458 Mr. Houjman’s 
December 16, 1 left- Penrith, and ar- 
rived at Corby in Cumberland, where my 
tour commenced. he sshe 
I afterwards {pent a few menths in vi- 
fiting different parts of Cumberland, Nor- 
thamberland, Durham, and the North 
Riding of Yorkfhire, on the fame bufinefs, 
but kept no regular journal. I hall, how- 
ever, endeavour, in a few words, to give 
your readers a general idea of thefe coun- 
ties, or diftricts. 
Northumberland is a very large and 
mountainous county, but contains feveral 
fruitful plains and vallies, which produce 
a great quantity of corn of all forts. 
Farms are very large, particularly towards 
the northern extremity, and the farmers 
very induftrious and excellent agricultu- 
rifts, as well as breeders of ftock. The 
vale of Cocket, near Wooler, is extenfive, 
and perhaps the moft fertile in the county. 
Turnips and clover are cultivated to great 
perfection here ; the former is moftly dril- 
led, and horfe and hand hoed.—On ftrong 
clayey foils, wheat and oats are moft at- 
tended to by the farmer; but in fandy 
and gravelly diftriéts turnips, clover, bar- 
ley and fheep are their chief dependance. 
This lat tyftem is practifed with the 
greateft advantage, and carried to the 
higheft pitch of excellence by fome far- 
mers, among whom, Mr. Culley, of Eaft- 
field, near Berwick, fo well known in all 
the principal farming counties, and author 
of the ** Treatife on live Stock,” is aniong 
the foremoft. That gentleman got his 
beft fheep from the late Mr. Bakewell, of 
Dithley in Leicefterfhire, the original im- 
prover of that valuable breed. Mr. Cul- 
ley’s ftock continue to gain admirers, and 
the demand for his tups to increafe in pro- 
portion. We alfo find a better fort of 
fheep on the mountains, than is to be met 
with on the hills of a fimilar nature in 
other northern counties. The Northum- 
berland cattle are the large, heavy, fhort 
horned, or Dutch breed; of the value of 
which, compared with the Lancafhire and 
Leicefterfhire cattle, authors and graziers 
difagree. Single horfe carts, and plough- 
ing with a pair of horfes a-breaft, are 
making their way into this county very 
faft. ‘The hills afford great quantities of 
groufe. This county is well watered, 
has a cold air, but abounds with coals in 
many parts, particularly about Newcaftle. 
The roads are good, as well as moft of 
the buildings: but the greateft part of the 
‘county is very-Naked ; wants wood, and 
often, inftead of thorn hedges, ftone walls 
ave fubftituted. The vaie formed by the 
Tyne, and fome other diftriéts, are ex- 
Tour continued. 
ceptions.—Newcaftle is the only place 
where manutatures-are carried on to any 
extent: thefe are principally glafs works, 
potteries, founderies, forges, and fail 
cloth. The population of Newcaftle, its 
fuburbs, and Gatefhead, is eftimated at 
40,000: its trade in coals is immenfe; 
not only fupplying the capital with that. 
article, but all the country along the ea- 
ftern coaft. The lower parts of the town, — 
near the river, are dirty and difagreeable 
in the extreme; but moft of the other 
ftreets are clean and well aired. Newcaftle 
contains four churches, is in general well 
built, but too crowded, a circumftance I 
have often noticed in feaport towns ; and 
is abundantly fupplied with all forts of 
provifions. Inno part of my tour I ever 
met with a more fenfible and liberal 
minded gentleman than I had the good 
fortune to find in the perfon of Ralph At- 
kinfon, Efq. of this town: the fingnlar 
kindnefs and attention I received from that 
very public fpirited gentleman, during 
my ftay at Newcaftle, I wifh to acknow- 
ledge in the warmelt manner. His affi- 
duity in procuring me every defiredin- 
formation, I am affured was prompted by 
the moft difinterefted zeal to promote 
the general good of the community. 
—Newcaftle is about 7 or 8 miles from 
the fea at Shields, but the large river 
Tyne affords an excellent communication 
therewith.—I'rom Newcaftle I went te 
Shields, along a fine road, and level fertile 
country, with coal pits {moking en every 
fide. ‘This town is divided into North 
and South Shields by the Tyne. The po- 
pulation of North Shields is eftimated at 
10,000, and that of South Shields .at 
15,000 fouls, the greateft part of whom are 
fupported by the coal trade. The town 
ftands in a narrow vale, and part of it 
rifes up the hill oneach fide: thofe ftreets 
near the water fide muft be moft lucrative 
habitations, as nothing elfe could poffibly 
induce people to refide in fuch filthy, 
ftinking, confined places. It muft, how- 
ever, be allowed, that fome of the higher 
ftreets afford pleafant dwellings. ‘The 
ufual diet of the common people in Nor- 
thumberland, is barley and rye bread; 
oat meal, made into hafty pudding, or 
crowdie ; potatoes, butter, cheefe, milk, . 
and lately butcher’s meat, tea, fugar, and 
beer, have become more commonly made 
ufe of. 
The county of Durham enjoys a milder 
air, its furface is more regular and even 
than tbofe ot its northern neighbours ; the 
foil alfo, taken generally, is more fertile ; 
the country better clothed with wood- 
land > 
[July 
