1802. ] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
wf SKETCH 0f the STATE Of MANNERS, 
and of the prefent CONDITION of the 
ISLE of MAN, in aletter from an ARTIST 
who lately pafed afew MONTHS there. 
IN compliance with your flattering re- 
queft, I fit down to give you fome ac- 
count ef this remote ifland, into which 
I have been Jed, partly by a defire to re- 
eftablifh my health, but chiefly by curio- 
fity to {ce an ancient little kingdom,which, 
furrounded as it is by powerful neigh- 
bours, has yet, in a great meafure, pre- 
ferved its original independence ; and 
which, while it is defended by the fleets 
and armies of Great Britain, has contriv- 
ed to elude fharing the burdens neceflary 
for their fupport. 
The ifle of Man is about thirty miles in 
Teneth, and twelve in breadth. The po- 
pulation is fuppofed to be near forty thou- 
fand. ‘There are four towns: Caftletown, 
Douglas, Ramfay, and Peel. Caftletown 
and Douglas are in the fouth of the ifland: 
the former is the metropolis ; but the lat- 
ter is the town of the molt confequence, 
containing between four and five thoufand 
inhabitants. Ramfay and Peel are in the 
north of the ifland, and are inferior in fize 
even to Caftletown. None of the towns 
can hoaft of much regularity or beanty in 
their conftruétion ; in thefe refpetts Caftle- 
town is entitled to the preference. At 
Douglas is a fuperb newly-conftruéted 
pier : the merchants of this place are far 
from being fatisfied with it, but the belles 
think it ** charming” itis ufed by them 
as a promenade, and gives them an oppor- 
tunity of fhewing themfelves off to great 
advantage. Within half a mile of Dou- 
glas a {plendid manfion is erecting by the 
Duke of Athol, which, when completed, 
will be a great ornament to the country. 
The houfes of the gentlemen on the ifland 
are by no means elegant. Some of the 
rooms of Fort Anne, fituated at the en- 
trance of Douglas harbour, are well finifh- 
ed; and the Nunnery, near Douglas, be- 
longing to Major Taubman, is a hand- 
fome building : annexed to it are extenfive 
and judicioufly laid out gardens, including 
hot-houfes, pineries, &c. 3; adjoining is a 
large wood with ferpentine walks, in which 
the Major liberally allows the inhabitants 
of the adjacent town to ramble at plea- 
fure. 
The legiflature of the ifle of Man, fimi- 
lar to that of England, is compofed of 
three eftates, the king, the council, and 
the houfe of keys. The council confifts 
ef the governor, the bifhop, the deginfters, 
* Monruuy Maa, No, 91s 
} Sketch of the Ife of Man. 
4105 
the vicars-general, the clerk of the rolls, 
&c. The keys aretwenty-four in number, 
including their fpeaker ; they are a felf- 
elected body, for, when a vacancy occurs, 
the members choofe two individuals, 
(to whom it is eflential that they pof- 
fefs fome landed property in the ifland) 
whofe names are prefented to the governor, 
one of whom the governor approves, and 
who, under pain of amercement, muft 
take his feat in their parliament, which 
fituation he retains for life, and from 
which he cannot retire without permiffion. 
The Manks havea full and diftin& code 
by which they are governed. New laws 
may originate either with the council, or 
with the keys, but mui have their mu- 
tual concurrence. They are then fent for 
the approbation of the king. If they re- 
ceive the royal fanétion, what is called a 
Tynwald-court is convened at the Tyn- 
wald-hill, in the centre of the ifland, where 
fuch laws are promulgated to the people. 
Nothing can furpafs the fimplicity of this 
proceeding. The Tynwald-hbill is a cir- 
cular artificial mount of earth, cut from the 
fummit to the bafe into feats ; to this hill 
the governor, the officers of ftate, and the 
reprefentatives of the people, walk in pro- 
ceifion. The governor afcends to the top, 
the legiflators take their places according 
to their rank, and the crowd, tlanding at 
a refpectful diftance, patiently attend to 
the proclamation of the new edicts. 
The ifland is divided into two diftriés, 
fix fheadings, and feventeen parifhes. To 
each diftrict there belongs a judge, who is 
called deemfter, and who holds a court at 
his own difcretion, generally once a weeky 
for the tria! of fuch caufes as do not re- 
quire the aid of a court of equity, or ofa 
jury. From the judgment of the deem- 
fters an appeal may be preferred to the ftaff 
of government, compofed of the governor, 
the bifhop, the deemfters, the water-bailiff, 
and the clerk of the rolls. A farther ap- 
peal may be made to the king in council, 
whofe decree is final. There are four 
common-law or term-courts in the year. 
Thefe are held both at Caitletown and 
Ramiay, for the trial of all adtions real 
and perfonal by a jury of fix men. The 
deemfters are conjointly. judges in this 
court ; the governor, if he thinks proper, 
may prefide, and the water-bailiff and 
clerk of the rolls are likewife members of 
the court. Eight chancery-courts, or 
courts of equity, are held in the year, af 
which the governor fits as chancellor; the 
deemfters, water-bailiff, and clerk of the 
rolls, are members of the court. The wa- 
ter-bailiff Hts once a-week in Douglas for 
7 the 
