams, who even ventures to 
 assert that in cases of consumption, if the patient does 
 not saunter away his time, after his physician has ad-
 
 On Climate. 257 
 
 vised him to quit England, we may with certainty pro- 
 mise him a cure. In the West Indies it is agreed by 
 all authors, that consumptive affections are almost un- 
 known, and that scrofula in all its forms is uncommon. 
 
 Mr. B. Would you recommend a residence in the 
 West Indies to a person who has free control over his 
 movements ? 
 
 Dr. A. If we may be allowed to draw any inference 
 from the qualities of a climate, as indicated by the ther- 
 mometer, or by its effects on the constitution of the 
 inhabitants, there can be but little doubt that a resi- 
 dence in the Bermudas, in a temperate and sheltered 
 part of Jamaica, or in some other of the West India 
 Islands, would present every advantage, towards the 
 recovery of a consumptive patient, that climate alone 
 can bestow. 
 
 Mr. B. I thank you sincerely, my good Sir, for the 
 patience and candour with which you have discussed the 
 subject of climate. I am fully sensible of the difficulties 
 with which it is encompassed, and of the utter impos- 
 sibility of expecting from medical advice a satisfactory 
 solution of the many problems which it involves. Every 
 invalid must, to a certain extent, rely upon his own 
 judgment; but before I finally decide upon the place 
 of my destination, allow me to trespass still farther up- 
 on your patience, in order to learn whether, after all, 
 there be not some favoured spot ia our own country, 
 where I might seek shelter from the approaching 
 season, and which would supersede the necessity of 
 travelling to a foreign land ? 
 
 Dr. A. I should say to a person, who had been, 
 accustomed to the colder and more exposed parts of our 
 island, try the effects of some more genial situation ; 
 R
 
 258 Appendix. 
 
 and such a change would be as likely to favour con- 
 valescence as an emigration to the continent; for al- 
 though by such a step, he might not obtain an equally 
 favourable atmosphere, he would more than counter- 
 balance the difference by ensuring the advantages of 
 English comforts. 
 
 Mr. B. And to what parts of England would you 
 direct him ? 
 
 Dr. A. There are particular spots on the coast of 
 Hampshire and Sussex which have been long considered 
 as eligible places of winter residence; such are South- 
 ampton and Hastings, which are certainly less subject 
 to the effect of the Northern and Eastern winds than 
 many parts of our island ; but they are not to be put in 
 competition with Sidmouth, Davvlish, or Torquay in 
 Devonshire, and still less with Peuzance in Cornwall, 
 which, after all, is the only situation which can be 
 fairly said to possess any very material advantages from 
 the mildness of its winter. I speak this from well 
 grounded observation and experience. The Climate of 
 Penzance is unlike that of any other part of the island. 
 
 Mr. B. I remember having received a favourable 
 impression with respect to the climate of that place, 
 from the perusal of a small work, entitled, a Guide to 
 the Mount's Bay and the Land's End ; a copy was lent 
 
 me by Sir , and I have since endeavoured to 
 
 purchase one, but find that it is out of print. 
 
 Dr. A. Are you not aware then that you have been 
 conversing with its author ? The book has been for 
 some time out of print, but a second edition is nearly 
 ready for publication ; and, with your permission, f 
 shall introduce, as nearly as my memory will serve,
 
 On Climate. 259 
 
 the conversation which we have just held together upon 
 the subject of Climate. 
 
 Mr. B. By all means ; the questions which I have 
 submitted for your opinion, are such as must naturally 
 suggest themselves to every invalid who is in search of 
 a winter residence, and as your little work, as far as I 
 recollect, is intended for the same class of persons, its 
 practical utility will be materially enhanced by the 
 addition you have just proposed.
 
 APPENDIX. PART II. 
 
 An Account ofthg First Celebration of the 
 KNILLIAN GAMES at ST. IVES. 
 
 Alluded to at page 158 of this work. 
 
 WE trust that our readers will find some amusement 
 and relaxation, after the fatigue of their day's excursion, 
 in the following Jeu (f Esprit, as originally written by 
 an eye witness of the festivity ; an institution which, 
 adds the said writer, will go far to preserve the tone of 
 the Cornish character, and which can never be neg- 
 lected while the Cornish men continue to be brave, and 
 the Cornish women to be virtuous. 
 
