94 CORNISH DEDICATION'S. 



head in the woman's lap, she shore o&. her hair. This was 

 tantamount to adoption, and then with the scizzors cut the 

 child's throat as an oblation to the Gods to obtain by their 

 means the destruction of the monks. 



This failed. Next night an Irish rover, Paucant son of 

 Liski arrived, ran his vessel into the harbour that now bears 

 the name of Forth Liski, attacked the Camp and burnt it. Boia 

 and his wife were killed in their beds. 



The crag still shows the remains of walling forming two 

 enclosures. On a rock that is utilised as a portion of the wall is 

 a spring, or at all events a basin of water, that is said never to 

 run dry. 



David was now able in peace to proceed with the construc- 

 tion of his monastery. It was probably of stone, as no timber 

 of any size grows in the neighbourhood. Moreover the Irish 

 Goidels had been accustomed to construct buildings of stone, 

 and probably old G-ynyr his grandfather was a Pict from 

 Ireland. 



He had several disciples — Aedan or Maidoc, afterwards 

 Bishop of Ferns was with him, and has given his name to the 

 Ffinnon Vaidoc, an unfailing spring of crystalline water on the 

 way to the Port and Ty Grwyn. Others were S. Teilo and 

 S. Ismael. Also Modomnoc, the first to introduce bees into 

 Ireland, and these came from David's hives. 



Here also he was visited by many Irish Saints. S. Scuthin, 

 S. Finbar, and S. Senan. 



This is not to be wondered at, for Menevia was the great 

 "Port Said" for travellers. The Irish who desired to visit the 

 Continent and Home, crossed over from Waterford or Wexford 

 to Forth Mawr in the S. David's promontory, travelled thence to 

 Carmarthen bay, whence they crossed to Devon or Cornwall, and 

 took ship again in the estuary of either the Tamar, the Fawey, 

 or the Fal. 



At his monastery, in the ravine of the Allun, David 

 practised severe austerities. The leek may have been his 

 principal food, but of that there is no mention in his legend ; 

 only it is said that he abstained from animal food, and drank 

 water alone. 



