SWANSEA BAY.GLAMORGANSHIRE.

SWANSEA BAY.SWANSEA BAY.

"In front, the Bay its crystal wave expands,Whose rippling waters kiss the glittering sandsFar o'er its bosom, ships with spreading sailsExport theoresfrom Cambria's sunny vales.Above—yon feudal bulwarks crown the steep,Whose rocky base repels the stormy deep;Here health is found,—there Industry resides,—And Freedom on her native shore abides."

Thereputation which Swansea has long enjoyed as a delightful watering-place has suffered no diminution in consequence of the numerous rivals with which this coast is so agreeably diversified. As bathing quarters, it enjoys peculiar advantages in its shore, which is admirably adapted for that purpose; while the adjacent scenery, and the various objects of interest or curiosity with which it abounds, serve as pleasing incentives to exercise and recreation,—the happy effects of which are soon observable in the health and appearance of invalids who make choice of Swansea as their summer residence. Every resource which visitors can desire, for promoting either health of body or agreeable occupation for the mind, is here amply provided. Warm, sea-water, and vapour, baths,—public rooms, billiard-tables, reading-rooms, circulating libraries,—with comfortable private lodgings and excellent hotels, are among the list of daily luxuries at their command.

The Harbour of Swansea is capacious,—well constructed, defended by two strong stone piers, about eighteen hundred feet in length,—and affords accommodation to a great many trading-vessels. On the west pier, a light-house and watch-tower offer additional security to the shipping; and every facility is provided for lading and unlading. The tide flows a considerable way up the river, which is navigable to the extent of two miles for vessels of burden. The canal, running parallel with the river, extends to Brecknockshire, a distance of sixteen miles; and in its course passes through thirty-six locks, and over several aqueducts. Its head is nearly four hundred feet higher than its mouth, which readily accounts for the great number of locks. There is also a canal from the Swansea to the Neath canal, on which a packet-boat is established, and atram-road from the former to Oystermouth. With Bristol and Ilfracombe there is a regular communication kept up by means of steam-vessels, which leave and arrive according to the state of the tide.

The public buildings of Swansea—ancient and modern—are numerous in proportion to the population. The Town-hall, erected in 1829, is an elegant structure, approached by two flights of steps, and adorned with columns of the Doric order. The castle, situated nearly in the centre of the town, was originally a building of great extent, and of a strength well suited to the purposes of its erection. A massive tower, surmounted by a range of light arches which support a parapet, is the principal part now remaining of this once redoubtable fortress. It appears to have been founded at the remote epoch of 1113, by Henry Beaumont, Earl of Warwick,—a Norman leader who conquered Gowerland; but being soon after laid siege to by a Welsh chief,—Griffith ap Rhys ap Theodore,—a considerable portion of the outworks was destroyed. It is now in the possession of the Duke of Beaufort, "Earl" of Glamorgan, who is hereditarily entitled to the "prisage and butlerage" of all wines brought into the harbours of Swansea and Chepstow.

The public rooms of Swansea stand on the north side of the promenade, called the Burrows, which consist of several acres tastefully laid out in parterres. Here also are an excellent House of Industry and an Infirmary, established in 1817 and situated on the beach. Besides the free Grammar-school, founded in the seventeenth century, by Hugh, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, there are the Lancasterian and National-schools, which are incalculable blessings to the increasing population of Swansea.

OYSTERMOUTHOYSTERMOUTH,(Swansea Bay.)

"Here—the 'grim-visor'd knight,' at the head of his band,Has cased him in armour, and girt on his brand;While Beauty looked down from her lattice on high,With the 'smile on her lip and the tear in her eye.'But victor nor vassal shall hither return:—The castle is roofless,—the chief's in his urn;And those ramparts, that frown o'er the surf-beaten rocks,Are the haunt of the sea-fowl,—the lair of the fox."

Thisstately relic of the feudal ages overlooks the picturesque Bay of Swansea, and attracts many strangers to its gate,—not only for its venerable antiquity, but for its bold position on the verge of lofty and abrupt limestone cliffs, which command a magnificent view of the subjacent scenery. It is supposed by some to have been erected by the Earl of Warwick, in the reign of Henry the First; by others, to have been the family fortress of the Lords of Gower, in the reign of King John. But to which of the two the credit of founder belongs is matter of conjecture. Like the Castle of Swansea, already mentioned, it is now the property of the Beaufort family, whose mineral possessions in this district are said to be of incalculable value.

