or Silley, a cluster of small islands and rocks, situated in the Atlantic ocean, and about 10 leagues W. of the Land's End in Cornwall, in W. Long. 7° N. Lat. 5°.

These islands were first called Caffiterides, or the Tin Isles, from their being rich in that metal. The common opinion is, that this is a Greek appellation; which in the most obvious sense is true: But as the Phoenicians were familiar with the metal, and with the country that produced it, before the Greeks knew anything of either, it is very likely they introduced the names of both from their own language. Strabo says these islands were ten in number, lying close together, of which only one was uninhabited: the people led an erratic life, lived upon the produce of their cattle, wore an under-garment which reached down to their ankles, and over that another, both of the same colour, which was black, girt round a little below the breast with a girdle, and walked with staves in their hands. The riches of these islands were tin and lead, which, with the skins of their cattle, they exchanged with foreign merchants, that is, the Phoenicians from Cadiz, for earthen ware, salt, and utensils made of brass. An author of as great or greater antiquity, seems to include a part at least of Cornwall amongst these islands; or rather he suggests, that they were not perfect islands except at full sea, but that at ebb the inhabitants passed from one to another upon the sands, and that they even transported their tin in large square blocks upon carriages from one island to another. He farther takes notice, that such as inhabited about Belerium (the Land's End) were in their conversation with strangers remarkably civil and courteous. Other ancient writers style these islands Hesperides, from their western situation, and Ogygymnides, asserting that the land was extremely fertile, as well as full of mines; and that the people, though very brave, were entirely addicted to commerce, and boldly passed the seas in their feather boats.

The Romans were exceedingly desirous of having a share in this commerce, which the Phoenicians as carefully laboured to prevent, by concealing their navigation to these islands as much as it was in their power. At length, however, the Romans prevailed; and Publius Crassus coming thither, was so well pleased with the industry and manners of the people, that he taught them various improvements, as well in working their mines, which till that time were but shallow, as in carrying their own merchandise to different markets. There is no room to doubt that they followed the fate of the rest of Britain, and particularly of Cornwall, in becoming subject to the Roman empire. We find them called in the Itinerary of Antoninus, Sigdelers; by Sulpitius, Sillence; and by Solinus they are termed Silures. All we know of them during this period is, that their tin trade continued, and that sometimes state-prisoners were exiled, or, to use the Roman phrase, relegated hither as well as to other islands.

When the legions were withdrawn, and Britain with its dependencies left in the power of the natives, there is no reason to question that these islands shared the same lot with the rest. As to the appellation which from this period prevailed, the ordinary way of writing it is Scilly: in records we commonly find it spelt Silly, Silcy, or Sulley; but we are told the old Britith appellation was Sulleh, or Sylleh, which signifies rocks consecrated to the sun. We have not the least notice of any thing that regards them from the fifth to the tenth century. It is, however, with much appearance of truth conjectured, that some time within this space they were in a great measure destroyed by an earthquake, attended with a sinking of the earth, by which most of their lowlands, and of course the greatest part of their improvements, were covered by the sea, and those rich mines of tin which had rendered them so famous swallowed up in the deep. They have a tradition in Cornwall, that a very extensive tract of country called the Lion's, in the old Cornish Lethofow, supposed to lie between that country and Scilly, was lost in that manner; and there are many concurrent circumstances which render this probable. In reference to these islands, the case is still stronger; for at low ebb their stone inclosures are still visible from almost all the isles, and thereby afford an ocular demonstration that they were formerly of far greater extent, and that in remoter ages their inhabitants must have been very numerous, and at the same time very industrious. This sufficiently proves the fact, that by such an earthquake they were destroyed; and that it happened at some period of time within those limits that have been assigned, appears from our hearing nothing more of their tin trade, and from our having no notice of it at all in any of our ancient chronicles, which, if it had fallen out later, from their known attention to extraordinary events, must certainly have happened.

