194 
years has frequently difgraced the reputed 
humanity of the country. P. W. 
Mug. 31, 1801. 
tea ee 
For the tMonthiy Magazine. 
Some ACCOUNT of DARTMOUTH; ifs SI- 
TUATION, STATE 6f SOCIETY, MAN- 
NERS, Oe. 
ROM the firft appearance of the 
ty Monthly Magazine, I have read it 
regularly with pleafure and improvement ; 
and having, in the courfe of the laft {pring, 
embarked on affairs of a commercial na- 
ture for the Weft Indies, I fhipped, among 
other books, a ccmplete fet of them, to 
ferve, in fome meafure, to amufe myfelf 
during the tedious: hours of a long 
voyage. 
Detained in our way down the Channel in’ 
Torbay, we were unfortunately expofed 
to a fevere 
which were, that our veffel was driven 
a-fhore, and greatly damaged, and with 
‘fome difficulty brought into this port to 
be repaired ; and here our fhip’s company, 
and myfelf among the reft, have been de- 
tained fome months. 
Amongtt many of a very entertaining 
kind, the papers in your Magazine, giv- 
ing an Account of the State of Society, 
‘Manners, &c. in various towns, have been 
to me peculiarly pleafing ; and having lei- 
fure, and ample opportunities of collecting 
materials, I am induced to give you a 
fketch of this interefting, place. I fay 
interefting, becaufe the fiuation of Dart- 
mouth mutt be included in this fkerch. It 
fiands at the mouth of the river from which 
“it takes its name, and which has its 
fource in Dartmoor. From Dartmouth, 
the river is navigable for veffels of {mall 
burthen about fez miles, to the very plea- 
fantly fituated town of Totnefs. The 
beauties of this river Have been celebrated 
by many a traveller; the fcenery on each 
fide, though greatly diverfified, 1s in every 
refpeét beautiful; it confifts of well-cul- 
tivated hills, formed into parks, gardens, 
and fields ; elegant buildings, and delight- 
fully romantic villages and cottages. Per- 
haps it does not abound in what may be 
ermed very bold fcenery, yet there are 
fome appearances of a peculiarly grand 
kind, and the general richnefs arid foftnefs 
of the whole muft delight every contem- 
plative and curious obferver. ‘The va- 
rious: windings of this beautiful river 
convey, at times, ideas which no language 
canfully exprefs; and whether we go up 
‘pr down ic, the approach to the towns of 
“Totnels and Dartmouth is-equally pleaf- 
~ 
Account of Dartmouth. 
gale; the confequences of. 
ing and romantic. ‘Tio view it from the 
water, Dartmouth is a fingularly pleafing 
object ; it is equally fo, whether we ap- 
proach it by coming down the river, or by 
creffing the harbour at either of the paf- — 
faces, or entering it from the Channel. 
It is built on the fide of a hill, extending 
nearly two miles from north to fouth,; 
* im the form of a crefcent, and confifts 
principally of three and four tier of 
houles rifing one above the other, furnifh- 
ing the idea of a moft beautiful fpot on 
which to have built a town, where unifor- - 
mity and elegance could have been united. 
But all ideas of beauty, or even of conve- 
nience, vanifh on becoming acquainted 
with Dartmouth. The new quay, on 
which are fituated the principal inn, and a 
few other houfes, is extremely pleafant, | 
commanding the centre of the Harbour, 
the fhipping, and the village of King{were, 
on the oppofite fide, built on ahill, perhaps 
as beautiful in its form, and as richly 
cultivated, as it is poffible to conceive any 
{pot to be. Adjoining to the New-quay 
is a {pacious projection into the Harbour, 
denominated New-ground, having been at 
fome former time gained from the water, 
on which are « few elm and oak-treés, but 
owing to the expofed fituation at which 
they ftand, they have never flourifhed ; 
and though, at fome previous period, the _ 
whole of that part of it which now forms 
a very pleafant walk, was planted, few of 
the trees have grown even to the diminu- 
tive fize of thole remaining. This piece 
of ground is furrounded entirely by water, 
a {mall bridge from the New-quay con- 
ducting you to it. 
{pot to view the town, the eye is difgufted, 
the imell offended, and the ear pained, at 
the vulgarity and prophanenefs you are 
obliged ‘to witnefs. The principal or 
lower ftreet has a few good houfes ‘in it, 
but is fo exceedingly narrow, that in xo 
part can two carriages pafs; the greater 
number of the buildings are very old, 
very lofty, and, in the upper ftories al- 
moit permit the inhabitants to fhake 
hands from the oppofite fides. The houfes 
on one fide of this ftreet have the advantage 
of adire€t communication with the har- 
bour, and for that reafon have the prefe- 
rence for mercantile purpofes, as veflels 
of confiderable burthen can lie clofe to the 
cellars and ftores. This ftreet extends 
about half a mile fouth from the New- 
quay, and is terminated by the Cuftom- 
houfe-quay, on which are built the Cuf- 
tom-houte, and the offices attached to it; 
and from this place, in addition to what 
conititutes the beauty of the former, you 
view 
[O&ober 1, 
Quitting this pleafant . 
