mouth of the port, so that they claim anchorage of all small ships that
enter the river; their coroner sits upon all dead bodies that are found
drowned in the river and the like, but they make not much profit of them.
There is a good market here, and that is the best thing to be said of the
town; it is also very much increased since the number of the inhabitants
are increased at the new town, as I mentioned as near the dock at the
mouth of Hamoaze, for those people choose rather to go to Saltash to
market by water than to walk to Plymouth by land for their provisions.
Because, first, as they go in the town boat, the same boat brings home
what they buy, so that it is much less trouble; second, because
provisions are bought much cheaper at Saltash than at Plymouth. This, I
say, is like to be a very great advantage to the town of Saltash, and may
in time put a new face of wealth upon the place.

They talk of some merchants beginning to trade here, and they have some
ships that use the Newfoundland fishery; but I could not hear of anything
considerable they do in it. There is no other considerable town up the
Tamar till we come to Launceston, the county town, which I shall take in
my return; so I turned west, keeping the south shore of the county to the
Land's End.

From Saltash I went to Liskeard, about seven miles. This is a
considerable town, well built; has people of fashion in it, and a very
great market; it also sends two members to Parliament, and is one of the
five towns called Stannary Towns--that is to say, where the blocks of tin
are brought to the coinage; of which, by itself, this coinage of tin is
an article very much to the advantage of the towns where it is settled,
though the money paid goes another way.

This town of Liskeard was once eminent, had a good castle, and a large
house, where the ancient Dukes of Cornwall kept their court in those
days; also it enjoyed several privileges, especially by the favour of the
Black Prince, who as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall resided here.
And in return they say this town and the country round it raised a great
body of stout young fellows, who entered into his service and followed
his fortunes in his wars in France, as also in Spain. But these
buildings are so decayed that there are now scarce any of the ruins of
the castle or of the prince's court remaining.

The only public edifices they have now to show are the guild or town
hall, on which there is a