Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/154

Chap. V, OF MANCHESTER. 125 From the Seteia, advancing twenty miles to the north, Pto- lemy goes thirty to the eaft, to the aeftuary Belifema. This is plainly the Merfey, becaufe Belifama is at the diftance of the Merfey from the Dee, and becaufe fuch a confiderable objeft as the Merfey could not be overlooked any more than the Dee. And thus far we are certain of our conclufions. But the Geographer, ranging along the coaft of Lancafhire for twenty-five miles from the Merfey, turns with the turning fhore, and goes ten. miles to the well, to the harbour of the Siftuntii. This fufficiently argues the harbour not to be at the mouth of the Merfey. And this equally argues it not to be at the mouth of the Lune. The former is evidently too foutherly for it, and the latter is as evidently too northerly. Twenty-five miles to the north of the Merfey can carry us only to one place convenient for an harbour, the mouth of the Ribble. All ou* ha>bours at that period muft have been the natural ports which are formed by the openings of rivers. And the opening of the Ribble muft neceflarily have been the next great particular after the Merfey which muft have challenged the notice of the coaft- ing Geographer; as, like the Dee and the Merfey, it is clearly too confiderable an object to be either miffed by inattention or omitted by defign. Here Ptolemy has undoubtedly fixed the harbour. And here the courfe of Richard's Itinerary and the prefent remains of antiquity concur to fix the ftation Upon Full wood-moor near Prefton appear the evident remains of a Roman road, which is popularly denominated the Watling- ftreet, which ranges from eaft to weft, and which tradition af- ferts and traces demonftrate to have extended acrofs the ifland. Along this therefore, the only Roman road that fo ranges and ■ And thus the immediately fucceeding seftuary of Moricambe in Ptolemy, which means The Great Bend or Haven, muft certainly be the large opening into the land of Lancafhire which is formed by the fhores of Lancafter, Cartmel, Ulverfton, and Walney Ifland, and into which the rivers Ken and Lune liifcharge their waters, as this is the only Great Bend before we come to the aeltuary of Ituna, which, is next mentioned by Ptolemy, and which it confefledly and dearly the mouth of the Eden. . is