474- 



BEKRBU BELFAST. 



in tlic manufacture of while thread ami the weaving 

 ofiuusliii. The parish, which extends into the county 

 of Renfrew, is alxnit five miles in length ami four in 

 orcadth. It has long been celebrated for tin- skill of 

 its dairy funning, and the {iroduction of excellent 

 cheese. Coal is wrought here to advantage; free- 

 stone is plentiful, and the limestone quarries inex- 

 haustible. Kicli veins of iron-stone also abound. 

 There is a small lake in tin- north -west of the parish 

 called Kilhorne Loch, in which the fish are very nu- 

 merous. The remains of a stalely castle, the residence 

 of the Montgomerie- of (Jinan, is in this parish. Po- 

 pulation of parish in 1831,5117. 



BKKKKH, Kli/;ibeth ; an ornament of Dutch litera- 

 ture in the department of the belles-lettres. Few fe- 

 male authors lia\e united with so great talents so much 

 dignity and purity of morals. The influence of her 

 numerous works was much increased hy her character, 

 and several of them are considered classics in Dutch 

 literature, particularly her romances Willem Leeveml, 

 in eight vols. ; Letters of A. Blankart to C. Wild- 

 schul, and the History of Sara Burgerhart. She wrote 

 her most important works in conjunction with her 

 friend Agatha Deken, (q. v.), and the share of each 

 in the composition of them is unknown. Elizabeth 

 was horn at Flushing, in 1738, and died at the Hague, 

 in 180J. Her inseparable friend in life followed her 

 nine days later in death. 



BEL. See Baal, 



BH KM (properly Bethlehem) ; a quarter of Lisbon, 

 formerly a market town, situated on the spot where, 

 after Vasco da Gama's first return from India, in 

 1499, king Emanuel built a church in honour of the 

 nativity ot Christ, and founded the celebrated mona- 

 stery belonging to the order of St Jerome, whose 

 walls enclose the magnificent burying-vault of the 

 royal family, adorned with white marble. After the 

 earthquake of 1755, the burial church, so called, was 

 rebuilt in the Gothic style. B., at that time, became 

 the residence of the royal family , but after the 

 palace there had been consumed by fire, they resided 

 in the castle of Quelus, two leagues distant, in a re- 

 tired situation, until their departure for Rio Janeiro. 

 The new royal palace in B. is not yet finished. It 

 has a beautiful situation, with a view of the harbour 

 and the sea. Many persons of distinction, and the 

 greater part of the important officers of state, reside 

 at B. Here is also the church of Nossa Senhora da 

 Ajuda, in the neighbourhood of which lies the bota- 

 nical garden, with a chemical laboratory, and a cabi- 

 net of natural curiosities. The latter contains some 

 curious specimens of native copper from Brazil, and 

 a large piece of elastic sand-stone, interspersed with 

 crystals of calcareous spar. In B., the royal garden 

 (a quinta da raynha), with a menagerie, and many 

 aviaries for rare birds, must likewise be noticed, as 

 well as the great royal park, and, above all, the old 

 tower, Torre de Belem, which rises out of the river 

 Tajo, and is provided with batteries. No ship is 

 permitted to pass by it without being visited. 



BELFAST ; a royal burgh and seaport in Antrim, 

 Ireland, at the entrance of the river Lagan into Bel- 

 fast Lough or Carrickfergus bay, 102 miles N. of 

 Dublin. Lon. 5 54 r W. ; lat. 54 53 1 N. It is com- 

 modiously situated for trade, in a populous and well 

 cultivated country, and it is considered to be the third 

 town in Ireland in importance and size. The bay is 

 a spacious estuary, affording safe anchorage. The 

 entrance is five miles in breadth, i. e. between 

 Groomfort and Ballyholme bay in the county of 

 Down, and Whitehead, in the county of Antrim, 

 and its length from this line to Belfast quay is twelve 

 miles. The mountain of Divis protects the Lough 

 from the west winds, which are the most prevalent in 

 this district ; and in the pool of Garmoyle there is 



good anchorage, and vessels ride nfloat at low-watc r 

 within u cable's length of the dry ground. 