It is generally supposed, and with great appearance of truth, that King Athelstan, after having overcome a very powerful confederacy formed against him, and having reduced Exeter, and driven the Britons beyond the river Tamar, which he made the boundary of their Cornish dominions, passed over into these islands (then surely in a better state than now, or they would not have been objects of his vengeance), and reduced them likewise. History does not inform us, that the Danes ever fixed themselves in these islands; but as their method of fortifying is very well known, it has been conjectured that the Giant's Castle in the isle of St Mary was erected by them; and indeed, if we consider the convenient situation of these islands, and the trade of piracy which that nation carried on, there seems to be nothing improbable in that conjecture. It is more certain that there were churches erected in these isles, and that there were in them also many monks and hermits, before the conquest.

The fertility of the islands is much insisted upon in all the accounts; and it is expressly said of St Mary's, that it bears exceeding good corn, insomuch that if men did but cast corn where swine had rooted, it would come up. There is mention made of a breed of wild swine, and the inhabitants had great plenty of fowl and fish. But notwithstanding the fertility of the country, and the many commodities that men had or might have there, it was nevertheless but thinly peopled; and the reason assigned is, because they were liable to be frequently spoiled by French or Spanish pirates. pirates. In Leland's time, one Mr Davers of Wiltshire, and Mr Whittington of Gloucestershire, were proprietors of Scilly, and drew from thence, in rents and commodities, about 40 marks a-year.

The inhabitants at that juncture, and long before, appear to have carried on a small trade in dried skate and other fish to Bretagne, with which they purchased salt, canvas, and other necessaries. This seems to be the remains of a very old kind of commerce, since, for many ages, the people of that country, those of the Scilly isles, and the people of Cornwall, looked upon themselves as countrymen, being in truth no other than remnants of the ancient Britons, who, when driven out by the Saxons, took refuge in those islands, and in that part of France which had before been called Armorica, and from hence styled Bretagne, Brittany, or Little Britain, and the people Bretons. This, in all probability, was a great relief to those who dwelt in those isles; who, during the long civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster, had their intercourse with England so much interrupted, that if it had not been for this commerce with their neighbours on the French coast, they might have been driven to the last distress.

The Scilly or Silley islands, lie due west from the Lizard about 17 leagues; west and by south from the old Land's End, next Mount's Bay, at the distance of 10 leagues; and from the western Land's End, they lie west-south-west, at the distance of something more than nine leagues. There are five of them inhabited; and that called Samson has one family in it. The largest of these is St Mary's, which lies in the north latitude of 49 degrees 55 minutes, and in the longitude of 6 degrees 42 minutes west from Greenwich. It is two miles and a half in length, about one and a half in breadth, and between nine and ten miles in compass. On the west side there projects an isthmus. Beyond this there is a peninsula, which is very high; and upon which stands Star Castle, built in 1593, with some outworks and batteries. On these there are upwards of three score pieces of cannon mounted; and for the defence of which there is a garrison of an entire company, with a master-gunner and six other gunners. In the magazine there are arms for 300 islanders, who, when summoned, are bound to march into the fortress. Underneath the castle barracks and lines stands Hugh Town, very improperly built, as lying so low as to be subject to inundations. A mile within land stands Church Town, so denominated from their place of worship; it consists of a few houses only, with a court house. About two furlongs east of this lies the Old Town, where there are more houses, and some of them very convenient dwellings. The number of inhabitants in this island is about 600 or 700; and it produces to the lord proprietor 300l. per annum.

Trecaw lies directly north from St Mary's, at the distance of two miles. It was formerly styled St Nicholas's island; and was at least as large as St Mary's, though at present about half the size. The remains of the abbey are yet visible, the situation well chosen, with a fine basin of fresh water before it, half a mile long and a furlong wide, with an ever-green bank high enough to keep out the sea, and serving at once to preserve the pond, and shelter the abbey. In this pond there are most excellent eels, and the lands lying round it are by far the best in those islands. There are about half a score stone houses, with a church, which are called Dolphin Town; an old castle built in the reign of Henry VIII., called Oliver's Castle; and a new block-house, raised out of the ruins of that castle, which is of far greater use. This island is particularly noted for producing plenty of the finest samphire, and the only tin works that are now visible are found here. There are upon it at present about 40 families, who are very industrious, and spin more wool than in St Mary's. Its annual value is computed at 80l. a year.

