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THE ISLAND OF JERSEY. 



Jersey, is the largest and most easterly of the is- 

 lands in St. Michael's Bay, belonging to the domini- 

 ons of Great Britain. It is situated between Cape 

 La liogue in Normandy, and Cape Frehelles in 

 Brittany, and lies furthur to the south than Guern- 

 sey, or any other of the group. It is a well watered 

 and fertile island, producing excellent butter and 

 honey. It is considered as forming parciel of the 

 county of Hants, and in ecclesiastical matters is 

 incorporated with the see of Winchester. 



It is environed by a circle of rocks, which either 

 tower to a vast height above the level of the sea, 

 presentinir a bold and inaccessible coast, or lying 

 concealed under the surface of the water, form a 

 secret, and therefore more formidable object to the 

 approach of strangers. The danger is much in- 

 creased by the force with which the Atlantic tide 

 rushes into the bay of St. Michael, rising in many 

 parts to the height of fifty feet, while in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the island it is broken mto an 

 infinite number of currents, perpetually changing 

 their direction, and hurrying along with the most 

 heady violence. To navigate such seas safely, long 

 experience is requisite. 



The height of the cliffs on the northern coast, 

 varies frpm one hundred to two hundred feet, but 

 the island slopes oradually away to the south, and at 

 the town of St. Helier is nearly level with the sea, 

 hence it has been compared to a wedge, or with 

 more accuracy perhaps to a ri2:ht-angled triangle, of 

 which the northern cliffs form the perpendicular, 

 the sea the base, and the surface of the island itself 

 the hypothenuse. Its general figure is that of an 

 oblique-angled parallelogram, extending about 

 twelve miles from east to west, and in breadth from 

 north to south averaging about five miles, but no 

 where exceeding seven. It contains about forty 

 thousand acreS; or sixty and half square miles, with 



