204 



THE BRITISH ISLES. 



the sou-coast has materuiUy uddetl to the wealth of wliat would otherwise be a 

 purely agricultural county, and given rise to important industries. Of these the 

 construction of machinery, the building of iron ships, and the making and founding 

 of iron take the lead, and in comparison with them the potteries, glass houses, 

 brass foundries, artificial manure works, and paper-mills are comparatively 

 unimportant. 



yciccasflc-0)i-Tt/ne, with its satellite towns, forms one of the greatest agglomera- 

 tions of houses and factories in England. The Tyne between it and the sea, 8 

 miles below, resembles an elongated dock rather than a river, and its quays are at 

 all times crowded with shipping. Towns and groups of factories succeed each 



Fig. 146.— SUNDEKI-AND, NeAVCASTLE, AND THE MoUTH OF TUE TyNE. 

 Scale 1 : 250,000. 



Depth under 5 

 Fathoms 



2 Miles. 



other in rapid succession along both banks of the river, and at night their flaring 

 furnaces present a scene of uncanny grandeur. Opposite Newcastle, as already 

 remarked, lies Gateshead ; then come the houses of Felling, likewise on the 

 Durham bank ; whilst the opposite shore is lined by the alkali and vitriol works of 

 Walker. A bend in the river brings us within sight of Willington Quay, where 

 the Roman Ser/edunum stood formerly, and of Walhend, at the eastern extremity 

 of the Roman wall. Houdeu Pans comes next, with ship-yards and tar and varnish 

 factories. Near it, at Hayhole, are the Northumberland Docks, and beyond these 

 we reach North Shields, a great coal-shipping port, also largely engaged in ship- 

 building, anchor forging, and the making of pottery. Tynemouth rises at the very 

 mouth of the Tyne, and though enclosed with Shields within the same municipal 



