698 
SUN 
very rare. This route is seldom taken as a matter of choice; 
but boats coming down tne country to Calcutta in the hot 
season, are obliged to come through the Sunderbunds. The 
boats also from Chittagong and Arracan come through them 
in all seasons of the year; and during the dry weather salt- 
makers and wood cutters reside here, and follow their re- 
pective occupations, though at the great risk of their lives. 
It is observable, that none of the trees are of a great size, nor 
afford valuable timber. They are, however, extremely use¬ 
ful to Calcutta and other European towns on the Bhaggarutty 
river, by yielding them an inexhaustible supply of firewood. 
Some attempts have been made to bring parts of the Sunder¬ 
bunds into cultivation, but with little success, as the want 
of fresh water must always prove a great obstacle. In a po¬ 
litical point of view the Sunderbunds are esteemed of much 
utilty, as forming a strong barrier towards the south, there 
being only three of the rivers accessible by ships. 
SUNDERBURGER-SUND. See Alsingsund. 
SUNDERLAND, a large and populous market-town and 
sea-port of England, in the county of Durham. It is situated 
near the mouth of the Wear, on the south bank of the river. 
It is joined to the town of Monk Wearmouth, on the op¬ 
posite side, by a famous iron bridge; so that the whole, 
including Bishop Wearmouth, forms one connected town, 
which extends about a mile and a half in length, and about 
one mile (the river Wear included) in breadth. The High- 
street is spacious, and tolerably handsome, especially the 
central part, which rises with a considerable ascent. Some 
of the other streets which branch off from this are narrow 
and dirty; but of late years many improvements have been 
made, in widening, repairing, and lighting the streets; and 
the general appearance of the town has, in consequence, 
been greatly improved. Of its public buildings, the church 
is a spacious and handsome edifice. The east end has a 
very light and elegant appearance, the altar being placed in 
a circular recess, surmounted by a dome. This building 
proving too small for the increasing population of the town, 
a spacious and elegant chapel of ease was erected in 1769; 
and the town contains, besides, a large and handsome cha¬ 
pel for the Methodists, and meeting-houses for the Presby¬ 
terians, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, and Unitarians. 
Several benevolent institutions exist in different parts of the 
town, particularly a dispensary established in 1794; a hu¬ 
mane society, begun about the year 1790; a charity for de¬ 
cayed seamen and seamen’s widows; a school for girls, 
founded about the year 1778; and a blue-coat school for 
boys. For the latter, a new school-house has been erected 
by subscription. The expense of education is chiefly de¬ 
frayed by the money collected from communicants at the 
times of administering the sacrament. Here is also a charity 
school for boys, on the Lancasterian plan, and another at 
Bishop Wearmouth, on Bell’s system. The exchange at 
Sunderland is a handsome building; and here is also an ex¬ 
cellent public library, a large assembly-room, and a neat 
theatre. During the last war, very extensive and commo¬ 
dious barracks were erected on the moor on the east of the 
town. At a short distance to the south was formerly a cha¬ 
lybeate spring, said to be scaicely less powerful than that of 
Harrowgate; but by the encroachment of the sea on the 
Town-moor, where it was situated, this has been entirely 
washed away. The harbour of Sunderland is formed by two 
piers, situated on the south and north sides of the river. 
