34 W. A. E. Ussher — Historical Geology of Cornwall. 



place, which caused the desertion of the islands by their terrified 

 aboriginal inhabitants. These original inhabitants carried on a trade 

 in tin with the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans " (for this opinion 

 he cites Diodorus Siculus, lib. v. cap. ii. and Strabo, Geog. lib. iii.). 

 " Whilst only one inconsiderable vein of tin occurs in Tresco 

 Island, and that betrays no sign of ancient working, nor are any old 

 workings now visible sufficient to have maintained a trade in tin." 

 He says further, "But though there are no evidences to be depended 

 on of any ancient connexion of the Land's End and Scilly, yet that 

 the cause of that inundation which destroyed much of these islands 

 might reach also to the Cornish shores, is extremely probable, there 

 being several evidences of a like subsidence of the lands in Mounts 

 Bay." 



Dr. Borlase, in his Natural History of Cornwall, 1 says, "The supply 

 of tin from Gades and Spain being too small to supply the vast trade 

 as far as India, they must have got it to the east of the Damnonii." 



The Chaldeans and Arabians call tin by a name similar to the 

 Greek Kacranepov. The Scilly Isles were called Cassiterides 

 long before the Greeks knew of their position, for Herodotus 

 (b c. 400) says, Ovre vr\aa^ olha KaaaiT6piSa<i e/ccra? e/c rcov 6 

 Ka<Tcrirepo<i tj/hlv (potra. 



Solinus calls them Insula Silurum or Insula Silura, perhaps in 

 mistake for islands oif the Welsh coast. 



Tacitus 8 says the Silures were opposite to Spain, which would 

 point to the Scilly Isles. It is probable that the Phoenicians re- 

 garded West Cornwall as an island, and one of the Cassiterides, as 

 the Scilly Isles alone would have been totally insufficient to afford 

 the supply. 



" Ortelius, 3 therefore, not without reason, makes the Cassiterides 

 to include, not only the Scilly Isles, but also Devonshire and 

 Cornwall." 



" Tin was also anciently found in Lusitania and Gallicia." 4 



Mr. H. Boase s quotes Carew 6 as follows : — " The encroaching sea 

 hath ravined from it the whole country of Lionnesse, together with 

 divers other parcels of no little circuit, and that such a Lionnesse 

 there was, these proofs are yet remaining. The space between the 

 Land's End and the Isles of Scilly, being about 80 miles, to this day 

 retaineth that name, in Cornish, Lethowsow, and carrieth an equal 

 depth of 40 or 60 fathoms, save that about midway there lieth 

 a rock which at low water discovereth its head. They term it the 

 Gulf, suiting thereby the other name of Scilla. Fishermen also 

 casting their hooks thereabouts, have drawn up pieces of doors and 

 windows." After touching on Dr. Borlase's views, Mr. Boase 7 pro- 

 ceeds to say, " The arguments adduced by our old historians in 

 proof of the tradition, refute themselves. In the first place, the sea 

 is no shallower between the Land's End and Scilly, than at equal 

 distances from land, on other parts of the coast ; and the midway 



1 p. 29. * lb. p. 30. 3 1527-1593. * lb. p. 29. 



5 T.R.G.S. Corn. vol. ii. pp. 130, 131. 6 Carew, p. 3. 7 Op. cit. p. 132. 



