Isles of Loss.—Powis Castle. 397 
r° the Editor of the Monthly Magazine* 
silt, 
1821 .] 
isle of Tumba, placed by some among 
the Isles of Loss, is so near to the Con¬ 
tinent, and so joined to it by beds of 
sand, mostly dry, that it should be con¬ 
sidered as belonging to the Continent 
rather than the Archipelago. 
Tamara is the largest and most 
westerly of these islands ; in fair wea¬ 
ther it may be seen at the distance of 
seven or eight leagues. Approaching 
it from the east, it appears like a range 
of hills thickly wooded, its elevation 
moderate, and the northern part higher 
than the south. It is, in shape, like a 
crescent, with mauy good anchoring 
places in its southern concavity; six 
fathoms at low water. At the principal 
anchorage in the S.E. is a spring of 
Iresh water that will yield eighty hogs¬ 
heads in twenty-four hours. To the 
north of the island is a rock, named 
Doubtful in the charts, as it as never 
yet been explored, and M. Roussin re¬ 
grets that the season prevented him from 
doing it. It was discovered, for the 
first time, in 1811, by the English fri¬ 
gate Arethusa, Capt. Collins, which 
was lost there. Also Le Rubis , a 
1813°^ ' vas wrec ked there, in 
The Isle of Loss or Factory Island, 
the most easterly of the group, is the 
only one occupied by the English, and 
they have long had au establishment 
on the eastern coast. Recently they 
have also taken possession of the isle 
Franpoise or Crawford, situated be¬ 
tween the Isle of Loss and Tamara. 
The resources for shipping at the 
Isles of Loss are in great abundance, 
and of no less importance. Exclusive 
of wood and water, which it is easy to 
get, supplies may be had of cattle, 
rice, kids, poultry, giramont, bana¬ 
nas, oranges, and citrons. The cattle 
are small, but the flesh tastes well in 
eating. These articles would be dear 
enough if paid for in money, but come 
cheap in exchange for articles of mer¬ 
chandize; the following are sure to be 
called for: linen cloth, hardware, gun¬ 
powder, iron, fire arms, brandy, and 
tobacco. 
Captain Roussin did not penetrate 
into the interior of the Archipelago, but 
from what he explored in the Southern 
part of it, he insists that the English 
chart of 1777, constructed by William 
Woodville, is by no means complete or 
correct. The instances in the Isle Ta¬ 
mara, as laid down iu it, are too large, 
by nearly one-third. 
I WAS much gratified by observing 
in your last, a continuation of the 
excellent Excursion in North Wales. 
Should you think the following sketch 
of the history of Powis Castle, by way 
of supplement to your Correspondents’ 
notice, worthy of insertion, you are at 
liberty to make use of it. 
The particular part of Powis-land 
where the castle was situated was ob¬ 
tained from the Welsh by Henry I. 
who about the year 1110 gave it to 
Cadwgan ap Blcddyn ap Cynfyn, a 
Welshman, who had rendered himself 
eminent by his services and bravery. 
He began to erect a castle here with an 
intention of making this the place of 
his residence, but before the work was 
finished he was murdered by one of 
his relations. The castle appears to 
have been completed before the end of 
the same century; for in 1191, on 
various depredations having been com¬ 
mitted by the Welsh in the marches, 
Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 
the absence of Richard I. on the Cru¬ 
sades, hastened here, and with a power¬ 
ful army besieged the Castle, at that 
time in the hands of the Welsh. The 
garrison did not, however, surrender 
till they perceived that the besiegers 
had undermined the walls, and they°lid 
this at last on honourable terms, not¬ 
withstanding the English forces being 
at least thrice their number. As soon 
as the archbishop had obtained posses¬ 
sion of if, he fortified it anew, and left 
it with a very strong garrison; the 
Welsh, however, soon again attacked 
and retook it. It changed owners 
•again not long afterwards ; for in 1233, 
it was attacked and seized by Prince 
Llewelyn ap Jorwerfh. It descended to 
Llewelyn’s Grandson Owen ap Griffith 
and on his death to his daughter Hawys 
Gadarn. Four of her uncles disputed 
her title to the property, under allega¬ 
tion that a female was incapable of in¬ 
heriting. Iving Edward 11. however, 
taking her paif, she was married to 
John de Charlton, and the estates con¬ 
tinued in their posterity for several ge¬ 
nerations. The barony and title went 
afterwards to Sir John Grey, of Heton, 
in Northumberland, by marriage with 
Joan, daughter of Edward Lord Powis, 
and remained with their descendants 
till the reign of Henry VIII. when 
the title became extinct. The es¬ 
tate went by purchase to Sir Edward 
Herbert, 