A mile to the east of Trecaw, and about two miles from the most northern part of St Mary's, lies the isle of St Martin's, not much inferior in size to that of Trecaw. It very plainly appears to have been formerly extremely well cultivated; notwithstanding which it was entirely deserted, till within somewhat less than a century ago, that Mr Thomas Ekines, a considerable merchant, engaged some people to settle there. He likewise caused to be erected a hollow tower twenty feet in height, with a spire of as many feet more; which being neatly covered with lime, serves as a daymark for directing ships crossing the channel or coming into Scilly. St Martin's produces some corn, affords the best pasture in these islands, nourishes a great number of sheep, and has upon it 17 families, who pretend to have the secret of burning the best kelp, and are extremely attached to their own island. As a proof of this, it is observable, that though some of the inhabitants rent lands in St Mary's, yet they continue to reside here, going thither only occasionally.

St Agnes, which is also called the Light-house Island, lies near three miles south-west of St Mary's; and is, though a very little, a very well cultivated island, fruitful in corn and grass. The only inconvenience to which the people who live in it are subject, is the want of good water, as their capital advantage consists in having several good coves or small ports, where boats may lie with safety; which, however, are not much used. The light-house is the principal ornament and great support of the island; it stands on the most elevated ground, and is built with stone from the foundation to the lanthorn, which is fifty-one feet high, the gallery four, the sash-lights eleven feet and a half high, three feet two inches wide, and fifteen in number. The floor of the lanthorn is of brick, upon which stands a substantial iron grate, square, barred on every side, with one great chimney in the canopy-roof, and several lesser ones to let out the smoke, and a large pair of smith's bellows are so fixed as to be easily used whenever there is occasion. Upon the whole, it is a noble and commodious structure; and being plastered white, is a useful daymark to all ships coming from the southward. The keeper of this light-house has a salary from the Trinity-house at Deptford of 40l. a-year, with a dwelling-house and ground for a garden. His assistant has 20l. a-year. It is supplied with coals by an annual ship; and the carriage of these coals from the sea-side to the light-house is looked on as a considerable benefit to the poor inhabitants. They have a neat little church, built by the Godolphin family. There are at present 50 households in the island, which yield the proprietor 40l. a-year.

Brehar, or, as pronounced, Bryar island, lies north-west of St Mary's, and to the west of Trecaw, to which, which, when the sea is very low, they sometimes pass over the land. It is very mountainous, abounds with sea and land fowls, excellent samphire, and a great variety of medicinal herbs. There are at present thirteen families, who have a pretty church, and pay 30l. a-year to the proprietor.

South from hence, and west from Trefcaw, stands the island of Samson, in which there is not above one family, who subsist chiefly by the making of kelp. To the westward of these there lie four islands, which contain in the whole 360 acres of meadow and arable land. The eastern isles, so denominated from their position in respect to St Mary's, contain 123 acres; and there are also seven other rocky and scattered islands, that have each a little land of some use; and besides these, innumerable rocks on every side, among which we must reckon Scilly, now nothing more than a large, ill-shaped, craggy, inaccessible island, lying the farthest north-west of any of them, and consequently the nearest to the continent.