The principal walls of this domestic fortress have suffered comparatively little from the lapse of time, or the hand of violence. Most of the original apartments may be easily traced out, so as to give a tolerably correct idea of their shape and dimensions, and the internal economy with which they were arranged. The general figure of the main body is polygonal; the ramparts are lofty and massive, but not flanked with towers, except at the entrance, which appears to have been strongly secured by double gates and a portcullis.

In many parts along this picturesque coast, the limestone rocks swell over a fine sandy beach into perpendicular cliffs of great boldness, exhibiting vast quantities of organic remains, and worn in many places into deep and lofty caverns. Built on a cliff of this description, and with all the necessary accessories of vigilance and security, it could have been hardly possible to have selected anything more eligible for a feudal keep, whose chiefs generally chose their fortalices as the eagle chooses his eyry,—to secure a wide field for himself, and exclude lesser birds of prey.

The village of Oystermouth—about half a mile to the south of the castle—occupies a beautiful position on the verge of the Bay. A lofty rock throws its shadow over it; the headland of which, called the Mumble Point, stretches far into the sea, and affords a safe anchorage for shipping. The village is chiefly inhabited by fishermen, who, as the name implies, are mostly employed in dredging for oysters, which are found of superior quality in the adjoining bay. During summer, it is much resorted to by strangers, for the benefit of sea-bathing,—a source of annual revenue to the inhabitants, who, by letting their apartments, secure very good returns.

This is understood to be the natal soil of Gower,—the father of English poetry,—and therefore classic ground:—

"Here, in the olden time the 'moral'GowerAttuned his harp upon that rocky strand;Gather'd the shell, and pluck'd the vernal flower,And struck the wild chord with a master's hand.To him the summer sea, the stormy wave,Were heaven-born music in their various keys;As, thundering through yon subterranean cave,The billows sang in chorus with the breeze."

The railway from Oystermouth to Swansea is a source of great convenience to the inhabitants, as a means of ready intercourse between the most frequented points of the coast adjacent. Newton, proverbially known as a healthy station for invalids and sea-bathers, and Caswell Bay, within half-an-hour's walk of Oystermouth, are well deserving of a stranger's attention. The latter is remarkable for the number and extent of the marine caverns already alluded to, as well as for the beauty and variety of the sea-shells with which the sands at low water are profusely enamelled.

THE MUMBLES ROCKS AND LIGHTHOUSE.THE MUMBLES ROCKS AND LIGHTHOUSE.(Swansea Bay.)

"Amidst the storms,—when winds and waves are high,Unmoved I stand,—undimm'd I shed my light;And through the blackness of December's skyI pour effulgence on the seaman's sight."

Inscription for a Lighthouse.

TheMumbles' Lighthouse is much frequented by visitors from Swansea during the season. Few jaunts of this character can be productive of more enjoyment than a trip from Swansea to Oystermouth Castle and the Mumbles' rocks. The road, issuing from the western extremity of Swansea, follows the shore of the bay, with the open sea on the left, and on the right a range of wooded hills; of which advantage has been taken for the site of numerous pretty villas. Some gentlemen's seats occupy the intervening level, and their plantations skirt the high-road. Of these Singleton Abbey and Woodlands are the principal. As we near the extremity of the bay the scene is indeed beautiful. Oystermouth Castle, and the pretty village of the same name, lead the visitor onwards till he reaches a broken, breezy headland, the only ascent to which is by a kind of sheep-path, which zig-zags its way to the summit of a narrow promontory terminating in two islands, and on the farther of which is situated the Mumbles' Lighthouse. It is a structure admirably adapted for the purpose to which it is devoted. To every building of this description, devoted to the preservation of human life, a profound interest is attached; and we cannot but observe at a single glance how invaluable these Lights have been, and ever must be, where the danger of shipwreck is so greatly increased by the rugged nature of a coast—here walled in by precipitous cliffs, and there scattered with rocks that appear and disappear according to the tide. The means thus happily adopted along the Welsh coast have been crowned with success; and how comfortable is it to reflect, when calmly seated at our winter hearths, that—while the "winds howl round our steady battlements," and "ships break from their moorings,"—there are friendly lights sparkling around our coasts, to cheer and direct the bewildered mariner in his course, to show him his danger, and to point out "a way to escape."

