up or down the river, and consequently must ventilate the towns.

RIDES.

There are many charming rides about Looe (but I must confess the roads are not kept in the best order); that towards Plymouth is very pleasant, being for seven miles on the cliffs, not indeed calculated for a horse given to starting, but by no means dangerous to a steady one. Carriages are out of the question; but there is another road for carriages, safe though rather narrow for about eight miles, when you get on the turnpike leading from Liskeard to Plymouth.

PLAYDY.

The first beach you come to on the cliff road to Plymouth, and about three quarters of a mile from Looe, is called Playdy; why so called I know not. Just before you come to Playdy is a rock called Chough Rock, from choughs constantly building their nests in inaccessible parts of it. And here I may remark that the Cornish daw, with red legs and bill, is very seldom seen about our cliffs.

MILLENDREATH.

The next beach is Millendreath, a Cornish word, signifying the Mill on the Sands; and probably a mill once stood there.

116

SEATON.

The next and last beach you pass is Seaton, which brings you to Downderry Cliffs and Battern Cliffs, or Cleaves, as usually called. History states there was once a town on the mouth of the river Seaton, and that it was probably a Roman town of some importance. No remains of it are now to be seen; and if a town did stand there, which I much doubt, the sea and sands have usurped its place, for here the defalcations of the coast have been very considerable, if we may regard the tradition of the neighbourhood. There is a place called Seaton in Devonshire. Camden, speaking of it, says, "As for Seaton, I would guess it to be that Moridunum which Antoninus speaketh of, and is placed between Durnovaria and Isca (if the Book be not faulty), and called in Pentegerius' Table by a name cut short, Ridunum, considering both the distance and the signification of the name. For Moridunum, in the British tongue, is the very same as Seaton in English, to wit, a town upon a hill by the sea." Perhaps Seaton near Looe may have been confounded with Seaton in Devonshire, or vice versa. Can Downderry Cliffs (which commence at Seaton near Looe) be a corruption of Durnovaria, Durnvery, Downderry? But Isca must mean, I should suppose, Exeter. I know of no place called any thing like Isca, near Looe, unless Pellis-Court, situate

near Millendreath, the next rivulet West of Seaton river, about two miles distant, might originally have been called Pell-Isca.

LONG STONE. WRINKLE.

Just below Battern Cleaves stands a high rock in the sea (not far from the land) called Long Stone; a little to the Eastward of which are a few houses, and a pier called Wrinkle, or Port Wrickle.

CRAFTHOLE.

The first village you come to is Crafthole; and here you get into the turnpike road. Just before you come to Crafthole you pass by

ST. GERMAN'S BEACON.

Near to which, in the side of the cliff, the Earl of St. German's has lately erected a look-out house, commanding an extensive and beautiful sea-view.

The road towards Liskeard is tolerably good and pleasant. About three miles on this road you arrive

at

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BINDOWN HILL * ;

from whence is seen one of the most extensively cultivated prospects in the county, terminated on the North by the Mountains of CARRADON and HINGSTON; the latter long famous for its store of tin. There is a very old saying respecting this hill: Hingston Down well y'wrought

Is worth London Town dear y'bought.

At present there are a few works of no great consequence on Hingston; but it is astonishing more adventurers are not set on there, as copper is found there as well as tin.

* The elevation of Bindown is 658 feet above low water mark. About fifty years since, the furze on this down being set on fire, for improving the pasturage, and it being done after a long drought, the fire got below the surface among the roots, and continued burning for a fortnight or three weeks, as I was told by a person who saw it.

Latitude of Bindown, very accurately ascertained.

50° 23' 33".

Longitude West of Greenwich

Ph. Trans. 1800, p. 644.

40 24′ 41′′. In time 17m 38.7s.

And the Latitude and Longitude of the entrance of Looe River, deduced from thence, will be

Lat. 50o 21' 4". Long. 4° 26' 11". In time 17m 44.7s. ↑ The elevation of Hingston is 1067 feet, and Carradon 1208. Hensburrow has generally been looked upon as the highest hill in Cornwall; but it is now found to be only 1026 above low water mark; so that Carradon is 182 feet higher, and Hingston 41. Brownwilly, however, is the highest hill in Cornwall, its elevation being 1368 feet. [Extracted from "An Account of the Trigonometrical Survey carried on in the Years 1797, 1798, and 1799, by Order of Marquis Cornwallis, Master-general of the Ordnance." Philosophical Transactions, 1797, p. 471.]

DRAKEWALLS MINE

has at times produced copper and tin, but, generally speaking, may be termed a tin mine. This mine has been in working for one hundred and fifty years, as I ascertain from documents in my own possession, being part owner of the bounds in which it lies, and is, perhaps, the most antient working mine in the county.

HINGSTON HILL

was antiently the place of General Assembly for the Tinners, both of Cornwall and Devon, where they were accustomed to meet to concert the common interest of both parties.

The Danes, about the year 833, having equipped a great naval armament, landed in Cornwall, and, being joined by the Britons, they advanced towards the borders of Devonshire, with a view to penetrate into the territories of Egbert, King of the West Saxons, who gave them battle at Hingston Hill, near Callington (originally, probably, Killingtown, where the battle was fought), where they were totally routed, and almost their whole united army cut in pieces.

FOWEY AND LOSTWITHIEL.

There are also tolerable roads towards Fowey and Lostwithiel. Fowey is about nine miles from Looe, and Lostwithiel twelve. Those who are unac