The air of these islands is equally mild and pure; their winters are seldom subject to frost or snow. When the former happens, it lasts not long; and the latter never lies upon the ground. The heat of their summers is much abated by sea-breezes. They are indeed frequently incommodeed by sea fogs, but these are not unwholesome. Agues are rare, and fevers more so. The most fatal distemper is the smallpox; yet those who live temperately survive commonly to a great age, and are remarkably free from diseases. The soil is very good, and produces grain of all sorts (except wheat, of which they had anciently plenty) in large quantities. They still grow a little wheat, but the bread made of it is unpleasent. They eat, for this reason, chiefly what is made of barley; and of this they have such abundance, that though they use it both for bread and beer, they have more than suffices for their own consumption. The introduction of potatoes was an essential improvement; the cultivation of this plant succeeded so well, as to yield every season the most luxuriant crops. Roots of all sorts, pulse, and salads, grow well; dwarf fruit-trees, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and every thing of that kind, under proper shelter, thrive exceedingly; but they have no trees, though formerly they had elder; and Parthelik, i.e. the harbour of willows, proves they had these like-wise; and with a little care, no doubt, great improvements might be made. The ranunculus, anemone, and most kinds of flowers, are successfully cultivated in their gardens. They have wild fowl of all sorts, from the swan to the snipe; and a particular kind called the hedge-chicken, which is not inferior to the ortolan; also tame fowl, puffins, and rabbits, in great numbers. Their black cattle are generally small, but very well tasted, though they feed upon ore-weed. Their horses are little, but strong and lively. They have also large flocks of fine sheep, whose fleeces are tolerably good and their flesh excellent. There are no venomous creatures in these islands.

We must now pass to the sea, which is of more consequence to these isles than that small portion of land which is distributed amongst them. St Mary's harbour is very safe and capacious, having that island on the south; the eastern islands, with that of St Martin, on the east; Trefcaw, Breher, and Samson, to the north; St Agnes and several small islands to the west. Ships ride here in three to five fathom water, with good anchorage. Into this harbour there are four inlets, viz. Broad Sound, Smith's Sound, St Mary's Sound, and Crow Sound: so that hardly any wind can blow with which a ship of 150 tons cannot safely sail through one or other of them, Crow Sound only excepted, where they cannot pass at low water, but at high water there is from 16 to 24 feet in this passage. Besides these there are two other harbours; one called New Gryneffey, which lies between Breher and Trefcaw, where ships of 300 tons may ride securely. The other is called Old Gryneffey, and lies between Trefcaw, St Helen's, and Theon, for smaller ships. The former is guarded by the batteries at Oliver's Castle; the latter by the Blockhouse, on the eastern side of Trefcaw, called Dover. Small coasters bound to the northward have more convenient outlets from these little harbours than from St Mary's, where, at the west end of Hugh Town, there is a fine pier built by the earl of Godolphin, 430 feet long, 20 feet wide in the narrowest part, and 23 feet in height, with 16 feet of water at a spring, and 10 at a neap tide; so that under the shelter of this pier, vessels of 150 tons may lie securely, not only close to the quay, but all along the strand of the town.

In this harbour, and in all the little coves of the several isles, prodigious quantities of mackerel may be caught in their season; also foal, turbot, and plaice, remarkably good in their kind; and ling, which from its being a thicker fish, mellower, and better fed, is very justly preferred to any caught nearer our own coasts. Salmon, cod, pollock, are in great plenty, and pilchards in vast abundance. To these we may add the alga marina, focus, or ore-weed, which serves to feed both their small and great cattle, manures their lands, is burned into kelp, is of use in physic, is sometimes preserved, sometimes pickled, and is in many other respects very beneficial to the inhabitants, of whom we are next to speak.

The people of Scilly in general are robust, handsome, active, hardy, industrious, generous, and good-natured; speak the English language with great propriety; have strong natural parts (though for want of a good school they have little education), as appears by their dexterity in the several employments to which they are bred. They cultivate most of their lands as well as can be expected under their present circumstances. They are bred from their infancy to the management of their boats, in which they excel; are good fishermen, and excellent pilots. Their women are admirable housewives, spin their own wool, weave it into coarse cloth, and knit stockings. They have no timber of their own growth, and not much from England; yet they have many joiners and cabinet-makers, who, out of the fine woods which they obtain from captains of ships who put in here, make all kinds of domestic furniture in a very neat manner. They are free from the land-tax, malt-tax, and excise; and being furnished with plenty of liquors from the vessels which are driven into their roads for refreshment, for necessary repairs, or to wait for a fair wind, in return for provisions and other conveniences; this, with what little fish they can cure, makes the best part of their trade, if we except their... their kelp, which has been a growing manufacture for these fourscore years, and produces at present about 500l. per annum.