To understand the importance of lighthouses, we need only remind the reader of the published "Statement," that the number of British vessels alone, which have been annually returned as wrecked, amounts tofive hundred and fifty;—namely, "three shipwrecks every two days throughout the year." The average burden of merchant-vessels is about one hundred and ten tons; and if we value old and new together at half the price of building, we have £330,000 for the worth of the whole, which, by deducting the value of sails, masts, and other materials saved from some of those stranded, may be reduced to £300,000. If we add an equal sum for the cost of the cargoes, the whole loss from shipwrecks will amount to £600,000. This statement proceeds on an old estimate from 1793 to 1829; but M'Culloch, in the supplement to his Dictionary, says that the number of ships actually lost, or driven ashore, in 1833, amounted toeight hundred. It is probable, then, that the annual lost by shipwreck is not much short of amillion sterling. Ifone-fifthof this loss could be prevented by additional lighthouses, the saving of money would amount to amillionin five years,—to say nothing of the still more important saving in human life. We are anxious—not on the score of economy only, but of humanity—to place these lamentable facts before the eyes of Government, from whose hands the mitigation at least, if not the removal, of such disasters is confidently expected.

In the rock immediately under the lighthouse is a large cavern, called Bob's Cove,—a very characteristic feature, and a chief attraction to pleasure-parties, who resort hither at low water for the sake of the view, which from this isolated point is very striking and variegated:—

"Town and hamlet, sea and shore,Wooded steep and mountain hoar;Ships that stem the waters blue,All concentrate in the view."

Expanding to the eastward, is the beautiful curve of Swansea Bay and the distant mountains; on the westward, the broken coast of Gower; in front, the boundless expanse of ocean. The bracing sea breezes inhaled upon this exposed promontory, its elastic turf, and the magnificent prospect it everywhere commands, never fail to produce a most agreeable and salutary exhilaration, and constitute the finest medical and physical tour in the world.

NASS SANDS LIGHTHOUSES.NASS SANDS LIGHTHOUSES.(near Bristol.)

"After our ship did split,When you, and that poor number saved with you,Hung on our driving boat, I saw your brother,Most provident in peril, bind himself—Courage and hope both teaching him the practice—To a strong mast that lived upon the sea,Where, like Orion on the dolphin's back,I saw him hold acquaintance with the wavesSo long as I could see."

Twelfth Night.

TheNass Lights were erected by the late Mr. Nelson, in 1832, under the direction of the Trinity House. The eastern, or upper Light, burns at the height of one hundred and sixty-seven feet, and the western, or lower one, at one hundred and twenty-three feet above high-water mark. They are one thousand feet apart, built of the stone of the country, and stand on Nass Point, near Dunraven Castle, Glamorganshire.

It unfortunately was not merely the dangers of the ocean to which the luckless mariner was in past times exposed upon this iron-bound coast, to them was too frequently added the infamous deceptions of the wreckers, who were accustomed to resort to the artifice of driving to and fro an ass bearing two lanterns, so as to represent a distant vessel in motion, and thus lured many a ship to destruction among the rocks and sands. Numerous are the legends of fearful interest which the older inhabitants relate descriptive of the accidents attendant upon these murderous practices, now happily only matters of history.

The erection of lighthouses, beacons, and other means for the prevention of shipwreck, is every year becoming an object of greater importance to the members of that excellent corporation, the Trinity House. Within the last thirty years, great and permanent advantages have been secured to commerce by the vigilance and activity of that body. Much, however, is still left to call aloud for the exercise of their high privilege, skill, and humanity. The navigation of our coasts is still attended in many parts with imminent danger. Rocks, and shoals, and quicksands, indeed, cannot be obliterated by the hand of man; but the perils they involve, in respect to the shipping, may be greatly diminished by increasing the number of those monitory beacons to which the eye of the mariner is so often turned with intense anxiety. The erection of the two lighthouses which here illustrate the subject, has been attended with the happiest consequences. Many a shipwreck, we will venture to say, has been prevented by a timely regard to these friendly beacons. The Bristol Channel has often been the scene of sad catastrophes in the chronicles of seafaring life; but at present the danger to the foreign and coasting-trade has been greatly obviated by those judicious measures which have emanated from the above society.

