RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES IN CORNWALL. 229 



But we must now resume our account of the Roman camps 

 between Port Isaac and Tregaer. 



Their being found in this locality agrees with the other 

 evidence which we now possess of the Romans having had a 

 hold on the north as well as on the south of Cornwall. 



From Stratton, with Bude as its sea-port, down to Tintagel, 

 and on to Padstow Harbour, by way of the Plain Street, the 

 Romans carried on a traffic of which we have distinct traces, — 

 whether they acted as conquerors, traders, or both. 



On the coast, a little to the north-east of the Padstow 

 estuary, are three small ports very close together, — Port Quin, 

 Port Isaac, and Port Graverne. A stream comes down to each. 

 The land adjacent (now St. Minver and Endellion) is famous for 

 its suitability to the cultivation of corn. Grain near the coast, 

 and tin further inland, would probably attract the Romans to 

 the locality. It is even thought that the name of Port Isaac* 

 was suggestive and inviting to those who could understand 

 Cornish, or get it interpreted. 



The Roman station (near Rock and Bray Hill, in St. Minver) 

 was only five miles distant from this place. 



We will now describe the situation of the camps, by 

 reference to the Ordnance map, (which see) : — 



Port Graverne and Port Isaac, side by side, are less than 

 half-a-mile apart. 



Two miles up the Port Graverne valley, just beyond the 

 source of its stream, is a fine circular British earthwork, Tregaer 

 in St. Kew. 



A mile and half up the Port Isaac valley, beyond the head 

 of its stream is a parallel-sided [Roman ?] camp, at Trevinick, 

 also in St. Kew. 



* Probably " Corn-Port," Isaac seems to be a corruption of some Cornish 



term. Compare: — Eys, ys, is, iz, — "Corn;" ic, an adjectival termination, 



signifying " connected with ;" isa, — lowest ; gwic, wic, — village or creek ; idzhec, 

 ■ — sounding, resounding, hooting. See Borlase, Pryce, Williams, Bannister, &c. 

 The derivation and meaning of Port or Porth are well known. Maclean gives 

 the name of this place as Port-Isaac or Port-issick. (The names of St. Illic, 

 Elente, Endellienta, or Teilo, probably do not enter into it). Most likely then 

 Port-izic signifies Corny-port, the cove in which ships could obtain a good supply 

 of grain. 



