Gents Mag 1748 p.292

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	Gentleman's Magazine 1748 p.292 Hence we have a low coast till you pass the Blue-dial; then the shore begins to be banky, and rises by degrees to the Bankend point, with a skirt of low ground under the banks, for rabbet warrens. The sea-sand is full of stones, some pretty large. On this shore I saw the star-fish, the concha, periwnkle, and pectines, and hardly any other kind. The coast, all along from Skinburn-naze, is entangled with sea-holly, and very few other herbs, save the serpyllum and rest-harrow. Ravenglass is but a small town, consisting of single row of houses in an isthmus, so surrounded with water, that travellers are sometimes oblig'd to wait four or five hours before they can get to it, without riding almost up to the mountains. If there was occasion for it, a very small matter would render it unapproachable. The Perch is a word us'd here for the mouth of a harbour; there is a long pole rais'd in the middle of the channel of Ravenglass harbour for a post of direction; to such as these candles and lanthorns are affix'd, for night guides in most places. This harbour is extremely ill represented on all maps; certainly no geographer has ever inspected it: Three tolerable streams empty themselves into it, whose names and course you have in the draught. Of all the three streams, Esk is the farthest navigable, even a great way above Moncaster hall, Sir Joseph Pennington's seat, quite to the mountains, for vessels of tolerable burthen. Notwithstanding the government keeps a preventing officer at this town, he is so flood-lock'd, that he must often be an idle spectator of that foul practice of smuggling, without having it in his power to prevent it. 'Tis surprizing, that there is not a station boat allowed, that might enable him to go out at all times, to inspect vessels of that kind, for few others ever call here; from the sea-side is a very shocking landskip of fells and precipices, bare and quite void of soil to westward, as is observed thro' the world (See vol. xvii. p.525) so that whilst the east side affords fine pasturage, the west will hardly support a goat. Amidst these precipices, shocking as they are, many beautiful narrow vales are interspers'd, and kept so warm, that they produce a fine breed of large cattle, contrary to the usual custom of mountains. Had the rebels retreated this way, as was once apprehended, they must have perished for want of subsistence, but they understood the country better. Was it not for its weekly market, Ravenglass would decline; but that, and the merchants of Whitehaven useing it sometimes as a building place for vessels, because materials are cheaper, contribute to its preservation. Getting to Stubb-place, I renew'd my observations to the Isle of Man, and Bees-head. Under Bankend I also made observations to three several places in the Man, and three other places. I measured a fresh base line to fix Southfield point, on a very stoney shore of 88 chains. Off this head a sailor assured me that a very large stone, as big or bigger than his vessel, lies about three miles from land, bare at low ebbs, that he has seen it several times, and has sail'd very near it. VIEW of Mount Skiddow and the neighbouring Fells from Ierby.
	The draught referred to in paragraph 4 has not been traced.
	gazetteer links
	-- (coasts, Cumbria)
	-- Esk, River
	-- Ravenglass Harbour
	-- Ravenglass
	-- Skiddaw
	-- "Southfield Point" -- Southfield Bank

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