built town, and, next to Newcastle, is the principal port in England for the coal trade. The coal mines, in its vicinity, are a singular curiosity. They are sunk to the depth of 272 yards, and are extended to the distance of a mile and a half under the sea, where above them the water is of sufficient depth to carry the largest vessels.

Bristol gradually rose to eminence during the Saxon period, and in the reign of Henry II. was so opulent and flourishing, that he granted to it the possession of Dublin in Ireland, to to which place a colony from Bristol was transported. At that period the port of Bristol was crowded with vessels from Ireland, Norway, and various other parts of Europe. Its commerce, since the rise of Liverpool, has gradually declined, and a great part of its trade with the West Indies and America is transferred to the latter port. Bristol, notwithstanding, is yet a place of great trade and opulence, as well as an excellent port. Its quay is one of the finest that any commercial city of Europe can boast. In 1787, Bristol employed about 416 vessels in the foreign, and 1,600 in the coasting trade. Its foreign commerce is chiefly with the West Indies, North America, and the Baltic. In opulence, Bristol is generally ranked next to the metropolis, and 80,000 is the number of its population. At present Bristol is undergoing very considerable improvements, by the construction of new floating docks, upon a very extensive scale.

Bath, though not a sea port, being the most elegant town in England, merits insertion in this place. The hot baths, from which it derives its name, were known in the Roman times, and have acquired great celebrity. The waters are used both internally and externally, and are esteemed extremely beneficial in gouty, bilious, and paralytic cases. Bath is not frequented solely by valetudinarians. It is the grand resort of persons of rank and fortune. In some seasons the concourse of visitors exceeds 3,000, of whom more than two-thirds are attracted by the charms of society, and the scenes of amusement, in which Bath is inferior only to London.

Yarmouth is a town of considerable trade, and particularly remarkable for its herring fishery, which now employs about

150 vessels. About the end of the fourteenth century the inhabitants became so powerful at sea, that they frequently attacked their neighbours, and in these encounters great loss was sometimes sustained on both sides. The royal authority was at last exerted to check this turbulent spirit, and it was soon after extinguished by the great plague, which in one year carried off 7,000 of the inhabitants, a number probably not less than nine-tenths of its population.

Portsmouth is the grand naval arsenal of England. Its capacious harbour is formed by a bay of from five to six miles in length, and from two to four in breadth, having a narrow entrance, secured by strong fortifications. Portsmouth is the best, and most regularly fortified place in the kingdom.

Across the mouth of the harbour is Gosport, a populous town, inhabited chiefly by sailors and artificers. Near to it is the famous road of Spithead, the grand focus of naval armament. Portsmouth, with the vast assemblage of maritime objects by which it is surrounded, presents a most striking spectacle.

Plymouth, which is next to Portsmouth in maritime importance, is situated in a bay called Plymouth Sound, sufficiently capacious to contain a thousand sail of ships. Here are docks, arsenals, and every thing necessary for fitting out ships of war. Its trade, although flourishing, depends chiefly on the royal navy.

Dock town is the most populous in Devonshire, it stands en a pleasant eminence, and although of such considerable magnitude, is only of modern date, and owes its origin and rapid increase to the establishment of the dock yard and naval arsenals. The number of its inhabitants, according to the late parliament survey, was 23,747; but this is not the whole of the population that crowds its busy streets. The number of inns, in the late war, amounted to 200; but the magistrates have since that time limited them to 100. The inhabitants are chiefly composed of persons belonging to the navy, or small shopkeepers, retail dealers, and some wholesale dealers. These, with a variety of mechanics, make up, almost, the whole population. This place seems not to be

adapted to the cultivation of intellect. The military and naval officers or persons attached to the army or navy are the only individuals, who are distinguished by literary attainments. The fluctuations occasioned by the alternate operations of peace and war, have hitherto prevented the society of this place from acquiring any permanent feature. Under the influence of these opposite causes, it exhibits a surprising contrast. Peace is almost annihilation to it. I rade then stagnates; speculation expires; numerous shops and houses are shut up; the streets are silent; inactivity and despondency pervade every place. War, instantly changes the scene. A new spirit is suddenly diffused, and the greatest ardour and industry prevail. The frequent equipment and return of fleets occasions the expenditure of immense sums of money; and multitudes of speculators resort hither, from all parts of the kingdom, to participate in the spoil, Shops of every description open in endless succession; not a house is vacant; clamour and bustle pervade the streets; and at length the whole place resembles a fair.