 The celebration of the Games at Olympia, after the 
 revolution of every four years, formed the chief date of 
 time among the Greeks ; and perhaps in future the in- 
 habitants of the West of England will reckon the years, 
 as they pass, by the quinquennial return of the games 
 at St. Ives. 
 
 I ought rather to have begun by stating, that John 
 Knill, Esq. a gentleman formerly of great eminence in 
 the above mentioned town, has bequeathed the income 
 of a considerable estate to be distributed by the trustees 
 in a variety of prizes to those who may excel in racing, 
 in rowing, and in wrestling. A large sum is to be 
 divided among a band of virgins, who are to be dressed 
 all in white, and with four matrons, and a company of 
 musicians preceding them, are to walk in pairs to the 
 summit of the hill ? which is near the town of St. Ives,
 
 Kniltian Games. 261 
 
 where they are to dance and chaunt a hymn round the 
 far famed mausoleum. 
 
 Ten guineas are appointed to be expended in a din- 
 ner at the grand hotel in the town, of which six of the 
 principal inhabitants are to partake ; and this festival 
 is to be repeated every fifth year for ever. 
 
 From the earliest periods of history, the Cornish 
 have been famous for their enthusiastic fondness of the 
 athletic exercises of hurling, racing, wrestling, and 
 rowing, and for the pious fervour of the hymns which 
 the Druids instructed them to sing round the Cromlechs 
 of the departed brave. 
 
 By establishing rewards for superiority in amuse- 
 ments in which the Cornish still delight to excel, Mr. 
 Knill has shewn the patriotic feelings of his local at- 
 tachments ; while by the appropriate selection of the 
 spot where these pastimes are to take place, he has 
 given ample proof of the correctness of his taste. The 
 enormous statue of Jupiter at Elis pointed out that part 
 of Peloponnesus to the taste of the Greeks, as the most 
 proper place for the celebration of the Olympic Games; 
 and a sympathy of feeling and sentiment induced Mr. 
 Knill to order that the Mausoleum, which he erected 
 in the year 1782 should be the centre of the quinquen- 
 nial festivities. This proud pyramid, whose base is situ- 
 ated on the summit of a rock, and whose apex is 
 often concealed among the clouds, has hitherto formed 
 only an object of ornamental magnificence, or a guide to 
 the tempest tost mariner; but henceforth it will be 
 regarded as the monument of fame the pillar of the 
 west the Cornish column ! 
 
 Monday last was the day appointed for the first cele- 
 bration. I was present at the scene, and am induced
 
 262 Appendix. 
 
 to think, from this first specimen, that the rites of the 
 hill will be celebrated in succeeding years with in- 
 creased fervour and renewed admiration. Weak as my 
 powers of description are, your readers may, perhaps, 
 from the following account, conceive some idea of the 
 interesting spectacle. 
 
 Early in the morning the roads from Helston, from 
 Truro, and from Penzance, were lined with horses and 
 vehicles of every description. These were seen amidst 
 clouds of dust, pouring down the sides of the adjacent 
 mountains ; while thousands of travellers on foot chose 
 the more pleasant route through the winding passages 
 of the vallies. At noon the assembly was formed. The 
 wrestlers entered the ring ; the troop of virgins dress- 
 ed, all in white, advanced with solemn step, which was 
 regulated by the notes of harmony. The spectators 
 ranged themselves along the sides of the hills which 
 inclose the extensive bay, while the pyramid on the 
 summit seemed pointing to the sun, who appeared in 
 all the majesty of light, rejoicing at the scene. 
 
 At length the Mayor of Saint Ives appeared in his 
 robes of state. The signal was given. The flags were 
 displayed in waving splendour from the towers of the 
 castle. Here the wrestlers exerted their sinewy strength ; 
 there the rowers, in their various dresses of blue, white, 
 and red, urged the gilded prows of their boats through 
 the sparkling waves of the ocean ; while the hills echoed 
 to the mingled shouts of the victors, the dashing of the 
 oars, the songs of the virgins, and the repeated plaudits 
 of the admiring crowd, who stood so thick upon the 
 crescent, which is formed by the surrounding moun- 
 tains, as to appear, if I may so express myself, one 
 living amphitheatre.
 
