B R I 



B R I 



The river, which runs into tiic bay from the ea(V, is about a 

 tnile broad at the entrance, and has plenty of fahnon. N. 

 lat. j8° 27'. W. long. ijS" 5'. The variation on this 

 coad is nearly 20° E. 



Bristol Bay, a bav on the S.W. coall of Nova Scotia, 

 N.lat. 44° 4'.'. W. long. 6f. 



Bristol Capi:, lies in Sandwich idand, S leagues N. from 

 cape Montagne, and E. from Freizl.ind j)cak. S. lat. 59"^ 

 2'. W. long. 26° ■;!'. 



Bristol Channel, the eftuary or wide frith of the Severn, 

 is that part of tiic Atlantic Ocean, which lies between the 

 fjuth coaft of Walts and the counties of Somerfet, Devon, 

 and Cornwall, in England. 



BRISII RE, in Faruf.ctiUon, a line of four or five fathoms, 

 which is allowed to the curtain and ordlon, to make the hol- 

 low tower, or to cover the concealed (lank. 



Brist-'RE, in Heraldry, is the mark of diftinflion of 

 houfcsor families, when borne as (Inch on a bend, felfe, &c. 

 BRIT, in Geo^ral<hy, a river in England, which runs into 

 the fea, 2 miles iouth of Bridport, in Dorfctfiiire. 



BRITAIN, Grlat, the nioft confiderable idand of Eu- 

 rope, comprehending the two kingdoms of England and 

 Scotland, with the principality of Wales, and extending 

 from Li/.ard point, N. lat. 50° nearly to Dungftiy-head in 

 N. lat. 58"^ ,50' nearly. Accordinglv, its length is about 5'90 

 miles. Itsgreated brca Uii from the Laud's End, inW. long. 

 5° 4--;'. to the north Foreland, in E. long. 1° i-' . is about ^ 

 4853 miles. Its form, however, is fomewhat triangular ; 

 as it has three promontories, projecfing in different direc- 

 tions, viz. the Land's End, in Cornwall, towards the 

 well ; the North Foreland, in Kent, towards the call ; and 

 Dungfby-head, in Caithnefs, towards the North ; and the 

 circuit of its three fides, allowing for the windings of the 

 coaft, contains, by a general ellimate, about iSoo mites. 

 But if Great Britain were confidcred as a perfect triangle, 

 the kngth of its three fides would meafure about 15-O Bri- 

 tilh miles. It is bounded on the north by the Northern 

 Ocean, on the well by the Atlantic and the Irilh Sea, 

 which feparates it from Ireland, on the fouth by the Britifh 

 Channel, which divides it from France, and on the eaft, to- 

 war«ls Germany, by the North Sea and German Ocean. 

 Some have fnppofed, that Great Britain was, in times of 

 very remote antiquity, united with the continent. The 

 entire feparation of Great Britain from the continent mull; 

 have happened, according to the conjeilures of Mr. Kirwan, 

 (Irifh Tranfad. vol. vi. p. joi.) long after the deluge, and 

 that of Ireland from Great Britain at a ftill later period ; 

 for wolves and bears were anciently found in both, and thefe 

 mud have paflfed from the continent into Britain, and hence 

 into Ireland, as their importation cannot be fufpefted. The 

 divulfive force that fcparated Britain from Germany feems, 

 according to this writer, to have been direfted from north 

 to fouth, but gradually weakened in its progrefs. Hence 

 that ifland is fliarpened to the northward ; but the impreffion 

 muil have been coafiderably enfeebled by the oppofition of the 

 granitic mountains that form the Shetland and Orkney ifles. 

