From London to Land's End

up in stormy weather from the sea; others say it is by sands washed

  from the lead-mines in the hills; the last of which, by the way, I

  take to be a mistake, the sand from the hills being not of quantity

  sufficient to fill up the channel of a navigable river, and, if it

  had, might easily have been stopped by the townspeople from falling

  into the river. But that the sea has choked up the river with sand

  is not only probable, but true; and there are other rivers which

  suffer in the like manner in this same country.

  This town of Lostwithiel retains, however, several advantages which

  support its figure--as, first, that it is one of the Coinage Towns,

  as I call them; or Stannary Towns, as others call them; (2) the

  common gaol for the whole Stannary is here, as are also the County

  Courts for the whole county of Cornwall.

  There is a mock cavalcade kept up at this town, which is very

  remarkable. The particulars, as they are related by Mr. Carew in

  his "Survey of Cornwall," take as follows:-

  "Upon Little Easter Sunday the freeholders of this town and manor,

  by themselves or their deputies, did there assemble; amongst whom

  one (as it fell to his lot by turn), bravely apparelled, gallantly

  mounted, with a crown on his head, a sceptre in his hand, and a

  sword borne before him, and dutifully attended by all the rest

  (also on horseback), rode through the principal street to the

  church. The curate in his best beseen solemnly received him at the

  churchyard stile, and conducted him to hear divine service. After

  which he repaired, with the same pomp, to a house provided for that

  purpose, made a feast to his attendants, kept the table's-end

  himself, and was served with kneeling assay and all other rights

  due to the estate of a prince; with which dinner the ceremony

  ended, and every man returned home again. The pedigree of this

  usage is derived from so many descents of ages that the cause and

  author outreach the remembrance. Howbeit, these circumstances

  afford a conjecture that it should betoken royalties appertaining

  to the honour of Cornwall."

  Behind Foy and nearer to the coast, at the mouth of a small river

  which some call Lowe, though without any authority, there stand two

  towns opposite to one another bearing the name of the River Looe--

  that is to say, distinguished by the addition of East Looe and West

  Looe. These are both good trading towns, and especially fishing

  towns; and, which is very particular, are (like Weymouth and

  Melcombe, in Dorsetshire) separated only by the creek or river, and

  yet each of them sends members to Parliament. These towns are

  joined together by a very beautiful and stately stone bridge having

  fifteen arches.

  East Looe was the ancienter corporation of the two, and for some

  ages ago the greater and more considerable town; but now they tell

  us West Looe is the richest, and has the most ships belonging to

  it. Were they put together, they would make a very handsome

  seaport town. They have a great fishing trade here, as well for

  supply of the country as for merchandise, and the towns are not

  despisable. But as to sending four members to the British

  Parliament (which is as many as the City of London chooses), that,

  I confess, seems a little scandalous; but to whom, is none of my

  business to inquire.

  Passing from hence, and ferrying over Foy River or the River Foweth

  (call it as you please), we come into a large country without many

  towns in it of note, but very well furnished with gentlemen's

  seats, and a little higher up with tin-works.

  The sea making several deep bays here, they who travel by land are

  obliged to go higher into the country to pass above the water,

  especially at Trewardreth Bay, which lies very broad, above ten

  miles within the country, which passing at Trewardreth (a town of

  no great note, though the bay takes its name from it), the next

  inlet of the sea is the famous firth or inlet called Falmouth

  Haven. It is certainly, next to Milford Haven in South Wales, the

  fairest and best road for shipping that is in the whole isle of

  Britain, whether be considered the depth of water for above twenty

  miles within land; the safety of riding, sheltered from all kind of

  winds or storms; the good anchorage; and the many creeks, all

  navigable, where ships may run in and be safe; so that the like is

  nowhere to be found.

  There are six or seven very considerable places upon this haven and

  the rivers from it--viz., Grampound, Tregony, Truro, Penryn,

  Falmouth, St. Maws, and Pendennis. The three first of these send

  members to Parliament. The town of Falmouth, as big as all the

  three, and richer than ten of them, sends none; which imports no

  more than this--that Falmouth itself is not of so great antiquity

  as to its rising as those other towns are; and yet the whole haven

  takes its name from Falmouth, too, unless, as some think, the town

  took its name from the haven, which, however, they give no

  authority to suggest.

  St. Maws and Pendennis are two fortifications placed at the points

  or entrance of this haven, opposite to one another, though not with

  a communication or view; they are very strong--the first

  principally by sea, having a good platform of guns pointing athwart

  the Channel, and planted on a level with the water. But Pendennis

  Castle is strong by land as well as by water, is regularly

  fortified, has good out-works, and generally a strong garrison.

  St. Maws, otherwise called St. Mary's, has a town annexed to the

  castle, and is a borough sending members to the Parliament.

  Pendennis is a mere fortress, though there are some habitations in

  it, too, and some at a small distance near the seaside, but not of

  any great consideration.

