in Northumberland and Durham in 1887. 599 
German Ocean. If the writer had to confess that his per- 
sonal knowledg^e of Northumberland was but slight and recent, 
he mav add here that, inasmuch as the competing farms in 
Durham were only three, and as thev were all situated in a small 
section of the eastern part of the countj which has the city of 
Durham on the west, Sunderland on the north, and Stockton on 
the south, his opportunities of observation hare been very slight. 
Population. — The population of Durham was, in 1881, 
^67,586. As its area is only half that of Xorthumberland, and 
its population is just twice as numerous, it follows that the 
density of population is four times as great. Like Xorthumber- 
land, the eastern side of the countv is more crowded with 
inhabitants than the west, but the distribution is more even, as 
in none of the registration districts does it fall below 108 
persons to the square mile. 
Persons engaged in agriculture in 1881 numbered 12,993 
males, and 4.581 females, or 14,574 in all. Those engaged about 
animals were 1659 persons. These figures show less than 17 per 
1000 of the whole population directly engaged in agriculture, 
and barely 20 per 1000 are included in the whole agricultural 
class. Agricultural labourers, farm servants, and cottagers were 
6674 males and 118-3 females ; while shepherds were only 117 in 
number. In these two divisions of labour there were 7974 persons 
engaged. In one class the Census Returns show a remarkable 
difference between Xorthumberland and Durham. The latter 
county has 3710 persons returned as farmers and graziers, while 
the former, with twice the area, has onlv 3048 in that class. 
It has been already pointed out that the number of persons 
directly en^a^ed in agriculture is relatively far larger in 
Durham than in Xorthumberland. But nevertheless the whole 
agricultural class in Durham is far outnumbered by the miners, 
who were, in 1881, 67,500 : while the carpenters, the ship- 
wrights, the domestic servants, the milliners, the mechanics, and 
many other classes each greatly exceed in number the agricul- 
tural labourers. 
Physical Features. — The western portion of the countv is 
uncultivated moorland, coyered with heather, and rising to an 
elevation of 1500 to 2200 feet. From Kilhope Law, near the 
junction of Xorthumberland, Cumberland, and Durham, the 
county slopes more or less gradually to the sea. The eastern 
portion of the county is bare and monotonous, except in 
the deep valleys, which are densely clothed with woods, and 
are very picturesque. The principal rivers are the Derwent, 
which, rising in the north-west, forms for a while the boundary 
between Durham and ^Northumberland. Xear Ebchester it 
enters the county, and, after running for about 7J miles 