The voyage up the Bristol Channel is singularly romantic and beautiful; but the coast is exposed to all the fury of the Atlantic, and the surf against the cliffs is distinctly visible at Swansea. The steamers now keep close along shore, in a channel inside the Nass Sands, which form an extensive and dangerous bank to seaward. The contrast between the tumultuous masses of breakers over these sands, when the wind is fresh, and the calmness of the narrow channel we are traversing in security, is very striking. These sands, and another large shoal, called the Skerweathers, have been fatal to many vessels. A large West Indiaman, with a cargo of rum and other valuable produce, was lost a few years ago on a rock called the Tusca, which disappears at high-water; and in 1831, this coast was fatal to the steamerFrolic, in which all the crew and passengers, amounting to nearly eighty persons, perished. The coast near Porthcaul appears at Swansea to be the eastern extremity of the bay; but the bluff point called the Nass, about eight miles further, is literally so. The coast onwards, past the Nass-point, as observed in the admirable Engraving annexed, is almost perpendicular, so as closely to resemble a lofty wall, in which the limestone rock is disposed in horizontal strata. When the sea runs high in this quarter, the scene, as may be readily conceived, is truly terrific—

"And not one vessel 'scapes the dreadful touchOf merchant-marring rocks."

Merchant of Venice.

CARDIFF.CARDIFF.

"Here British hearts the arms of Rome withstood,Repulsed her cohorts with their native blood;Till Caradoc and independence fell,And freedom shrieked inCardiff'scitadel—And Cambria's heroes, rushing on the glave,Died gloriously for her they could not save!"

Thecounty of Glamorgan, of which the principal town is represented in the accompanying plate, abounds in historical sites well adapted for the pencil, and furnishing the reader with many interesting facts and traditions. The southern portion of the country is remarkably fertile, highly cultivated, and presents to the stranger a long succession of luxuriant corn-fields, verdant pastures, and animated pictures of rural happiness and independence. It would be difficult to find any tract of land in Great Britain that can surpass the Vale of Glamorgan in richness of soil, or in soft and graceful scenery. This favoured region extends the whole length of the county—from the base of the mountains on the north to the shore of the Bristol Channel on the south-west. It presents throughout a most gratifying proof of what may be accomplished by judicious management, when soil and climate are both in favour of agricultural operations.

As a fair proof of the mild and salubrious nature of the atmosphere, we need only observe that the magnolia, the myrtle, and other delicate exotics, not only live but flourish in this auspicious climate. Equally favourable to health and longevity, this district has numerous living testimonies in the vigorous health and protracted age of its inhabitants, who are fully sensible of the blessings they enjoy. The valley, at its greatest breadth, measures about eighteen miles; in various places, however, it is contracted into less than the half of this space, and presents in its outline a constant variety of picturesque and graceful windings.

The town of Cardiff is built on the eastern bank of the river Taff, over which there is a handsome bridge of five arches, leading to Swansea. It is a thriving town, possessing considerable trade; and, by means of a canal from Pennarth to Merthyr-Tydvil, has become the connecting medium between these extensive iron-works and the English market, and is, in fact, the port of the latter. The Taff, which falls into the sea at Cardiff, forms a principal outlet for the mining districts of Glamorganshire, the produce of which has hitherto found its way to market through the Glamorganshire canal; but its sea-lock, constructed about fifty years ago, has long been found inadequate to the demands for increased accommodation, in consequence of the great prosperity of trade since the canal was opened.

The Marquess of Bute, possessing lands in this neighbourhood, obtained, in 1830, an act for constructing a new harbour, to be called the Bute ship-canal, and completed the work at his own expense. The great advantages of this enterprise are—a straight, open channel from Cardiff-roads to the new sea-gates, which are forty-five feet wide, with a depth of seventeen feet at neap, and thirty feet at spring-tide. On passing the sea-gate, vessels enter a capacious basin, having an area of about an acre and a half, sufficient to accommodate large trading-vessels and steamers. Quays are erected along the side of the canal, finished with strong granite coping, and comprising more than a mile of wharfs, with ample space for warehouses, exclusive of the wharfs at the outer basin. This great work was finished in the summer of 1839, at an expense to the proprietor of three hundred thousand pounds.

Cardiff Castle, which stands insulated on a high mound of earth, was partially restored and modernised by the late Marquess of Bute. This ancient fortress is connected with several interesting events in history. In one of its towers, or dungeons, Robert Duke of Normandy was twenty-five years imprisoned by his younger brother, Henry the First, who had previously usurped the throne and deprived him of his eyesight. In the reign of Charles the First it was bombarded by the Parliamentary forces during three successive days, and only surrendered in consequence of treachery on the part of the garrison.

GLOUCESTER.GLOUCESTER.

"I which am the queeneOf all the British vales, and so have ever beenSince Gomer's giant brood inhabited this isle,And that of all the rest myself may so enstyle."

Drayton.Vale of Gloucester.