The right honourable the earl of Godolphin is styled proprietor of Scilly, in virtue of letters-patent granted to the late earl, then Lord Godolphin, dated the 25th of July 1698, for the term of 89 years, to be computed from the end and expiration of a term of 50 years, granted to Francis Godolphin, Esq. by King Charles I., that is, from the year 1709 to 1798, when his lease determines. In virtue of this royal grant, his lordship is the sole owner of all lands, houses, and tenements; claims all the tithes, not only of the fruits of the earth, but of fish taken at sea and landed upon those premises; harbour-duties paid by ships, and one moiety of the wrecks, the other belonging to the admiralty. There is only one ecclesiastical person upon the islands, who resides at St Mary's, and visits the other inhabited islands once a-year. But divine service is performed, and sermons read, every Sunday in the churches of those islands, by an honest layman appointed for that purpose; and there are likewise churchwardens and overseers, regularly chosen in every parish. As to the civil government, it is administered by what is called the Court of Twelve; in which the commander in chief, the proprietor's agent, and the chaplain, have their seats in virtue of their offices; the other nine are chosen by the people. These decide, or rather compromise, all differences; and punish small offences by fines, whippings, and the ducking-stool: as to greater enormities, we may conclude they have not been hitherto known; since, except for the soldiers, there is no prison on the islands. But in case of capital offences, the criminals may be transported to the county of Cornwall, and there brought to justice.

The great importance of these islands arises from their advantageous situation, as looking equally into St George's channel, which divides Great Britain from Ireland, and the English channel, which separates Britain from France. For this reason, most ships bound from the southward strive to make the Scilly islands, in order to steer their course with greater certainty. It is very convenient also for vessels to take shelter amongst them; which prevents their being driven to Milford Haven, nay sometimes into some port in Ireland, if the wind is strong at east; or, if it blow hard at north-west, from being forced back into some of the Cornish harbours, or even on the French coasts. If the wind should not be very high, yet if unfavourable or unsteady, as between the channels often happens, it is better to put into Scilly, than to beat about at sea in bad weather. The intercourse between these two channels is another motive why ships come in here, as choosing rather to wait in safety for a wind, than to run the hazard of being blown out of their course; and therefore a strong gale at east seldom fails of bringing 30 or 40 vessels, and frequently a larger number, into Scilly; not more to their own satisfaction than to that of the inhabitants. Ships homeward-bound from America often touch there, from the desire of making the first land in their power, and for the sake of refreshment. These reasons have an influence on foreign ships, as well as our own; and afford the natives an opportunity of showing their wonderful dexterity in conducting them safely into St Mary's harbour, and, when the wind serves, through their sounds. Upon firing a gun and making a waltz, a boat immediately puts off from the nearest island, with several pilots on board; and having with amazing activity dropped one of them into every ship, till only two men are left in the boat, these return again to land, as the wind and other circumstances direct, in one of their little coves.

Reflecting a current which often prevails to the westward of Scilly, Mr Rennell has published some observations of much importance. "It is a circumstance (says he) well known to seamen, that ships, in coming from the Atlantic, and steering a course for the British channel, in a parallel somewhat to the south of the Scilly islands, do notwithstanding often find themselves to the north of those islands; or, in other words, in the mouth of St George's or of the Bristol channel. This extraordinary error has passed for the effects either of bad steering, bad observations of latitude, or the indraught of the Bristol channel; but none of these account for it satisfactorily; because, admitting that at times there may be an indraught, it cannot be supposed to extend to Scilly; and the case has happened in weather the most favourable for navigating and for taking observations. The consequences of this deviation from the intended tract have very often been fatal; particularly in the loss of the Nancy packet in our own times, and that of Sir Cloudley Shovel and others of his fleet at the beginning of the present century. Numbers of cases, equally melancholy, but of less celebrity, have occurred; and many others, in which the danger has been imminent, but not fatal, have scarcely reached the public ear. All of these have been referred to accident; and therefore no attempt seems to have been made to investigate the cause of them.

