Chapter III: Introduction: Of the Mount's Bay, and the Land's End District (1)

At the most western extremity, and in the lowest latitude of Great Britain, is situated this delightful and justly celebrated Bay. It is bounded 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 headland, "_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 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_, 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 picturesque villages, churches, cottages, and villas; and near the eastern margin of the bay, a pile of rocks, supporting a venerable chapel on its summit, starts abruptly from the waves, and presents an appearance of a most singular and beautiful description--this is _Saint Michael's Mount_, an eminence equally celebrated in the works of the poet, the naturalist, the antiquary, and the historian.

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 St. Ives_, a very different country presents 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, tumbled 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 amusement, for he will find much to interest, much to 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 metallic minerals, or which displays so many geological 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 congenial to such sensations. But to return from the digression.

THE CLIMATE of Mount's Bay is the circumstance 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[1] is rarely seen; frost, if it occurs, is but 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 generally 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 distance 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 in 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.[2]

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 indications of the thermometer the only test upon which we need rely,--the productions of nature will furnish striking elucidations, and amply confirm the justness of our meteorological observations. From the vegetable kingdom we derive conclusive evidence of the mildness of our winter, since all green-house plants may be preserved with far less care and attendance than in any other part of England; myrtles[3] and geraniums, even of the tenderest kind, and many other exotics, are here constantly exposed during the winter, 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_,) has flowered in the open air at Mousehole, at Tehidy park, and in the Scilly islands. To these we may add a long list[4] 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 neighbourhood, as it is in many other parts of England, this list might be very considerably extended. Amongst the rare _indigenous_ plants of this district, the _Sibthorpia Europæa_ may be particularised as affording a remarkable proof of the 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 winter markets, for at a season when pot-herbs of all kinds are destroyed by frost in the eastern counties, our tables are regularly supplied in abundance;[5] and so little is the progress of vegetation 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 _Rev. W. T. Bree_, of Allesley, Warwickshire, for the following remarks, which were communicated by him to Dr. Forbes of Penzance, and published by that gentleman 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 appearances 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, (_Hirundo 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 (_Fringilla Coelebs_,) I heard, in 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 Berus_) 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 desirable for mildness. This circumstance necessarily 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 greengage 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 possess himself of the cap of Fortunatus, to remove the difficulties and discomfiture of a continental 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 appendix, for the purpose of examining the comparative pretensions 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 "_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; the shallowness of the soil, and the large proportion of siliceous matter which enters into its composition, 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 displayed 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 alluvial 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 guage, that the actual quantity of rain 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 frequently 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 Atlantic, 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 substratum 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 distinguish this coast, promote a constant circulation 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 occasionally produce very violent storms. Their approach is frequently predicted by the experienced fisherman, from the agitation of the water along shore, a phenomenon which is called a "_ground swell_;" 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 conjunction 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 Penzance harbour, and bore down every thing before them; two of the four pillars recently erected 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 neighbouring 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 removed 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 persons still living, the cricketers were unable to throw a ball across the "_Western Green_," between Penzance and Newlyn,[6] 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 however 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, especially 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 this stratum of sand is found a black vegetable mould, full of woodland detritus, such as the branches, leaves, and nuts of coppice wood, together with the roots and trunks of forest trees of large growth. All these are manifestly indigenous; and, from the freshness and preservation of some of the remains, the inundation of sand, as well 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 "_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 comminuted, different in colour, and evidently the result of pulverised clay-slate:"[7] but when did this mighty catastrophe occur, and what were its causes? These are questions which are not readily answered; the event is so buried in the depths of antiquity, that nothing certain or satisfactory can be collected concerning it; although it would appear from the concurrent testimony of Florence of Worcester,[8] 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 questioned the probability of the occurrence altogether, 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 Cornish peninsula can have taken place, during the present constitution of the earth's surface. If Saint Michael's Mount be in reality the "_Ictis_" 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 precisely such as it is at the present period--practicable 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 degradation more remarkable; granitic countries usually present a bold and varied outline, whereas the aspect of Cornwall, with some few exceptions, is comparatively tame, and even flat. "_I 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 primitive 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's End District_. It is about thirteen miles long from east to west, 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, however, 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's End.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] 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 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.

[2] 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.

