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among the natives. I muft go farther dill, and 
obferve that the promontory (at prefent call’d Sylley 
ifland) lying weflernmofl of all the high lands, was 
the fird; land of all the iflands difcern’d by traders 
from the Mediterranean, and Spanilh coafis, and, as 
loon as difcover’d, was laid to be Sylley; nothing 
being more ufual with failors, upon their firfl feeing 
land, than to call the part by the name of the whole ; 
of which I will not detain you with proofs. But, 
when this confiderable ifland called Sylley was broke 
to pieces, the great portions became inhabited, and 
requiring diftind: appellations, had fil'd Britilh names, 
as Brehar, Trefcaw, Enmor; but as foon as the re- 
gulars were placed here (probably in Athelflan’s 
reign, or immediately after) were call’d, according to 
the religion of the times, after the names of particular 
faints. The chief divifion was intituled St. Mary’s, in 
honour of the holy virgin-mother ; the others dedi- 
cated to St. Nicholas, St. Martin, St. Theon, and fo 
on ; but this remarkable promontory (now Sylley ifle) 
being in no wife fit for habitation or devotion, was de- 
dicated to no faint, but left to enjoy its antient name ; 
and, notwithflanding the modern Chriftian dedica- 
tions, failors went on in their old way ; this high land 
is dill call’d Sylley, and the iflands in general are dill 
denominated, from what was antiently their princi- 
pal, Sylley ifles. 
It mud have been a very difpiriting circumdance 
to the old inhabitants, to fee tfie ocean fo continually 
eating away their low-lands, in which they had their 
treafures of tin, their houfcs, and ports : but this gra- 
dual decay was not the only misfortune, which attended 
them, 