 Kniliian Games. 263 
 
 The ladies aud geutleraen of Penzance returned to an 
 elegant dinner which they had ordered to be prepared 
 at the Union Hotel ; and a splendid ball concluded the 
 entertainment of the evening. The jolly god presided, 
 but a reproving smile from Venus restrained him, if 
 he ventured beyond the due bounds of decorum. Hila- 
 rity and beauty danced to the most delicious notes of 
 harmony ; till the rosy finger of Aurora pointed to the 
 hour at which the quinquennial festivities should close. 
 Perhaps to many the visions of the night brought back 
 the joys of the day, and the feet danced, the heart 
 throbbed, and the cheek glowed, when the eye-lids 
 were closed in sleep. 
 
 A SONG, 
 
 Written by one of the Head Poets of London for Mr. KNILL'S 
 GAMES at Saint Ives. 
 
 (To the tune of " Boys and Girls come out to play.") 
 Sung at the Mausoleum, by a Minstrel adorned with Ribbons. 
 
 K MM. commands, and all obey, 
 
 Lads and Lasses haste away, 
 
 Aunts and Uncles,* Maids and Wives, 
 
 All are gay, at gay St. Ives. 
 
 No tongue is mute or foot is still, 
 But One and Att\ are on the hill, 
 In chorus round the tomb of Knill. 
 
 This you surely may rely on, 
 Paul, Penzance, nor Marazion, 
 Never saw in all their lives 
 Such sport as now is at St. Ives. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 * Aunts and Uncles. A Cornish epithet indiscriminately applied 
 to elderly persons. 
 
 t One and All is the Cornish motto.
 
 264 dppendi.v. 
 
 Some in gigs and coaches flocking, 
 Some without or shirt or stocking, 
 All are crowding not a hack 
 But has three upon his back. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 Of Virgins pure (let envy squint, 
 And malice sneer, there's nothing in't) 
 Of Virgins pure a throng advance, 
 And round the tomb in circles dance. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 BOYS on gingerbread are feeding, 
 Cudgel-broken pates are bleeding ; 
 Races running, Wrestlers falling, 
 Bones are cracking, women squalling. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 Thro' the breaking wave below, 
 Rowers urge the bounding prow ; 
 While many a Tub and many a Ray 
 Sport around in finny play. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 All are running what's the matter. 5 
 Why, to see the fine Regatta. 
 Earth and water, hill and bay, 
 Share the frolic of the day. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 Oh ! it glads the heart to see e'm 
 Gamble round the Mausoleum. 
 All is joy : and laughter shakes 
 All the merry land of Hakes.+ 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 J Common fish at St. Ives. 
 t St. Ives abounds with a fish called a Hake.
 
 Knillian Games. 265 
 
 What a pother ! what a deal is 
 Talk'd about the games at Elis : 
 Such as they no not a million 
 Equal what we call the Knillian. 
 No tongue, &c. 
 
 Knill commands, and all obey, 
 
 Lads and lasses haste away, 
 
 All the world and all his wives. 
 
 "What was Greece to gay St. Ives ! ! 
 No tongue is mute, no foot is still, 
 But One and All are on the hill 
 In chorus round the tomb of Knill. 
 
 An appropriate Chorus to be sung round the Tomb by the 
 Virgins. 
 
 Quit the bustle of the Bay, 
 Hasten, Virgins, come away ; 
 Hasten to the mountain's brow, 
 Leave, oh ! leave St. Ives below ! 
 Haste to breathe a purer air 
 Virgins fair, and pure as fair. 
 Quit St. Ives and all her treasures, 
 Fly her soft voluptuous pleasures, 
 Fly her sons and all the wiles, 
 Lurking in their wanton smiles; 
 Fly her splendid midnight halls, 
 Fly the revels of her Balls ; 
 Fly, oh ! fly the chosen seat, 
 Where vanity and fashion meet. 
 Hither hasten; form the ring, 
 Round the tomb in chorus sing, 
 And on the lofty mountain's brow 
 
 Aptly dite, 
 
 (Just as we should be, all in white) 
 Leave all our Cowels,* and our cares below. 
 
 * See the explanation of this term at page 34.
 
