1799-] 
land, trees, and. growing hedges. The 
fheep and cattle of this county are of the 
larger fort, and there is a pretty regular 
mixture ot corn and grais land. Many 
of the farmers are enterprifing, and are 
making great improvements in agricul- 
ture, breeding ftock, &c. which laudable 
{pirit is very judicioufly encouraged by 
the gentlemen and great land-owners of 
the county. Abundance of coals are got 
in Durham ; and in the mountains, near 
the. borders of Cumberland, lead mines 
are worked. 
Sunderland, a large fea-port in this 
county, is fituated in a pleafant part of 
the country: it adjoins Monk- Wearmouth, 
and Bifhop-Wearmouth, and altogether 
may contain 20,000 inhabitants, who are 
principally fupported by the coal trade. 
‘That part of Sunderland which lies next 
the river, ts a miferable hole indeed ; but 
the higher ftreets are more comtortable, 
and fome of them agreeable enough.— 
Bifhop-Wearmouth is a modern part of 
the town, ftands high, very pleafantly, 
and is well built. From this place the 
aftonifhing caft iron bridge extends in one 
arch acrots the river Wear. It was almoft 
finifhed when I was there. ‘The fpan of 
the arch is 236 feet; height from low 
water, 100 feet 5 inches; width 32 feet. 
The city of Durham is pleafantly fitu- 
ated on the river Wear: it has fix 
churches and a cathedral, which laft is a 
magnificent pile of building ; it is an- 
cient, but now undergoing a complete 
repair; the ftreets are pretty wide and 
clean, and the buildings good. ‘This city 
does not feem to increale either in popu- 
lation or buildings. Many people of eafy 
fortunes refide here. 
The North Riding of Yorkthire is 
quite a farming country ; the furrace is 
generally level; foil very fertile, being 
moftly a deep loam, in fome places gra- 
velly, and in others clayey. All forts of 
grain, roots, and grafs, are produced in 
heavy crops. Farms mottly large, and 
fields pretty regular: the farmers are, 
in general, very good agriculturifts.— 
Sheep are moftly a {pecies of the Lincoln- 
fhire fort ; cattle partly long, and partly 
fhort horned, but generally very good of 
the kind. I'wo or three horfes are put 
toacart, and three or four to a plough. 
Buildings are very good, made ot brick, 
and covered with tile; neat growimg 
hedges of thorn, with a few trees here 
and there. Upon the whole, this is 
a very beautitul and fertile country, and 
adorned with feveral fine feats ; but is at 
a great diftance from coal or other fuel. 
Mr. Houfman’ s Tour continued. 
439 
Cumberland affords great variety ; high 
Mountains, deep valleys, the moft barren 
heaths, and fertile plains; the lighteft 
fands, and ftrongeft clays ; extenfive peat 
mofles, and rugged rocky diftri€s. This 
country enjoys a falubrious, but fharp, 
air; coal, limeitone, freeftoe, and peat- 
mof{s, are had in diferent parts in abund- 
ance; and, without including the fine 
Jakes about Kefwick, fo often defcribed, 
it is the beft watered county in the king- 
dom. It alfo contains great quantities 
of lead, copper, and iron ore; befides 
gypium, and the fineft blue flate. That 
very fingular and valuable mineral, called 
wat, or black-lead, is got from a moun- 
tain in Borrowdale, of a quality far fur- 
pafling that found in any other part of 
the world. But, to all thefe advantages. 
Cumberland joins feveral qualities of a 
contrary nature: its fertile grounds are 
confined to the borders of its rivers; a 
few low grounds, and fome plains of 
{mall extent ; the other parts are either 
mountains, commons, or land made to- 
lerably productive by the greateft induftry 
and exertion ot the farmers. Add to 
that the non-refidence of moft of the great 
proprietors; a circumftance which rather 
checks the fpirit of improvement than 
otherwife. In forme branches of agricul- 
ture this county is not furpaffed, if equal- 
led, by any other: the mode of plough- 
ing, for inftance, which I have frequent - 
ly mentioned; and the cultivation of 
turfiips, clover, and barley, which is 
brought to the greateft perfection in fome 
diffricts bordermg on the river Eden. 
The fheep is generally the black-faced 
heath fort ; but thefe are now giving way 
to the improved breed trom Northumber- 
land. Cattle are a mixture of Scotch 
and Englifh; and not many are remark- 
able for their goodnefs. Horfes are 
middle-tized, of all colours, but moltly 
brown ; they have generaily lefs cr more 
blood (as breeders term it) in them; are 
fuitable either for the cart, plough, or 
faddic, and very aétive. Farms are ge- 
nerally worth trom, 5 to 5ol.a year; a 
few reach trom that to 2, 3, or aool. 
The rents are very high, confidering the 
quality of the ground. Here feems to be 
a general want of enterprize, and a {pirit 
of improvement, among the farmers. A 
few proprietors, however, are improving 
their eftates very much; among whom 
WM. RICHARDSON, of Rickerby, Elq. 
feems to take the lead: that gentleman 
has not only doubled his rental within a 
few years, by a judicious improvement 
of his eftate, but meliorated the condition 
of 
