INTRODUCTORY. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLE OF MAN. 
THE Isle of Man is about 32 miles in length, its greatest 
breadth being some 13 miles. Its area is 145,325 acres, 
or 227 square miles; its circumference (without entering 
the bays) about 75 miles. These measurements include 
the Calf of Man. From Snaefell, taken as a central point, 
the distance to Burrow Head (Scotland) is 30 miles, to the 
Mull of Galloway about a mile more, to St. Bees Head 
(England) 40 miles, to Anglesea 55, and about 45 to the 
nearest point in County Down. The shortest distances to 
the surrounding lands are from the Point of Ayre to Burrow 
Head 16 miles, from the same point to St. Bees Head 28, 
Calf of Man to Point Lynas 42, Contrary Head to the 
entrance of Strangford Lough 264 miles. 
The island lies between lat. 54:2° and 54°25°, and long. 
4°17° and 4°49°, 
The separating seas are (especially toward the Cumbrian 
coast, where the water never attains the depth of 20 fathoms) 
very shallow, and exceed 50 fathoms only in a trench which 
runs north and south between Man and Ireland. 
From the northern slopes of the island the Galloway 
coast is in clear weather visible from the Mull to the 
Solway ; Cairnsmore of Fleet, Cairnharrow, Screel, and 
Criffel being prominent in the background, and occasionally 
perceptible the summits, some of them even loftier, beyond 
Loch Trool and Loch Dee. In the east the ranges of Lake- 
land show a fine array of heights, ending conspicuously to 
the south in Black Combe. Southwards Wales is more 
XV 
