R O C 



869 



ROC 



mile broad. The streets are straight and wide, and the 

 house*, which are well built, are .supported by arcades. 

 ']'!, jiiares are the Place tfArme*,*n<\ the 1 



(In Chtileau. The principal puhliccdifices anil establish- 

 ment* are the cathedral and hospital, the orphan-house, 

 and the exchange ; on academy of sciences, established 

 . and a marine academy. The fortifications con- 

 of nineteen large bastions, with half moons; and 

 the circumference of its ramparts is about three miles. 

 The entrance of the harbour, which advances into the 

 town, is narrow, and is defended by two lofty towers, 

 and by a massy chain. It has a mole about three- 

 fourths of a mile in length. The exports of the place 

 are wines, brandy, flax, linen, and bay salt ; and its 

 imports sugar, coffee, cotton, &c. Its manufactures 

 are Delft ware, glass, and the refining of sugar. West 

 long. 1 9' 40". North lat. 46 ff '2 1 . 



ROCHESTER, a city of England, in the county of 

 'Kent, is situated on the east bank of the Medway, on 

 s bend of the river, where it falls into the Thames. A 

 continuous row of buildings connects it with Chatham, 

 and by a bridge over the Medway it communicates 

 with the village of Stroud. The town consists prin- 

 cipally of the high street, along which passes the great 

 road from Canterbury to Dover. The streets are wide, 

 well paved, and lighted with gas ; and the houses 

 are in general well built. The principal public build- 

 ings and establishments are the castle, the cathedral, 

 the churches, the town-hall, the hospital, a grammar 

 school, and alms-house for poor travellers, and a free 

 school. 



The castle is situated at the south- west angle of the 

 city, and is defended on the west by the Medway, from 

 which it rises abruptly, while a broad and deep ditch 

 protects it on all other sides. The external ^walls, which 

 once formed an irregular parallelogram about 300 

 feet long, were strengthened with round and square 

 towers, which, with the walls themselves, are in a state 

 of ruin. The keep has the form of a quadrangle, se- 

 venty feet square at the base, with the angles directed 

 to the four cardinal points, and upon which angles there 

 were four elevated towers. The interior of the keep is 

 divided into two nearly equal parts by a strong wall, 

 with arched doorways on each floor. At the north-east 

 angle is a circular winding otair-case, which ascends to 

 the summit. 



To the east of the castle, and a little to the south of 

 the high street, stands the cathedral. Its shape is that 

 of a cross, and it has a low tower and spire rising at 

 the intersection of the navo anri great transept. The 

 west entrance is particularly fine. The roof is of tim- 

 ber frame-work, in imitation of vaulting. The great 

 lower is supported by tour obtusely pointed arches, rest- 

 ing on pieces of solid masonry, which are surrounded 

 by slender columns of Petworth marble. The chapter- 

 house, which contains the library, is entered by a rude- 

 ly sculptured doorway. In a large hollow between the 

 inner mouldings, is a range of human heads and flowers 

 alternating ; and beyond them are six whole length 

 figures, two of which are supposed to be Henry I. and 

 Matilda, and the rest bishops. There are several valu- 

 able MSS. in the library. 



The cathedral is 306 feet long from east to west, 150 

 belonging to the nave, and 156 to the choir. The 

 breadth of the nave, and also that of the choir, is about 

 75 feet. The western transept is 122 feet, and the east- 

 ern one 90 feet long. The west f^ont is 9<t feet wide, 

 and the height of the great tower 1 56. 



Besides the cathedral on the south, are the remains of 



VOL. XVII. PAUT II. 



the ( haptcr-liouse and cloister belonging to the priory, R<xl)ter. 

 which are v<-ry beautiful. There were formerly four s *~ *~^*~ 

 churches at Rochester, viz. thohe of St. \idiolav St. Mar- 

 garet, St. Clement, :.nd Sr. Mary. The last of these i 

 demolished, and St. Clement's forms part of some houses 

 near the bridge. The church of St. Nicholas, built in 

 14-21, consists of a nave, aisle, and chancel, and has an 

 embattled tower at the north-west angle. St. Marga- 

 ret's is finely situated on a lofty eminence south of the 

 high street. The town-hall, erected in 1687, and 

 situ.ited on the north side of the high street, \t an ele- 

 gant building of brick, ornamented with Doric co- 

 lumns. The city jail is in the lower, and the town- 

 liall in the upper part. A spacious room in the area 

 behind, contains full length portraits of King William 

 and Queen Anne. The bridge over the Medway, which 

 is remarkable for its height, strength, and elegance, 

 consists of about eleven arches, the largest of which ia 

 about forty feet span, and the others thirty. It is 560 

 feet long, and 24 broad. 



The principal charitable institutions in Rochester 

 are St. Catharine's hospital, a grammar school, an almj- 

 house for the relief of poor travellers, and a free school 

 The hospital was founded in 1316, for the maintenance 

 of twelve poor people, by SimondPotyn. The gram- 

 mar school was founded by Htnry VIII. for twenty 

 scholars ; and the alms-house and dormitories for the 

 relief of poor travellers, were built in the reign of Eli- 

 zabeth by the proprietor of Satis, who left estates for 

 its support. The free school was founded by Sir Jo- 

 seph Williamson, who bequeathed to it, in 1701, 5000. 

 Rochester is governed by a mayor, twelve aldermen, 

 twelve councillors, a recorder, town-clerk, two cham- 

 berlains, a principal sergeant at mace, a water bail.fF, 

 and other inferior officers. The oyster fishery in the 

 JMedway is managed by a company of dredgers. The 

 spawn is often brought from foreign parts, and after be- 

 ing laid in proper beds, soon arrives at maturity. The 

 inhabitants are principally occupied in trade and ma- 

 ritime pursuits. 



Rochester sends to parliament two members, who 

 are elected by about 1050 voters. 



The town of Chatham, fora description of which we Chatham, 

 have referred to this article, forms in reality a part of 

 Rochester. It is an irregular and ill-built town, stand- 

 ing immediately to the east of Rochester, and derives 

 its celebrity from its dock-yard and arsenal, which co- 

 ver an area about a mile long to the north of the town. 

 The dock-yard, which is inclosed by a high wall, has a 

 spacious gateway with embattled towers. The com- 

 missioner and officers have large and handsome houses. 

 The houses for stores and masts are very extensive. 

 One of the store-houses is 660 feet long, and contains 

 prodigious quantities of sails, rigging, hemp, flax, pitch, 

 and all other naval stores, fur the equipment and build- 

 ing of ships. The principal mast-house is 240 feet long, 

 and 120 wide; and the timbers which form the m.^ti 

 are kept continually afloat in two spacious basons. The 

 rope- house is 240 feet long. The sail-loft is about 210 

 feet long. There are four wet docks fit for first rates, 

 besides six slips or launches. The smith's shop con- 

 tains about twenty forges. The number of artificers 

 and labourers was about 3000 or 4000 in 1808. The 

 ordinance wharf, or old dock, occupies a narrow slip of 

 land below the chalk cliff. Great quantities of naval 

 ordnance, cannon balls, gun carriages, &c. are depo- 

 sited here, with quantities of pistols, cutlasses, pikes, 

 &c. Since 1758, extensive loitifications, called the 

 Lines, have been erected from the banks of the Med- 

 3 A 



