ror, ] 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S$ no perfon better qualified for 
the purpofe has hitherto under. 
taken to extend your inftruétive views of 
local topography, by a ftate of the man- 
ners and fociety of Sunderland and its vi- 
cinagey Ibeg your permiffion to draw a 
few of their outlines, rather with the view 
of exciting others to finifh the picture, 
than of giving you a complete and perfect 
reprefentation of them my(elf. 
his large and populous town, which 
for feveral years palt has been rifing into 
a ftate of re{peétability, on account of its 
commercial importance as connected with 
the coal-trade, is fituated on the fouth 
fide of the river Wear, clofe to its connec- 
tion with the Northern fea. This town, 
together with that of Bifhop Wearmouth, 
bordering on its weftern extremity, and to 
which it is immediately attached, forma 
large and extenfive town of amile anda 
halt in length, and about a quarter of a 
mile in breadth.| The main ftreet, and 
particularly the central partof it, rifing in 
a confiderable afcent, which connects the 
two towns, is .fpacious, andon the whole 
tolerably handfome. Moft of the other 
ftreets which branch off from this, are ex- 
tremely narrow and dirty. The popula- 
tion is ufually eftimated at about 20,000 
inhabitants, the chief part of whom are 
principally employed in the different 
branches of the coal-trade, in the fupport 
of which this port maintains feveral hun- 
dred large, and generally well-conftructed, 
vellels. The religious focieties, indepen- 
dent of the eftablifhment, which has a f{pa- 
cious and handfome modern church, and a 
commodious chapel of eafe, exclufive of 
the ancient parochial church of Bithop 
Wearmouth, confit chiefly of Quakers, 
who are very numerous, a large propor- 
tion of Methodifts in the Wefleyan con-. 
nection, and other diffenters of different 
denominations, who have four places of 
public worfhip. The accumulation of 
wealth, to the exclufion of nearly every: 
other purfuit, appears.to be the reigning 
object_in view amongtt all claffes. For, 
in point of literary acquirement and ad- 
vancement in intelleétual excellence, the 
fociety here is inferior to that of almoft 
every other town of equal importance in 
the kingdom. 
ing-(ociety, and fome few very inconfider- 
able circulating libraries, the former of 
_ which has at prefent but very few works of 
any intrinfic value. Reading of all de- 
{criptions meets with but little encourage- 
ment—the principal fources ofenjoyment, 
~Monruiy Maa. No, 69. 
There is, indeed, a read- 
Account of Sunderland. 9 
next to the divitiarum cupido, being theas 
trical amufements, affemblies, and routs, 
—and, to the difgrace of fociety, that moft 
barbarous and inhuman diverfion of cock- 
fighting feems to be in high eftimation. 
Moft ardently is it to be withed ‘that the 
legiflature would adopt fome effeftive and 
rigorous meafure to prevent this and fimi- 
lar difgraceful and offenfive diverfions, at 
once fo repugnant to the feelings of huma- 
nity, and fo detrimental to the moral cha- 
racter of fociety. The great indifference 
to intellectual purfuits, which has fo long 
prevailed here, has, it is however to be 
admitted, of late in fome meafure a- 
bated ; and a rifing {pirit of literary emu- 
lation has been partially excited fince the, 
eftablifament of the reading club before 
alluded to, under the aufpices of Dr. Pem- 
berton, a phyfician of great and re{pe&t- 
able eminence. And this fpirit feems, 
though faintly, to be encreafing with the 
exertions of fome of the moft aétive and 
intelligent inhabitants to promote and 
encourage it. As far asthe moral reputation 
of the town is concerned, much and grate- 
ful eulogium is due to the vigorous and 
active exertions of that mof-able moralitt 
and magiftrate, Dr. Paley, a man whofe 
truly patriotic wifhes inceflantly prompt 
him to purfue the moft fpirited meafures 
for the improvement and benefit of the 
place. _ Some intelligent correfpondent of 
your excellent Mifcellany having already 
favoured the public with a faithful ac- 
count of that ftupendous and beautiful mo- 
nument of the Britifh arts, the celebrated 
iron bridge, it would be fnperfluous for 
me to repeat what has been already fo well 
faid on the fubjecst. I therefore conclude 
this fhort, though, I truft, accurate deli- 
neation of the manners and fociety of Sun- 
derland, with exprefling my earneft wifhes 
that fome more competent writer would 
perfect the features of what is here only 
pourtrayed in afew diftin&tive outlines. 
Yours y&¢. Sas 
Nov. 19, 1800. R.H. 
A ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
\ N ingenious correfpondent, in your 
as Magazine cf G&tober, has offered 
fome juft remarks on the ufe of the article 
aot az, when coming before words of a 
particular clafs. As his opinicn upon 
this fubjeét fo nearly coincides with what 
the accurate Mr. Walker has given in the 
principles prefixed to his Pronouncing 
Digtionary, I am rather furprifed to find 
that he has made no reference to that 
Cc werk. 
