• "V, 
OF CORNWALL. 43 
there was a chain in the time of Leland 3 ; but fuch unwieldy de- 
fences are become in a manner needlefs, fince the improvements of 
naval architecture have fo much advanced the Royal Navy. The 
Creeks on the Eaftern bank of this harbour are the little Creek of 
St. Juft, and the irregularly wandering one of St. Maudits; and all 
thefe branches being united in Carreg Rode, as the Item and trunk, 
(four miles long, above a mile wide, and fourteen fathom deep) the Fal 
runs into the Sea betwixt Pendinas Caftle on the Weftern bank, and 
St. Maudit’s and Anthony Point on the Eaft : the opening here into 
the Ocean is near a mile wide, deep chanel, but near the middle a 
large rock t, moft dangerous when the water is moft deep ; for then 
it is hid. To remedy in fome meafure this danger, the heirs of 
Killigrew, Lords of Pendinas Caftle, (which guards this entrance) are 
obliged to keep a tall pole fixed on the higheft part of the rock. 
Notwithftanding this inconveniency, the harbour of Falmouth muft 
be reckoned among the moft fecure and capacious harbours belong- 
ing to the crown of Great Britain. Leland" calls it “a very notable 
and famous, and in a manner the principal haven of all Britain. 
Camden equals it to Brundufium, in Italy ; and Carew, Camden, 
and Speed, agree, that a hundred fail of fliips may anchor in it, 
and no one fee the other’s top w . Hamoze Harbour, at the mouth 
of Tamar, is reckoned to be better fet off with profpedts of feats, 
towns, and gently declining fhores, and has a greater fpace of deep 
water for the Royal Navy ; but Falmouth has a bolder fhore, is 
better fecured with hills and winding creeks for trading veflels, and 
its fituation more convenient for getting clear of the chanel : in fhort, 
yielding only to Milford Haven on the coaft of Wales, it is generally 
reckoned the fccond harbour of Great Britain. 
This River is called Hel, and the firft ford over it Helford x . Hel or Heyi 
The head of it lies upon the hills of Wendron parifh, near Penhal Kerri ’ r> 
Guy (i. e. water coming from the head of the hill) whence it runs, in 
about three miles, to a village called Guyk y , whither, by help of 
the tide, barks come up. A mile farther down the Hel is joined 
by Maugan Creek on the South, and three miles farther by Keftel 
or Helford Creek, where there is a palling boat, and at its mouth, 
three miles farther, by Gillan Creek. On the North it has firft 
5 Vol. III. page 15. 
' Called by Leland, vol. VII. page nr. Ca- 
regroyne ; that is, “ Infula, vel rupesVirulorum ma- 
rinorum Anglice, Seals ; or perhaps from Careg, 
rock, and grun or W allice grwnn, a ridge of land 
between two furrows (Richard’s Dictionary) ; for 
fuch indeed this is t but it muft be owned, that it 
is ufual with failors to call rocks after the names of 
animals ; as the W olf Rock, the Cow and Calf, 
the Shark, &c. from fome imaginary refemblance. 
Vo,. V. page hi. 
w Carew, 150. Camden, 16. Speed, lib. i. 
chap. xi. page 21. 
* Hail and Heil by Leland, vol. III. page 12. 
and Heyle, Heyl, andHayl, ibid. vol. VII. page 
no. This feems to be a common name for a 
River. On the North Sea we have one in the 
Hundred of Penwith ; on the Alan we have a 
Church called Eglolhel ; that is, the Church on 
the river Hel ; and the Alan, near its fource, is 
called Cam-hel, unde Camelford. 
y That is, Guyik, the Watery Village, or Vil- 
lage on the Guy. 
Polpenrith, 
