710 



HUITAIN. 



Is strongly evinced by tin 1 state of the \v<tods and 

 plantations. The j'rinripal timlxT tn cs in this conn 

 try are the oak, ash, rim, lime, l>cech, chestnut, 

 -}c:tinore, maple, birch, eKler, hornbeam, aspen, and 

 poplar. The oak of Britain surpasses that of most 

 other countries in strength anil durability ; qualities 

 that have contributed greatly to t lie superiority of her 

 navy. The principal woodland counties, are Kent, 

 Snrry, Sussex, I lamp-hire, Worcestershire, and Che- 

 shire, with parts of ( )xfordshire, Berkshire, Leicester- 

 -hiiv. and Northampton-hire, to which a portion of 

 Yorkshire and some other counties may be added. 

 The western side of the island is in general better 

 wooded than the eastern. 



Minerals. The precious metals are not met with in 

 sufficient quantities in Britain to make them an object 

 MI" -earch ; silver is extracted from lead and -copper 

 ore. The metallic products of Britain, as well as all 

 her most valuable mineral substances, are contained 

 in tlie western and northern parts of the island, while 

 the southern and eastern districts, which are com- 

 posed of secondary formations and alluvial soil, do 

 not present any valuable substance. Iron is exten- 

 sively diiFnsed over many of the central, western, and 

 northern parts. Lead is also obtained in a great 

 variety of places in the same regions. Britain has 

 always been considered as the peculiar depository of 

 tin. This is exclusively confined to the south-west 

 promontory of the island, which yields about 300 tons 

 annually. The number of people employed in the 

 various processes by which this metal is obtained, is 

 stated at nearly 10,000 ; and the yearly value of the 

 produce at half a million. Copper is found in the 

 great chain of mountains which stretches from Cum- 

 berland to Cornwall, as well as in some districts 

 farther nortJi. Coal, however, is one of the most 

 abundant and valuable of the British minerals ; and 

 is of the utmost importance in working the others. 

 This is very generally diffused over the island, with 

 the exception of the large southern and eastern dis- 

 trict already mentioned ; and so abundant is the 

 quantity, that notwithstanding the immense consump- 

 tion, Dr Thomson calculates that the Newcastle coal 

 formations alone would supply the whole kingdom for 

 at least 1000 years to come. Salt is another of these 

 valuable minerals, and is found in vast masses of rocks 

 as well as in copious springs, chiefly in Cheshire. 

 Black-lead is almost peculiar to Great Britain. Zinc, 

 bismuth, cobalt, magnesia, alum, gypsum, fullers- 

 cartli, potters-clay, marble, spar, and various kinds 

 of stone :.nd slate abound in many parts. Besides 

 these, several of the more valuable stones are found 

 among the mountains of Scotland. These include 

 agates, rock-crystals, topazes, and others; with the va- 

 riegated stones usually denominated Scottish pebbles. 

 Few countries of Europe can boast of mineral waters 

 either more abundant in quantity, or more efficacious 

 in quality than Britain. It will be sufficient here to 

 enumerate those of Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Har- 

 rcwgate, Scarborough, Buxton, Matlock, Leaming- 

 ton, Tunbridge Wells, in South Britain ; with those 

 of Moffat, Peterhead, Dunse, and Pitkeathly, on the 

 north side of the Tweed. 



Manufactures.- The chief manufactures of Great 

 Britain are of wool, cotton, linen, silk, leather, glass, 

 pottery, and metallic wares. The fabric of woollens 

 of different kinds is the most ancient, and may be 

 considered as the staple manufacture of the country. 

 It was introduced as early as the time of the Romans, 

 but it is only from the reign of Edward III. that its 

 prosperity can be dated. It is chiefly confined to the 

 southern -division of the island, and including the 

 various articles made of wool, is stated to employ half 

 a million of people, while the value of the articles 

 annually produced is about 18,000,000. The cotton I 



manufacture affords an example of unparalleled ra- 

 pidity of success. Unknown till the middle of the 

 seventeenth century, and not one-hundredth part of 

 its present extent at the commencement of the eigh- 

 teenth, it is now unrivalled in any other nation. 

 Manchester, Glasgow, and Paisley may be considered 

 ;is the principal centres of this trade. Linen was 

 early established as one of the staple manufactures of 

 Britain, but has now been partly superseded by that 

 of cotton. Britain, however, is more extensively 

 celebrated for the production of hardware and other 

 metallic articles than for any branch of her industry. 

 These, as well as the woollen manufactures, employ 

 vast quantities of native materials ; while others, MS 

 cotton and silk, depend wholly upon those of foreign 

 growth, and of distant climes. The things included 

 under this head are so numerous as altogether to pre- 

 clude specification. Large quantities of silk goods 

 are made in the metropolis, and several other places 

 toward the centre of England. Leather is also an- 

 other very important branch, and glass, earthenware, 

 porcelain, and paper, are carried to great perfec- 

 tion; besides various other manufactures which are 

 more local, or more limited. Carriages, hats, sugar- 

 refineries, breweries, soaperies, vitriol, copperas, white 

 lead, salt-works, and roperies, are spread over most 

 parts of the island. 



In addition to all these sources of industry, the 

 British fisheries give employment to a great number 

 of her inhabitants, and add considerable sums to her 

 annual capital, as well as supply several valuable ar- 

 ticles of food for home consumption and exportation. 

 The whole value, exclusive of the colonial fisheries of 

 Newfoundland, is supposed to exceed two millions 

 annually. 



Commerce. The commerce of England began to 

 establish itself at a period long before that of Scot- 

 land came into existence. In early periods, the trade 

 of England was that of Britain : a few historical facts, 

 therefore, concerning English trade may not impro- 

 perly introduce our account of the present state of 

 British commerce. 



Tin which though not exclusively furnished by 

 England, is certainly found there in much greater 

 quantities than in any other known place is said to 

 liave been the first article of British commerce. The 

 Phoenicians, who left unexplored few places of the 

 world as known to them, are said to have visited the 

 coasts of England for the purpose of procuring tin ; 

 but of the extent of this trade we have no information. 

 The Romans, while they possessed the island, had a 

 cloth-manufactory at Winchester ; and, though little 

 addicted to the arts of trade, probably carried from 

 this country such articles as they here found in abund- 

 ance. During the subsequent invasions by the Sax- 

 ons, Danes, and Normans, trade could not flourish ; 

 but under William the Conqueror, a body of Flemish 

 weavers settled in this island, and from this period it 

 may be said that the staple of England was coarse 

 woollens. The tyrannic John assumed the sole power 

 of commerce in his kingdom, and erected corporations 

 and monopolies wherever he thought proper, or 

 whenever he was tempted by the offer of a sufficient 

 bribe. Under such restraints, and while subjected to 

 the caprice and oppression of one man, trade must 

 have been almost annihilated. No adventure was 

 made, unless with the prospect of exorbitant profits. 

 The interest of money, therefore, became extremely 

 high; and under Henry III. we find it often to have 

 been no less than 50 per cent. It was, however, 

 during the reign of this latter prince, that regulations 

 were made respecting broad-cloths, russets, c., and 

 fine linens were woven in England at this early period. 



During the vigorous, and in some measure, pros, 

 porous reign of Edward I., commerce met with s>ome 



