OBSERVATIONS ON TINTAGEL CASTLE. 45 
Third, A.D. 1337,—that at that time, 7c. 165 years before Norden 
or Carew wrote their account, 2¢ was “ruinous.” 
I entertain, indeed, no doubt that at the date indicated by . 
Hals, viz., about the year 1500, i.2., 370 years ago, the chasm, 
which has been constantly widening from that time to the present, 
admitted communications with the portion of the Castle on each 
side of it, by means of a rude bridge, possibly formed of wood, 
with an iron chain; but I cannot, in the face of evidence that the 
Castle was ruinous 534 years ago, admit the assumption of Hals, 
upon Carew’s authority, that the state of things which he described 
referred to its original condition. Even Norden’s drawing of the 
ruin, to some extent, supports my supposition. By reference to 
the accompanying sketch, which has been kindly made from the 
original by my friend Mr. Rogers, of Penrose, it will be seen at 
once that, even in his day, 1602, what he calls “the main building 
on the land side” (10) and which I have described as the circular 
wall, extended over a considerable portion of what is now preci- 
pice ; and also that he indicates by the figure 4 the portion which 
I have supposed originally extended across the chasm from the 
Island to the mainland in this direction, and which he describes 
as “ Buildings fallen into the sea.” 
But, granting fora moment the assumption that the present 
path which leads from the mainland portion of the ruin to the 
Island has been formed by the débris of fallen rocks, which is, 
however, by no means apparent, since at the base of the cliff tere 
is no indication which would warrant, in my opinion, the assump- 
tion, I would still, for the reasons already adduced, maintain 
the original continuity of the Castle ; for, I should argue, in sup- 
port of my position, that a cavern which had originally passed 
beneath the causeway had fallen in, thus causing the artificial 
passage from one part to the other. 
Such a supposition I imagine to be quite allowable, even if it 
could be proved that at the base of the rock there was a separa- 
tion of the two sides of the cliff, inasmuch as there are now close 
to the point in question two large caverns, and on the opposite 
side of the Cove there are corresponding ones, and one which may 
very probably have extended across the Cove to the very point in 
- question. I mention this not from any persuasion that such an 
extension did ever actually exist, but to show, that even if it 
K2 
