448 
by proper management enfured thefe con- 
tented and induftrious miners, fources of 
rational and manly entertainment, and 
diftinguifhed them by their general know- 
ledge ; fkill in their particular occupation ; 
urbanity, public fpirit and fobriety, in 
which they have feldom been exceeded. 
Another enquiry of your correfpon- 
dent, is, in what towns friendly focieties 
are eltablifhed for the relief of the poor? 
One of this de(cription, on a very li- 
beral principle, was formed inthe fum- 
mer of ninety feven, ‘‘ for the relief of 
the friendlefs poor and fick in Newcaftle 
upon Tyne-and its vicinity’— the men- 
tal darknefs as well as the bodily diftrefs, 
of multitudes who had no legal claim on 
parochial funds, or to whofe neceifities, 
even their proportion of thefe, was inade- 
quate, excited the commiferation of the 
humane; the cup of admonition and re- 
proof, the produce of the gofpel vintage, 
has accordingly been {ucceistully mingled 
with the cordial of prefent relief ; the fuc- 
eefs of this two-fold objeét, and the fup- 
port of the public, have hitherto exceeded 
the moft fancuine expectations of the affo- 
ciation; indeed men, devoting a part of 
their time and fubftance to the relief of 
fuffering indigence, froma principle of 
‘pure, difinterefted benevolence, have a 
ftronger claim upon public confidence, 
and public fupport, than the felfifh and 
unfeelling will in general allow. 
May 16, 1799. NosMOTH. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monthl, Magazine. 
SIR, 
Correfpondent, laft month, gave your 
readers an account of Briftol——I fend 
you, Mr. Editor, by way of appendix to 
it, if you pleafe, a fhort ftatement of thofe 
places and things, in its neighbourhood, 
moft deferving the notice of a firanger. 
In doing which, I fhall-vifit every point 
of the compafs, juft as it may happen, 
and may be this minute ten, the next, 
twenty, miles diftant from my ftarting 
piace. As my readers are to attend me 
in thefe fudden excurfions, I am afraid of 
their becoming weary ; and fhall therefore 
pick up every thing by the way, I pofli- 
bly can, to amufe them. 
St. Vincent’s Rocks, whether we con- 
fider their magnitude of remantic beauty, 
certainly deferve to be firft mentioned. 
Thefe evidently feem from their configu- 
rations to have once joined and poffibly 
were feparated from each other by fome 
great convulfion of nature. The chafm 
between them, through which the Avon 
flows, no where much exceeds one hundred 
Environs of Briftel deferibed. 
[July 
and fifty yards in breadth. Formerly 
this river is {uppofed to have had its courfe 
through the town of Weitbury, a place 
two_ miles diftant from St. Vincent's. 
Veftiges of fome ancient river, full as 
large as the Avon, are certainly traceable 
from Weftbury, toa place near the Severn : . 
the only reprefentative of it, however, 
which now remains, is an inconfiderable 
ftream known by the name of Trim. 
An old fabulous ftory exifts in thefe 
parts, which may ferve to give fome flight 
{upport to this opinion of the Avon’s 
having changed its courfe. It is concern- 
ing two giants—one of whom lived at 
Weftbury, and the other at St. Vincent’s. 
A quarrel taking place between them, 
the giant of St.Vincent’s fevered the rocks 
afunder, for the purpofe of taking away 
the other’s river? this malicious fcheme 
fucceeded but too well, and Weftbury has 
remained riverefs ever fince. A large 
excavation, alfo, in thefe rocks goes to 
this day by the name of the Grant’s hole. 
All the Clifton fide of the river, for a 
long way, is devoid of trees anc verdure ; 
except in a few places, where a ftem of ivy 
creeping up the rocks, accidently diver- 
fies their grey and barren appearance. 
On the other fide of the river their fum- 
mits and partly their fides are covered 
with a thick wood, in whofe leity receffes 
is acelebrated cave. Here it is not un- 
ufual, of a fine fummer’s evening, for a 
band of muficians toaflemble by torch- 
light, for the purpofe of a concert ; at 
which time, all the oppofite fide is 
covered with an attentive crowd of both 
fexes, who look among the fhapelefs 
rocks, like fo many Thracians : Orpheus 
however never played fo fweetly !—The 
mufic wafted over the water, and multi- 
plied by the numberleds echos of the rocksy 
is truly enchanting. 
~ To an obferver on the Clifton fide of 
the river, the oppofite woods in fummer 
prefent a moft charming appearance: they 
contain almoft every foreft-tree indigenous 
to this country ; among which the broad- 
leaved fycamore, the majeftic oak, the 
fombre yew, the graceful mountain-ath, 
the fprightly box, and adventurous forb ; 
together with many others, are diftinétly 
feen blending their hues together; and 
forming a {cene of foliage, that for variety 
and exuberance is feareely to be equailed. 
If we add to this the contrafted view of 
the neighbouring rocks, with the Avon 
winding at their bafe, the whole becomes 
truly beautiful and magnificent. ~ 
Quis non malarum, quas ‘amor curas habet, 
inter hzec oblivifcitur ! 
In 
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