SCARBOROUGH. 345 



merous are its visitors ; not only these of the high- 

 er circles ; but those also in the middle ranks in 

 life ; many of whom are valetudinarians, and others 

 resort hither for recreation and amusement. Ho\v 

 delightful is this situation ! the bay is beautiful, 

 the water is limpid and wholesome, the sand is 

 clean, smooth and firm ; and the beach slopes towards 

 the sea, by an easy and almost imperceptible des- 

 cent. The town is situated in the recess of a 

 beautiful bay, winding round in the form of a cre- 

 scent, which, from the German ocean, has a very in- 

 teresting appearance. This place is nearly in a cen- 

 tral situation, between Flamborough Head and 

 Whitby. On the south is a vast expanse of ocean ; 

 a scene of the highest magnificence, where fleets of 

 ships are frequently passing. The refreshing gales 

 of the ocean, and the shade of the neighbouring hills, 

 give an agreeable temperature to the air, during 

 the sultry heats of summer, and produce sensations 

 grateful and soothing. 



This town is situated in the wapentake of Pick- 

 ering Lythe, and liberty of Scarborough ; 18 miles 

 from Pickering, 2i from Whitby, and 22 from Mai- 

 ton. The origin of it is not known. Scarborough is 

 Saxon, signifying Scar, a rock, and burgh a fortified 

 place.* The town is well built. The population, 



* Scarborough is called in Camden's Brittannia, by 

 Gough, Scardeburg, from which this account is extract- 

 ed, with the alteration of modern spelling. Scarde- 

 burg, where it is not defended by the warth and the sea, 

 is walled a little with stone, but most with ditches, 

 and walls of earth. In the town to enter by land, are 

 but two gates. It standeth wholly on a slaty cliff, and 

 sheweth very fair to the sea. There is but one parish, 

 Xx 



