Oo* 
ENGLAND. 
now confined to Ireland and_Scotland. TheEnglifh oyflers 
maintain their Roman reputation ; but they feeni to yield 
in flavour to thofe of more northern countries. The 
green from Colchefter in Eflex, and the white from Mil- 
ton in Kent, have the chief reputation in the London 
market. 
In valuable mineral productions, England is far from 
being deficient. The tin-mines of Cornwall are not only 
venerable from their antiquity, but are, it is fuppofed, 
the richeft of the kind in the world. Tin is alfo found 
in Bohemia,' Saxony, and Hungary, and in the oriental 
regions of Malacca, Banca, and Siam, but not in fuch 
lading exuberance as in the Cornifli mines. That kind 
of (ilver, termed by mineralogifts horn-ore, is alfo found 
in that diftriCl; but the profound fecrecy obferved in 
working it, forbids any inveftigation of the amount. The 
Huel rock boafts of what is called bell-metal ore ; and 
of wolfram. Cornwall alfo produces copper at Redruth, 
Helfione, and the Land’s End. The fame metal is found 
in Yorkfhire and Statfordfiiire; but no where in fuch 
abundance as in the Parrys mountain, in the north.weft 
of Anglefea. This.valuable mine was.difcovered about 
thirty years ago. 
Lead is found in the Mendip-hills of Somerfetfhire ; 
which alfo produce calamine and manganefe. The lead- 
mines in Derbyfhire are well known, not only for that 
metal, but for the beautiful veins of floor which accom¬ 
pany it, and which is manufactured into feveral orna¬ 
mental articles. In general, the northern-central ridge of 
mountains abounds with lead ore. The lead-mines of 
Aldfton, on the eaftern verge of Cumberland, employ 
upwards of eleven hundred men. No metal is fo widely 
diffuled through the globe as iron ; and England not only 
contains excellent mines, but excels all nations in the va¬ 
riety of fabrication. The mod remarkable mines of iron, 
are thofe of Colebrook-dale, Shropfhire; Dean-foreft, in 
Gloucefterfhire; with fo me in the north of England, par¬ 
ticularly near Ulverfton, in Lancafhire. Zinc, in the 
form of lapis calaminaris, and blend, is found in Derby- 
fhire, Cornwall, and other regions. Nickel and arfenic 
fometimes appear in Cornwall; and recently, what is 
called menachanite. But one of the raoft important of 
this kind is plumbago, which is found in the ridge of Bor- 
rowdale, near Kefwick, in Cumberland. 
Gold has been difcovered in various quarters of Eng¬ 
land, particularly near Silfoe, in Bedfordlhire; but the 
metal has never recompenfed the labour and expence. 
The real gold mines of England are thofe of coal, found 
in the central, northern, and weftern parts, but particu¬ 
larly in the northern, round Newcaftle. The whole opu¬ 
lence of England has been afcribed to her coal, as being 
the very foul of her manufactures, and confequent com¬ 
merce. The coals of Whitehaven and Wigan are more 
pure ; and the cannel and peacock coals of Lancafhire 
are fo beautiful, that they are fufpected by fome to have 
conftituted the gagatcs, or jet, which the ancients afcribed 
to Britain. See the article Coal, vol. iv. p. 703, &c. 
The mines.of rock-falt in Chefhire particularly dc- 
ferve notice. They appear to have been known to the 
Romans, as a place called Salince is mentioned by the 
geographer of Ravenna. Leland has defcribed them in 
the time of "Henry VIII. nor were they unknown even in 
the Saxon periods. Thofe of Nortlnvich are the moft 
remarkable : at Nirnptwich and Middlewich, are only 
lalt-fprings ; and others occur at Droitvvich, in Worcef- 
terfhire, and Wefton in Staffordfhire. The immenfe 
mines on the fouth fide of Northwich, were difcovered 
about the beginning of the eighteenth century. The 
quarries, with their pillars and cryftal roof, extending 
over many acres, prefent a beautiful fpedtacle ; the ftra- 
tum of fait, lies under a bed of vvhitifh clay, at the 
depth of about forty yards. 