Caer-Glow, or the "fair city" of the ancient Britons, is a name happily characteristic of Gloucester. The beauty of its situation, on a gentle eminence overlooking the Severn, where its stream is divided into two channels by the Isle of Alney; the richness and fertility of the surrounding districts; its highly picturesque scenery; its splendid cathedral and numerous public buildings; and latterly the tide of prosperity occasioned by the vast improvements in regard to its inland port, present a combination of attractions for which it would be difficult to find a parallel in the British provinces. Commercial enterprise has now a fixed residence in the place, and within the last ten years has made great and important advances in the several departments of foreign and domestic industry.

The Port of Gloucester and the Cathedral, of which the accompanying plate gives a most correct and interesting view, are the two principal features; and to these, in accordance with the plan of the work, our descriptive text will be more strictly confined. The Port is of great antiquity,—so much so as to have existed as an inland harbour long prior to any written document of the place,—but it is only of late years that ships of burden could be anchored in the city basin. A century ago, as recorded in theMagna Britannia, the Port of Gloucester had a large quay and wharf on the banks of the river, very commodious for trade, to which belonged a custom-house, with officers proper for it; but the business was not great, as the city of Bristol, only a few miles distant, had engrossed all the foreign trade in this part of the country. The vessels which at the period in question navigated the Severn were generally small trading-craft, of between fifty and two hundred tons burden, so that Gloucester was deprived of all those advantages which have been so happily secured to it by modern enterprise and improvement. Of these, the Berkeley ship-canal is a noble monument. By the vast facilities thus afforded, the commerce of Gloucester has enjoyed a course of uninterrupted prosperity, and bids fair to eclipse even Bristol itself in the extent and ramifications of its still increasing trade. Ships of heavy burden are now safely moored in the basin, and discharge those cargoes in the heart of the city which had formerly to be transhipped at Bristol, and conveyed to their destination by means of barges and lighters.

The Gloucester Spa, which is now become a place of fashionable resort, has contributed in no small degree to the many attractions of the city and its vicinity. This saline chalybeate was first opened to the public by a grand fête, in May, 1815. The establishment contains every requisite for the health and recreation of the visitors, and vies as much with Cheltenham and Leamington in its appropriate and tasteful arrangements, as it does in the salubrious qualities of its spring—in proof of which numerous testimonies are daily added as the result of experience. There is a very handsome pump-room, with hot, cold, and vapour baths, and an abundant supply of water. The Spa is in the centre of grounds tastefully laid out, embellished with all the care and effect of landscape-gardening, and presenting to thepiétonand equestrian a pleasing variety of shady walks and rides,

"Mid rural scenes that fascinate the gaze,And conjure up the deeds of other days."

The Cathedral of Gloucester is deservedly considered one of the noblest specimens of ecclesiastical architecture in Christendom. It is a grand object with every traveller who enters upon a tour of the English provinces, and makes a strong impression on the mind, even after he has visited the gorgeous temples of Rome and Milan.

In the interior of the cathedral are numerous specimens of monumental sculpture; among which the most remarkable are those of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and Richard the Second. The present altar, of the Corinthian order, is placed before the rich tracery of the original high-altar, which, except from the side-galleries of the choir, is concealed from view. The great elevation of the vault overhead, the richness and variety of its designs, the elaborate and minute tracery with which the walls are adorned, added to the vast dimensions of the great oriel—eighty-seven feet in height—render the choir an almost unrivalled specimen of what is styled the florid Gothic, and leave an impression upon the stranger's mind never to be obliterated.

BRISTOL.BRISTOL.(from Rownham Ferry.)

"But Avon marched in more stately path,Proud of his adamants[2]with which he shines,And glistens wide; as als of wondrous BathAndBristowfaire, which on his waves he buildeth hath."

Spenser.

Thecity of Bristol has enjoyed a celebrity of many centuries, and is continually adding to her power and affluence by that spirit of enterprise which has drawn tribute from the remotest shores and peopled her harbour with the ships of all nations. The commercial importance which she acquired at so early a period of our history, and which gave her for a time so preponderating an influence over the other ports and harbours of the kingdom, has been sustained by her spirited citizens with a skill and industry rarely equalled and never surpassed. To the great facilities formerly enjoyed by the merchants of Bristol another advantage has been added by the construction of the Great Western Railway, which has opened a rapid channel of intercourse between the Thames and the Severn,—the London docks and the harbour of Bristol. This event has been still further advantageous in having given origin to various ramifications of the same means of conveyance, so that the products of our native manufactures can be thrown into this channel, and an interchange effected, with a cheapness and facility quite unprecedented in the history of our inland commerce. That Bristol has recently extended her commercial interests by her connexion with the West Indies, Russia, France, and Germany, is abundantly indicated by the numerous traders from those countries which are to be seen lading and unlading in her port.

