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That these Islands of Scilly were the Cassiterides of the Ancients.
FIrst, We have the Authority of Strabo, as to their Position, full opposite to the Artebri, that is, Gallitia in Spain, those Islands Northwards are discovered, which are called CASSITERIDES, placed after a manner in the same Clime with Britain. This Description cannot suit with any other Islands in the West Sea, for the Asores bare westward of Gallitia in Spain, when the Cassiterides are said to be northward; so that the Asores cannot be they, neither are the Asores near the Eighth Climate, which is the vttermost Climate of the South parts of England, and so could not be said by Strabo, to be almost in the same Climate; In another place Strabo saies, That the Sea, between Spain and the Cassiterides is broader than that which lieth between the Cassiterides and Britain; so that Olivarius his Opinion is cut off, who makes them Cysarga, for Cysarga lieth on the Spanish Coasts, almost close upon the Conti∣nent.
Next to him we have the Opinion of Solinus, in these words [The Cassiterides look towards the Coasts of Celtiberia;] Now the Asores look no more towards that Coast, or bear no more upon it, than they do upon the Coast of Asrick; and as for Cysarga, lying upon Spain, it cannot be proper to say it looks towards it, for that term in Geography is used to Places that have some distance, yet lie in some relation as to Parallels and Clymes. Diodorus Siculus writes, In the Islands next to the Spa∣nish Sea for their Tynn, are called CASSITERIDES, which description is only proper to the Islands of Scilly, for Cysarga is not next to the Spanish Sea, but in it, and as for the Asores, the Spanish Sea was never extended so far.
That which has made the greater doubt, is, the words of Eustathius; There be Ten Islands (saies he) called CASSITERIDES, lying close together Northward, when as Mr. Cambden makes them in all One hundred forty five.
To Answer this, let us consider that in no part of the Western Seas there are Ten Islands lying close together, no more, nor no less, and we must understand Eustathius either to have written of the Principal only, which are but Ten, namely, St. Maries, Annoth, Agnes, Samson, Silly, Brefer, Rusco or Truscaw, St. Hellens, St. Martins, and Arthur, which is not unusual in Geographers; or, which is most probable, that in those daies of the Ancients, they had no certain knowledge of these Remote parts of the Earth, more than we have now of the Islands of Mar del Zur, the passage through the Streights of Gibraltar being as full of Difficulties, or more, than those of Magellan are to us.
Neither can this number of the Cassiterides make, but that they are the Scilly Islands, any more than the Hebades, which by Ptolomy are made Five, and the Or∣cades Thirty, take from the truth of those Islands, because in the discovery of them they are not found now exactly of that number. The Chief of them that have Names are these;
S. Maries, five miles over, nine in compass; Agnus Isle, six miles over; Annot, Minwisand, Smithy-sound, Suartigan, Rousuian, Ronsuiar; the Cregwin, Moncarthat, Inis-Welseck, Suechial, Rat Island, Anwell, Brior, Rusco, as great as St. Maries; the Round Island, St. Lides Island, Notho, Aving, Tyan, St. Martins Isle, Knolworth, Sni∣villiver, Menwetham, Vollis, Survihe, Vollis again, Arthurs Island, Guiviliner, Ne∣nech, Gothrois.
That which is most material, is, that they have Veins of Tynn, which no other Islands in this Tract have, and according to those descriptions of Strabo, Solinus, Diod. Siculus, and Eustathius, have, as witnesseth Mr. Cambden, and Bocartus; Besides Mr. Cambden, according to his usual manner, hath found two of the lesser of them to have their Names from the Mines, as Minan Witham, and Minuisisand; so that laying all Circumstances together in the words of Mr. Cambden: Seeing these Islands of Scilly are opposite to the Artebri, viz. Gallia in Spain; seeing they bend directly Northward from them; seeing they are placed in the same Clime of Britain; seeing they look towards the Coast of Celtiberia; seeing they are disjoyned by a far broader Sea from Spain than