[3] These plants thrive in the open air, and commonly attain a height of ten or twelve feet; they may be seen trained on the front of some of the houses in Penzance to double that height. A sufficient quantity of cuttings was obtained from a tree of this description, covering one of the houses, in the course of six weeks, to supply the oven with fuel for three months!

[4] The following catalogue was drawn up by the _Rev. T. Bree_, of Allesley, Warwickshire, _viz._

Amaryllis Vittata.
Arum Colocasia.
Azalea Indica.
Buddloea Globosa.
Bocconia Cordata.
Coronilla Glauca, &c.
Calla Æthiopica.
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 Glutinosus.
Magnolia Tripetala.
Metrosideros Lanceolata.
Olea Fragrans.
Pittosporum Undulatum.
Phylica Ericoides.
Protoea Argentea.
Punica Nana.
Solanum Pseudo-Capsicum.
Teucrium Frutescens.
---- Marum.
Verbena Triphylla.
Westringia Rosmarinacea.

[5] _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 remarkable exception, perhaps, to the ordinary routine of the culinary calendar is to be found in the growth of the potatoe. It is customary 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 potatoes 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.

[6] Mr. Boase has lately published, in the 2d volume of the Transactions 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 included part of the "_Western Green_;" and that _part_ is there estimated at _thirty-six acres of pasturage_!

[7] 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.

[8] "_On the third of the nones of November_," cries Florence of Worcester, "_the sea comes out upon the shores, and buried towns and men, very many, oxen and sheep innumerable_." While the Saxon Chronicle relates that "_this year eke, on Saint Martin's mass day, sprang up so much the sea flood, and so myckle harm did, as no man minded it ever afore did_."

PENZANCE.

Having offered a rapid coup d'oeil of the country we are about to examine, we shall now conduct the stranger into _Penzance_,[9] as being a 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 engaged in the study of the same science, from whom he will readily obtain much local information; 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 convenience of the resident at Penzance.

PENZANCE is the most western market town in the kingdom; about ten miles from the land's 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 £10,000! The town is well defended by surrounding hills from the fury of Atlantic storms. It is large and populous, containing more than six thousand inhabitants. The Corporation[10] consists of a mayor, recorder, eight aldermen, and twelve common-council men; by whose funds,[11] unaided by any parliamentary grant, a very commodious pier was erected about fifty years ago, and which has lately been considerably extended, so that it is now more than 600 feet in length, and is the largest pier in Cornwall. It has, moreover, 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[12] of water, which is about five feet more than that at the pier of Saint Michael's Mount. The expenses incurred by these late improvements 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 several 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 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_[13] 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,[14] each weighing about 320 lb. and may perhaps be worth from £18 to £20. 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 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 resident physician, succeeded, through the support of the nobility, gentry, and mine agents of the county, in establishing a society for the cultivation and promotion of mineralogical and geological science; and, when we consider the immense advantages of its locality, the ability of its members, 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 institutions 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 Stannaries, 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 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 information 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,[15] 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 unknown in Cornwall.

There is also an oeconomical department, containing specimens in illustration of the various changes which the ores of Tin, Copper, &c. undergo 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 "_Elvans_"[16] from different levels in many of the principal mines of the county, together with a collection of veins of metallic and earthy substances.

Among the earthy minerals, we may particularize, as unusually fine, the specimens of _Calcedony_, _Sodalite_, _Haüyne_, _Petalite_, _Colophonite_, _Vesuvian_, &c. In the metallic department, we may notice the _Carbonate of Lead_, _Specular Iron_, _Arseniate of Iron_, _the Oxide, Carbonate, Arseniate and Phosphate of Copper_, _Native Gold_ from the Tin-stream-works of Cornwall, _Arsenical Pyrites_, _Uranite_, _Uran-ochre_, _Native Nickel_, &c. Here also may be seen a mineral, hitherto almost unknown,--_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 _Graywacké_. Among the saline minerals in the cabinet are _Glauberite_, and _Sassoline_ or native Boracic acid.

A Laboratory, containing the necessary apparatus for analytical operations, is attached to the establishment.