Bristol possesses no less than nineteen parish churches, with a population—not including the suburbs—considerably under sixty thousand. The cathedral, an ancient and most venerable pile, was founded about the middle of the twelfth century by the mayor of Bristol, and, till the reign of Henry the Second, it served as a priory of Black Canons. It was then converted into an abbey, and subsequently, on the dissolution of monastic establishments, under Henry the Eighth, it underwent the further change into a cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. A bishop, dean, six secular canons or prebendaries, one archdeacon, six minor canons or priests'-vicars, a deacon and subdeacon, six lay clerks, six choristers, two grammar-schoolmasters, four almsmen, and others, were endowed with the site, church, and greatest part of the lands of the old monastery. The various changes it has undergone exhibit the finest specimens of English architecture peculiar to the several periods at which they took place. All the ornamental work is of the purest design, and elaborately executed, but on which our limited space will not permit us to enlarge. Several of the lateral chapels are in fine taste and preservation, containing monuments of the founder, of several abbots, and bishops; also those erected to the memory of Mrs. Draper—the "Eliza" of Sterne, Mrs. Mason, and Lady Hesketh, which awaken feelings of deep interest in every mind imbued with the literary history of the last century.

On the east bank of the Avon is Redcliff Parade, affording a beautiful prospect of the city, shipping, and surrounding country. The quay, which extends from St. Giles's to Bristol Bridge, exceeds a mile in length, and is known by the quaint names of theBack, theGrove, and theGib. On the banks of the river below the city are numerous dockyards, as well as the merchants' floating dock. The several squares in Bristol are handsome: Queen's-square has a spacious walk, shaded with trees, and an equestrian statue of William III., by Rysbrach, in the centre; King's-square is well built on an agreeable slope; on the north-west side of the city is Brandon-hill, where the laundresses dry their linen, as they profess, in virtue of a charter from Queen Elizabeth.

Clifton, two miles west of Bristol, is charmingly situated on the summit of the northern cliffs above the river Avon; many of the houses are occupied by invalids, who seek the aid of Bristol Hot Wells, situated at the western extremity of Clifton, near the stupendous rock of St. Vincent. From its summit above the banks of the Avon there is a fine prospect of the river and its environs, embracing some of the most fertile land in Somersetshire, as well as the western part of Bristol.

REDCLIFFE CHURCH AND BASIN, BRISTOL.REDCLIFFE CHURCH AND BASIN, BRISTOL.

Thechurch of St Mary Redcliffe's, Bristol, was founded in 1249, and not completed till 1375, an interval of a hundred and twenty-six years. The founder was Simon de Burton, mayor of Bristol. It is pronounced by Camden as "on all accounts the first parish church in England." It has, of course, undergone, in the long lapse of generations, many changes, repairs, and perhaps improvements. In the middle of the fifteenth century, after having been seriously damaged in a storm, it was repaired by William Cannynge the mayor; and, owing to the extent of these repairs, he has established a just claim to the gratitude of posterity as the second founder, and to commemorate the restoration thus effected, two beautiful monumental statues were erected to the memory of himself and his wife in the church. This patriotic and pious individual was five times mayor of Bristol, and makes a prominent figure in the Chatterton controversy. It is to be regretted, however, that the spire was never restored, which, with the tower, was originally two hundred and fifty feet high. So great was the beauty of this sacred edifice, that it was celebrated over the whole country as a masterpiece of art, and attracted numerous visitors; nor has that admiration diminished with the lapse of time, for there are very few individuals, curious in the mystery of ecclesiastical architecture, who have not visited or studied the specimen here preserved.

The church is built in the form of a cross; and the nave, which rises above the aisles in the manner of a cathedral, is lighted by a series of lofty windows on each side, and supported by flying-buttresses. The tower is large and richly ornamented, like the remaining part of the spire, with carved work, niches, and statues. The principal entrance is from the west front; but there are porches both to the northern and southern sides. Of the first of these the interior is very beautiful; and it was over this porch that the room was situated in which Chatterton, whose father was sexton of the church, pretended to have found the poems which he attributed to Rowley. The length of the church is two hundred and thirty-nine feet, that of the transept one hundred and seventeen feet. It is remarkable that the transept consists of three divisions or aisles, like the body of the church; and the effect thus produced is fine and striking, when the spectator places himself in the centre and looks around him. The breadth of the nave and aisles is fifty-nine feet; the height of the nave is fifty-four feet, and that of the aisles twenty-five feet. The roof, which is nearly sixty feet in height, is arched with stone, and ornamented with various devices. Although externally this church has all the appearance of a massive structure, it has nevertheless, from its loftiness and the peculiar beauty of its masonry, a light and airy appearance both within and without; and justifies the high eulogium, which we have already quoted, as pronounced upon it by Camden. Among the sepulchral treasures contained in this church, is the tomb of Sir William Penn, father of the celebrated founder of Pennsylvania.

