1825.] Domestic 
The exports of all Scotland are calculated 
not much to exceed one-fourth of this; 
their amount, in the year 1823, being 
£5,474,734. ' 
That the Sir Wet Docks evisting in the 
Port of London are either exorbitant in 
their demands, or vexatious in their regula- 
tions, when ships seek their accommoda- 
tion, or else that they are more capacious 
than necessary, will, we think, appear from 
the following Parliamentary Return, lately 
printed, viz. 
Will hold | Greatest 
Ships of |Numbers at} Numbers 
/ DOCKS. | 300 Tons | one time in jon 5th April 
average. 1824. 1825. 
Ships) Tons. Ships! Tons. 
West India--| 478 5 95 | 32,013] 25 | 8,424 
7 avera- 
Commercial .| 330} £2] 62} 16,141] 4] 1,457 
a6 
Grand Surrey; 300 ae 4,429) none; none 
2S 
London ----| 250 22 11,897 
o 
East India --) 246) Sq 10,776 
r — 
East Country; 28 ° none 
1,632 32,554 
It is to be observed, that April is the 
busiest month of shipping business in the 
port of London; which thus appears to 
want no further.accommodation, such, at 
least, as it now receives from docks— 
except, perhaps, removing the coal-ships 
out of the River, but against which change, 
the opinions of the most experienced lighter- 
men seem decidedly made up. What, then, 
is to become of the interests of the sub- 
scribers of more than six millions, for the 
forming of eight new docks, as stated in 
p- 148 of this volume ? 
Prayer Book of Charles I.—This relic 
of the martyr-king, used by him at his exe- 
cution, was lately sold by Mr. Thomas, of 
King-street, Covent Garden. The workis 
in folio, partly black letter, bound in Russia, 
' originally purple; but now much faded, with 
arms and cover in gold, in good preserva- 
tion, said to be those of the Elector Pala- 
tine. ‘The title-page is wanting. On the 
leaf of the preface is written, “‘ King Charles 
the First’s own Prayer-Book.” On the 
title-page of the psalter is ‘‘ Carolus R.,”’ 
supposed to be the autograph of the unfor- 
tunate monarch. On the lower-part is, 
“imprinted by Robert Barker, printer to 
. the King’s Most Excellent Majestye, for 
the Assignees of John Bill, 1634.” Mr, 
Thomas, in commenting on the book, de- 
elared, that if its authenticity should be 
inyalidated within a month, the purchase- 
money would be returned. No doubt of’ 
its being genuine appeared to be enter- 
tained; and the biddings, which com- 
meneed at forty guineas, rose to one hun- 
dred, at which sum it was bought by Mr, 
” 
Varieties. 555 
Glastonbury Abbey. —The Rev. R. War- 
ner (whois arranging materials for a ‘‘ His- 
tory of the Abbey and Town of Glaston- 
bury,” intended, howeyer, only for private 
circulation), together with some gentlemen 
of the place and yicinage, lately made a 
curious and interesting discovery, within 
the fine old ruins of this once celebrated 
monastery. Directed in the search of an- 
tiquities, by a report of under-ground steps, 
towards the south-eastern corner of the 
beautiful ruin of St. Joseph’s chapel, and by 
the appearance of a nearly choked-up arch 
under the crypt, a pit, four yards square, 
was sunk; when the tool was suddenly 
obstructed by a compact mass of stone- 
work, which afterwards appeared to be the 
crown of a nearly semicircular (Anglo- 
Norman) arch; similar to, and evidently 
coeval with, the elegantly ornamented win- 
dows, &e. of the chapel. A flight of wind- 
ing steps, leading to this subterranean 
arched recess, was afterwards found; and 
the labour of a few more hours uncovered 
a pavement, ten or twelve feet below the 
surface; and displayed a small circular 
well, the waters of which were caught in a 
stone trough, and discharged through a 
channel of masonry, under the pavement of 
the crypt, and supposed to empty itself 
into the great drain that surrounds the 
whole abbey. This was originally covered 
with a splendid groined roof, and entered 
by the pilgrims, who resorted to this secret 
chamber for purposes of miraculous cure, 
through a door-way in the southern wall of 
the ‘chapel, which was surmounted by an 
elegant arch of mixed Gothic and Saracenic 
architecture. Tradition speaks of the holy 
water, as well as the holy thorn, of Joseph 
of Arimathea; but no certain evidence of 
its existence had appeared till this dis- 
covery took place ; which may yet be.car- 
ried further, the present possessor (J. F. 
Reeves, esq.) having, with praiseworthy 
zeal for the preservation of every part ofso 
fine a memorial of times gone by, ordered 
the complete clearing out of this subterra- 
neous chamber. 
A chartered company is about to be 
formed for raising Silk in this country, and 
forming plantations of Mulberry-trees. Mr, 
Agar, of Camden-town, has already eight 
thousand mulberry-trees growing in his 
plantations. 
The valuable and extensive collection of 
Coins and Medals belonging to the late 
King, which his present Majesty, with 
such munificence, bestowed along with the 
library, has been removed from Carlton 
House to the British Museum, and fills 
nearly drawers. 
Musical Phenomenon.—Master Mendel-~ 
sohn, of Berlin, pupil to Professor Zelter, 
under the patronage of the celebrated poet 
Goéthe, has, at the early age of sixteen 
years, written several operas, eight full sym- 
phonies, fifty fugues,—-and,a multitude of 
lesser compositions for the piano-forte--on 
4B2 which 
