oj Devonshire and Corn-wall. 141 



that at no time of the year did they find the water in Loe Pool 

 become salt. I tasted it repeatedly and found it quite fresh.* 



The coast beyond Portlever rises abruptly, at the distance of a 

 mile and a half from the sea, and at the height of three hundred 

 and sixty feet, we leave the grauwacke and enter the granite, just 

 before we reach the road leading from Helston to Marazion. 



It will be recollected that the mountain chain of Cornwall dips 

 \o the west, that the land is contracted very much on that side by 

 Mount's Bay, thus cutting off a great portion of the grauwacke 

 formation, for although the road from Helston to Marazion runs 

 nearly the whole way along the shore, it lies directly on the line of 

 transition. The grauwacke rises to the height of three hundred and 

 sixty feet on the side of Tregonning-hill,f from thence the granite 

 continues as far as the sixth mile stone from Helston to Marazion. 

 There, the land gradually lowering to the sea, we enter again on the 

 grauwacke, near the village of Kennegy, but at what height I did 

 not ascertain. 



Antiquarians, after very laborious researches, have conceived, that 

 they have found sufficient proofs in the testimony of ancient hia- 



* This was in the beginning of May. — We find in the History of New Holland, by 

 the Right Honourable William Eden, a fact of this sort, which is nearly similar. " Part 

 " of the Batavia's people were sent to look for water on one of the islands near the 

 " sp6t where she was wrecked, and haTing landed there, had subsisted for near three 

 *' weeks upon rain Mater, and what lodged in the cliffs of the rocks, not imagining that 

 " the \yater of two wells which were on the island could be of any use, as they saw them 

 " constantly rise and fall with the tide : for they concluded from this circumstance that, 

 " having a communication with the sea, the water must consequently be brackish ; how- 

 *' ever, upon trial, it was found to be very good, and the ship's company were thcncefor- 

 " ward plentifully supplied." p. 12. 



+ The top of this hill at the signal house is five hundred and eighty-four feet above 

 the sea. Both channels may be seen from this station, whicli is the most elevated in this 

 part of the country. 