 266 Appendix. 
 
 A CORNISH DIALOGUE 
 
 Between GRACE PENVEAR and MARY TREVISKEY. 
 
 GREACEY. 
 
 Path and Trath than ! I bleeve in ten Parishes round 
 Sichey Roag, sichey Vellan es nat to ba found. 
 
 MALLY. 
 Wheats' tha' fussing, Un Greacey ! long wetha Cheel Vean ? 
 
 GREACEY. 
 
 A fussing a ketlia ! oads splet 'es ould breane ! 
 Our Martn's cum'd hum cheeld so drunk as a beast, 
 And so cross as the Gallish from Perran-zan feaast : 
 A cum'd in a tottering, cussing, and sweering 
 So hard as a Stompses, and tarving and leering ! 
 
 MALLY. 
 
 Naver meynd et un Greacey, goa, poat en to bed 
 AI sleep ale tha lecker aweay froam es head. 
 
 GREACEY. 
 
 I'd nat goa a neest en to fang tha Kings Crown, 
 For a sweers ef I speek to'an al cleev ma skuel down : 
 Tha navar en ale tha boarn daeys, fath and shoar, 
 Dedst behould sichey Maze-gerry Pattick a foar. 
 
 (Fuss) [a low cant word] a tumult, a bustle. Swift. 
 (Un) Aunt a title usually given to an elderly woman. 
 (Vean) Cornish for little] Cheel Vean little Child. 
 (Tarving) [a cant word] struggling, convulsions, Tarvings. 
 (Fang) [Saxon] to gripe, receive, &c. Shakespear. 
 (Maze-gerry Pattick) a mad brutish or frolicsome fool.
 
 Cornish Dialogue. 267 
 
 Why, a scat ale to Midjans and Jowds for the nouns, 
 A clom Buzza of scale melk about on tha scoans. 
 And a raak'd up a showl for to steeve ma 1 outright, 
 But I'm run'd awaey, readdy to feyntey for freyt ! 
 Loard ! tell ma un Mally ! whaat shall Ey do by 'an ? 
 For Zoundtikins Deth ! Ey Y.i a fear'd to cum uy'aii. 
 
 MALLY. 
 
 I know wheat Ey'd gee'an ef so bee 'twor my case, 
 Ey'd scat tha ould Chacks aa'n ; Ey'd trcm 'an un Greace. 
 
 GREACEY. 
 
 Ey'm afeard o'my leyf to coam ny tha ould Vellan, 
 Else pleas faather ! Ey bleeve Ey shu'd murely kill 'an. 
 Wor ever poor creychar so baal'd and aboos'd, 
 Ma heep here leyke bazzom, tha Roag have a bruis'd. 
 Ey mad for 'es sopar a Muggety Pye, 
 But a shaan't clunk a croom a'te Ey wish Ey meay die ! 
 
 MALLY. 
 
 Aye ! Ey tould tha afore that tha jobb wor a done, 
 That tha'd'st find out tha odds 'ate, so shoor as a gun ; 
 But tha' wouds'nt hark to ma for doubting, for why 
 That beshoor, that tha knowd'st 'en mooch better than Ey ; 
 But Ey knaw'd tha good trem 'ane befour tha's't a got 'en ; 
 Ey cou'd tell tha a mashes of stoareys about en ; 
 But tha' aanserds't soa heytish and shrinkt up tha noaz : 
 'A gissing 'twor greeat stromming leys Ey sopoaz ! 
 But there's one of es praenks Ey shall alcweays remembar 
 'Twill be three years agone coam tha eighth of Novembar, 
 
 (Midjans and Jouds) shreds and tatters. 
 
 (Noans) [Nonce] on purpose. 
 
 (Clom Buzza) a coarse earthen pot. 
 
 (Scoans) the pavement. (Showl) a shovel. (Steeve) stave. 
 , (Scat) to give a blow, to break. (Chacks) cheeks. 
 
 (Murely) almost. (Baal'd) mischievously beaten. 
 
 (Bazzom) of a blue or purple colour. 
 
 (Muggety Pye) a pye made of shteps guts, .parsley and cream, 
 pepper and salt. (Clunk) swallow. (Croom) crumb, 
 
 (Mashes) a great many, number, &c.
 
