OF CORNWALL. 47 
trade from Ireland, Wales, and the Briftol channel. Here at Pad- 
flow the Alan is near a mile wide, and there is a ferry-boat to crofs. 
At the mouth of this harbour, about two miles below the town, 
the Sea, as in all our harbours on the North channel, has a<fted againft 
itfelf, and thrown a bar of fand crofs the haven, which prevents 
fhips of more than 200 tons from coming in at all, and makes it 
hazardous even lor the fmaller fhips to come in, but when the tides 
are high and the weather fair. 
Farther up on the Northern fide of Cornwall, there is no confider- 
ble or navigable River j but we find the Creeks of Portific, and 
Botreaux Caftle, and Bude Haven, which name, the laft Creek, had 
it not been formerly a more confiderable retreat for fhipping than 
it is now, could never have deferved ; but indeed, what feems anti- 
ently to have been the haven, is now all morafs and meadow ground, 
reaching from the Barton of Whalcfborougn nearly to the town ol 
Stratton, about two miles long, and little lefs wide. In the middle 
of this morafs runs the River, which, with the tide, makes the 
prefen t Creek, and opens into the Sea by a narrow pafiage. 
Before I take my leave of the navigable Rivers of Cornwall, I 
cannot help obferving, that there is fcarce any one of them fo def- 
titute of water, or fo diftrefied by untoward levels, but that their 
navigation may be either extended or improved : but fome improve- 
ments are more defirable as they will be more advantageous to the 
countiy, ana more eafily effected than others : their negledt is there- 
foie the more affe&ing. Lancefton is a populous town, and in the 
neighbourhood many families of rank and fortune, and in general 
the country round is well peopled and cultivated ; yet all the coal 
for firing, fir-timber for building, all foreign produ&s, all goods 
from London, Exeter, and Plymouth, all fea-fand for manure, they 
are forced to fend for ten miles at leaf!:, and have them all from 
or ham or Bofcaftle, which is ftill further, by land-carriage, through 
ways in general egregioufly bad ; difficulties which necefiarily occa- 
fion ltde trade, and fcanty employment for the poor. Now the 
Tamai paffes within a mile and half of this town (a little above 
Polftun Bridge) where it is a noble ftream of water, a wide chanel, 
and receives the Aterey River coming dire<ftiy from the walls of 
Lancefton : hence the Tamar fets to the South, fo directly, that it 
is but little more by water than by land. Surely fb rich and popu- 
lous a neighbourhood as this, might be well requited for the charge 
of making, or at leaft for exerting all their intereft to make this 
lv f r nay igable at the public expence for the ffiort fpace of ten or 
twelve miles. 
Another improvement pointed out by nature is, the uniting the 
awy, on the South Coaft, with the Alan on the North. Thefe 
two 
