THE TEST. 149 



But we now arrive at some curious circumstances 

 connected with this South Anton. 



Southampton Water is an aestuary composed of 

 three principal tributaries : the Anton or Test, the 

 Itchin, and the Hamble river. Now Ptolemy, in 

 his Geography of Britain, places on the southern 

 coast of England, and in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of Portus Magnus, or Portsmouth, a river 

 which he calls Trisantona. This name, I can have 

 no doubt, designates Southampton water formed 

 of three tributaries, of which the Anton is much the 

 greatest as the Humber is called by ancient geo- 

 graphers Trifonia, from its being also composed of 

 three principal tributaries. But Ptolemy places 

 Trisanton eastward of Portus Magnus, which has 

 induced some authors (and amongst them the learned 

 Stukele) , I think) who were not aware of the local 

 name of the Anton or Test, to consider Ptolemy's 

 Trisanton as Chichester Haven ; whereas it is clear 

 that Ptolemy, or his copyist, had made the mistake 

 of transposing the two names, and that Trisanton 

 can be no other than the Southampton Water. 



But we have still another Anton to dispose of, I 

 mean the Manantonis. I forget whether this river 

 is mentioned by Ptolemy. I am sure it is by the 

 writer called Ravennas, and by other authorities ; 

 and it is placed eastward of Trisanton and of Por- 

 tus Magnus, just in the place where the modern 

 name ' Little Hampton 1 seems to indicate the ori- 

 ginal appellation. 



