XVIU 



of granite formed a narrow road, from 1815 to 1820, or thereabout, 

 some three or four feet above the ordinary level of the stream ; in 

 1867, however, this ancient bridge had become buried beneath 

 about two feet of detritus. Within about fifty years, therefore, a 

 body of rubbish, brought down by the river, has raised the surface 

 of the valley five or six feet ; that is to say, at the rate of about one 

 foot in ten years. As I speak in the presence of gentlemen much 

 better acquainted than I can pretend to be regarding the eff'ects of 

 this remarkable stream, both on the navigation of Restronguet 

 creek '^ and on the depth of water in Falmouth harbour t generally, 

 I will only allude to them. Anciently, hov/ever, the exercise of 

 stringent laws, as well of the realm J as of the Stannaries, || re- 



« " By the constant accession of matter, the bed of the whole of this 

 creek, except the anchorage of Eestrongett Pool, is now [1827] above the 

 level of low water at spring tides. This anchorage continues deep (about 

 six fathoms at the deepest part) owing to the narrowness of the river here, 

 which necessarily increases the rapidity of the tides and prevents any matter 

 from being lodged ; but immediately outside the creek, where the water 

 having more room is less rapid, it allows matter to deposit, and the depth is 

 only two or three feet, except at a sort of tide channel .... where it has a 

 depth of about eight feet." — Thomas, History of Falmouth, p. 48. 



•}• " The finer matter is kept some time in suspension, and much of it 

 settles in the body of the harbour, at the still time of low water ; and sup- 

 posing it to be distributed regularly throughout the whole bed of the harbour 

 including its branches, [it] would form a layer of one foot thick in about 

 43 years." — Ibid., p. 51. 



+ " The King's Majesty, minding and intending the Supportation and 

 Maintainance of his Towns and Havens, of Plymouth, Dartmouth, Tinmouth, 

 Falmouth, and Fowey, in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, .... and the 

 Animadversion and Correction of . . . .Offenders, hath by the Assent of the 

 Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in the present Parliament 



assembled, and by the Authority of the same, ordained that no Person 



or Persons hereafter shall labourer work in any manner of Tin- works, 



called Stream- works, within the said Counties nigh to any fresh 



Waters, Elvers, or low places, descending or having Course unto the said 

 Havens or Ports, nor shall labour, dig, or wash any Tin in any of the said 

 Tin-Works called Stream-Works, unless the said Digger, Owner, or Washer, 

 shall make. . . .sufficient Hatches and Ties in the End of their Buddels and 

 Cords, and therein put and lay. . . .all the Stones, Gravel or Rubbel, digged 



about the Ensearching, Finding and Washing of the said Tin, so that 



the said Sand, Stones, Gravel and Eubbel, nor any part thereof, be for lack 



of such Hatches, or Ties conveyed into the said Ports or Havens, upon 



Pain to forfeit for every time that any Owner, Digger, Turner, or Labourer 



shall dig or wash any Tin contrary to the Form aforesaid, £20." (23 



Henry VHI). — Peaece, Laws and Custovis of the Stannaries, p. 156. 



II " At the Court holden for the Stannaries of Gornicall in the County of 

 Devon, on the 27th of August in the Thirteenth Year of the Queen's Majestys 



Eeign, our Sovreign Elizabeth, before the Eight Honourable Lord 



Edward Hastings High Warden of the said Stannaries and other the 



~. Queen's Majesty's Commissioners there, it is Enacted, Whereas there have 



