CHAPTER XII. 



THE ISLE OF MAN. 



HE Isle of Man lies about the centre of the Irish Sea, and within 

 sight of the three constituent parts of the United Kingdom. It 

 is a little nearer to Scotland than to England, but to judge by the 

 formation of the sea-bottom, it forms a natural dependency of the 

 county of Cumberland. The depth of the sea between Man and 

 the English coast averages 100 feet, whilst in the direction of the Scotch county 

 of Wigton it is at least 160 feet, and soundings of 420 feet are met with on 

 voyaging towards the Irish port of Belfast. In order to determine whether the 

 Isle of Man is a natural dependency of Ireland or Great Britain, Halley tells us* 

 serpents and toads were carried thither. They survived, and hence it was 

 concluded that Man is English, for these animals cannot live upon the soil of the 

 Emerald Isle. The remains of the so-called elk, so numerous in Ireland, were 

 first discovered on the Isle of Man. f 



The geographical position of the island at nearly equal distances from three 

 potent centres of attraction has frequently enabled the inhabitants to maintain 

 their independence, notwithstanding that they were surrounded by enemies. On 

 some occasions, however, they quickly changed masters, according to the oscilla- 

 tions of political power amongst their neighbours. During the early Middle Ages 

 the inhabitants of Man were subjected to the influences of Ireland and Scotland. 

 Subsequently the island fell under the sway of Danish pirates, and was incorporated 

 into their " Kingdom of the Islands." When this kingdom was sold to the Scots 

 in 1264, Man passed with it into their possession ; but some time afterwards it was 

 wrested from the Scotch, and made a separate "kingdom," dependent upon 

 England. Thomas, Earl of Derby, relinquished the title of King of Man, and 

 took that of Lord, and since 1784 the British Government has purchased all the 

 sovereign rights and privileges appertaining to the island. Man, at the present 

 time, is a dependency of the British crown, unrepresented in the Imperial Parlia- 

 ment. It is, in fact, a kind of colony, governed by an independent legislature. 



* " Atlas Maritimus et Commercialis," 1728. 

 t George Canning, "Isle of Man." 



