O F r e o R N ;W A L L. g£ SI
water from the town of Helfton'to. the brink of the Sea ; and when
the town mills at St. John’s Bridge have their wheels flopped by this
fwell-ing of the Lake, the Mayor of Helfton applies himfelf to the
Lord of Tenrós, and oh prefeutiflg.him with a few halfpence in a
leather purfe, ha&^nighfc t^ cut through the bar,, th^the redundant
waters of'the Lake may pafs away,«and the .mills bf no longer impeded.
.to . “ If this,bar -might be.^w.ays* kept open, it would be a,
goodly haven up Helfton L,’111 The cliffs round this Lake are--1
moderately high, and betwixt them there is a very diftinót echo ; but
the fame circutnftances which pleafpand amufe in a calm, frighten in a
tempeft ; and when the South andfSouth Weft winds from Mount’s
Bay-get in betwixt the fteep fides, of the Lake, their roaring is heard
at a great diftapce, .and thought to prefàge ftormy weather. This
Lake is ^remarkable for-an excellent and peculiar trout, which will
be< taken notice of , in ks place.
Thcfc are all the Lakes we have in Cornwall ; but it is much to
be feared, that we fhall have more in time, at the two Northerp ports ;
I fnean, Heyl ancl Padftpw : theref are fandy bars already crofting
their mouths, upon which at neap .tides the water is very fhallow ;
arid ff a; few violent repeated ftorms fhould at any .time; raife thofe
fanfls above fall Sjea-mark, (no improbable fuppofition land is
in, ftich plenty) throwing in fHingle and ftones* withal, Heyl and
Padftpw j(tQ die irreparable detriment of Cornwall) will become
w h it the Lo is now.
The Sea-coaft fpreads itlçlf along the South and North parts of sect.v.
Cprriwajl. to-fiich a degree; that if we eftimate the curvatures of the*™®:Sejj
Sdufti ând- Sorth coaft, and make alfb a juft allowaiice for the much
fewer .Ouryatures of the boundary towards Devonlhire, we’ fhall
find, that four .parts in five of the out-line of Cornwall are expofed
to the. Sea. •••;
IpTiiis marine fituation has its advantages ; it fills pur bays and
harbours, makes a number of fifhing Creeks, brings its pative pro-
• drifts,, farid, ore-weed, ’ and fifh, (as well as foreign merchandize)
hpme. to out doors in a multitude of places, exports,,our :tin and
fifh with great convenieney, its .vapours generaté -’apd fe fd o u r
brooks* and fbften the airj its cliffs fo near on either hand facilitate
the drains; of .mines ; they alfb open^the treafares of metals, ufeful
earths, and rninerals, to the inquifitive eye : in fhort, the Sea, being
on every fide of us, procures plenty, and promotes trade and employe
.meniin.toany fhapes utterly unknown to the more irilapd counties.
Some circunaftances however of this our natural fituation have their
* Says iLeiand, vól. HI. page 12,
disadvantages *