69 



a single tide — we can form an idea of the action that is con- 

 stantly going forward to disturb the permanence of the 

 relation between the sea and the land. The inhabitants of 

 two or three villages may have been dispossessed by father 

 Neptune, when they fancied that their name and fame were 

 sufficient to endure for ever. And if we carry our thoughts 

 back, not 150 years only, as Captain Denham has done, but 

 300 or 400, how much greater must the changes have been 

 that have taken place in all that time ? 



We are not to confine the influence of the Roman people 

 to the towns which they inhabited : it extended over large 

 districts. Hence Deva and Hilbre were simply points from 

 which influence and civilization extended on every side. 

 The same remarks apply to later times. There were eight 

 castles in Cheshire, some of which still remain : Oidd, 

 Shoelack, Shotivick, Chester, Poulford, Dunham, Frodsham, 

 and Halton, and these were said to be preserved by the 

 prayers of eight religious houses, of which Hilbre was one. 

 The others were Stanlowe, Maxfield, Norton, Coinberm'ere, 

 Bunbery, Rudheath, and Vale Royal. That of Hilbre 

 was destroyed by Henry VIII., and probably the others 

 about the same time. 



VIII. OTHER EVIDENCES OF ANTIQUITY. 



1. I was informed by Dr. Traill, of Edinburgh, that a 

 few years ago a large number of curious articles had been 

 picked up on the Hoyle bank, presenting several character- 

 istics similar to those of the present articles. They were 

 of the same miscellaneous character. They consisted of 

 articles of various dates, and they were found in great 

 abundance, lie referred me to several individuals in 

 Liverpool as likely to possess some of them, but I have 

 been unable to trace them. Dr. Traill also stated, that 

 at the low water of spring tides the foundations of houses 

 could have been distinctly traced at a recent period on 

 the Hoyle bank. ■* 



2. On inquiring at Mr. Hartley, of the Dock Office, I 

 received the following information : — 



"All that I know of any antiquities in the neighbour- 

 " hood of Hoylake is, that of having heard that a grave- 

 " yard had been found at low water of spring tides, at a 

 " considerable distance from the shore, where turf and 

 " timber were also found. The discovery was, I under- 

 " stand, made by a brother of the late Mr. Alexander 

 " Nimmo, tho engineer, a few years ago, when surveying 