In conclusion, we will venture to affirm, that the advantages and enjoyments which such societies 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 construction of cottages: on the contrary, how many thousand tons of ore might have been gained?--how many years of unprofitable but expensive labour saved? and how many individual adventurers 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 community 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_ rammers, 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 destitution, to the hard necessity of seeking from charity that pittance which honest industry could no longer supply. We must refer the reader for 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 preventing it, by the introduction of a Safety Bar, and an instrument termed the Shifting Cartridge_."

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 Geological 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 establishment at Hayle, at which place _Mr. Carne_ formerly 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; _Mesotype_ radiated; _Garnets_ in twelve, and twenty-four sided crystals; _Pinite_ in six and twelve sided prisms; _Uranite_ in quadrangular tables with the angles sometimes truncated, and also in forms 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 whimsical appearance of a nail, which from its rarity is sought after by mineral collectors with considerable avidity. Two specimens of rarity also in this collection are the _Yellow_, and _Grey Sulphuret 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 investigated, 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 agricultural science.

The market of Penzance, for the goodness, variety, and cheapness of its commodities, is certainly 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 neighbourhood, 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, curling ringlets, and the brilliancy of whose jet black eyes, as they dart their rays from beneath the shade of large gypsey hats of beaver, fill the traveller with admiration.

We beg leave to introduce the reader to two of these _Nymphs of the Cowel_.[17]

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,[18] 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 commanding situations; and, since the publication of the first edition of this work, HOT AND COLD SEA BATHS have been completed upon a suitable scale of convenience. The waiting room belonging 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 Chyandour, are well contrasted, on the opposite side, with the busy scene of the pier, and the numerous 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 very ancient customs. The most singular one is, perhaps, the celebration of the Eve of Saint John the Baptist,[19] 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 having 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 festivities 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 Eleusinian Feast;[20] while the shrieks of the female 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, vociferating "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 continue to repeat the game, until weariness dissolves the union, which rarely happens before midnight.

On the following day (_Midsummer day_) festivities 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 neighbouring 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, Penzance, and Newlyn_." Of the actual accomplishment 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,[21] and from thence to Penzance. Sir Francis Godolphin endeavoured to inspire the inhabitants with courage to repel these assailants; but, so fascinated were they by the remembrance of the ancient prophecy, that they fled in all directions, supposing that it was useless to contend against the destiny that had been predicted. 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 having 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 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 laboratory of this highly gifted philosopher, the vignette at the head of the present chapter will be found materially useful in directing his steps.[22]

It would be inconsistent with the plan and objects of the present work to enter into the details 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 profession 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 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 glowing 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 catalogue[23] of which we shall now close the present chapter.

LIST OF INDIGENOUS PLANTS OF WESTERN CORNWALL.

Alisma Damasonium (_Star-headed Water Plantain_) between Penzance
and Marazion.

A---- Ranuncoloides. Marazion Marsh.

Anchusa Officinalis (_Common Alkanet_) St. Ives, &c.

Anethum Foeniculum, common near Marazion.

A---- Graveolens. Marazion Marsh.

Aquilegia Vulgaris (_Common Columbine_) St. Ives, Goldsithney, &c.

Antirrhinum Orontium (_Lesser Snapdragon_) Gulval, Land's End.

A---- Montspessilanum (_Bee Orchis_) Penhryn.

Anthemis Nobilis (_Common Chamomile_) passim.

Anthyllis Vulneraria (_dwarf with a red flower_.) (_Kidney-Vetch_,
_Ladies' Finger_). Downs, Whitsand Bay.

Aspidium Oriopteris (_Heath Shield-fern_) Gear Stamps and New
Mill.

Aspidium Dilatatum. Variety. (_Great Crested ditto_) Moist Banks.

Asplenium Marinum (_Sea Spleenwort_) 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 Bartsia_) Cornfields 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-flower_) Trevaylor Bottom,
Gear Stamps, &c.

Chironia Littoralis (_Sea Centaury_) Beach between Penzance and
Marazion.

Cochlearia Officinalis (_Common Scurvy-grass_) Cliffs near the Sea,
common.

Convolvulus Soldanella (_Sea Bindweed_) Whitsand Bay, Marazion
Green.

Cucsuta Epithymum (_Lesser Dodder_) common upon Gorse.

Cynosurus Echinatus (_Rough Dog's-tail Grass_) Ludgvan.

Daucus Maritimus (_Wild Carrot_) Land's end, Logan rock, Botallack,
&c.

