Chapter II: Introduction

OF THE MOUNT's BAY, AND THE LAND's END
DISTRICT.
(_Page_ 1.)

_THE MOUNT'S BAY--Its Topography and Scenery, 1.--Northern
Shores, their aspect cheerless but interesting, 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.--Encroachments of the Sea,
16.--The Bay formerly a woodland, 17.--Causes of the Sea's
inundation, 18.--Rapid decomposition of the Cornish hills,
19.--PENZANCE--an eligible residence, 22.--Its situation most
beautiful.--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.--Laboratory,_
_29.--Accidents from explosion in Mines prevented by the scientific
efforts of the Society, 30.--Mineralogical Collection of Joseph
Carne, Esq. 31.--Penwith Agricultural Society, 32.--Penzance
Market, 33.--Wild fowl 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 Scilly, 35.--Ancient Customs--Festivities at
Midsummer, 36.--Penzance remarkable in history 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 INDIGENOUS
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 MARKET JEW, 47.--Its origin and
Charter, 47.--Chapel Rock, 48.--ARRIVAL AT SAINT MICHAEL'S MOUNT,
49.--Conical form of the hill--Its dimensions--Town 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 improbable explanation,
51.--Dr. Berger's gratuitous assumption, 52.--Plutonian views,
52.--Western_ _base of the Mount--Beds of Granite, 53.--Quartz
veins--Interesting contents of the veins, 55.--Pinite discovered
in this spot, 55.--Other minerals, 56.--Lodes of Tin and
Copper--Remains of a Tin Mine--Veins of Mica, 57.--The Tamarisk,
57.--Ascent to the Castle, 57.--Ancient Fortifications--The
Chevychace room, 58.--The Chapel, 59.--Mysterious discovery in
the Chapel, 59.--More Discoveries--Ascent to the top of the
tower--Prospect hence of the grandest description, 60.--Saint
Michael's Chair--Its origin 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.--ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY--Monkish Legends of the vision of
Saint Michael, 63.--Saint Keyne's Pilgrimage to the Mount in
the fifth century, 64.--The Confessor's Endowment, 65.--Ancient
instrument A.D. 1070 found amongst its registers, 65--Annexed to a
Norman 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 of Sion in Middlesex,
68.--Bestowed upon Lord Arundel at the Reformation, 68.--Its
PRIVATE HISTORY continued, 69.--MILITARY HISTORY.--Pomeroy's
Treachery--Monks expelled--Monks restored, 70.--The Mount is again
reduced by the Earl of Oxford, 71.--who in his turn is compelled
to surrender to the forces of Edward the Fourth, 71.--The Lady_
_Catherine Gordon, wife of Perkin Warbeck, flies 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 and Dr. Maton to be the ICTIS of Diodorus Siculus, 73._

EXCURSION II.
(_Page 74_)
TO THE LAND's END, LOGAN ROCK, &c.

_Intermediate objects worthy of notice, 74.--Castle Horneck,
75.--Rose Hill--Trereiffe, 76.--The country wild but susceptible
of cultivation, 77.--Furze--Boulders of Granite, 77.--Capable of
numerous applications in rural oeconomy, 78.--Cornish Granite,
(provincially, Growan), when in a state of decomposition is used
as a manure, 79.--Theory of its operation, 79.--Form of the
Felspar crystals, 79.--State of Agriculture--The Farm of John
Scobell, Esq. at Leha, 80.--Arish Mows, 81.--Ancient Stone Crosses,
81.--Druidical Circle at Boscawen Un, 81.--Opinions concerning the
origin of such circles, 82.--Chapel Euny, and its mystic well,
82.--Caerbran Round, 83.--Other Hill Castles, 84.--Chapel Carn
Bre--Its origin, 84.--Commands a very extensive view, 85.--Sennan
Church-town--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_ _interest,
87.--Grotesque appearance of its granitic rocks, 87.--The Armed
Knight, Irish Lady, and Dr. Johnson's Head, 88.--Cape Cornwall, and
Whitsand 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 and Geology,
99.--RETURN TO THE LAND'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--THE
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 Monument 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 romantic
seat of John Paynter, Esq., 112.--A Druidical_ _circle, called
the Merry Maidens, 112.--Sepulchral Stones called the Pipers,
113.--Carn Boscawen, Pensile Stone at, 113.--Trove or Trewoof, the
remains 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
Newlyn, Colonies of Fishermen, 116.--Geological phenomena, 117._

EXCURSION III.
(_Page 119_)
TO BOTALLACK MINE; CAPE CORNWALL; AND THE
MINING DISTRICT OF SAINT JUST.

_Plan of the excursion, 119.--Nancealverne, 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; Ancient
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 Cove, 128.--Geological phenomena, 128.--The
Gurnard's head, 129.--Minerals to be found in this district,
130.--Axinite at Trewellard--Prehnite--Stilbite--Mesotype,
131.--THE CROWN ENGINE OF_ _BOTALLACK--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
Bounds Mine, 136.--Its workings under the sea, 137.--Curious
Stalactites 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.--How discovered
by the Huer, 149.--Necessary outfit for the fishery, 149.--The
Great Net, or Stop Seine--How shot, 150.--The quantity of fish
usually secured--Tucking, a beautiful sight, 152.--Driving Nets,
153.--Fish_ _brought to the cellars and cured--lying in bulk,
153.--Packed in hogsheads, headed up, and exported, 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.--Knill's Mausoleum, 157.--Quinquennial Games
instituted, 158.--Hayle Sands--The Port of Hayle, 159.--Desolate
appearance of the district, 161.--Sand-flood, 162.--RECENT
FORMATION OF SANDSTONE, 163.--Investigation of the causes which
have operated in consolidating 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.
(_Page_ 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,_
_181.--North and South veins, or Cross Courses, 181.--Heaves of
the Lodes--A remarkable instance in Huel Peever, 182.--Costeening,
the meaning of the term--METHOD OF WORKING THE CORNISH 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.--Spalling, 191.--Stamping,
192.--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.--Tehidy Park, the mansion of Lord de
Dunstanville, 198.--DOLCOATH 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.--CARN-BREH HILL--The supposed
grand centre of Druidical worship, 209.--Imaginary monuments of the
Druids--Their true nature developed, 209.--Cleavelandite found in
the porphyritic granite on the summit of the hill, 212.--Carn-breh
Castle, 213._

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--Cudden Point--Acton
Castle--Pengerswick Castle, 216.--Tregoning, Godolphin, and
Breage Hills, 217.--Huel Vor, a great Tin Mine, 218.--Portleven
Harbour--HELSTON, 219.--Its Borough--The ancient and singular
festival of the Furry commemorated in this town, 220.--The
Furry-day Tune, 222.--Penrose, the seat of John Rogers, Esq.,
223.--The Loe Pool, an extensive fresh-water lake, 224.--Interior
of the Lizard Peninsula, 225.--Gunwalloe Cove--Bolerium--Mullion
Cove--Geology of this line of Coast, 226.--Serpentine
Formation--Goonhilly Downs--Erica Vagans, 227.--SOAP ROCK,
228.--Copper found in this district, 229.--KYNANCE COVE--Asparagus
Island--The Devil's Bellows, 229.--Explanation of the phenomenon,
230.--LIZARD LIGHT-HOUSES, 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.--Tregonwell Mill, the habitat
of Menacchanite or Gregorite, 236.--CONCLUDING REMARKS, 237._

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
residence_ _p._ 239

APPENDIX.