DUNDEE. 



449 



b 



DUNDEE, (a.) Some of the more recent im- 

 provements which have taken place in this thriving 

 town may be here noticed. Reform street, since 

 our former article was written, has been opened up 

 between the High street arid the Meadows, and 

 when finished, will" embrace a range of street ar- 

 chitecture scarcely equalled by any thing of the 

 kind in Scotland. The ancient town-house stands 

 opposite its southern extremity, and the new pub- 

 lic seminaries cover its northern termination. This 

 splendid building is in the Doric style of Greek 

 architecture. The portico is composed of eight 

 columns, resembling those of the Parthenon at 

 Athens, but only two-thirds the size. The infu- 

 sion of a stream of pure air into the very heart of 

 the town is none of the least benefits arising from 

 the construction of Reform street. A fine new 

 street, named Lindsay street after a late provost, 

 has also been opened, along which the line of the 

 Newtyle Railway passes across the Overgate and 

 Nethergate towards the harbour. Immediately 

 adjoining the Railway depot at the ward, stands 

 the extensive and commodious new gaol and bride- 

 well, on the erection of which about 20,000 has 

 been expended ; the new burying ground, em- 

 bracing an extent of above four acres, beautifully 

 laid out and embellished with shrubbery, lies to the 

 eastward, and on an eminence to the north the 

 new bleaching green, the improvements in this 

 quarter comprising the most picturesque approach 

 to the town, and a number of the finest new build- 

 ings in or around it. The extension of Union 

 street south to the Craig Pier, the great landing 

 place from the south through Fife, will soon se- 

 cure a becoming approach to the town from that 

 quarter. But the greatest street improvement in 

 recent times is the opening up of Panmure street 

 Tetween the Cowgate and the Meadows, terminat- 

 ing at the top of Reform street, thus becoming 

 the great thoroughfare from the eastward, and 

 avoiding the narrow of the Murraygate. 



The harbour has long been considered, and 

 justly so, as the noblest specimen of the spirit and 

 enterprise of the inhabitants. Up to May, 1839, 

 no less a sum than 447,248 has been expended on 

 the works, which are not yet completed, being 

 an increase of 181,563 during the last six years. 

 Two commodious wet-docks have been finished 

 for several years, and the construction of a third, 

 which is nearly completed, and contains a greater 

 area than any single dock in the kingdom, will af- 

 ford a greater extent of harbour accommodation 

 than any port in Britain. The newly constructed 

 line of railway between Dundee and Arbroath, 

 which is considered one of the most beautiful yet 

 in operation, passes along the northern boundary 

 of the docks, affording, in conjunction with the 

 Newtyle and Forfar railways, a cheap and rapid 

 communication with Strathmore. The projected 

 line of railway between Dundee and Perth seems 

 to be abandoned for the present. Dock street is 

 in the course of being extended eastward to Caro- 

 lina port, and when completed will exhibit a noble 

 line of quay, upwards of a mile in length, un- 

 equalled in the kingdom. Government has lately 

 given 9000, besides purchasing ground for the 

 erection of a custom house and excise office in 

 Dock street, in a style commensurate with the 

 rapidly increasing trade of the port, which will 

 soon embrace a direct trade with the East Indies. 

 In addition to the capacious graving dock, an ex- 

 cellent patent slip, on Morton's principle, has re- 



cently been constructed, capable of taking up the 

 largest merchant vessels, and a powerful crane 

 has been erected at the south of Earl Grey's dock. 

 Notwithstanding the check which the trade of 

 Dundee, in common with that of other towns, has 

 recently suffered, the imports and exports have 

 been gradually augmenting from 1833 to 1839. 

 An abstract of these for the year ending 1833 

 shows an increase almost wonderful. Flax and 

 flax cedilla imported, 18,777 tons ; and hemp and 

 hemp codilla, 3,380; while 515,206 pieces linens, 

 sailcloth, bagging, &c., were exported, measuring 

 upwards of 57 millions of yards. But a still 

 greater gradual increase subsequently took place ; 

 for in the year ending May, 1839, the importation 

 of flax and flax codilla reached 28,973 tons, 

 hemp and hemp codilla, 3,489 tons ; the exporta- 

 tion for the same period being 717,070 pieces lin- 

 ens, sail-cloth, bagging, &c. This affords a strik- 

 ing contrast to the year 1745, when only 74 tons 

 of flax were imported, and 7,000 pieces of linens 

 exported. There has been a corresponding in- 

 crease in arrivals from foreign ports. During the 

 year ending May 1833, vessels embracing 47,148 

 tons register arrived, and for the year ending May 

 1839 the tonnage amounted to 65,220. The 

 shore dues, too, with the exception of a single 

 year, bear out the gradual increase : for the years 

 ending May 1833, to May 1839, both inclusive, the 

 amount collected was progressively as follows: 

 9,229, 9,993, 10,935, 12,774, 15,597, 

 13,262, and 16,004. The shipping belonging 

 to the port has also greatly increased during these 

 six years. At the end of 1833, the tonnage 

 reached 36,473, while its present amount is up- 

 wards of 45,000. In 1820 about eighty horse 

 power was employed in Dundee in spinning yarns. 

 The present amount of steam power for spinning 

 and weaving, in and about the town, is estimated at 

 17,000 horse power. Fully 700 has been erected 

 since the beginning of 1834, but owing to the 

 recent adverse state of trade, more than that 

 amount has been thrown out of employment at 

 present. The population has also increased ra- 

 pidly within these few years. In 1831, Dundee 

 contained 43,355 inhabitants exclusive of the sea- 

 men belonging to the port, and in 1841, the popula- 

 tion amounted to 62,794. 



Imports and Exports of Dundee for the Year ending 



31s May, 1839. 



IMPORTS. 



Flax, . 



Codilla, . 

 Hemp, 



Codilla, . 

 Lime, . 

 Coals, English, 



Scotch, 



21,237 tons. 



7.646 



2,677 



812 



59,377 bolls. 



71,358 



86,891 



Ashps 1,239 cwt. 



Timber 11,890 loads. 



Iron, 8,0?.'5 tons. 



Tallow, 123 cwts. 



1 ar. 476 barrels. 



Whale Blubber, .... 783 tons. 



Bone, .... 900 cwts., 



Wheat, 17..MU qrs., 



Salmon, 4,227 boxes. 



EXPORTS. 

 Osnaburgs, .... 79691 pieces. 



Sheetings, 909,936 



Cotton bagging, . . 35,164 



Sundries, do., .... 20,462 



Sailcloth, 159,656 



Sacking, 115,533 



Dowlas 75,082 



Sundries, 22,24. r > 



Wheat, 818 qrs. 



Barley, 14,647 



Oats 112 



IVaso, 150 



Flour, .5 sack*. 



2F 



