EARLT TOPOGRAPHT OF FAIiMOTTTH. 159 



The next era of Falmouth's enlargement must have been very near the date 

 of this map, and is marked by a circumstance expressive of the fact. Just beyond 

 my Smithwick, and its western house upon the left, and beyond that were form- 

 erly two houses but are now three on the right, and Porran lane beyond these, a 

 house comes forward upon the full line of the street, occupying the sp ice which it 

 should have occupied, and obliging it to divert on the left in order to continue its 

 course. This therefore is a significant signature, that the town stopt in its 

 advance to the south for some time at this point. 



The next enlargement was a great one. From this grand diverticulum it ran 

 on to the ground and vicinity of the Church. This it reached or nearly reached 

 about 1662, the Church being then said to be at the end of the town. Accordingly 

 the street here was making another grand bend, the church and a house coming 

 athwart it, and forcing it to turn on the left for a continuance. 



In this run however, a part of the new street was made a secondary Market- 

 place to the original one on the Strand : and took the name of Fish Strand, as 

 the original did of the Market Strand. 



Had the town and its improvements been planned all at once the MooB would 

 have formed an excellent dock, a convenience much wanted in the town, and now 

 likely to be made at a very great expense by the Lords ; as it runs about three 

 hundred yards up in a narrow hollow between two high hills, and has a back- 

 water to keep it open. 



Whitaker states, MSS. E.I.C., pp. 222, 223^,224: That under the Act of 

 Parlifiment— the rector of Falmouth received the port duties of 6d. of each 

 decked vessel entering the port, and in return for this he is obliged to keep a pole 

 and flag upon the rock at the entrance of the harbour. The pole was an elm as 

 big as a man's body fixed deep in a hole of the rock and fastened in it with melted 

 lead. A red streamer is kept flying from the top of it, to strike upon the ey^e by 

 its colour, the pole is also for the same reason stripped of its bark, very white and 

 twenty feet high from the rock. 



The pole and flag were meant to be removed in time of danger, and were so 

 removed in the autumn of 1779, when the French and Spanish fleets sailed in 

 great force up the channel. 



