buildings which border every avenue to it, and the long lines of lamps illuminating the roads that converge from every quarter. The second sea-port of the kingdom is Liverpool, a town risen to importance within a late period, and now ranking as the third in population. Its natural harbour formed by the mouth of the river Mersey, is but indifferent; but its docks occupying the heart of the town, are very secure and convenient receptacles for its numerous shipping. The Guinea, West India, American, and Irish trades are the principal branches of its commerce. Bristol, a city which long ranked next to London, is still very considerable for population and opulence. Its harbour is the bed of the small river Avon, opening into the Bristol channel, inconvenient of access, and unworthy of the traffic of the place. Its dealings are principally with the West Indies, with Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. Hull, on the Humber, is a port of great commerce, principally to the Baltic. It possesses a large dock. Newcastle, besides the coal trade, carries on a considerable general traffic. The two southern ports of Plymouth and Portsmouth, are the principal stations of the royal navy, for the use of which they have docks and arsenals of great magnitude.

Two inland cities, Bath and Oxford, are worthy of being visited for their architectural character. Bath, the great resort of fashionable invalids and the votaries of pleasure, strikes the eye by its elegant piles of white stone building in the modern style, some of them richly ornamented. Oxford, by the intermixture of Gothic and Grecian edifices, for the most part well disposed for the view, and uniting the sensations of collegiate retirement with those of grandeur and magnificence, never fails to make a strong impression on the traveller.

The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, is rendered striking by a commanding and picturesque situation, and by the peculiarity of its building. The old town, upon the model of some on the continent, is remarkable for the loftiness of its houses, which are inhabited in different floors by distinct families. The new town is laid out with perfect regularity, and consists of streets of elegant modern houses built of hewn stone. In population Edinburgh ranks among the European capitals of the

third order. For cultivated and literary society it is scarcely excelled by any. At a small distance, on the frith of Forth, is its sea-port, Leith, a place of considerable and increasing com

merce.

Glasgow in elegance of building, and the opulence proceeding from commerce and manufactures, has scarcely a superior among the secondary towns in the island. Its port on the Clyde has a great share in the West India trade.

The population of England, including the army, navy, and seamen in the merchant service, was found at the late enumeration to exceed 9300000. That of Scotland (with its islands) is stated at above 1600000. Great Britain may therefore be reckoned to contain eleven millions of people, which is a smaller relative population than that of some European countries more favourably situated as to climate. The rapid increase which it has obtained during the last half-century seems, however to be still progressive. It probably already surpasses the number that could be comfortably maintained from internal resources only; but the industry and ingenuity of the natives, employed in commerce and manufactures, is a fund which has no assignable limits.

The wide diffusion of luxury, and the excessive burdens of taxation have, however, advanced the necessaries and ordinary comforts of life to such an enormous price, that to support a decent station in society is become a very difficult task; whence the acquisition of wealth has been rendered the general concern, to a degree that has injured a national character, in many points truly respectable. In political affairs it has greatly impaired the spirit of independence at home, and the principle of justice towards other countries. In private life it has caused money rather than glory to be looked to as the reward of eminence, and has introduced an estimate of the value of talents and attainments formed upon speculations of profit alone. Wealth, however, when acquired, is in general no where enjoyed more reasonably or imparted more liberally; and there is a fund of generosity and humanity in the British character which powerfully counteracts the narrow unfeeling spirit of calculating avarice.

As appendages to Britain a great number of small islands is scattered over the surrounding seas, especially toward the north; but they are not of sufficient size and importance to require a particular description in this place.

The Isle of Wight lies near the south side of England, and is about 21 miles long and 13 broad; fertile and beautiful. The Isle of man lies between Britain and Ireland, is about 30 miles long and 15 broad, and is rugged, bleak, and steril. The Western Isles properly called Hebrides, lie on the west side of Scotland: they are numerous, and generally rugged, bleak and barren. On the north side of Scotland lie the Orkney Isles, and also the Shetland Isles, two numerous groups of islands, wild, dreary and barren, and involved in the fogs and tempests of the Atlantic ocean.

On the west side of France lie the two small islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which belong to Britain. They are pretty fertile and populous, and carry on a large contraband trade between France and England during peace, and are a station for privateers in time of war.

IRELAND.

THIS noble portion of the British empire is an island sits uated west of Great Britain, from which it is separated by a narrow sea. It lies chiefly between the 52d and 55th degrees of N. latitude, but extends somewhat beyond them at each extremity. Its greatest length taken obliquely from S. W. to N. E. is about 300 miles; its breadth across the middle exceeds 160 miles.

In climate Ireland differs from England only in being more directly exposed to the influence of the Atlantic ocean, and its prevailing winds. Hence it still more abounds in moisture, and its atmosphere is more enveloped in clouds and fogs; at the same time it is proportionally less subject to the severity of frost. From early times it acquired the title of green Erin, and could not fail to delight the eye of those who visited it from the black moors and hills of Scotland, or the parched coasts of the south of Europe.

The general face of the country is level, its hills or mountains being only in short detached ridges. Of these some of the most conspicuous run from the south-western point of the island towards the south-eastern coast, appearing again, after an intermission, in the county of Wicklow, and detaching branches towards the central pans. The western coast of the county of Galway is likewise a mountainous region; and groups of hills may be traced at intervals round the northern coast.

One of the most striking features of this country is the quantity of bog by which its surface is deformed, and which probably has usurped the place of the forests that formerly overspread the island. The bogs are not confined to the level tracts, but frequently rise into hills. They are a great obstruction both to travelling and to agriculture, but they furnish an inexhaustible supply of fuel to the neighbouring poor. The

reclaiming of these bogs offers an arduous task to the spirit of improvement, which in several places is successfully begun.

The sea-coast of Ireland is much more entire on the east and north sides than on the west and south, exhibiting in a striking manner the difference between a shore sheltered by a near opposite coast, and one beaten by the waves of a vast unbroken ocean. The western side particularly, is cut into deep bays The and inlets, forming capacious and excellent harbours. northern extremity of the island is distinguished by a remarkable natural curiosity, called the Giant's Causeway, consisting of magnificent ranges of basaltic columns, which fill a considerable space on the shore, and run out into the sea.

The rivers of Ireland have in general but a short course. The most considerable is the Shannon, which rises from the lake of Allen, in the county of Leitrim, and after traversing two other large lakes, and watering a wide tract of country in its course from north to south, at length discharges itself by a broad estuary into the Atlantic ocean, between the counties of Limerick and Clare.

The Irish lakes are numerous, and many of them large. The most extensive are Lough-Neagh, in the north-eastern quarter, and Lough-Earn in the north-western. The lake of Killarney, so much celebrated for its romantic beauties, is near the southwestern extremity of the island.

The soil of Ireland, where not occupied by moors or morasses, is in general highly fertile, and productive of the sustenance for man and beast usually raised under similar latitudes. The wetness of the climate renders the growth of grain somewhat precarious; and it is fortunate that its place is so well supplied by the abundance of potatoes, which were first introduced hither from America, and became a common article of food when they were little known in any other European country. This root and oats constitute the chief farinaceous food of the poor. To the breeding and feeding of cattle the soil and climate are particularly favourable; hence the lower classes are usually well supplied with milk; and butter, salted provisions, and live cattle are exported in large quantities, especially from the south of Ireland. Much wool is also produced from the

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