About a mile from Gweek is the "Tolvan," a large irregular slab of granite, near the centre of which is a hole. Weakly children were formerly brought to the "crickstone" and passed at sunrise, nine times, through this hole. The custom having fallen into disrepute, however, the Tolvan now forms part of a cottage fence.
Mawgan Church, which lies between Gweek and Trelowarren, the seat of the Vyvyans, has a brass to one of the Bassets inscribed:
"_Shall we all die, We shall die all, All die shall we, Die all we shall._"
which quaint lines are also found on a tombstone at Gunwalloe and elsewhere. Trelowarren itself has some interesting pictures, in particular the Vandyke of Charles I. presented by Charles II. in acknowledgment of Sir Rd. Vyvyan's services to his father. This family also possesses the pearl necklace of Queen Henrietta Maria, in which she sat for the painting now at Hampden Court.
But of all the charming spots up these rocky and wooded creeks commend me to Condora, for there in 1735 were found twenty-four gallons of Roman brass coin. Think of it, dream of it, penniless man. Not a few coppers, but twenty-four gallons!
What a beautiful sound have some of these Cornish names! Rosemullion Head juts out over the Helford River on the north, and above it we have Rosemerrin and the Swan Pool, and not far off St. Anthony in Roseland. It is true that Rhos only means a heath, and that we are on the borders of the gorse-grown districts, known as Roseland; but the word has different associations for the "foreigner," and whatever the true meaning, the lovely name brings to memory the thought and the scent and the colour of the lovelier flowers.
[3] Dinsul. There is good reason to think Sul = the Sul of Bath "Aquæ Sulis," and this again the "Sally, Sally Waters" of our nursery game. Many of her attributes have been taken over by St. Keyne.
_The Rise of Pendennis Castle: Sir John Arundel: The Killigrews: Sir Walter Raleigh: The General Post Office and Falmouth: Penryn: The Fal: The Stannary Courts: Old Truro: Foote and Lowry._
When Henry VIII. took thought for the coast defences of his semi-island, Falmouth was one of the places that benefited. At St. Mawes and Pendennis batteries were erected and in Budock Church is the brass of John Killigrew, with this pertinent inscription: "Heere lyeth John Killigrew Esquier of Arwenack ... he was the first Captaine of Pendennis Castle, made by King Henry the eight and so continued untill the nynth of Queene Elizabeth, at which time God tooke him to his mercye, being the yeare of our lord 1567. Sr. John Killigrew knight his sonne succeeded him in the same place by the gift of Queene Elizabeth." Henry VIII.'s batteries were not the first fortifications erected on this high point of land, which is literally the "headland fortress." There were formerly three lines of entrenchment, due to an older architect than the Mr. Treffry, of Fowey, who was responsible for this and other of the Cornish defences. Indeed from its position--it is almost surrounded by water--it was marked out both as a refuge and a point of vantage, and was probably fortified before history was more than stories handed down from father to child, or sung by wandering bards who had been given an honoured place by the hearth-fire.