889 



TORRE DELL'ANNUNZIATA. 



TOTTENHAM. 



870 



sents great facilities for building. The town has consequently very 

 much increased. Torquay lies in a small sheltered recess at the north- 

 eastern extremity of Torbay. On all sides landward it is inclosed by 

 lofty hills, on the sides of which the houses are built. The town is 

 lighted with gas and paved, but the supply of water is insufficient. 

 There are two chapels of the Establishment, a Free Episcopal church, 

 chapels for Independents and Baptists, and National schools. Torquay 

 contains ossembly-rooms, a club-house, subscription- and reading- 

 rooms, a museum, and baths. The pier, which is used also as a pro- 

 menade, incloses a small but convenient tidal harbour. The rise of 

 tide at spring-tides is about 18 feet. The imports consist chiefly of 

 American timber, coals and culm, Portland stone, com, bricks, slates, 

 and general goods : the exports include earthenware, cider, elm and 

 oak timber, and yellow-ochre. 



TORRE DELL'ANNUNZIATA. [NAPLES, Province of.] 

 TORRE DEL GRECO. [NAPLES, Province of.] 

 TORRES STRAIT was named after the Spanish navigator Luis 

 Vaez de Torres, who was the first to pass through it in 1606. It is 

 situated between the most north-eastern part of Australia and the 

 southern coast of Papua or New Guinea. Properly speaking it does 

 not exceed 30 miles in length from east to west, and is situated 

 between 142 and 142 40' E. long. The most northern point of 

 Australia, Cape York, is in 10 42' S. lat., and the opposite coast of 

 Papua in 9" 15' S. lat. Thus the extent of the strait from Eouth to 

 north is about 100 miles. Navigators however give to the strait a 

 much greater extent, as they consider it to begin on the east with the 

 Pandora Entrance, situated between extensive reefs near 144 40' 

 E. long., so that, according to them, Torres Strait extends from 142 

 to 144 40' E. long., or 180 statute miles from east to west. The 

 navigation of Torres Strait though practicable is rendered dangerous 

 and tedious by innumerable shoal.*, ledges, coral reefs, and islands. 

 Among tbe inlands the principal groups are the Prince of Wales 

 Islands, Mulgrave Islands, and Banks Island*. The strait can only be 

 navigated between March and September, during the south-east mon- 

 soon : in the other six months of the year, or during the period of 

 the north-west monsoon, the fogs prevail in the htrait to such an 

 extent, that no vessel can venture to enter among its almost innumer- 

 able reefa and rocks. 



Two different routes are taken by vessels in sailing to Torres Strait, 

 and in passing through it. They are distinguished as the Inner and 

 Outer route. The Inner route lies along the coast of Australia, and 

 between it and the Great Barrier Reefs, which begin, according to 

 Flinders, in 22 50' S. lat., 152 40' E. long., and extend nearly parallel 

 to the coast of Australia to Torres Strait, through 14 degrees of lati- 

 tude and 9 degrees of longitude, and are as to length not equalled in 

 any part of the world. Their breadth ia about 50 or 60 miles in their 

 southern part, but diminishes to the northward. The arm of the aea 

 inclosed between the barrier and the coast is from 60 to 80 miles wido 

 towards the south, but it contracts gradually to 20 miles near the 

 great opening, and is still narrower farther north. Numerous islands 

 are scattered in this inclosed space, but no other coral-banks occur 

 except those which surround some of the islands. Being sheltered 

 from the strong swell of the Pacific by the barrier, the water is smooth, 

 and it also offers the advantage of regular soundings, its depth not 

 being very unequal, and varying only from 60 fathom* at the southern 

 end to 30 fathoms at the great opening, and to 20 fathoms at Cape 

 Tribulation. This was the common route of communication between 

 Sydney and Port Essington. Vessels sailing by this track pass through 

 Torres Strait by sailing round Cape York and through Endeavour 

 Strait. The last-mentioned strait i.-t formed by the mainland of 

 Australia and some of tbe Wets belonging to the Prince of Wales 

 Islands, and constitutes the southern part of Torres Strait. It it about 

 30 miles long, and from two to six miles wide, and offers a safe passage 

 for vessels of good size. 



The Outer route, which lies through tlie C'orallian Sea, is dangerous, 

 owing to the great number of reefs which are dispersed over it north 

 of the southern tropic. After passing through Pandora Entrance tbe 

 vessels enter Torres Strait by sailing north of the long reef, situated 

 at the entrance of the strait (144 E. long.), to Murray Islands, and 

 traverse the strait by sailing west-south-west between innumerable 

 low islands, shoals, and rocks. They do not enter Endeavour Strait, 

 but keep at the distance of about 20 miles from it to the northward, 

 until they have passed on the north of Wednesday and Good's Islands, 

 when they leave the strait and enter the Indian Sea. 

 TORRES VKIiKAS. [EhTiiEMAm-KA, Portuguese.] 

 TOR1UXGTOX, or GREAT TOHRINGTON, Devonshire, a market- 

 town, municipal torough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the 

 pariah ut Gre.it Torrington, is situated on a hill on the right bank of 

 the river Torridge, in 50 57' N. Ut., 4 10' W. long., distant 35 miles 

 8.W. from Exeter and 194 miles W. by S. from London. The popula- 

 tion in 1851 was 3308. The borough is governed by 4 aldermen and 

 12 councillors, of whom one is mayor. The living is a perpetual 

 coratfy in the archdeaconry of Barostaple and diocese of Exeter. 

 Tctrington Poor-Law Union contains 23 parishes and townships, with 

 an area of 81,472 acres, and a population in 1851 of 17,491. 



