ENGLAND. 151 



iuond ; whence it flows to London, and, after dividing the counties of 

 Kent and Essex, widens in its progress, till it falls into the sea at the 

 Nore, from which it is navigable for large ships to London-bridge. 



The river Medway, which rises near Tunbridge, falls into the 

 Thames at Sheerness, and is navigable for the largest ships as far as 

 Chatham. The Severn, reckoned the second river for importance in 

 England, and the first for rapidity, rises at Plinlimmon-hill in North- 

 Wales ; becomes navigable at Welch-Pool ; runs east to Shrewsbury ; 

 then, turning south, visits Bridgnorth, Worcester, and Tewkesbury . 

 where it receives the Upper Avon: after having passed Gloucester, 

 it fakes a south-west direction ; is, near its mouth, increased by the 

 Wye and Ustre, and discharges itself into the Bristol Channel, near 

 King-road, where lie the great ships which cannot get up to Bristol. 

 The Trent rises in the Moorlands of Staffordshire, and running south- 

 east by Newcastle-under-Line, divides that county into two parts i 

 then, turning north-east on the confines of Derbyshire, visits Notting- 

 ham, running the whole length of that county to Lincolnshire, and 

 being joined by the Ouse and several other rivers towards the mouth, 

 obtains the name of the Humber, falling into the sea south-east of 

 Hull. 



The other principal rivers in England are the Ouse (a Gaelic word 

 signifying water in general) which falls into the Humber after receiv- 

 ing the waters of many other rivers. Another Ouse rises in Bucks, 

 and falls into the sea near Lynn in Norfolk. The Tyne runs from west 

 to east through Northumberland, and falls into the German sea at 

 Tinmouth, below Newcastle. The Tees runs from west to east, 

 dividing Durham from Yorkshire, and falls into the German sea 

 below Stockton. The Tweed runs from west to east, on the borders 

 of Scotland, and falls into the German sea at Berwick. The Eden 

 runs from south to north through Westmoreland and Cumberland, and, 

 passing by Carlisle, falls into Sol-way-Firth below that city. The low- 

 er Avon runs west through Wiltshire to Bath, and then, dividing 

 Somersetshire from Gloucestershire, runs to Bristol, falling into the 

 mouth of the Severn below that city. The Derwent runs from east 

 to west through Cumberland, and passing by Cockermouth, falls into 

 the Irish Sea a little below. The Ribble runs from east to west 

 through Lancashire, and, passing by Preston, discharges itself 

 into the Irish Sea. The Mersey runs from the south-east to the 

 north-west through Cheshire, and then, dividing Cheshire from Lan- 

 cashire, passes by Liverpool, and falls into the Irish Sea a little below 

 that town. The Dee rises in Wales, and divides Flintshire from 

 Cheshire, falling into the Irish channel below Chester. 



The Champaign parts of England are generally supplied with ex- 

 cellent springs and fountains ; though a discerning palate may per- 

 ceive that they frequently contain some mineral impregnation. In 

 some very high lands, the inhabitants are distressed for water, and 

 supply themselves by trenches, or digging deep wells. The consti- 

 tutions of the English, and the diseases to which they are liable, have 

 rendered them extremely inquisitive after salubrious waters, for the 

 recovery and preservation of their health ; so that England contains as 

 many mineral wells, of known efficacy, as perhaps any country in the 

 world. The most celebrated are the hot-baths of Bath and Bristol in 

 Somersetshire, and of Buxton and Matlock in Derbyshire ; The min- 

 eral waters of Tunbridge, Epsom, Cheltenham, Harrowgate, and Sear- 

 ch. Sea-water is also much used for medic?.! purposes; and 



