716 



ENGLAND. 



From Shcf- 

 (Imliin 



ving tlu- milKtonc grit and -luile grit, we nguin come 

 upon coal ttratii, uliii-h, still farther to the wot, are 

 cut off, or jiartially intercepted hv tin- n i <l silk-ions 

 and>U>uc already described 'J'he surface here in ma- 

 ny parti is coven-*! by bed* of gravel ; and in clay pits, 

 under Uic surface, an- found detached blocks of gra- 

 nite, b.isalt, scicnite, and slate, .similar to tlu- rook* in 

 N.-ith WaU-- and Watmorakad. From the vicinity of 

 : to I.rw rpnol. the immediate substratum i.- 

 formed by the red rocks, which may be seen dipping 

 tinder the w.ives of the Irish Sea. 



If we had crossed the island, about 2.1 miles to tin- 

 south of the direction we have just described, near the 

 latitude of Sheffield and Chester, we should travel over 

 nearly a similar series of rocks, except that beyond the 

 vale of Derwcnt, 12 miles to the west of Sheffield, we 

 should meet with the metalliferous limestone of Der- 

 1>\ .-hire. The same metalliferous limestone would also 

 be met with, if, after crossing the red sandstone of 

 Cheshire, we continued eur line into Wales. Here it 

 occurs in Flintshire, forming the boundary of the al- 

 pine district 



If we cross the island in the latitude of Lancaster, 

 the metalliferous limestone mountains of Craven, in 

 Yorkshire, would be observed, rising from under the 

 grit tone, and resting upon slate. In this latitude, 

 the grit-stone mountains of Wharfdale approach near 

 the earthy limestone on the eastern side, and nearly 

 shut out the coal district. 



From Kent In travelling from Kent to Cornwall, nearly 150 

 to Cornwall. m il es o f chalk and calcareous sandstone, as far as the 

 western district of Dorsetshire, are passed over. Af- 

 ter we leave the chalk, a few miles of the lower se- 

 condary strata occur, before we arrive at the transition 

 and primary rocks. 



A brief notice of the principal mineral waters of 

 England seems properly to belong to this part of our 

 subject. They are thus classed by Dr Saunders : The 

 simpler thermal, viz. Bristol, the temperature of which 

 is 74- ; Matlock, the temperature of which is 6'6 ; and 

 Buxton, with a temperature of 82. The simple sa- 

 line, of which Epsom is the principal : the simple car- 

 bonated chalybeate, of which Tunbridgc is the princi- 

 pal : the hot carbonated chalybeate, or Bath waters, the 

 temperature of which is HO' 3 : the saline carbonated 

 chalybeate, as the Cheltenham and Scarborough : the 

 vitriolated chalybeate, as the Hartfell waters : and the 

 cold sulphureous, as the Harrowgate. The waters of 

 Malvern and Holywell seem to owe their medicinal vir- 

 tues entirely to their purity. 



CHAP. VI. 



Agriculture. 



Introdncto- HAVIVG thus fully considered, and, we trust, fnith- 

 ry remarks, ''""y anf l accurately described England, as it came from 

 the hands of Nature, with respect to its climate, soil, 

 and natural history, we shall now proceed to the se- 

 cond grand division of our subject ; and consider and 

 describe it. us it has been operated upon, by the exer- 

 tion of the labour, and by the application of the science, 

 the knowledge, the skill, and the capital of its inhabi- 

 tants. I-'nnn the sketch which we have given of its 

 natural state, it will be seen, that while it presents no 

 great obstacles, in any re-pect, to the successful exer- 

 tion of human industry; on the other hand, it does not 

 hold out what is requisite or desirable for the subsist- 



Mineral 



MHV. comfort, or luxury of man, to be acquired l>v ease Si 



nnd iii'loli-nce. To the man of enterprise and science, *" "Y""*' 



it is a valuable country, or may be made M> ; to the 



man of indolent habits and confined knowlc<! 



cncr in it could not be desirable. 



Tin.- divi-ion of our subject naturally comprises se- 

 veral important branches. In the iir-1 place, the agri- 

 cillture ul' the country ; the leading principles on which 

 it i- practised ; the more prominent particular- of the 

 agricultural practice it. -elf ; and a comparative view of 

 agricultural knowledge at present, and ;it former pe- 

 riod.-, claim our attention. In the second place, the 

 mines and quarries, especially the former, as exhibiting 

 evidences of the industry, ingenuity, and success of Un- 

 people of this country, and as contributing to their de- 

 fence, subsi-tencc, power, and wealth, will be consi- 

 dered in nn economical point of view, having been al- 

 ready treated of as branches of the natural history of 

 England. In the third place, our manufactures, in 

 which, more than in any other branch of human indus- 

 try. I'.ngland glands proudly pre-eminent over the rest 

 of the world, will be considered at considerable length. 

 It will easily be seen, that, under this head, we have 

 no concern with the processes themselves of the diller- 

 ent manufactures, except so far as a general descrip- 

 tion of some of them may contribute to point out and 

 explain the great improvements which we have from 

 time to time made in manufactures. In treating on this 

 subject, also, we shall intermix or premise historical 

 notices, concerning the state of our principal manufac- 

 tures at former periods. Neither our information, our 

 limit.-, nor the nature and object of this article, will 

 permit us to render these historical notices numerous, 

 regular, or connected. What we have in view in gi- 

 ving them, is only to enable our readers to form some- 

 idea of the comparative state of our manufactures now 

 and at former periods ; and probably, in some instan- 

 ces, such historical notices may be important and in- 

 teresting, as pointing out those changes in national 

 manners and habits, which are sometimes indicated by 

 the changes that take place in the manufactures for 

 home use. In the fourth place, we shall consider the 

 fisheries of England under their two natural and gnuid 

 divisions ; of the fisheries o our own coasts, or in our 

 own rivers, and the fisheries which are carried on 

 abroad, at Greenland and Davis' Straits, in the South 

 Seas, and off the coasts of Newfoundland. I.astly,-thc 

 trade and commerce of England will claim our notice. 

 The former divided into the inland and coasting trade ; 

 the latter embracing our mercantile connections with 

 foreign nations. We are well aware of the extent and 

 magnitude of this plan ; of the importance, interest, 

 and advantage, which would result from the complete 

 and accurate execution of it ; and of the extreme diffi- 

 culty, and numerous obstacles, which lie in the way of 

 such execution. Even if it were attempted by nume- 

 rous individuals, each most judiciously and impartially 

 selected for his information and knowledge in one par- 

 ticular branch, omissions and errors must appear; it 

 must not, therefore, be a matter of wonder or of cen- 

 sure, if, in the present article, those who are conver- 

 sant in any particular branch of the various and dissi- 

 milar subjects which are treated of, should detect 

 omissions or errors. 



SECT. I. Stale and Management of Landed 



Size and Rent of Farms, <<(. 



Stnio f.| 



TnC natural and proper introduction to an account huuU-a pro- 

 of the agriculture of England seems to be a description r trt J- 



