: HAMPSHIRE. 625 
rand Redbridge canal begins near the former place, are almost cut off from the body by arms of the sea, Hampshire 
~~ and falla into the Southampton water near the fatter, Its length from east to west is about 22 miles, its —y— 
Its length is 22} miles ;. its fall, 176 feet % inches. A breadth 18 miles; its circumference about 6, It con- !*!* 
_ collateral branch is navigable to within 2 miles of Sa- tains 105,000 acres, of which 75,000 are in a course of “8 
eee 9 The Winchester and Southampton canal is _ tillage, 20,000 in pasturage, and the remainder downs and 
~ one of the most ancient in the kingdom. The act for waste. It is divided into two hundreds, one market 
making it was obtained in the reign of Charles I. town, New and $ boroughs, returning each two 
There are several fish-ponds in 7 cam abr A members, Newton, Newport, and Yarmouth. The 
-on the wet soils on the borders of Surry. These ponds other towns of consequence are Corves and Ryde. It 
‘ are usually stocked with carp and tench ; and, in fa- contains 30 pari The face of the country is very 
-yourable circumstances, five acres of water will support diversified. The land round the coast being in some 
_ «1250 brace of these fish, until the stock are fit for mar- ces very high, particularly on the south or back of the 
_ -ket, and have obtained an average size of 2 lb. per island, where+there are steep cliffs of chalk and freestone, 
-brace, and consequently weigh 2500 lb.; which, at 9d. hollowed out into caverns. On the north side the 
-per lb. the price at which they are usually sold to the ground slopes to the water in easy declivities. The 
P fishmongers, will amount to £93, 15s. the value western side is fenced with ridges of rocks, of which 
. of five acres of land so employed for three years. the most remarkable are those called, from their sharp 
fac. The manufactures of Hampshire are not very consi- extremities, the. Needles. The height of the cliffs in 
_derable or numerous. At Alton, there are manufactures the north-west is, in some places, feet above the 
of en and a variety of worsted articles, bombazines, level of the sea, They are frequented by immense 
.&e. Worsted yarn is spun in this town.and neighbour- numbers of marine birds. Between the island and the 
-hood. _ Nearly the same kind of manufactures exist at mainland are various sand banks, especially off the 
Basin gstoke is distinguished for its manu- eastern part, where is the’safe road of St Helens. 
-factures of malt and leather. At Overton there is a The land to the north of the ridge already mention- 
mers ae casera We spec and in this of ed, is chiefly pasture: To the south of it is a rich arable 
the county the young peasantry are much em- country, producing greet crops of corn. It is said 
». ployed in making straw hats.. The paper mills near that the grain annually grown lise is sometimes great- 
_.. Overton are famous for being employed in making pa- er than the consumption of the island. The farms are 
«per for the notes of the Bank of England. There are ‘small. The crops usually obtained are wheat, bar- 
_also. paper mills in other of Hampshire. Ando- ley, oats, beans, turnips, clover, &c. ; the prevalent svil, 
ver is remarkable for the quantities, as well as for a strong loam on a dry subsoil, being well calcula- 
_., -the excellent quality, of the malt made in it and the - ted for all these crops. The butter made here is excel- 
Vicinity. Its former manufacture of shalloons is on lent: the cheese, the worst in England except the Suf- 
the decay. - A considerable quantity of yarn and wor- folk, The cattle are the Devesmhing and Alderney ; 
-sted is spun in this part for the manufactures at Salis- the sheep mostly Southdown and Dorset. On ‘the 
-bury.. Stockbridge is noted for wheelwrights and downs a great number of fine-fleeced are fed, 
carpenters. In Winchester, many people are em- about 40,000 being annually shorn, and about 5000 
4 in the manufacture of light silk goods, and lambs sold. Rabbits are very plentiful. The climate 
in preparing and winding the silk. The manufactured is almost proverbially mild; and as the scenery is 
=~ are principally used for umbrellas. Romsey is scarcely equalled in 4 part of Europe, this isle is a 
famous for its beer; the manufacture of shalloons is favourite residence. There are not many woods. The 
greatly decayed ; considerable quantities of sacking most extensive are those of Swainston, Wooten, and 
are made. At Fordingbridge, there is an extensive and Quarr. The chief rivers are the Medina, the Yar, and 
flourishing manufacture of striped bed ticking; nearly the Wooten. The Medina, passing Newport, falls into 
‘two-thirds of the inhabitants being employed ih spin- the sea at Corves: the Yar falls into the Channel at 
-ning,. bleaching, weaving, &c. for this manufacture. Yarmouth: the Wooten falls into Braden’s harbour. 
‘Knit silk stockings, and a watch chain manufactory, par- There are also various creeks and bays. Great variety 
ticularly distinguish Christchurch. At Lymington » of fish is found on the coast, icularly lobsters 
‘there are very extensive and valuable manufactures of and crabs. The cockles are much celebrated, and the 
culinary and medicinal salts from sea-water. South- sandeel is very plentiful. 
Y ton was formerly famous for its trade in French Among the products of this island are to be reckoned 
vand port wines ; but this is in a great measure cnt to a pure white pipe-clay, and a fine white crystalline 
decay. At Farnham, there are manufactures of bricks, sand, Great gence of the latter are exported for 
tiles, chimney pots, and. sacking and cordage. There thevuse of the glass-works. Alum formerly was manu- 
is one fair in Hetopibties which deserves particular no- factured in some of the western coves of the island. 
tice. This is held at Wey-hill, in the hundred. of Ando- _By the returns respecting the poor-rates in the year Poor rates 
-ver..It commences the day before Michaelmas-day, 1803, it appears that in the whole coueets r in 1803 and 
cand is one of the largest in the kingdom for hops, the isle of Wight, £153,427 was annual ly raised for 1815. 
sheep, and cheese. Upwards of 140,000 sheep have poor and other rates. The av rate in the pound 
been sold in one ~ , The Farnham. hops are almost on the rack-rental was 4s. Sid. £130,983 was actually 
entirely sold here. ‘The fair generally lasts 6 or 7 days. expended on account of the poor, The number of 
_ © The isle of Wight must be particularly noticed. It friendly societies was 62, containing 4783 members. 
is separated from the main land of the county byachan- The number of children in schools of industry amount- 
nel varying from 2 to.7 miles in breadth, Its form is ed to 614. In the year ending 25th March 1815, the 
that of an irregular lozenge. It is nearly divided into sum raised in this county for poor and other parochial 
two equal parts by the river of Coryes.. Through the rates amounted to £211,557, making an increase since 
middle of it, in the longest direction, extends a range 1803, or in the space of 12 years, 0 £58,130, or neat~ 
of downs.. The eastern.and western parts of the island ly 30 per cent, 
\) WoL. X. PART 11. 4k 
