PREFACE. T H E p rep ar atio n of the following sheets h as not arisen from any strong desire to maintain the opinions whi ch they set forth ; but i iii a wish to ascertain and Vindicate what is believed to be the truth respecting the subject of which they treat This study is not n ew to the Author a o a i Twenty years g , when prep r ng for the publication of his R eligion of Ancient ” i i w as i Br ta n , he led to a careful examinat on a i i of the ntiqu t es of our country , and brought to a ful l conviction that the traditions respect in g the early intercourse of the Phoenici ans i i i a an d W th th s sland were founded on f ct , that their trading with Cornwall for t in w a s enti tled to be regarded as an established h is t o rieal truth i i O i i h e Hold ng th s p n on , has lately been sur i i et i pr sed and felt reg to find em nent authors , for whose learning and talen ts he has S incere I ' OS OC t in e a P , allude s ver l recent works to this Ph oenician intercourse With Britain as a l i —a i h i ground ess trad tion , not on w ch must pass away before a fair historical investigation o f the subj ect . T h e expression of these h o w e ve i doubts , , has not been accompanied by su ch historical evidence as proves that the old and prevalent opinion is unworthy of n o r it confidence , is shown by what other means the ancient t in m arkets of Tyre and Egypt were supplied In these circumstan ces the Author has r h i s i i enewed acqua ntance W th the subject , a n d has carefully considered all that has been s S l dO i aid on the other ; and , find ng his former n n o t n co victions only u shaken , but greatly s i trengthened , by the inqu ry , has been induced i to put forth the following brief essay , wh ch , if it d o e s nothing toward removing the doubts o f those w h o are sceptical as to the an cient Phoenicians h aVin g Visited Cornwall for the t in p urchase of , may at least serve as an w h o apology for those , like him , in opposi su ch u i s i i o l d ~ tion to a thor ties , t ll enterta n i s fashioned opin on on this subject . T R E VU C M B O R N E , A , Jan u a r 1 2 th 1 96 3 y] , IT is s a o n a a s u a i i s are ex cl u s rve t ted, p ge th t the e q ntt e W r i the o f the G o vernm ent M ines e acco dingly m ade fu i inqnn y as to wliethei the Spanis h G o vein m en t do es at pres ent w o r an tin m i s and w t r an info rm a io ou be k y ne , he he y t n c ld o ai as to i o du e tio n o f tin in S ai in a i im s bt ned the p , p n , nc ent t e The i fo rm a io l CCC l V( (l fi i the G o rn m En in eei s n t n en ve ent g , at the C o o f M i s in Madi id is to the fo llo wm e fl e c t llege ne , g I cannot learn th at S p ain eve r p ro d u ced any qu antity o f t his a T he G o r m do n o t w i an nam s f tm The m et l . ve n ent e k y e o u a i i ro u at r s is vm s m a i fl q ntty be ng p d ced p e ent y ll , ch e y by s r am rs o r ra r a o u r rs w i ou t o f ir ic u lar m o t e e the l b e , h le the g e pl y m s ar som o f the ri rs ar ra it i s in G a i ia ent, e ch e ve ne the g n e h ll l c i Z a o w I a o t arn at r is an tin m i i in and n m . c nn le th the e y n ng ’ 3 i T is o m m u i a io was i cceived too at to hr the co u nt y . h c nc t n l e l l’l S O] ted in its piOpcr pl ace THE CASSITERIDES . Fe n many ages it was currently believed that the C assit e r ide s were either a part of Britain or islands contiguou s to its coast ; an d that the tin supplied to th e E ast was brou ght direct from them by Phoenician merch an t s This opinion is still received as an establ ished a - e r f ct , by great numbers of well informed p in sons this country and abroad . n h as But, rece tly , great doubt been raised on these allegations ; and a gi owing scepticism n avowed by several intelligent writers . Amo g h ) . J h . is ot ers , Mr W Cooley , in History of an d I n l n D i c S ir G . Maritime a d s overy , and C o rn ewall th e al Lewis , in Historic Survey of ” t h e m o f t he A n n t h n Astrono y cie s , ave spoke strongly against the probability of a very arly direct intercourse between the P ho en i eiau s and Britain T he h a n problem , t erefore , rem i s to be solved 3 and we are desirous of making a brie f e t m i o o f th e y co plete invest gati n subject . h i in r am p e pre e r. s and carried on in remote befor e the age of au th en ti need ; and by a people who literary n o r monu mental me . W e u oings m st , therefore , b u ch scattered and u n co n s ecu s it m ay be possible to collect . e facts may be mentioned i ing which no dou bt can exi own on th e eastern coast r r an e an in the most an cieii s fou nd among th e spoil s ites in the days of Moses u sed it before the Trojan ith copper for th e m an u fa in . d and weapons It is , m en tio n e ted fact , that tin is o u a e n ient a thors , neither as rar e cio u s m et aH ' It is also cert J etal was not a produ ct o f l h or Ju dea . T e great marts of mu st therefore have been by overland or m aritime tr nb rs x x . 2 e x i 2 . in m er cc an d N avigatio n o f the A n cien vo l i. 308 . , p fair presumption in favou r of t h e latter mode is, that it was found in the greatest ab n n oe e da ce amo g the Ph nicians , who w re the most extensive and successfu l com mercial n a r igatore of ancient times . Thus far our way is plain On these points no real difference i of Opinion is enterta ned . Here arises the firs t question to be solved . Was tin , in the e a arlier ges , brought to Sidon and Tyre from ? the East, or the West from India, or from Spain and Britain ? t Mr . Cooley has authoritatively decided his l t question may be regarded as set at rest , f r n . H e so a as his decisio has weight writes , There c an be no difficulty in determining the country from which tin firs t arrived in al a e E gypt . That met has been in all g s a principal export of India : it is e n u m e b m f rated as such y Arria , who ound it abun d in a ant the ports of Arabia , at time when the supplies of R ome fl owed chiefl y through s that channel . The tin mine of Banca are , h e i t w . t n probably , the richest in orld But was un questionably brought from the “ f est at ” t e . d ict u m a later p riod This , and other th e h fl statements of aut or , have such in uence i n on an em ne t reviewer , that he observes t M ari d I a D is r im an o vol 1 1 31 .