SCILLY ISLANDS. These islands, situated a little w: of 6° w. long., and about 50 n. lat., are. the most southern parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, if we except the channel islands. The group consists of about 40, comprising a circuit of about 30 m.; and their general denomination is derived from a very small island, about an acre in extent, and almost inacoessible, called Scilly,' probably from its position near dangerous rocks, similar to that of Scylla near Sicily. By the ancients, these islands were named Cassiterides, Hesperides, and Silurm Insulin. It would seem that the term Cassiterides, or " Tin islands," under which they were known to the Greeks and Romans, was once applied to the peninsula of Coruwall,l'or at least before the Roman settlement in Britain, there was some confusion between the Scilly islands and the peninsula of Cornwall. The inhabitants of Cornwall are said to have brought tin to these islands, where it was shipped off by foreign merchants.
Numerous remains may be seen of rude pillars, circles of stones, kistvaens, rock-basins, and cromlechs. The granite of which the islands are composed is, in general, of a rather coarse quality, and from its color, iron seems to be frequently associated with it. There are metalliferous veins, or lodes, in some of the rocks, but none that could have yielded any considerable quantity of ore. The Scilly islands were in 936 granted by Athelstane to some monks who settled at Tresco. They were afterward granted to the abbey of Tavistock by Henry I., and were conferred by queen Elizabeth on the Godolphin family. They are now the property of the crown.
Only five of the islands are inhabited. St. Mary's, the largest, comprises 1528 acres; Tresco, 697; St. Martin's, 515; St. Agnes (a light-house station), 313; Sampson and Bry
ber, 269. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. Barley, oats, and a little wheat are grown. Large quantities of potatoes are sent to London and Bristol. Fishing, though not to any great extent, occupies some portion of the population. The climate is mild. The soil is in general sandy, but in Tresco and St. Agnes it is remarkably fertile. The cliffs abound with sea-fowl, and are covered with samphire.
St. Mary's had, in 1871, a-population of 1383, while the other four inhabited islands (Tresco, St. Martin's, St. Agnes, Brylier) were collectively inhabited by only 707 persons. Hugh Town is the capital, and contains an odd mixture of old-fashioned and neat modern houses. The pier, built in 1750 by lord Godolphin, has been much improved by Mr. Smith, the present lessee of the islands. The custom-house and post-office are in the center of the town. .Some remains of the old church are still seen in the fields on the southern side of the island, The modern church, at the e. side of the, main street, is seated on rising ground, and forms a conspicuous object in the panorama of the islands.
At Tresco are the remains of an abbey founded in the 10th century. Among the objects of curiosity on this island are the ruins of Oliver Cromwell's camp, castle, and battery, built by the parliamentarians under Blake and Ayseough. At Dolphin down may be seen traces of ancient mining.
St. Agnes is about 3 in. s.w. from St. Mary's. It is well cultivated, and is surrounded by some tine rock-scenery. The principal attraction is the light-house, 78 ft.. high, con taining a revolving light, seen at a distance of 18 miles.