Torrington is a town of some antiquity. A castle formerly stood 

 on its south side ; the site is now a bowling-green. The town is lighted 

 with gas. The church is perpendicular in its general style, with some 



traces of decorated character. The Wesleyan Methodists, Independ- 

 ents, and Baptists have places of worship. There are National schools. 

 A county court is held in the town. The chief manufacture is that 

 of gloves, which are made of Lisle thread, silk, and kid ; some cloth is 

 made. The market-day is Saturday. Several fairs are held in the 

 course of the year. 



TORRISDALS-ELF. [NORWAY.] 



TORSCHOK. [TWER.] 



TORTOLA. [VIRGIN ISLANDS.] 



TORTONA, a province of Piedmont in the administrative division 

 of Alessandria, is bounded N. by the Po, which divides it from the 

 province of Mortara ; E. by the provinces of Voghera and Bobbio ; 

 S. by the Ligurian Apennines, which separate it from the duchy of 

 Genoa; and W. by the province of Alessandria. The rivers or tor- 

 rents, Scrivia and Curone, both affluents of the Po, rise iu the Liguriau 

 Apennines, and cross the province of Tortona from south to north. 

 The surface is generally level except towards the south, which is 

 covered by brandies of the Apennines. The soil is fertile, and yields 

 rice, wheat, flax, hemp, fruits, wine, silk, &c. The province contains 

 257 square miles, with a population of 58,853. Tbe head town, 

 Tortona, built upon an eminence near the right bank of the Scrivia, 12 

 milts E. from Alessandria, is a bisliop's see, and has about 9000 

 inhabitants, several churches and convents, and a royal college. The 

 citadel of Tortona was built by King Victor Amadeus III., and 

 destroyed by the French in the revolutionary wars. AVest of Tortona, 

 in the direction of Alessandria, is the plain of Marengo, with tlie vil- 

 lages of Marengo and San Giuliano, where Eonaparte defeated tbo 

 Austrians in June, 1800. Tortona was anciently a town of tbe Ligu- 

 rians, and was called Derton or Dertona. After the Roman conquest 

 it became a colony (Pliuy, ' Hist.,' iii. 7), and was a place of import- 

 ance, being situated on the road leading from the banks of the Po to 

 the coast of Liguria and Southern Gaul. The other towns of the 

 province of Tortona are Castelnoto di Scrivia, a town of 5500 

 inhabitants, north of Tortona, and near the confluence of the Scrivia 

 and the Po, and Salt, a town of 4000 inhabitants, near the confluence 

 of the Bormida and the Po. In these Apennine districts in the south 

 of the province the inhabitants are mostly shepherds and goatherds, 

 and their cheese is an article of exportation, as likewise are the mush- 

 rooms which grow abundantly here, and are dried and exported chiefly 

 to Genoa. 



TOKTOSA. [CATALUJJA.] 



TORTUGA. [AHTILLES; VESEZUELA.] 



TORTUQAS. [FLORIDA.] 



TOTANA. [MuRciA.l 



TOTHAM, GREAT. [ESSEX.] 



TOTNES, or TOTNESS, Devonshire, a market-town, municipal 

 and parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the 

 parish of Totnes, Ls pleasantly situated on the slope of a hill on tliu 

 left bank of the river Dart, iu 50 25' N. lat., 3" 41' W. long., distant 

 23 miles S. by W. from Exeter, 196 miles' W.S.W. from London by 

 road, and 223 miles by the Great Western railway. The populatiou 

 of the borough in 1851 was 4419. The borough is governed by 4 

 aldermen and 12 councillors, one of whom is mayor; and returns two 

 members to the Imperial Parliament. Totnes Poor-Law Union contains 

 28 parishes and townships, with an area of 98,342 acres, and a popu- 

 lation in 1851 of 34,022. 



Totnes is mentioned in the Exon Domesday as held by Juhell do 

 Toteneis, who founded here a Cluuiac priory, and erected a castle. A 

 handsome modern bridge of three arches over the river Dart connects 

 Totnes with the small suburb of Bridgetown. Totnes is lighted with 

 gas. The principal street runs down the hill to the bridge, and is 

 paved ; several of the houses are ancient, with upper stories projecting 

 over the footpath, and supported by pillars. In the main street is 

 an ancient gateway, which was purchased a few years ago by Lord 

 Seymour (now the Duke of Somerset) for 1000/. and presented to 

 the town for the use of a literary institute and library. On an artificial 

 moucd, commanding a fine view of the town and the surrounding 

 country, is the circular keep of the ancient castle. The Church Walk, 

 or Exchange, consists of a large room with ten windows fronting the 

 street, supported by granite pillars : underneath is a colonnade for the 

 merchants. The church is a handsome structure of late perpendicular, 

 having a well-proportioned tower with pinnacles at the west end. 

 There are chapels for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. There 

 are a Grammar school ; an endowed Blue-Coat Charity school ; 

 National, British, and Infant schools ; and a mechanics institute with 

 a library. There ore a guildhall and a small jail, a handsome and 

 spacious market-house, a small theatre, and au assembly-room. An 

 island in the river Dart, just below the bridge, ia laid out in an orna- 

 mental manner as a garden with walks. Tlie extensive grounds 

 around the castle are open to the public. Totnes has some trade 

 in corn, coal, and culm, which are imported, and iu cider, which is 

 exported. There is a salmon fishery in the river above the town. 

 The market is held on Saturday ; a great cattle-market monthly ; 

 fairs are held on May 12th and October 2Sth. Races are held 

 yearly. Totnes has sent two members to Parliament from the 23rd 

 of Edward I. 



TOTONICAPAN. [GUATEMALA.] 

 TOTTENHAM. [MIDCLESEX.] 



