BELISAMA OF PTOLEMY. 373 
As this geographer has not distinctly noticed 
in the map or otherwise, the separate openings of 
the Mersey and Dee in proximity with each other, 
nor traced their separated courses interiorly, 
much uncertainty and dispute have arisen about 
the appropriation of the estuaries enumerated to 
their several actual localities; as they have, long 
since his time, been observed to exist much as 
they do at the present day. 
All antiquaries agree that the Moricambe Est. 
should be identified with the present bay of that 
name; and the great majority are agreed that 
Seteia Aist: should be placed at the mouth of 
the Dee. The chief controversy has been about 
the two others—whether the Portus Sistuntio- 
rum should be the harbour of Lancaster,—the 
Alauna, or the mouth of the Ribble; and conse- 
quently, whether the Belisama should be the 
estuary of the Ribble, or that of the Mersey. 
We may first observe, that Horsley, in his cor- 
rected map of Ptolemy, has laid down the above 
named estuaries in a manner which neither the 
map nor the corresponding latitudes and longi- 
tudes appear to authorize, as they are stated by 
the ancient geographer. It may be seen from 
3D 
