from Virginia, ignorant of what had happened, run foul of the rock, and fuffered the fame fate. Another was afterwards erected by the corporation of Trinity-houfe, in purfuance of an act of parliament paffed in 5th of Queen Anne, which was deftroyed by fire in Dec. 1755; the two men who had the care of it were faved by means of a boat fent by admiral Weft from Plymouth; the préfent ufeful work was rebuilt under the direction of Mr. John Smeaton, F. R. S. and allowed to be the completeft in Europe.. The intervening mixture of funfhine and fhort forms was very favourable for this delicious excurfion. From hence we defcend through ferpentine bowers of bays, myrtles, arbutuses, laureftinuses, &c. to lady Damer's garden, (fo called,) at the end of which is a large ftone alcove with a complimentary infcription. Afcending again by fimilar zig-zags to the terrace, the opening here prefents a fine view of Corfon Bay and the two little ports, Kingston and Corfon, the haunts of fmugglers; the former stands in Devon, the latter in Cornwall, only feparated by a finall creek. Here was the fcene of much confufion in the late war, when the French fleet was daily feen to floatabout this bay, meditating deftruction to the docks at Plymouth. The following extract on the subject from a letter in the Gentleman's Magazine, for Auguft 1779, reflects great credit on the noble lord for his conduct, and public fpirit on the occafion. "Every body, is forry for the devaftation produced in the beautiful woods of Mount Edgecumbe. It is an entire falfehood that his Lordfhip objects to their being cut down, for on a proper reprefentation of the circumftances by lord Shuldham and others here, that it was very poffible that thefe groves might be made ufe of as a place of concealment for the enemy, in attack upon the dock-yards, all that his Lordfhip faid on the occafion was this, "If it be abfolutely neceffary for the preservation of the dock-yards that Mount Edgecumbe be destroyed, you have my ready confent, even to the last shrub. Nothing with me can have any weight against a circumstance of that moment. No private intereft can have the fmalleft influence when fet in balance with an object of the magnitude you mention; but I would beg leave to remark, gentlemen, that without your fears are very well founded, I am entirely averfe to the deftruction of these groves. If you are convinced, on ferious deliberation, that danger may arise from them, down with them; if you are not quite fo certain, for heaven's fake let them ftand." The Generals perfevered in their opinions, and they were immediately cut down with the entire concurrence of the owner. If this was really the cafe, how ra pidly must have been their growth, fo foon to appear in the prefent flourishing condition. Our guide gave us a genuine piece of intelligence, which he had lately received from two officers, who were in the French service at the time, and fhewed him the two places thought of for landing their men, one on this fide Kingston, the other on the hill beyond; but their defigns were inefficient, and happily prevented. Winding beautifully round we came next to a Gothic alcove, built from the materials of an old chapel, the infide of which gives a picturesque view of nothing but the fea, the fore-ground an hollow verdant flope to the margin of the water. In our walk from hence we faw very fine cork-trees, live-oaks, &c. the variety of heath and other bloffoms hanging around gave all the luxuriant tints of a real garden. We now entered the deer park again, and croffed where our defenfive regiments were encamped. On the fummit of the hill ftands a lofty parish church, belonging to Corfon, Kingston, and Milbrook; from the tower are placed various fignals, and the circular profpect is here immenfe. Defcending now the common walk to the house, we came to the white alcove on the dry walks, (fo called) which fronts full north, and gives a beautirul perspective up the harbour, St. John's Lake, St. German's and Milbrook, with an intermixture of Devon and Cornwall. Paffing towards the front grounds again, we faw many many very noble trees, daks of near twenty different forts, fine flourishing chefnuts, and cedars of Lebanus. In a part called the wilderness, is placed a flat stone two feet fquare, with fo much nicety as to catch a glimpse of seven different towers; viz. Anton, Dock-yard, the new chapel at Dock, Stoke, Plymouth, old and new churches, and Plymstock. Near the water ftands a neat Doric alcove, with the following infcription from Thomfon. On either hand, Like a long wintry foreft, groves of mafts Shot up their fpires; the bellying sheet between Steer'd fluggish on; the fplendid bark along Row'd regular, to harmony; around The boat, light fkimming ftretch'd its oary wings, While deep the various voice of fervent toil, From bank to bank, encreas'd; whence ribb'd with oak To bear the British thunder black and bold The roaring veffels rufh'd into the main. A little beyond is a battery of 22 guns, for the purpose of falutes, &c. Laftly we faw the orangery, an excellent building, 100 feet by 30, where the fruit ripens in almost equal perfection with that abroad. go❤ We now took leave of these enchanting scenes, and made a comfortable repast at the paffage house, called Cremil, which pays the rent of 400l. per ann. to lord Edgecumbe, befides the expence of feven men, boats, &c. We afterwards returned acrofs, to inspect the nature and extent of the docks, which are inexpreffibly furprizing and magnificent. To obtain a fight of them is difficult, requiring a form of your names and abodes, with the addition of fome refident perfon of Plymouth, to be fent to the vernor or commiffioner. Such caution is neceffarily used, that any remarks with pen or pencil are