624 



ENGLAND. 



further south ; the SnoiBdon range occupies their centre ; and its chief summit is the highest 

 mountain in England, being 3,570 feet in height. The general elevation of these heights is 

 from 1 to 3 thousand feet. There are several detached groups in the southern and cen- 

 tral parts of the kingdom. All these eminences, with little exception, are covered with vege- 

 tation, and enclose many sequestered glens, some of them gloomy and solitary, and others in- 

 terspersed with fertile and romantic valleys, affording the most picturesque scenery. Wales 

 is remarkable for the beauty of its mountain landscapes, and the nujmber of streams and lakes 

 with which it is watered. Most of the mountains of England abound in valuable minerals. 



3. Valleys. There are no valleys of any great extent. The basin of the river Severn is 

 skirted by the Welsh mountains on the west, and by some lofty eminences on the east. The 

 valleys of the smaller streams are too inconsiderable for notice. 



4. Rivers. The largest river of England is the Severn, which rises near Plinlimmon, a 

 high mountain in Wales, and flows at first easterly, and then south and southwesterly to the 

 sea. Its embouchure forms a wide bay, called the Bristol Channel. It is 200 miles long, and 

 is navigable in the lower part of its course. The tide rolls up this stream in waves 3 or 4 

 feet high. The Thames rises near the Severn, in the lower part of its course, and flows east 

 into the German ocean. It is 160 miles long, and is navigable for ships to London, 60 miles. 

 This is the most important river of Great Britain for navigation. The JMerseij is a small 

 stream flowing southwest into the Irish sea at Liverpool ; it is navigable 35 miles. The Det 

 rises in Wales, and flows northwest into the Irish sea near the mouth of the Mersey. The 

 Trent and Ouse rise in the north, and by their junction form the Humber, which is a good 

 navigable stream, and falls into the German ocean. 



5. Lakes. These are small, and would be styled ponds in the United States. They are, 

 however, very celebrated for their natural beauty, heightened by cultivation and the charming 

 country seats around them. The largest, and the greatest number, are in the counties of 

 Cumberland ^d Westmoreland, near the northern extremity of England. Winandermere is 

 about 10 miles long, and from I to 2 broad ; it contains several islands. Ulswaterls somewhat 

 smaller. The handsomest is Dcricentivater, or Keswick, 4 miles in length ; the approach to 

 it, in one direction, is embellished by a beautiful cascade. There are many other small lakes 

 in this neighborhood. 



6. Islands. The [sle of JVight lies upon the southern coast. Its shape is an irregular 

 square, and its surface contains about 270 square miles. A little stream divides it north and 

 south, and a chain of hills crosses it from east to west. The soil is fertile, but the shores are 

 rocky. The Isle of ^^nglcsey, or Jlnglesea on the west coast of Wales, is 24 miles long and 

 17 broad. That part toward the n)ain land is covered with forests, the ancient sanctua- 

 ries of druldical superstition, where barrows and heaps of stones remain to remind us of its 

 bloody ceremonies. The rest of the island is naked, but contains a copper mine. The Isle 

 of Man lies between England, Scotland, and Ireland ; the nearest is Scotland, which is 20 

 miles distant. It is 30 miles long, and less than half as broad. A mountain, called Snsefel, 

 occupies the centre ; the soil is tolerably fertile. Man was long an independent kingdom, but 



the sovereignty was bought by the British Government, in 1765, to prevent smuggling. 

 Near the southwest extremity of England lie the isles of Scilly, known to the ancients by 

 the name of Cassiterides. They are 145 in number, but only 5 are inhabited ; the rest 

 are mere barren rocks. Numbers of druidical monuments are found upon them. The 

 Anglo-Norman islands lie near the French coast, and constitute the remnant of the Brit- 

 ish dominion over the ancient Duchy of Normandy. These are Guernsey, Jersey, Alder- 

 ney, and Sark. The largest is 12 miles in length, and they are all well inhabited. 



7. Bays and Harbors. The largest bay is the Bristol Channel, 20 miles wide and 

 60 in extent. The Thames, at its mouth, enlarges to a considerable bay. The Wash 

 is a wide bay on the eastern coast. Small harbors are numerous in every part. 



8. Shores and Capes. The shores are generally rocky, and in many parts are com- 

 posed of high, chalky clilTs, whose white appearance gave this island in ancient times the 

 name of Albion. In some quarters are level, sandy beaches. There are no islands on 

 the eastern coast, and here the shore is bolder than on the west. A long cape, which. 

 con;iprises the county of Cornwall, forms the southwestern extremity of England. Its 

 termination is called the Land^s End. 



9. Climate. England has an atmosphere of fogs, rain, and perpetual change ; yet the cli- 

 mate is mild. The rigors of winter and the heats of summer are less felt than on the conti- 