The business of shipbuilding is carried on to a very considerable extent in Bristol; and stimulated by that spirit which has always characterized the magistrates and merchants of Bristol, added to the vast improvements which have been so recently affected, it is confidently believed, that this ancient city and port are now entering upon a fresh epoch in their commercial prosperity.

The principal exports are derived from the neighbouring manufactures; and the imports consist chiefly of sugar, rum, wine, wool, tobacco, coffee, turpentine, hemp, and timber. The quay extends upwards of a mile along the banks of the rivers Frome and Avon. Owing to the serious inconvenience and frequent damage sustained by large vessels, when lying at low water in the river, a floating harbour was formed here at great expense in 1804. To accomplish so important a design the course of the Avon was changed; the old channel was dammed up to form the new harbour, which, communicating with the river, is accessible at all times, with sufficient depth of water for vessels of the largest size. This great work, comprising the elegant iron bridges over the Avon, was the result of five years' labour, and an enormous expenditure; and, although much benefit has accrued to the port from the success of so spirited an undertaking, still the expectations to which it naturally gave rise, as to the extension of commerce, have not been realized. This is attributable to various local causes.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE AT CLIFTON.SUSPENSION BRIDGE AT CLIFTON.(near Bristol.)

"Scared at thy presence, start the train of Death,And hide their whips and scorpions; thee, confused,Slow Fever creeps from; thee the meagre fiendConsumption flies, and checks his rattling cough!"

Address to the Bristol Fountain.

Thevillage of Clifton has long been distinguished among our native watering-places as the Montpelier of England. In point of situation, and the beautiful and varied scenery it commands, it is without a rival among those numerous springs which, from their medicinal virtues, have risen into universal repute. It occupies a very elevated position; and from the windows of his apartment the visitor may enjoy enchanting views of the western part of Bristol, the Avon, and the numerous vessels that glide to and fro upon its waters. The plateau, which terminates a gradual ascent from the river, is covered with elegant buildings, that furnish excellent accommodation to the numerous visitors who annually resort to these salubrious fountains. Many private families of opulence and respectability make this their principal residence, and with justice, for few situations in the British empire can supply more varied and rational sources of enjoyment. Those who seek to combine the blessings of health with rational amusement and mental cultivation, will very rarely be disappointed in selecting the now "classic" shades of Clifton as a residence.

The Bristol hot-well—"Bristoliensis aqua"—is a pure thermal, slightly acidulated spring. The fresh water is inodorous, perfectly limpid and sparkling, and sends forth numerous air-bubbles when poured into a glass. It is very agreeable to the taste, and in specific gravity approaches very nearly to that of distilled water; a fact which proves that it contains only an extremely minute admixture of foreign ingredients. The temperature of this water, taking the average of the most accurate observations, may be reckoned at 74°; a degree of temperature which is scarcely, if at all, influenced by the difference of season. The water contains both solid and gaseous matter, and the distinction between the two requires to be attended to, as it is owing to its very minute proportion of solid matter that it deserves the character of a very fine natural spring. To its excess in gaseous contents it is principally indebted for its medicinal properties,—whatever these may be,—independently of those of mere water with an increase of temperature. The principal ingredients of the hot-well water are a large proportion of carbonic acid gas—fixed air—a certain portion of magnesia and lime in various combinations with the muriatic, sulphuric, and carbonic acids. The general inference is that it is remarkably pure for a natural fountain, from the fact of its containing no other solid matter—and that in less quantity—than what is contained in almost any common spring-water. Much, however, of the merit ascribed to the Bristol and Clifton wells is due to the mild and temperate climate of the place, which of itself is sufficient to recommend Bristol as a desirable residence for invalids.

Independently of its medicinal waters, Clifton has many attractions, which from time to time have been the subjects both of painting and poetry, and made it the favoured residence of many distinguished individuals. Of the latter, none have deserved better of their country than Mrs. Hannah More, whose writings breathe the purest sentiments of religion and morality, and whose personalMemoirsform one of the most interesting volumes in English biography.

