# A Natural and Historical Account of the Islands of Scilly/Scilly joined with Cornwall

Scilly joined with Cornwall.
MR. Camden mentions a Tradition of a Tract of Land called Lioness, once stretching itself farther out as a Promontory to the West. That about the Middle Way between Land's End and Scilly there are Rocks, called, in Cornish, Lethas, by the English, Seven-Stones. That the Cornish call that Place, within the Stones, Tregua, i. e. a Dwelling where it has been reported that Windows, &c. have been taken up by Hooks (for this is the best Place for fishing.) And that from the Land's End to Scilly the Water is nearly of an equal Depth, of about 40 or 60 Fathom.
Mr. Carew is of Opinion, that Scilly was once Part of the Land of Cornwall; and by other Authorities, found in a very old MS. (shewing it not improbable) this Isle of Albion, being once Part of the Continent of France, was separated in the same Manner: Of which also see the Extract of Phil. Transact. No. 352. p. 589. Britain formerly a Pen​insula, by Dr. Musgrave. He shews the Probability of an Isthmus, and then of its wearing away in a long Space of Time by the Flux and Re-flux of the Tides after an Irruption by the violent Pressure of Water driven by the Winds out of the Atlantic Ocean. The West Wind blowing hard for Half a Year against Britain and France, as observed by Julius Cæsar. The Depth in the Streights of Dover being not above 16 Fathom, might be easily wore down in such a Series of Years. He observes that the Ridge of Earth in the Streights shews the Land there was once much higher, but reduced as aforesaid; especially if it is considered that the more the Bottom of the Sea is washed away, the more level it becomes. That the steep, white, flinty and chalky Clifts on the opposite Shores of the Streights, between Dover and Calais, exactly answering to each other for above six Miles, make it appear that they were separated as before-mentioned, by the washing away of the intermediate Earth. That the present State of Rumney Marsh agrees ​with the Supposition; for whilst the Isthmus remained, it diverted the Course of the Tides that Way, and caused the over-flowing of the same, by being a plain low Bottom. That this Marsh had once a Communication with the Sea appears from its strong Bulwark; and also from the Teeth and Bones of a Hippopotamus, or some other Sea Animal, dug up at Chatham (Anno 1668) 17 Feet deep (vid. Phil. Transactions, No. 272, 275) but an Anchor dog up thereabouts shews it more evidently.
That after the Isthmus was broke thro', and all Obstacles removed, the Sea retir'd from Rumney into its Channel; whereby that which was formerly an Ætuary, is now a fertile Plain 20 Miles long, and eight broad, yielding good Pasture for Cattle. That Isthmus being admitted, it is easy to conceive how Wolves and other noxious Animals came into Britain. But on the contrary Supposition, it will be absurd to imagine that they were transported hither in Vessels for the Preservation of the Spe​cies. Nor is the Silence of the Greeks and Latins, about the breaking through of this Isthmus, any Objection, since the most antient History is. but from that of Herodotus about 3500 Years back, and from Noah's Flood 1800; and in such a vast Space of Time, as from the Beginning, what Conjunction of Causes might happen to produce such an Effect? By some Virgil is thought to imply as much in the Passage of —— Penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos. And the learned British Antiquary, Fo. Twin, de rebus Albonicis, p. 22, is of the same Opinion, concerning the Word divisos, and that Virgil meant it when he used the Expression. Therefore Dr. Musgrave concludes from the whole, that Britain was not originally an Island, but became so from a Peninsula by Concurrence of some of the aforesaid Causes breaking a Passage thro' the said Isthmus. Nor, says. Mr. Childrey, can I think but that the Scilly Islands were once Parts of the main ​Land of England. And the like I conceive of Heysant in France, an Isle lying before the Promontory of Britain, severed by Degrees each from the other. And to strengthen this Evidence, it may be observ'd that this Islands of Scilly having Tin in common with the County of Cornwall, which no other Idland does produce, is a further Probability of their being once joined to Cornwall, and therefore severed from thence either by a gradual Incroachment of the Sea, or some violent Irruption.
The Cornish Land from Plymouth discovers itself to be devoured more and more to the Westward, according to the aforesaid Tradition of the Tract of Lioness, being encroached upon above Half the present Distance from the Land's End to Scilly, whence it is probable that the low Isthmus, once joining Scilly and Lioness, was first encroached upon in the same Manner. The projecting Land being exposed to the Concurrence of the Tides from the Irish, the Bristol and British Channels, by whose Violence and Impetuosity, encreased by ​the Winds, the loose Earth of the Gulf-Rock might be worn away, leaving the resistable Substance behind standing as it is, in the Middle-Way, betwixt Scilly and Cornwall. Or by whatever violent Causes or Irruption of the Sea over the Land was once made, a new Tendency of that fluid Element was thereby acquired and continued.
These Notions are confirmed by Instances of the Incroachments and Retreats of the Sea about several Parts of the English Coast, in later Days; particularly the Breach made by the Sea at Dagenham, whereby great Part of the Essex Land was over-flowed, and must have been wore into a Sea, if the timely Wisdom and Vigilance of a British Parliament, by securing the Breach, had not prevented it.
Virgil speaks thus of the Manner by which Sicily was separated from Italy:
And Claudian, in Imitation of Virgil, says,
Æneid. lib. 3. 1. 414.
​Pliny has written a large Tract on this Matter in the two Books of his natural History, Cap. 85, 86, 87. And Ovid has given an Account of the same in the 15th Book of his Metamorphosis. On which it may not be improper to make some Observations.