322 ON THE ICTIS OF DIODORUS SICULUS. 
never suffer anything but sea birds to inhabit 
there? A due consideration of the shores will 
answer this question very satisfactorily, and con- 
vince us that what is now a bare rock about a 
Surlong over, and separated from the islands of 
Guél and Brehar about half a mile, was formerly 
joined to them by low necks of land, and that 
Trescaw, St. Martin’s, Brehar, Samson, and 
the rocks and islets adjoining, made formerly but 
one island ; nay to these, I believe, I may safely 
add the eastern islands, and St. Mary’s too, there 
being great flats reaching from St. Martin’s almost 
to both, al/ wncovered at low water, and having 
but four feet water in the deepest part. This 
(at that time) great island had several creeks, 
such as New and Old Grynsey, and others, by 
the sea’s encroachments, or by the dipping of 
the islands, since extended into harbours. It 
had several headlands, of which that now called 
Scilly was the highest, outermost, and conse- 
quently most conspicuous.” Portions of the island 
of St. Mary’s, too, which is now the largest in 
the whole group, covering a space of nearly two 
thousand acres, and which is one of the nearest 
to the main land, exhibit signs of rapid and cer- 
tain decay ; and it is calculated, that at no distant 