 268 Appendix. 
 
 Ey'd two pretty young Mabjers as eyes cu'd behould, 
 So fat as tha Botar ; jest iteen wiks ould, 
 Tha wor picking about in tha Tewn plaace for meat, 
 Soa Ey hov downe sum Pillas amongst mun to eat : 
 When who but your man comd a tott'ring along 
 Soa drunk, that Ey thoft fath, ad fale in tha dung ! 
 'A left tomble 'cs Hoggan-bag jest by tha doar. 
 Soa I caled to tha man as one wud to be shoor, 
 Sez Ey, Martyn ! dust hire Cheeld ! teak up tha bag, 
 " Arrea" sez a, " for whoat beest a caleing me Dog ?" 
 And dreev'd forth toweards ma, nar bettar nar wuss 
 Nack'd the Mabjers boath steff, we a gaert mawr o' fuss 5 
 Ley'k enow ef Ey hadnt shov'd haastis awaey 
 A'd a done as a ded to Jaji Rous t'oather daey, 
 When a gote en eis tantrums, a wilfull ould Devel, 
 A slam'd tha poor Soal on tha head we a Yevel ; 
 Fath and Soal than un Gracey ef so bee a doent aeller 
 Ey bleev e ma conshance el swing en a haelter. 
 
 GREACEY. 
 
 When tha Leker es runn'd awaey every drap 
 'Tis too late to ba thenking of plugging the Tap, 
 And marridge must goa as the Loard do ordean, 
 But a Passon wud swear to ba used so Cheeld Vean. 
 Had Ey smilt out tha coose 'ane but neyne weeks ago 
 Ey'd never a had tha ould Vellan Ey know, 
 
 (Mabjers) Mab Hens young fowls two-thirds grown. 
 
 (Pillas) [Pilez Cornish] the avena nuda or naked oats of Ray; 
 bald, bare or naked oats without husks. 
 
 (Hoggan) Hogan in Cornish British signifies a Hawthorn berry; 
 also any thing mean or vile ; but here it means a Pork pasty ; and 
 now indeed a Tinner's Pasty is called a Jloggan. 
 
 (Arrea) Arria [vulg. for Ria] O strange. 
 
 (Gaert) great, ' gaert mawr o Fuss," great root of Furze. 
 
 (Haestis) hastily. (Yevil) a Dung fork with three prongs. 
 
 (Passon) Parson. (Coose) course or way of him. 
 
 (Neyne weeks) as though they had been married but nine 
 weeks, whereas in the third line, she is addressed by Un Mally as
 
 Cornish Dialogue. 269 
 
 But a vowd and a swcar'd that if Ey'd by hes weyf 
 That Ey naver shud lack ale tha daeys o' ma leyf ; 
 And a broft me a Nakin and Corn saave from Preen ; 
 En ma conshance thoft Ey, Ey shall leve leyk a Queen. 
 But 'tes plaguey provoking, od rat es ould head ! 
 To be pooled and flopt soa ! Ey wish a war dead. 
 Why a spent haafe es fangings laast Saterday neyt, 
 Leyk enow by thisteym 'tes gone every dyte. 
 But Ey'll tame tha ould Devel, afor et es long, 
 Ef Ey caant we ma Viestes Ey will we ma Tongue. 
 
 ' long wetha Cheeld vean.' This will be readily explained by 
 noticing a custom very prevalent among the lower ranks of the 
 county, as will appear by the following anecdote. A friend of mins 
 who was one year an officer in one of the mining parishes, told me 
 that of fifty-five couples married during that year, it was manifest 
 by the appearance of fifty of the ladies, (hat they ought to have 
 been married several moons before. A young man, to the honor 
 of the county be it said, (even if the practice be to its disparage- 
 ment) needs no compulsion to marry his lass when in this condition. 
 
 (Nackin) Handkerchief. (Preen) Penryn. (Pooled) kicked. 
 
 (Fangings) gettings or wages. (Viestes) Fists.
 
 270 Appendix. Cam Breh an Ode. 
 
 CARN BREH,t 
 
 AN ODE HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED, 
 
 By Dr. WALCOT, 
 
 BETTER KXO'.VN BY THE POETICAL APPELLATION OF 
 
 PETER PINDAR.* 
 
 \Vhile nature slumbers in the shade. 
 
