NOTES ON THE ANCIENT TOPOGRAPHY OF CORNWALL. 



By R. N. worth, F.G.S., Corresponding Member. 



An inquiry into the principal features of the ancient 

 topography of Devon, lately resumed after having been for 

 some time laid aside, was found to extend itself into Cornwall, 

 and to lead up to conclusions differing widely from those which 

 are commonly accepted. I have thought it advisable therefore 

 to lay before tlie Royal Institution some notes on the results of 

 my investigation. I do not anticipate they will meet either with 

 immediate or general acceptance ; but I have sufficient confi- 

 dence in the method employed to believe that in the main they 

 will hereafter be regarded as established. And I would point 

 out in reference to the differences of opinion between previous 

 investigators and myself, that the only " authorities," who can 

 be cited as such in this enquiry, are the ancient topographers 

 whose statements are in process of interj)retation, and the 

 accepted physical and archaeological facts that have a bearing 

 thereon. There is no reason, other than personal, why a writer 

 in the last century should be better able to interpret the true 

 meaning of words written many hundreds of years ago than an 

 independent investigator of the present day ; and on the other 

 hand it is certain that the modern enquirer has the assistance of 

 several lines of evidence unknown to his less fortunate prede- 

 cessor. 



The present paper is an attempt towards a solution of the 

 vexed problems of the Ptolemaic geography of Cornwall ; and 

 of the still more difficult issues raised in the identification of the 

 local names in the list of cities and camps of the Anonymous 

 Chorographer of Ravenna. 



The only places mentioned by Ptolemy that can have to do 

 with the extreme West of England are : — 



Longitude. Latitude. 



Vexala estuary .. .. ,. 16-0 ., 53-30 



Hercules promontory . . . . 14-0 . . 53-0 



Antivestaeum promontory ., .. 11-0 .. 52-30 



also Bolerium 