The name Belfast is a corruption of Bala-frarsad, 

 i. e. the town at the mouth of the river. Ilandolphus 

 Lane dwelt in the castle, the early history of which 

 is lost, in the reign of Elizabeth ; hut it appears that 

 Sir Thomas Smith obtained a grant of both castle and 

 lands from that queen, on condition of maintain ing a 

 troop of horse and a company of foot for her majes- 

 ty's use, and to attend her summons. In the reign 

 of James I., Smith neglected the summons, and the 

 castle was thereupon granted to Sir Arthur Chiches- 

 ter, lord deputy, whose descendants continue to enjoy 

 the lordship. In the fifth year of the same king, a 

 charter was granted, constituting Belfast a corpora- 

 tion ; the franchise to be vested in a sovereign or 

 mayor, twelve burgesses, and a commonalty, with the 

 privilege of sending two members to Parliament. 

 Since the legislative union, the franchise has been 

 restricted to the election of one member only. Then; 

 is a regular garrison stationed here. The marquis 

 of Donegal is lord of the castle, and proprietor of the 

 town. 



Belfast is well built, chiefly of brick ; the principal 

 streets are broad, strait, well paved, and lighted. It 

 contains various churches and chapels, besides other 

 public edifices, which have generally a handsome 

 appearance. Of these, the Linen Hall and the New 

 Exchange are the most prominent. Two bridges 

 are built over the river ; a modern one, about half a 

 mile up on the south of the town, and an old bridge 

 at the east end of the town, which was commenced 

 in the year 1682, but was early injured by the pass- 

 ing of duke Schomberg's heavy artillery, at the 

 period of the revolution, and it is now reported to be 

 in a dangerous state. The county boundary is sup- 

 posed to pass through the third arch on the Antrim 

 side. The old bridge measures 2562 feet in length, 

 consists of twenty-one arches, and unites the counties 

 of Antrim and Down. 



A direct trade in cotton and wool exists between 

 Belfast and North America, the West Indies, Holland, 

 and the Mediterranean ; as well as a large recipro- 

 cal dealing with Scotland. Much linen is manufac- 

 tured here, and exported; the cotton manufacture 

 has also spread itself most extensively in the vicinity. 

 There are factories of glass, vitriol, potteries, sugar 

 refineries, breweries, distilleries, c. The exports 

 are various, those of an agricultural nature are exten- 

 sive, such as butter, oatmeal, and pork, Belfast being 

 considered the chief emporium of the north of Ireland 

 for every article both of foreign and domestic pro- 

 duce. The gross amount of duties paid into the 

 customs for three successive years, is as follows : 

 1826, 364,470, 19s. 10d.; 1827, 351,381, Os. 8d.; 

 1828, 200,694, 10s. 2d. The ballast office return 

 indicates an increase in the foreign trade. Number 

 of vessels entered in 1827, 2208, registry 219,148 

 tons. Number entered in 18^8, 2428, registry 

 235,258 tons; and there are fifty vessels in the 

 foreign, besides 134 engaged in the home trade, lie- 

 longing exclusively to the port of Belfast. An 

 inland trade is carried on by means of a commu- 

 nication with Lough Neagh. This line of navi- 

 gation consists of eighteen miles of still water, and 

 ten of river, forming but an imperfect mode ot 

 conveyance. New and improved lines of road con- 

 nect this town with Dublin, Antrim, Coleraine, Do- 

 naghadee, and the towns along the coast of Antrim ; 

 and a canal is now in progress, the object of which 

 is to unite Lough Neagh with Lough Erne. 



Although a trading commercial town, Belfast is not 

 without a taste for elegant and useful acquirements. 

 A museum and botanic garden are forming ; and it 

 contains two institutions, one, the Belfast Academical 