 And Cynthia, cloth'd in paly light, 
 "Walks her lone way, the mount 1 tread, 
 
 Majestic mid the gloom of night. 
 With reverence to the lofty hill 1 bow, 
 Where Wisdom, Virtue, taught their founts to flow. 
 
 Wan, on yon rocks' aspiring steep 
 Behold a Druid form, forlorn ! 
 I see the white rob'd phantom weep 
 
 I hear to heaven his wild harp mourn. 
 The temples open'd to the vulgar eye ; 
 And Oaks departed, wake his inmost sigh. 
 
 + For a description of this hill see page 208. 
 
 * Dr. Walcot was apprenticed to his uncle, who \va ;>u 
 apothecary at Fowey in Cornwall, and after having practised for 
 some years in the West Indies, he settled as a Physician at Truro : 
 after residing there for some time, he suddenly quitted tlio county, 
 in consequence of a law suit in which he was engaged against the 
 Corporation of Truro; the dispute related to the right of their 
 putting upon him a parish apprentice ; when he sold his effects, 
 shut up his house, and informed the officers that if they were de- 
 termined to carry their point, tlipy might put the apprentice into 
 the empty building, as he should never enter it again.
 
 Appendix. Cam Bre/i an Ode. 271 
 
 O ! lover of the twilight hour, 
 
 That calls thee from the tombs of death, 
 To haunt the cave, the time-struck tower, 
 
 The sea-girt cliff, the stormy heath ; 
 Sweet is thy minstrelsy to him whose lays 
 First sung this hallow' d hill of ancient days. 
 
 Yet not this Druid-scene alone 
 
 Inspires the gloom-delighted muse ; 
 Ah ! many a hill to fame unknown, 
 
 With awe the tuneful wanderer views ; 
 And ft while midnight lends her list'uing ear, 
 Sings darkling, to the solitary sphere. 
 
 Poor Ghost ! no more the Druid band 
 
 Shall watch, Devotion-wrapt, their fire, 
 No more, high sounding thro' the land, 
 
 To Virtue strike the plauding lyre. 
 The snake along the frowning fragment creeps, 
 And fox obscene beneath the shadow sleeps. 
 
 No more beneath the golden hook 
 
 The treasures of the grove shall fall ; 
 Time triumphs o'er each vanish'd oak 
 
 The power whose might shall crush this ball 
 Yet, yet, till Nature droops the head to die 
 Compassion grant each monument a sigh. 
 
 The bards, in lays sublime, no more 
 
 The warrior's glorious deeds relate ; 
 Whose patriot arm a thunder bore, 
 
 That hurl'd his country's foe to fate : 
 Lo ! mute the harp near each pale Druid hung, 
 Mute, like the voice that once accordant sung.
 
 272 Appendix. Cam Bre/i an Ode. 
 
 Save when the wandering breeze of morn, 
 
 Or eve's wild gale with wanton wing, 
 To hear the note of sorrow mourn, 
 
 Steals to the silent sleeping string, 
 And wildly brushing, wakes with sweetest swell, 
 The plaintive trembling spirit of the shell. 
 
 Here Virtue's awful voice was heard, 
 
 That pour'd the instructive truth profound, 
 Here Cornwall's sons that voice rever'd, 
 
 Where sullen silence sleeps around. 
 See where she sung, sad, melancholy, tread, 
 A pensive pilgrim o'er th' unconscious dead. 
 
 She calls on AldsPs, Odred's name, 
 
 Sons to the darken'd world of yore ! 
 Lur'd by whose eagle-pinion'd fame, 
 The stranger left his native shore, 
 Daring, his white sail to the winds he gave, 
 And sought fair knowledge o'er the distant wave. 
 
 Tho' few these awful rocks revere, 
 
 And temples that deserted lie, 
 The muse shall ask the tenderest tear 
 
 That ever dropt from Pity's eye, 
 T' embalm the ruins that her sighs deplore, 
 Where Wisdom, Virtue dwelt, but dwell no more. 
 
 London : printed by William Phillips, 
 George Yard, Lombard Street.
 
 University of California 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 
 Return this material to the library 
 
 from which it was borrowed.
 
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