The prodigality and credulity of seamen have long been proverbial. The inconsistent and thoughtless profusion of this singular class of men, their frolics, their credulity, and the impositions practised on them, would, altogether, form a curious detail. Extravagance, however, is not confined to them. The artificers in the dock yard, and many of the inhabitants evince a similar disposition. Prodigality seems to be the order of the day. This superfluity, however, is principally lavished in personal decoration and luxurious living. This is not merely a delineation of the moral scenery of Dock town; but, with some circumstantial variations of shade and colouring, may be considered as applicable to Brest, Toulon, and in some degree, to several other places, which are the theatres of similar transactions, and where similar modes of life are displayed.

York has long ago obtained the pre-eminence among the inland towns. This city, the chief of a very extensive, populous, and commercial province, may ins ome measure be regarded as the capital of the north of England; being the

winter residence of a great number of the gentry of those parts. York is eminently distinguished in history, and few have suffered more grievous calamities from war, especially during the Danish invasions. This city has been honoured with the presence of several Roman emperors. Adrian fixed there his head quarters, during his stay in Britain; Severus lived for some time, and at last died at York; and Constantius Chlorus made it, for several years, the imperial residence. Constantius ended his life at York, and there the great Constantine, his son, was invested with the purple. This city, of which the walls are yet nearly entire, is nearly three miles in circuit; but its population is far from corresponding with its extent, and its trade is inconsiderable. In the time of the Romans, York was not only the focus of their power and the central point of their military stations; but also the emporium of the northern parts of England. The largest vessels, used in the Roman, Saxon, and Norman times, could sail up the Ouse as far as York; but when the science of naval architecture was improved, and ships of much larger dimensions were constructed, the situation was found unsuitable to a mercantile city. The trade was gradually removed to Hull, and in proportion as the latter increased, York declined. Its cathedral is the largest and most magnificent Gothic structure in England.

Manchester was anciently a small Román station. It long remained in obscurity, and in the reign of Elizabeth first began, by its manufactures, to rise into notice. In the middle of the last century, its population fell short of 20,000; but since that time, it has been quadrupled. The cotton manufactures of this place are known and esteemed throughout Europe. The stupendous machinery, to which they owe so much of their improvement, exhibits an astonishing display of the powers of human art and industry; and are a splendid monument of the original and self-taught genius of Arkavright.*

*This distinguished and extraordinary character, whose admirable ingenuity and perseverance raised him from the humble occupation of a barber

Birmingham, a large manufacturing town of Warwickshire, is situated on the side of a hill in a dry and pleasant country. It may be considered as a vast assemblage of manufactories in all the various branches of hardware, buckles, buttons,

to honour and affluence, was born A. D. 1732, at Preston, in Lancashire, where a considerable manufacture of mixed linen and cotton goods was car. ried on, of which he had an opportunity of viewing the various operations. Considering the process as imperfect, he directed his thoughts to the improvement of the mode of spinning which had, probably for ages, been conducted on the same plan; and by an unwearied application of his uncommon natural powers, at length, produced an invention, which, in its consequences, has proved a source of national and individual wealth, seldom paralleled in the annals of the world. The difficulties which Mr. Arkwright experienced, during a long season of intense application, were immense. Even, after the construction of his machinery was sufficiently complete to demonstrate its value, he was too poor to bring it into action, by commencing business on his own account; and few were willing to risk the loss of capital on untried projects. Having, however, at length procured some coadjutors, he obtained A. D. 1769, his first patent, for spinning by means of rollers. In conjunction with his partners, he erected, at Nottingham, his first mill, which was wrought by horses; but this method being found too expensive, he erected another, at Cromford, on a larger scale, the machinery of which was put in motion by water. Mr. Arkwright made, afterwards, many improvements in the mode of preparing the cotton for spinning, and invented a variety of ingenious machines for effecting this purpose in the most correct and expeditious manner; for which in 1775, he obtained another patent. He thus completed a series of machinery, so various and complicated, yet so admirably combined, and so well adapted to produce the intended effect, as to excite the admiration of every person who is capable of estimating the difficulties of the undertaking. But that all this should have been accomplished by the unassisted efforts of a man, without education and without any mechanical instruction or experience, must be considered as a most extraordinary circumstance, and as an exhibition of the powers of native genius, equal to any on record in the history of the human mind. The effects were not less wonderful, than the means by which they were produced. His improvements constitute a distinguished feature in the manufacturing system, and are an inexhaustible source of national wealth. Sir Richard Arkwright died at Cromford, in Derbyshire, A. D. 1792, aged sixty, and, although his projects at the first had been ridiculed by some of his acquaintance, he lived to see his conceptions realized in their benefits, both to himself and the public. To this extraordinary man, the inhabitants of the Carolinas and Georgia owe much of their wealth. His machinery increased the demand for cotton, and of course increased its intrinsic value to the great emolument of its cultivators.