That on the south side is of long standing, and has under¬ 
gone several repairs, having been much damaged by the 
high flood in November 1771. The other has been con¬ 
structed since the year 1788, and forms a capital improve¬ 
ment in the harbour. Before this period, the navigation of 
the river was much impeded for want of a sufficient depth of 
water to admit ships of large burden with their cargoes, so 
that they were obliged to take in part of their lading in the 
open road. This inconvenience is now, in a great measure, 
emoved. The northern pier, by narrowing the river, gives 
the ebbing tide greater force to clear away the bar of sand 
which is apt to form at the entrance of the harbour. The 
tide now flows 16 feet, and admits vessels of 300 or 400 tons 
SUN 
burden. Near the extremity of the northern pier an elegant 
light-house has been erected, which was finished in 1802, 
The iron bridge of Sunderland is justly regarded as the 
greatest curiosity in this part of the country, and is deserv¬ 
ing of attention, both as a magnificent work of art, and as 
being among the first of the kind ever erected. It consists 
of an arch of iron frame-work, thrown over the river, 237 
feet span, and rising 100 feet above the level of the water; 
so that ships even of 400 tons can sail under it, by only 
striking their top-gallant masts. The trade of Sunderland 
has been long on the increase, and during the last half cen¬ 
tury in particular, has advanced with great rapidity. Its 
imports are chiefly flour, wines, spirituous liquors, timber, 
tar, deals, flax, iron, &c. Coal is the staple article of ex¬ 
port, and the coal trade furnishes employment for nearly 
600 vessels, besides nearly 500 keels, which convey the 
coals from the coal-wharfs to the ships. The whole quan¬ 
tity of coals exported from Sunderland in the year 1820, was 
421,061 j Newcastle chaldrons. The number of persons de¬ 
pendent on this trade is very great, and cannot be estimated 
at less than 20,000 or 30,000. Most of the coals go to the 
metropolis, and to different places along the eastern coast. 
Considerable quantities are also sent to the Baltic, and in 
time of peace to France and Holland. The other articles of 
export are lime, glass bottles, grindstones, and copperas. 
The lime is sent chiefly to the coasts of Yorkshire and Scot¬ 
land. In the year 1814, no fewer than 8000 vessels cleared 
out from this port. The manufactures of Sunderland are 
chiefly those of flint and bottle glass, earthenware, copperas, 
coal, tar, patent ropes, &c. Ship-building is carried on to 
a great extent, and a greater number of vessels have been 
launched here of late years, than at any other part in the 
kingdom. Sunderland is a borough by prescription. In 
the year 1634, the burgesses and inhabitants were incorpo¬ 
rated, by the title of mayor, 12 aldermen, and commonalty; 
but through the destruction and confusion incident to the 
civil wars which immediately followed, the charter was suf¬ 
fered to expire, no mayor or aldermen having ever been 
chosen to replace the first nominees. It sends no member to 
parliament. Population in 1811, 25,180; in this return sea¬ 
faring men, and persons serving in the army, or old militia, 
were not included. The real population at present, includ¬ 
ing these, will not be short of 35,000. Market on Friday ; 
13 miles north-east of Durham, and 268 north of London. 
Lat. 54. 55. N., long. 0. 40. E. 
SUNDERLAND, a village of England, in Cumberland, 
near Cockermouth. 
SUNDERLAND, a township of the United States, in 
Franklin county, Massachusetts, east of the Connecticut; 
90 miles west of Boston. Population 551. 
SUNDERLAND BRIDGE, a hamlet of England, county 
of Durham ; 3~ miles south-south-west of Durham. 
SUNDERLAND FORT, a fort of the island of Barba- 
does; 1 mile north of Speights Town. 
SUNDERLAND, North, a township of England, in 
Northumberland; 6| miles east-south-east of Belford. Po¬ 
pulation 528. 
SUNDERLAND WICK, a hamlet of England, East 
Riding of Yorkshire; 2j miles south-south-west of Great 
Driffield. 
SU'NDEW, s. An herb. Ainsworth. 
SUNDHAUSEN, a village of the east of France, in the 
department of the Lower Rhine, with 1000 inhabitants. 
SUNDI, or Soondi, a district of Congo, in Africa, on 
the upper part of the bank of the Zaire. It is rocky and 
barren. 
SU'NDIAL, 5. A marked plate on which the shadow 
points the hour.—The body, though it really moves, yet not 
changing perceivable distance, seems to stand still; as is evi¬ 
dent in the shadows of sun-dials. Locke. 
SUNDON, a parish of England, in Bedfordshire; 5 miles 
north-west-by-north of Luton. 
SU'N-DRIED, part. adj. Dried by the heat of the sun. 
—The building is of sun-dried brick. Sir T. Herbert. 
SUNDRISH, or Sundridge, a parish of England, in 
Kent; 