Marbles and free-ftone, or calcareous fund-fione, of va¬ 
rious colours and textures, alfo occur; the moft cele¬ 
brated of the latter are thofe of Portland, Purbeck, 
Fine alabafter appears in Derbyfhire; fullers’-earth In 
Berkfhire, and fome other countries. Quarries of beau¬ 
tiful flate are likewife worked in feveral parts; and it is 
highly to the advantage of the proprietors of all thefe 
mineral productions, as well as to the public at large, 
that the mines and quarr ies are for the moft part conti¬ 
guous to the coaft, whereby their produce can be carried 
coaft ways, or tranfported to any part of the world. 
England pref'ents an extent of coaft of great variety 
and beauty, in every direction except to the north, where 
it trends upon Scotland. From the mouth of the Tweed 
at Berwick, to Bamborough-caftle, the fhore is fmooth 
and fandy ; and the moft remarkable objeCt is Lindesfarn, 
or Holy Ifland, divided from Northumberland by a le¬ 
vel, which is dry at low water, but out of which the 
flowing tide oozes fuddenly, aoften to the peril of the 
unwary traveller. From Bamborough-caftle to Flambo- 
rough-head, are moftly low cliffs of lime-ftone and other 
material’s ; and at Sunderland, of a peculiar ftone ufed 
in building, and which feems the work of marine infects. 
Scarborough (lands on a vaft rock, projecting into the 
waves ; but Flarnborough-head is a far more magnificent 
object, being formed of lime-ftone, of a fnowy wliite- 
nefs, and ftu'pendous height, vifible far off at fea. “Grand 
cavei ns (fays Pennant) open on the north fide, giving 
wide and folemn admiflion, through moft exalted arches, 
into the body of the mountain ; together with the gra¬ 
dual decline of light ; the deep file nee of -the place, un- 
lefs interrupted by the (hiking of the oar, the colliiion 
of a fwelling wave againft the (ides, or the loud flutter 
of the pigeons, affrighted from their nefts in the diftant 
roof, afford pleafures of (cenery, which fuch formations 
as this alone can yield. Thefe alfo are wonderfully di- 
verlified. In fome parts the caverns penetrate far, and 
end in darknefs ; in others are pervious, and give a 
romantic paffage by another opening, equally fuperb. 
Many of the rocks are infulated, of a pyramidal form, 
and (oar to a great height. The bafes of moft are folid, 
but in fome pierced through and arched. All are co¬ 
vered in the feafon of incubation with innumerable flocks 
of migratory birds, which refort here annually to breed, 
and fill every little projection, every hole, which will 
give them leave to reft.” 
Hence to the Humber are commonly clay cliffs ; and 
near Spurnhead amber is fometimes found. Theextenfive 
coaft of Lincolnfhireis flat, part of which appears to have 
been gained from the fea ; though, in fome parts, the fea 
has in its turn invaded the land, particularly where the re- 
mainsof the fub-marine foreft are vilible under the waves. 
The county of Lincoln, and part of fix others, form the low 
countries of Britain; and the coaft is diftinguilhable by 
churches, not by hills. The thoresof Norfolk and Suffolk 
prefent fometimes loamy, or clayey precipices, fometimes 
hillocksof (and, atid fometimes low and flat (paces. Hun- 
ftanton-cfiff rifes to the height of about eighty feet, com- 
pofed tif chalk and friable ftone, retting on a Safe of what 
is called iron-coloured pudding ftone, projecting into the 
fea. The coaft of Eflex is generally low ; but to the 
fouth of the Thames, arife continued cliffs of chalk, with 
layers of flint, refembling’ mafonry. The North Fore¬ 
land is a lofty chalky promontory ; and the Cliffs of Do¬ 
ver are known to every reader of the immortal Shake, 
fpeare. This port being moft contiguous to the coaft of 
France, it is on that account, in peaceable times, the 
principal place of embarkation from England to the con¬ 
tinent ; and where packets are then conftantly palling and 
repairing to and from Calais, Ottend, Boulogne, &c. 
From Dover, and the South Foreland, the fhore (lopes 
away and becomes flat quite to Dungeneis, which is the 
moft noted headland on the coaft of Kent, and terminates 
that tract of land which has always been known by the 
name of Romney Marfli. From this headland, which is 
low, the fouthern coaft of England might be laid to com¬ 
mence^ as well as the fliores of Suflex. Palling the town 
of Haftings to the weftward, Bedcliy rears its venera- 
2 ble 
