219 
castle, situated in an extensive park; to the left of the road stand 
large square masses of stone, said to be the burial place of the 
Stafford family. Near the town of Stafford, which is the capital 
of Staffordshire, the old castle of Stafford is erected on a high 
hilL Two of its towers are still remaining, several rooms of 
which are fitted up for a sporting rendezvous. In former times 
it is said to have been a very important fortress, but was destroy¬ 
ed during the protectorate of Cromwell. Staffordshire is cele¬ 
brated for its manufactures of earthenware; there are two very 
respectable establishments of this kind at Newcastle-under-Lyne, 
the most excellent of which is that of Wedgewood in Etruria, 
situated two miles from the aforesaid town. We passed seve¬ 
ral cotton manufactories, and a silk factory near Congleton, a 
town on the other side of Knutsford, containing six thousand 
souls. 
We crossed at several times to-day two excellent canals, one 
belonging to the Sankey Navigation Company, and the other to 
the Duke of Bridgewater. We drove twice under this canal. In 
Stafford I observed a very decent looking court-house, and upon 
a hill the central prison of Staffordshire. I also remarked to-day 
several coal-mines; particularly at the last post between Wolver¬ 
hampton and Birmingham they are very numerous. Fora consi¬ 
derable distance no sign of cultivation was to be seen; nothing 
was to be seen but coal and iron-works, with steam-machines and 
colossal chimneys in the form of obelisks, and high flaming fur¬ 
naces. This district had the appearance of a conflagrated city, 
several of whose houses were still burning; the sulphurous smell 
that pervaded the atmosphere, almost took the breath away. As 
we approached Birmingham, these works began to disappear; we 
passed through pleasant villages interspersed with charming 
blooming gardens, and every thing foretold that we were ap¬ 
proaching a large and wealthy city. This impression was 
strengthened on our seeing the citizens returning from the coun¬ 
try in their holy-day suits. It was about nine o’clock in the 
evening, when we reached Birmingham. I took up my quarters 
in the Royal Hotel, an excellent tavern, where I resided three 
years previous. In a public advertisement, stating the advan¬ 
tages connected with this establishment, travellers are notified 
that it is located in the pleasantest part of the town, whereas the 
finest prospect it presents, opens upon a burial ground, which 
also answers as a promenade for the inhabitants, and as a play¬ 
ground for children.' 
In Birmingham three years past, I spent several days; I wish¬ 
ed, however, to see several things once more, and therefore so¬ 
journed a few days in this city. I went to Mr. Thomason’s show¬ 
room, where every thing, manufactured in Burmingham, is to be 
