S4 
is an old wooden edifice, and though its 
front is fet out with a ftatue, the building is 
certainly no ornament to the place. It is, 
therefore, I underftand, to be taken down, 
and another is to be built ina more con- 
venient fituation. At the weftern termina- 
tion of this ftreet are the ramparts forming 
the line of fortification on tie land fide, 
-which has lately been extended beyond 
the old walls, part of which has been 
rafed, together with the old north gate; 
but the line is not yet complete. By this 
alteration Weevil brewery and coo)-erage, 
belonging to government, are added to 
the town, as alfo a coniiderable area of 
ground, and on part of this, {pace tem- 
porary barracks have been erected. ‘The 
ramparts are a fafhionable and much fre- 
quented promenade, and the profpects they 
afford are extenfive and not deficient ei- 
ther in grandeur or in beauty. They 
command various views of Spithead and 
the Ifle of Wight, the Offing, and the 
coat of Suffex ; and, in the oppofite-di- 
re@tion, Portfmouth Harbour and the ad- 
jacent country ; bounded on the north by 
Portfdown, a lofty and entire range of 
chalky hill, ftretching from eaft to wett, 
from the delishtful little village of Bed- 
hampton to the town of Fareham, a dif- 
tance of between feven or eight miles; and 
though in itlelf fomewhat dull and monoe- 
tonous, from the uniform and continued 
{weep of its outline,it is certainly no unim- 
portant object. It at leat forms an ex- 
cellent back ground to the picture of our 
harbour, and, what is far more material, 
is an admirable fereen to it againft the 
violent ftorms from the north. Such pro. 
fpeéts cannot be viewed by obfervers in 
general without pleafure, nor can they 
well fail in fatisfying the eye of the moft 
fatidious. Finely diverfified with fea and 
land, with fhipping and rural fcenery, 
connected as they are with fubjects of 
great national import, and martial deeds 
of hig achievement, they may not be un- 
worthy either of the painter's or the pcet’s 
notice. That they are capable of filling 
the mind with rapture, or of elevating it 
to fablimi:y, is a point that muit be left 
to the objerver*s own decifion. 
It ought pot, however, to be under- 
ftood that theie views belong exciu- 
fivesy to the town I am defcribing : they 
are common to the vicinity ; and there 
are tuations, apart from Gofport, where 
they may be enjoyed with itul greater per- 
fection than on thefe ramparts. For 
extenfive proipe&ts and bird’s-eye views 
of Gofport, Portimouth, &c. no fpots 
gan be better ghelen than the Down al- 
Account of Gofport. 
{ Aug. 1, 
ready mentioned, and the Tower of Portf- 
mouth-church ; but even thefe are not the 
places to be preferred,unlefs for the purpofe 
of obtaining an entire view of the town, 
the coaft, and the neighbouring country. 
Elevated as thefe points are, objects that 
would otherwiie intereit us, are too much. 
diminithed, when viewed from them, to 
imprefs us with their proper effect ; and 
from the Down, in particular, the coun- 
try appears as a perfect flat, {wampy and 
even fubjeét to inundation—full, how- 
ever, the profpects from hence are warmly 
admired, ard.hold no inferior rank in gene- 
ral eftimation. But points of view far above 
the fcene,or where one is perfectly ifolated, 
are, I think; inregard at leaft to thefe parts, 
fomewhat objectionable. But, to returm 
to Gofport Ramparts. . Ata fhort dif> 
tance and near the beach, that communi- 
cates direétly with Spithead, is the Naval- 
eftabiifhment of Haflar-hofpital, a grand 
and extenfive building, and in every re- 
{pect adapted to its purpofe. Contiguous, - 
is anew range of houfes that have been 
erected on part of the cemetery, for a go- 
vernor and other offtcers. Near the hof- 
pital are fome newly-ereéted permanent 
barracks ; and in a different direétion 
without the town is the new Military- 
hoipital, another extenfive and magnificent 
edifice. The parifh-church is at the dif- 
tance of about a mile and a half from the 
town, in the pleafant village ef Alverfioke. 
The new poor-houle fiands about mid- 
way between the town and the church, on 
a very eligible {pot. It is a ftately edi- 
fice ; built upon a very liberal plan, not 
altogether free perhaps from the charge 
alleged againft it of prodigality. It is 
highly commodious, and large enough * 
contain half the parifh, fhould the expenc. 
of ercéting it, and the approaching bad- 
nels of the times, fucceed in procuring if 
fo great a number of occupiers*. in 
the town is a chapel of eafe, with a par- 
fonage-houle. ‘Lhe diffenters meeting-. 
houfe, the Catholic-chapel, and a neve 
theatre, complete the lift of public-build- 
ings, which Gofport boalts. The chief 
of thefe being without the ramparts, the 
* As an expedient to eafe the parifh of ex- 
pence, and at the fame time to people this 
gocdly manfion, fo pleafantly fituated in the 
country, 1 would propofe that the wings 
fhould be furnifhed, and let out as lodging- 
houfes, to the inhabitants, under a pofitive 
agreement, however, to quit, and remove te 
another part of the heufe, fe {ggn as they be= 
come chargeable. i 
pppear= 