  The town of Falmouth is by much the richest and best trading town

  in this county, though not so ancient as its neighbour town of

  Truro; and indeed is in some things obliged to acknowledge the

  seigniority--namely, that in the corporation of Truro the person

  whom they choose to be their Mayor of Truro is also Mayor of

  Falmouth of course. How the jurisdiction is managed is an account

  too long for this place. The Truro-men also receive several duties

  collected in Falmouth, particularly wharfage for the merchandises

  landed or shipped off; but let these advantages be what they will,

  the town of Falmouth has gotten the trade--at least, the best part

  of it--from the other, which is chiefly owing to the situation.

  For that Falmouth lying upon the sea, but within the entrance,

  ships of the greatest burthen come up to the very quays, and the

  whole Royal Navy might ride safely in the road; whereas the town of

  Truro lying far within, and at the mouth of two fresh rivers, is

  not navigable for vessels of above 150 tons or thereabouts.

  Some have suggested that the original of Falmouth was the having so

  large a quay, and so good a depth of water at it. The merchants of

  Truro formerly used it for the place of lading and unlading their

>   ships, as the merchants of Exeter did at Topsham; and this is the

  more probable in that, as above, the wharfage of those landing-

  places is still the property of the corporation of Truro.

  But let this be as it will, the trade is now in a manner wholly

  gone to Falmouth, the trade at Truro being now chiefly (if not

  only) for the shipping off of block tin and copper ore, the latter

  being lately found in large quantities in some of the mountains

  between Truro and St. Michael's, and which is much improved since

  the several mills are erected at Bristol and other parts for the

  manufactures of battery ware, as it is called (brass), or which is

  made out of English copper, most of it duct in these parts--the ore

  itself ago being found very rich and good.

  Falmouth is well built, has abundance of shipping belonging to it,

  is full of rich merchants, and has a flourishing and increasing

  trade. I say "increasing," because by the late setting up the

  English packets between this port and Lisbon, there is a new

  commerce between Portugal and this town carried on to a very great

  value.

  It is true, part of this trade was founded in a clandestine

  commerce carried on by the said packets at Lisbon, where, being the

  king's ships, and claiming the privilege of not being searched or

  visited by the Custom House officers, they found means to carry off

  great quantities of British manufactures, which they sold on board

  to the Portuguese merchants, and they conveyed them on shore, as it

  is supposed, without paying custom.

  But the Government there getting intelligence of it, and complaint

  being made in England also, where it was found to be very

  prejudicial to the fair merchant, that trade has been effectually

  stopped. But the Falmouth merchants, having by this means gotten a

  taste of the Portuguese trade, have maintained it ever since in

  ships of their own. These packets bring over such vast quantities

  of gold in specie, either in MOIDORES (which is the Portugal coin)

  or in bars of gold, that I am very credibly informed the carrier

  from Falmouth brought by land from thence to London at one time, in

  the month of January, 1722, or near it, eighty thousand MOIDORES in

  gold, which came from Lisbon in the packet-boats for account of the

  merchants at London, and that it was attended with a guard of

  twelve horsemen well armed, for which the said carrier had half per

  cent. for his hazard.

  This is a specimen of the Portugal trade, and how considerable it

  is in itself, as well as how advantageous to England; but as that

  is not to the present case, I proceed. The Custom House for all

  the towns in this port, and the head collector, is established at

  this town, where the duties (including the other ports) is very

  considerable. Here is also a very great fishing for pilchards; and

  the merchants for Falmouth have the chief stroke in that gainful

  trade.

  Truro is, however, a very considerable town, too. It stands up the

  water north and by east from Falmouth, in the utmost extended

  branch of the Avon, in the middle between the conflux of two

  rivers, which, though not of any long course, have a very good

  appearance for a port, and make it large wharf between them in the

  front of the town. And the water here makes a good port for small

  ships, though it be at the influx, but not for ships of burthen.

  This is the particular town where the Lord-Warden of the Stannaries

  always holds his famous Parliament of miners, and for stamping of

  tin. The town is well built, but shows that it has been much

  fuller, both of houses and inhabitants, than it is now; nor will it

  probably ever rise while the town of Falmouth stands where it does,

  and while the trade is settled in it as it is. There are at least

  three churches in it, but no Dissenters' meeting-house that I could

  hear of.

  Tregony is upon the same water north-east from Falmouth--distance

  about fifteen miles from it--but is a town of very little trade;

  nor, indeed, have any of the towns, so far within the shore,

  notwithstanding the benefit of the water, any considerable trade

  but what is carried on under the merchants of Falmouth or Truro.

  The chief thing that is to be said of this town is that it sends

  members to Parliament, as does also Grampound, a market-town; and

  Burro', about four miles farther up the water. This place, indeed,

  has a claim to antiquity, and is an appendix to the Duchy of

  Cornwall, of which it holds at a fee farm rent and pays to the

  Prince of Wales as duke 10 pounds 11s. 1d. per annum. It has no

  parish church, but only a chapel-of-ease to an adjacent parish.

  Penryn is up the same branch of the Avon as Falmouth, but stands

  four miles higher towards the west; yet ships come to it of as

  great a size as can come to Truro itself. It is a very pleasant,

  agreeable town, and for that reason has many merchants in it, who

  would perhaps otherwise live at Falmouth. The chief commerce of

  these towns, as to their sea-affairs, is the pilchards and

  Newfoundland fishing, which is very profitable to them all. It had

  formerly a conventual church, with a chantry and a religious house

  (a cell to Kirton); but they are all demolished, and scarce the

  ruins of them distinguishable enough to know one part from another.