Dicranum Cerviculatum (_Red-necked Forked Moss_) Gulval, Scilly.

D---- Crispum (_Curled ditto_) St. Mary's, Scilly.

Drosera Longifolia (_Long-leaved Sun-dew_) Marsh between Marazion
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.

Gentiana Campestris (_Field Gentian_) Downs, Whitsand Bay,
Lizard, &c.

Geranium Columbinum (_Long-stalked Crane's-bill_) Ludgvan.

G---- Sanguineum (_Bloody Crane's bill_) Kynance Cove.

Glaucium Luteum (_Yellow Horned Poppy_) Scilly Islands.

Helleborus Viridis (_Green Hellebore_) between Rosmorran and Kenegie,
near the brook.

Herniaria Hirsuta (_Hairy Rupture wort_) between Mullion and the
Lizard.

Hookeria Lucens (_Shining Feather-moss_) Trevaylor Bottom. Between
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---- Alopecurum, variety (_Fox-tail ditto_) Gulval.

Illecebrum Verticillatum (_Whorled Knot-grass_) Gulval, Gear
Stamps, Land's end.

Inula Helenium (_Elecampane_) Gulval, The Mount, St. Ives, Scilly.

Iris Foetidissima (_Stinking Iris_, _Roast Beef Plant_) Madron.

Linum Angustifolium (_Narrow-leaved pale Flax_) St. Ives.

L---- Usitatissimum. Near Redruth.

Littorella Lacustris (_Plantain Shoreweed_). In a watery lane near
Penzance.

Mentha Odorata (_Bergamot Mint_) Burian.

M---- Rotundifolia (_Round-leaved Mint_) Between Penzance and
Newlyn, Whitsand Bay.

Myrica Gale (_Sweet Gale_, _Dutch Myrtle_) Marsh, Gulval, and Ludgvan.

Neckera Heteromalla (_Lateral Neckera_) Trevaylor Bottom, Try,
&c.

Neottia Spiralis. Between Penzance and Marazion.

Orchis Pyramidalis (_Pyramidal Orchis_) near Hayle.

Ornithogalum Umbellatum (_Common Star of Bethlehem_) near Marazion.

Ornithopus Perpusillus (_Common Bird's-foot_) Gulval, Carne, &c.

Osmunda Regalis (_Royal Moonwort_) Poltair.

Panicum Dactylum (_Creeping Panick Grass_) Marazion Beach.

Pinguicula Lusitanica (_Pale Butterwort_) Bogs in the neighbourhood.

Pyrethrum Maritimum (_Sea Feverfew_) Sea-shore.

Rubia Peregrina (_Wild Madder_) Hayle-Helston, &c.

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.

Samolus 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, opposite
to Three Stone Oar.

Scirpus Fluitans (_Floating Club Rush_) Gulval Marsh.

Scutellaria Minor (_Lesser Skull-cap_) Bogs, Gulval.

Scrophularia Scorodonia (_Balm-leaved Figwort_) St. Ives, Gulval,
and Chyandour, plentifully.

Sedum Anglicum (_English Stonecrop_) very common.

S---- Telephium (_Orpine_ or _Livelong_) Logan rock.

Sibthorpia Europæa (_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.

Spiræa Filipendula (_Common Dropwort_) 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 Bladderwort_) between Rosmorran
and Kenegie.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] 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, appear from the _Liber valorum_, that _Buriton_ was the old name of Penzance,--a sound which to the ear of the antiquary is full of historical intelligence, for the addition of _Bury_ to the name of a town signified that it was a town with a castle; thus, _Buriton_ signified Bury-town, i. e. the Castle town. Some cellars near the quay are to this day called the _Barbican_ cellars; thus tradition points out the castle to have been upon, or near, the site of the present chapel.

[10] Penzance was first incorporated in the reign of king James, in 1614; which charter was confirmed by Charles II.

[11] 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 derived from an estate which was purchased from one Daniel, in the year 1614, for the sum of £34, and 20 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 corner 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.

[12] 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 improvements. 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.

[13] 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 _coin_, a _corner_. For every cwt. so stamped, the Duke receives four shillings, producing an annual revenue of £10,000.

[14] Since the first edition, the place of coinage has been changed from the middle of the town to a large area near the quay.