The Suspension Bridge, which forms so prominent a feature in our engraving, is unfortunately still far from that state of completion in which the artist has been pleased to depict it. Many years have passed since its commencement, and still more thousands of pounds have been expended in preparation, and yet this great and useful work remains a monument of misapplied capital and wasted labour.

BATH.BATH.

"O'er ancient Baden's mystic springHygeia broods with watchful wing,And speeds from its sulphureous sourceThe steamy torrent's secret course;And fans the eternal sparks of latent fireIn deep unfathomed beds below,ByBladud's magic taught to flow—Bladud, high theme of Fancy's Gothic lyre!"

Warton.

Theorigin of Bath, like that of other celebrated towns, is involved in obscurity. To its medicinal springs, however, it is solely indebted for the great reputation it has enjoyed for centuries, as a sanctuary for the afflicted, a cheerful asylum for the invalid, and as a favourite point of reunion, where social pleasure and mental cultivation were sure of a kindred reception among the many gifted spirits who have sought health or relaxation in its shades. The comparative quiet which here prevails is not without its importance to the invalid; after the dissipation of a season in Town, a retreat to Bath is like the tranquillity of a monastery after the excitement of a military campaign. This was more particularly felt and acknowledged as long as the continent remained shut; but during the last twenty years the temptation to foreign travel and the fame of certain continental spas have annually diverted from home a great many of those whose cases, it is probable, would have benefited in an equal measure by resorting to the thermal waters of Bath. Travelling, however, is of itself a sanatory process; and to this, to the changes of scene, of society, of diet, and to the mental excitement produced by a succession of new scenes and incidents, the invalid is more indebted than to any of the numerousspas, to which the credit of a cure is so generally ascribed by the recruited votary. This is a fact well known to the physician, and corroborated by the results of daily experience. When such means are impracticable, however, the society and the waters of Bath furnish excellent substitutes; and the testimonies in their favour are too well supported by ancient and "modern instances" to require any eulogium in a work like the present.

The trade of Bath, like that of most great watering-places, is greatly dependent on its visitors. Hotels and lodging-houses are numerous, elegant, commodious, and fitted for the accommodation of all classes of society. Property, nevertheless, has suffered much depreciation of late years, owing to various causes, and not a little to the preference given to those continental spas already alluded to, by which many of the streams which used to flow in upon Bath as a regular source of prosperity have been greatly diminished or entirely dried up.

The public amusements of Bath are numerous and liberally conducted. Of these the most important are the subscription assemblies and concerts, at which a master of the ceremonies presides—a functionary of high authority, who holds his office in regular descent from the hands of the celebrated Beau Nash. The latter gentleman, by a peculiar union of good sense, "effrontery, wit, vivacity, and perseverance, acquired an ascendancy among the votaries of rank and fashion which rendered him a species of modish despot, to whose decrees it was deemed a part of the loyalty of high breeding to yield in silent submission." The assemblies are held in the Upper Rooms, in the vicinity of the Circus, which were erected in 1791, at an expense of twenty thousand pounds. The Ball-room is one hundred and five feet long, forty-three feet wide, and forty-two high. The Lower Assembly-rooms stood near the Parade, and were also very elegantly fitted up, though on a less extensive scale, but were destroyed by fire in 1820. The theatre is a handsome edifice, fitted up in splendid style, with three tiers of boxes, and the roof divided into compartments, containing the beautiful paintings by Cassali which formerly occupied a similar place in Fonthill Abbey.

In the vicinity of Bath, especially on Lansdown and Claverton Downs, there are delightful spots for equestrian exercise. Races take place on the former of these the week after Ascot races.

Bath is eminently distinguished for its numerous public charities, its literary and scientific institutions, its society for the encouragement of agriculture, the arts, manufactures, and commerce; its clubs, subscription-rooms, libraries, schools, and hospitals.

The diseases in which the waters of Bath are resorted to are very numerous, and in many instances consist of such as are the most difficult and important of all that come under medical treatment. In most cases the bath is used along with the waters as an internal medicine—first adopted in the case of King Charles. The general indications of the propriety of using these medicinal waters are chiefly in cases where a gentle, gradual, and permanent stimulus is required. Bath water may certainly be considered as a chalybeate, in which the iron is very small in quantity, but in a highly active form, whilst the degree of temperature is in itself a stimulus of considerable power.

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