Between this town and St. Burien, a town midway between it and the
Land's End, stands a circle of great stones, not unlike those at
Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, with one bigger than the rest in the
middle. They stand about twelve feet asunder, but have no
inscription; neither does tradition offer to leave any part of
their history upon record, as whether it was a trophy or a monument
of burial, or an altar for worship, or what else; so that all that
can be learned of them is that here they are. The parish where
they stand is called Boscawone, from whence the ancient and
honourable family of Boscawen derive their names.
Near Penzance, but open to the sea, is that gulf they call Mount's
Bay; named so from a high hill standing in the water, which they
call St. Michael's Mount: the seamen call it only the Cornish
Mount. It has been fortified, though the situation of it makes it
so difficult of access that, like the Bass in Scotland, there needs
no fortification; like the Bass, too, it was once made a prison for
prisoners of State, but now it is wholly neglected. There is a
very good road here for shipping, which makes the town of Penzance
be a place of good resort.
A little up in the county towards the north-west is Godolchan,
which though a hill, rather than a town, gives name to the noble
and ancient family of Godolphin; and nearer on the northern coast
is Royalton, which since the late Sydney Godolphin, Esq.
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