NATURAL HISTORY
Polpenrith, alias Polpere, and Polwevorel Creeks, running up towards Constantine Church ; and a mile fartherdown , Chielow ,alias Calmansake Creek ,This haven, within a mile of its mouth, is secure enough for ships of 200 ton ; and at its passage into the sea, is about a mile wide.This River rises in the highest Northern part of Wendron parish , whence, in about five miles, it reaches the borough of Helston about a mile below which it forms a Lake , called the Lo Pool; the River giving rise to the Lake , and the Lake , as the most
remarkable part of the Water, giving name to the River. Four brooks give rise to this River ; and uniting at Relubbas from a Western
Course, turn to the North , and in three miles reach St. Erth , alias St. Ercy Bridge, of three stone Arches, and a raised Gaucey well walled
on each side, reaching cross the valley. The Bridge has been built somewhat more than 400 years, before which time there was a ferry here, and ships of great burden came up to it. The valley, above bridge, has been much raised by the sands and earth, washed down from the hills and mines ; and the haven below has suffered the same misfortune, from the sands of the Northern lea ; lb that lighters on ly com e w ithin a bow -lh ot oi the bridge ; and that w ith the tide o f fiood, w h ich at fpring tides flow s near a mile above the bridge.
Here the land of Cornwall, is at it’s narroweft dimenfion ; fo that from the full fca mark o f Hcyl on the North Sea, to the full Sea-mark at Marazion in Mount's
Bay on the South Sea, the diftance is but three miles.
From St. Erth the H c y l b ean d ircflly N o rth , fpreading an area o f fand, o f
half a mile wide at a medium , and two miles long, but navigable
only in the chancl of the Rive r, which admits fm all Ihips a mile inwards from the fca under the village of Lannant.
Nea r it’s mouth the Hcyl is joined by a brook from the Enft, which , under the Parochial Church of Philac, makes a branch of this haven for fhips o f 100 tons.
The Sea has not only alm oft filled this fm all harbour w ith fand, bur form s a bar alio at it's m outh, over which fhips of 80 and 100 ton only can come in at the height of a fpring
tide ; and the bed o f the w hole is lo railed, that it adm its the tide in
it on ly fix hours in tw elve ; fo that whereas, in harbours ojx:n to
the fca, the tide flow s fix hours, and ebbs fix hours : here ’tis