forbid; therefore a full and accurate defcription must not here be expected. Besides the feveral dry and wet docks heretofore established, they are still adding to the numbers. One in particular, of the first-rate dimenfions, cut out of the folid rock, and beautifully lined, and faced with Portland stone, may challenge the universe to fhew its equal. A most extenfive wet dock for masts is now finishing; the immense range of building for ftores, and warehouses for fails, rigging, &c. and dwellings for the commiffioner, clerks, and all other neceffary officers, are well worth the notice of ftrangers. Within themselves too are the immenfe forges for making anchors, and all other iron work, belonging to fhips of the largest fize. The whole contains a space of 70 acres. Amongst the numerous men of war which now lay in harbour, were the Royal Cerberus, of foo guns, and feveral others newly launched; alfo was refitting the -taken from the Spaniards in the laft war, and when finished to be honoured with the name of Gibraltar. We now retired to our inn at Plymouth. This place had the honour of giving birth to that great explorer of the feas, fir Francis Drake. Having vifited the most striking features of this place, our next object was to extend about 40 miles into Cornwall, where we might obtain a fufficient knowledge of its va luable mines. This county like Spain, a peninfula, furrounded on all fides by the fea except the east, ftretches weftward the furtheft of all Britain, and is inhabited by the remains of thofe, whom the calamities of cruel war, and tyrannical oppreffions forced into these western parts of the island, Wales and Cornwall, which are naturally fortified with hills and æftuaries. In the British language it is called Kernnaw, because it diminishes like a horn and runs out into fo many fimilar promontories. The Saxon conqueror, who called foreigners and every thing ftrange, Wealth, named the inhabi tants of this place Cornwealth, whence in Latin Cornwallia, and at prefent Cornwall. This county though very extenfive, is not either by the fubfiding of the land, or the encroachment of the fea, of its original magnitude. For by tradition we learn, that there was formerly a tract of land called the Lionefs, extending towards the Scilly Mands, now either funk into or fwallowed up by the fea*. Some have compared the shape of this county to the whole island of Britain, the east and broadeft fide being called the bafe, and the land's end, the northern extremity of our island; which if viewed in this light, the coaft in proportion to its fize, is as much, if not more indented. It is from hence, as we may eafily conceive, that it enjoys most of the advantages, and is fubject likewise to fome of the inconveniences, of an infular fituation, and is of great confequence in regard to the variety and value of its productst. This infular fituation contributes greatly to the falubrity of the climate, and the health and robustness of its inhabitants, for though subject to feverer storms than those further from the fea, yet they feldom continue long, and being fucceeded by calms, the air is conftantly in motion which fufficiently difpels the pernicious particles arifing from the mines, &c. and leaves in their room thofe vivifying qualities wafted by the genial breezes of the ocean. The fummer and winter feafons here differ much from thofe in other parts of England; the heat of the former not being fo intenfe, nor the cold of the lat ter fo piercing ;this we have fufficiently fhewn in our account of the flourishing natural state of myrtles, and various other delicate plants, that fo beautifully grace the borders of Mount Edgecumbe. The middle part of the county is for the moft part mountainous and rough, which is apt to give travellers a worse opinion of the whole than it really deferves, for the vallies are fertile enough of themselves, and they incredibly enrich them with a fat fea fand, and other fea manure, called ore-weed. This has been the custom in thefe parts ever fince the time of Henry III. at least, though, in the early ages of the world common falt was fo far from being held in any estimation as a manure, that it was looked upon as a symbol of extreme fterility, and we find Dr. Watsont has quoted feveral paffages from fcripture which affirm it. Virgil and Pliny reprobate the fame as barren and unfit for the plough or vegetation. Notwithstanding these and other teftimonies of the ancients, this fand in which fea falt is fo copiously mixed, when fresh, is ufed with great fuccefs; but if long exposed to the air, it proves less useful and enriching, which is by fome attributed, according to Camden, to its having been deprived of a good part of its falt, by the dews and rains. This fhelly fand is produced by the fluctuation of the fea, and confifts of the broken fhells of muscles, cockles, oysters, fcollops, and other fish; varying fomewhat in colour and in grain, according to the fubftances from which it is formed, and the degree of agitation it has been exposed to; and it is found to fertilize almost all kinds of foils§. Lefkard from hence is the best and and easiest road to St. Auftle and Truro, where the mines principally centre; but in order to enjoy as much of the fea and noble profpects as poffible, we croffed the paffage again at Dock, and leaving Mount Edgecumbe on our left, paffed on the fands under the cliff to Milbrook, where we faw the king's brewery, and afcended the hills through steep rough roads to Craftshole, a small dirty village; here coming upon the vaft expanfe of fea the views and breezes were delightful, and with a glass we plainly faw Edystone light-house with the waves dafhing against the rock beneath. The farmers were bufy manuring with this fand peculiar to these parts, which |