EARLY HISTORY OF GUERNSEY 183 



tances one from the other, and, from the neighbouring coast (Ogygia) 

 between the latter and an epirus or peninsula, (which answers to 

 that of Damnonia, in Cornwall, whither the Phoenicians traded for 

 tin.) " One of the three islands'' says Sylla, " is the isle ofSatum^ 

 The ancient Britons were five days in crossing from Damnonia to 

 this peninsula or Island of Ogygia, which stretched out towards the 

 west. I confess, however, that the details of tliis Greek, who could 

 have been but little acquainted with the geography of these parts, 

 are rather confused, they should be received with caution. 



A grammarian, called Demetrius, describes the same islands with 

 the confidence of one who had personally visited them. He states, 

 that having made a voyage to Britain, in the suite of an emperor, 

 (who must have been Claudius) he accompanied him to the nearest 

 of these uncultivated islands ; and that the isle of Saturn was in its 

 immediate vicinity. It cannot be supposed that Claudius, during 

 his fortnight's sojourn in Britain, could have visited the Sorlingues, 

 (Scilly isles) — they were not conquered until the time of Vespasian, 

 they are besides 145 in number, and not three or four ; neither 

 could he have visited Anglesea, for far from being a desert island, it 

 was even then well peopled ; furthermore, it stands quite alone, and 

 the inhabitants of the intermediate coasts were still unconquered. 

 Whereas the last exploit which Claudius witnessed on that part of 

 the coast nearest to France, (proximo, pars Brittanice) was the re- 

 duction of the isle of Wight, which he beheld from Porchester or 

 Southampton, whence to these islands the distance is trifling. 



The nearest isle to that of Wight, is Alderney ; and again, the 

 nearest to Alderney is Guernsey. We may reasonably infer that 

 Claudius, after having conquered the Isle of Wight, quitted it, and 

 hearing of the fame of these islands, and of their Druids, he, accord- 

 ing to Demetrius, " visited the nearest of those which are unculti- 

 vated :" this could be no other than Alderney. " At no great 

 distance from it was the isle of Saturn," which must have been 

 Guernsey. In this triangular archipelago, however, we find " the 

 three islands are equal distance from each other," to the north west 

 of Ogygia, to the south west of Britain, between the isle of Cotentin, 

 and the peninsula of Damnonia. 



called risle de Cotentin^ and was probably one of the boundaries of 

 Brittany. 



" Est locus extremum quo pandit Gallia littus Oceani situs 

 aquis, ubi fertur." 



Ulysses, S^-c. — Claudicm, 