"I am, however, of opinion, that they may be imputed to a specific cause; namely, a current; and I shall therefore endeavour to investigate both that and its effects, that seamen may be apprized of the times when they are particularly to expect it in any considerable degree of strength; for then only it is likely to occasion mischief, the current that prevails at ordinary times being probably too weak to produce an error in the reckoning, equal to the difference of parallel between the south part of Scilly and the tract in which a commander, prudent in his measures, but unsuspicious of a current, would choose to sail."

The original cause of this current is the prevalence of westerly winds in the Atlantic, which impel the waters along the north coast of Spain, and accumulate them in the bay of Biscay; whence they are projected along the coast of France, in a direction north-west by west to the west of Scilly and Ireland. The major affirms strong reasons for the existence of this current between Ushant and Ireland, in a chart of the tracks of the Hector and Atlas, East India ships, in 1778 and 1787. The following remarks on the effect of this current are abridged from the author's work, which is well worthy the perusal of all sailors and shipmasters.

1st, If a ship crosses it obliquely, that is in an east by south or more southerly direction, she will continue much longer in it, and of course be more affected by it, than if she crossed it more directly. The same consequence will happen if she crosses it with light winds.

2ndly, A good observation of latitude at noon would be thought a sufficient warrant for running eastward during ring a long night; yet, as it may be possible to remain in the current long enough to be carried from a parallel, which may be deemed a very safe one, to that of the rocks of Scilly, it would appear prudent, after experiencing a continuance of strong westerly winds in the Atlantic, and approaching the Channel with light southerly winds, either to make Ushant in time of peace, or at all events to keep in the parallel of $48^\circ 45'$ at the highest. 3dly, Ships, bound to the westward, from the mouth of the Channel, with the wind in the south-west quarter, should prefer the larboard tack. 4thly, Major Rennell approves the design of removing the light-house of Scilly (if it be not already removed) to the south-west part of the high rocks. 5thly, He recommends the sending a vessel, with time-keepers on board, to examine the soundings between the parallels of Scilly and Ushant; from the meridian of the Lizard Point as far west as the moderate depths extend. A set of time-keepers, he observes, will effect more in one summer, in skilful hands, than all the science of Dr Halley could do in the course of a long life.

In time of war, the importance of these islands is still more conspicuous; and it is highly probable, that they afforded the allies a place for assembling their fleet, when the Britons, Danes, Scots, and Irish, sailed under the command of Anlaffi, to attack King Athelstan; which convinced him of the necessity of adding them to his dominions. Upon the like principle, Henry VIII., when upon bad terms with his neighbours, caused an old fortress to be repaired, and Queen Elizabeth, who had more to fear, directed the construction of a castle, which, in part at least, still remains. But the most singular instance of the detriment that might arise from these islands falling into other hands than our own happened in 1651, when Sir John Grenville took shelter in them with the remains of the Cornish cavaliers. For the depredations committed by his frigates soon made it evident that Scilly was the key of the English commerce; and the clamours of the merchants thereupon rose so high, that the parliament were forced to send a fleet of fifty sail, with a great body of land forces on board, under Sir George Aylcove and Admiral Blake, who with great difficulty, and no inconsiderable loss, made themselves masters of Trefcau and Brehar; where they erected those lines and fortifications near the remains of the old fortress that are called Oliver's Castle. But at length, finding that little was to be done in that way, they chose to grant Sir John Grenville a most honourable capitulation, as the surest means to recover places of such consequence; with which the parliament were very little satisfied, till Mr Blake gave them his reason; which appeared to be so well founded, that they directed the articles he had concluded to be punctually carried into execution.