152 EAELY TOPOGEAPHT OF rALMOITTH. 



Smithick was left dry at low water ; but it is said tliat a ferry- 

 boat used to ply across, at, or near, its mouth, when the tide was 

 up ; but, as the population increased, the creek was filled up, 

 protected by a sea-wall, and the buildings were extended on its 

 northern side, up the hill." This tradition does not refer to the 

 submerged forest of prehistoric times,* which was discovered in 

 1871, covered by sand, but may be a confused account of the 

 ferry, which plied to Flushing from Smithick, but afterwards 

 from Well Beach, and which was reserved to Sir John Killigrew, 

 in 1661, but has since been withdrawn to the Green Bank Pier. 

 The brook, which is drawn in Boazio'smap, 1597, (Plate D) could 

 not have been charged with more water than at present : a road 

 traversed it in 1567, and old and new water courses are shewn 

 in the map of Smithick (Plate 0;, 1613 — 1650, passing underneath 

 the causeway. It must be admitted, however, that at high water 

 the road across the Strand was impassable. 



At the southern end, the houses did not spring up first on 

 either side of the lane to Porhan Hill, but on the line of the 

 field-path to Arwenack, to form the Market and Church Streets. 



An interesting account is given by Whitaker, of the manner 

 in which a ledge of rock, or spur of Porhan Hill, had to be 

 removed for the purpose. ' ' Accordingly, on the little knoll that 

 runs up from the Market Strand to the south, and on the left 

 hand side of the street, that begins at it, the second house appears 

 to have been prioi to the street, from its face turning to the sea, 

 and its back abutting upon the street. It was built with its 

 back to the hill, the street there being only a ledging of the hill 

 cut down to a level, and the entrance from the street into that 

 house being by a flight of steps. The wall of the back has been 

 opened for windows, since the street was formed behind it. The 

 Standard Inn (now the Hotel) has been built directly before it : 

 and what was once the shelving beach in front of the house, is 

 now the back yard and water-stairs of the inn. It is a low house, 



* See its description by Mr. H. M. Whitley in this Journal, April, 1872. This 

 submarine forest was noticed in the last century ; " in the winter of 1790-1 after a 

 very high tide and consequently as low an ebb, in the beach a few yards to the 

 north of the Market Strand in Falmouth were seen and dug up, several stumps of 

 trees that were yet rooted in the soil and ranged in a line down into the sea." — 

 Whitaker MS., B.I.C., p. -2236. 



