Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/155

 irt THE HISTORY Soak l is fo extended, mull the feventh Iter of Richard feave undoubt- edly proceeded. That Iter is thus given us : A PORTU SISTUNTIOflUM Eboracum uftjue fie ; RERIGONIO m. p. a$ Ad Alpes Peninos — «. 8 Alicana — *_*> i<j tffurio — * -*- 18 Eboraco -*- — 16. 'From the Roman name of the Ribble-moutk, Partus Siftun- 'tiorum, that seftuary appears to have been empidyed by the Ro- mans as an harbour for their veftek. Bat it was then a mUoh More confiderable aeftuary than it is at prefent. Thi* appear* Efficiently from the preference which the Romans gave it be- fore the aeftuaries of the Merfey and the Lone, though it how affords a much worfer harbour than either of them, admif* fhips only at the tide of flood, and even then hfts only a na- vigable channel of an hundred yards in breadth. And with this obiftVation* sis decifive as it is obvious, agree the prefent .appearances of the channel, the popular tradition Concerning it, .and the more recent difcoveries about this particular partof it. From Ribchefter to thtf fea the lingular margin of the river is formed by a level of fknd, and is bordered by a fteep bank of dearth ; the latter of which is evidently the original boundary* and the former as evidently the original ftrand, of the flowing tide. Thus banked with high lands upon both fides, the natural channel of the river gradually widens, till at the mouth it even opens into the ample extent of eight or nine miles in breadth. At fuch an opening, unobftru&ed by the prelent faftds, the tide snuft have entered with a vaft body of water, and muft have flow- ed up even to Ribchefter. It now reaches within fix or (even miles from this ahtient village. And that it once actually flowed wp £ o have been formerly navigated, and is evident from the many anchors 1
 * o it, is intimated by the popular tradition which afferts- the river