  Quitting Falmouth Haven from Penryn West, we came to Helston, about

  seven miles, and stands upon the little River Cober, which,

  however, admits the sea so into its bosom as to make a tolerable

  good harbour for ships a little below the town. It is the fifth

  town allowed for the coining tin, and several of the ships called

  tin-ships are laden here.

  This town is large and populous, and has four spacious streets, a

  handsome church, and a good trade. This town also sends members to

  Parliament. Beyond this is a market-town, though of no resort for

  trade, called Market Jew. It lies, indeed, on the seaside, but has

  no harbour or safe road for shipping.

  At Helford is a small but good harbour between Falmouth and this

  port, where many times the tin-ships go in to load for London; also

  here are a good number of fishing vessels for the pilchard trade,

  and abundance of skilful fishermen. It was from this town that in

  the great storm which happened November 27, 1703, a ship laden with

  tin was blown out to sea and driven to the Isle of Wight in seven

  hours, having on board only one man and two boys. The story is as

  follows:-

  "The beginning of the storm there lay a ship laden with tin in

  Helford Haven, about two leagues and a half west of Falmouth. The

  tin was taken on board at a place called Guague Wharf, five or six

  miles up the river, and the vessel was come down to Helford in

  order to pursue her voyage to London.

  "About eight o'clock in the evening the commander, whose name was

  Anthony Jenkins, went on board with his mate to see that everything

  was safe, and to give orders, but went both on shore again, leaving

  only a man and two boys on board
, not apprehending any danger, they

  being in safe harbour. However, he ordered them that if it should

  blow hard they should carry out the small bower anchor, and so to

  moor the ship by two anchors, and then giving what other orders he

  thought to be needful, he went ashore, as above.

  "About nine o'clock, the wind beginning to blow harder, they

  carried out the anchor, according to the master's order; but the

  wind increasing about ten, the ship began to drive, so they carried

  out their best bower, which, having a good new cable, brought the

  ship up. The storm still increasing, they let go the kedge anchor;

  so that they then rode by four anchors ahead, which were all they

  had.

  "But between eleven and twelve o'clock the wind came about west and

  by south, and blew in so violent and terrible a manner that, though

  they rode under the lee of a high shore, yet the ship was driven

  from all her anchors, and about midnight drove quite out of the

  harbour (the opening of the harbour lying due east and west) into

  the open sea, the men having neither anchor or cable or boat to

  help themselves.

  "In this dreadful condition (they driving, I say, out of the

  harbour) their first and chief care was to go clear of the rocks

  which lie on either side the harbour's mouth, and which they

  performed pretty well. Then, seeing no remedy, they consulted what

  to do next. They could carry no sail at first--no, not a knot; nor

  do anything but run away afore it. The only thing they had to

  think on was to keep her out at sea as far as they could, for fear

  of a point of land called the Dead Man's Head, which lies to the

  eastward of Falmouth Haven; and then, if they could escape the

  land, thought to run in for Plymouth next morning, so, if possible,

  to save their lives.

  "In this frighted condition they drove away at a prodigious rate,

  having sometimes the bonnet of their foresail a little out, but the

  yard lowered almost to the deck--sometimes the ship almost under

  water, and sometimes above, keeping still in the offing, for fear

  of the land, till they might see daylight. But when the day broke

  they found they were to think no more of Plymouth, for they were

  far enough beyond it; and the first land they made was Peverel

  Point, being the southernmost land of the Isle of Purbeck, in

  Dorsetshire, and a little to the westward of the Isle of Wight; so

  that now they were in a terrible consternation, and driving still

  at a prodigious rate. By seven o'clock they found themselves

  broadside of the Isle of Wight.

  "Here they consulted again what to do to save their lives. One of

  the boys was for running her into the Downs; but the man objected

  that, having no anchor or cable nor boat to go on shore with, and

  the storm blowing off shore in the Downs, they should be inevitably

  blown off and lost upon the unfortunate Goodwin--which, it seems,

  the man had been on once before and narrowly escaped.

  "Now came the last consultation for their lives. The other of the

  boys said he had been in a certain creek in the Isle of Wight,

  where, between the rocks, he knew there was room to run the ship

  in, and at least to save their lives, and that he saw the place

  just that moment; so he desired the man to let him have the helm,

  and he would do his best and venture it. The man gave him the

  helm, and he stood directly in among the rocks, the people standing

  on the shore thinking they were mad, and that they would in a few

  minutes be dashed in a thousand pieces.

  "But when they came nearer, and the people found they steered as if

  they knew the place, they made signals to them to direct them as

  well as they could, and the young bold fellow run her into a small

  cove, where she stuck fast, as it were, between the rocks on both

  sides, there being but just room enough for the breadth of the

  ship. The ship indeed, giving two or three knocks, staved and

  sunk, but the man and the two youths jumped ashore and were safe;