 The broken ftrutlin-e of the calcareous or argillaceous and 

 arenaceous rnaterrals of the more fouthern parts prefented 

 lefs refinance, were more eafily preyed upon, and gave way 

 to what is now called the Germiu Ocean, while thefe ma- 

 terials themfelves were fpread over Wcllphalia, &c. or formed 

 the fiibfoil of Flanders, Holland, and the fand-banks on its 

 coaft. The rupture of the illhmus that joined Calais and 

 Dover was probably effected by an earthquake at a later 



period, and gradually widened by tides and currents. Ireland 

 was protected by Scotland from the viol<-nce of the noitlurii 

 fliock ; and hence its feparation from Scotland appears to 

 have been late and gradual. I'hat from England was pro- 

 bably diluvial, and cffcfted by a fouthern (hock. Tiicfc 

 changes, lays this writer, happened at lead j6oo years ago. 

 But to return from this digreffion. 



The fertility and pleafantnefs of Great Britain gave <bc- 

 cafion to imagine, that thefe were tlie f irtunate illands, dc- 

 fcribed by the poets, wliev^; the face uf nature exhibited ;i 

 perpetual i])ring. In former times this was the gianary of the 

 wedern empire; from hence was tranfpovted every year aij 

 unmenfe quantity of corn for the fup[)ly of the army on ihc 

 frontiers of Germany. As to the hiilory of its more carlr 

 date, its population, fertility, and a variety of other tiv- 

 cumftances relating to it, we refer to the next article. 



Tfie climate of Great Britain is, perhaps, more variable 

 than that of any other country on the globe ; and this cir- 

 cumdance has been afcribed to the oppofition between the-' 

 vapours of the Atlantic Ocean, and the drying winds from 

 the eadern continent. The wedern coaRs are fubjift to 

 frequent rains ; and the eadern part of Scotland has a clearer 

 and drier temjjcrature than that of Englind. The humidity 

 of the climate, whilrt it invcds the delicious vales and mea- 

 dows with a verdure unknown to any other region, injures 

 the health of the inhabitants, by occafioning colds and 

 catarrhs, which too frequently terminate in confuniptions, 

 that are fatal to many in the prime of youth. Befides, the 

 moid and foggy climate confpires, with the excefdve life of 

 grofs animal food, to produce that melancholy, which 

 foreigners have confidered as a national characteriflic of the 

 country. To the mutability of the climate we may reafon- 

 ably alcribe the precarioufiiefs of the feafons. To this pui- 

 pofe it has been obferved by fome judicious perfons, that fince 

 the year 1/75) ^ confiderable change has taken place, with 

 regard to the temperature of the year, both in Great Britain 

 and Ireland. The winters have been, in general, more moid 

 and mild, and the fummers have been more humid and more 

 cold, than the average of preceding years. With us the 

 year might not improperly be divided into eight montlis of 

 winter and four of fummer. The fpring dawns in April, 

 which is commonly a mild month, but eadern winds pre- 

 vail in May, and check the efforts of reviving nature, and 

 difappoint the promife of the year. June, July, Auguft, 

 aud September, are ufually warm fummer months, with oc- 

 cafional frody nights even in Augud, and cold eaft wind ; 

 and fome fummers have of late years been chilled by con- 

 ftant rain. Our winter commences with the beginning of 

 Oftober, which, however, is often a mild and pleafant month; 

 fevere froft does not com.monly occur till Chriftmas. No- 

 vember is the mod gloomy month of the jear ; and allowed, 

 generally, to be the mod unfettled month, interfperfed with 

 dry froft, cold rains, and flrong winds, with ftorms of hail and 

 fleet. But all obfervations of this kind mult be confidered 

 as general in their nature ; and counteraftcd by different 

 fituations with regard to latitude, and by a variety of local 

 circumdances. 



The population of Great Britain has been varioufly efti- 

 mated ; fome reckoning it at 7,000,000, and others at more 

 than 12,000,000. But in the year i8oo an aft was paffed, 

 (41 Geo. III.) " for taking an account of the population 

 of Great Britain, and of the iucreafe or diminution thereof." 

 From an abftraft of the returns made to parliament, in cou- 

 feqacnce of this aft, the following rcfult was deduced : 



SUM. 



