BRISTOL was formerly reckoned second to London in point of wealth, trade, and population; but much of its commerce has passed to Liverpool. BIRMINGHAM is noted for its vast variety of useful and ornamented articles, such as metal buttons, buckles, plaited goods of all kinds, japanned and paper ware, and other hard ware manufac tures. The Birmingham goods are exported to foreign countries. This city has become, according to the emphatical expression of a great orator, the toy-shop of Europe. It has 60,000 inhabitants.

MANCHESTER is celebrated for its cotton manufactory. Its machinery for saving manual labour exhibits surprising ingenuity. PORTSMOUTH has a noble harbour, and here is the grand naval arsenal of England. It has lately been regularly fortified toward the land. NEWCASTLE stands on the Tyne. It is situated in the midst of those coal mines, which have for centuries supplied London and the south of England with fuel.

History. Britain was first inhabited by a tribe of Gauls. Fifty-two years before the birth of Christ, Julius Cæsar subjected them to the Roman empire. The Romans remained masters of Britain 500 years. The Picts, Scots, and Saxons, then took possession of the island. 1006, William, duke of Normandy, obtained a complete victory over Harold, king of Englaud, which is called the Norman conquest. In 1603, king James VI. of Scotland, who succeeded queen Elizabeth, united both king. doms, under the name of Great-Britain. George 1. of the house of Hanover, ascended the throne in 1714, and the succession has since been regular in this line. The union of Ireland with Great-Britain took place, after a warm opposition, in 1800.

WALES

IS a principality in the west of England, 120 miles long, and 80 broad; it is divided into 12 counties. It is the country to which the ancient Britons fled, when Britain was invaded by the Saxons. They are now called Welch, and preserve their own language. It contains 751 parishes, 58 market towns, and 560,000 inhabitants. The air

is clear and sharp; the cattle are small. Wales is mountainous, and particularly remarkable for goats. It is watered by many considerable rivers. It gives the title of Prince of Wales to the eldest son of the king of GreatBritain.

SCOTLAND.

THE northernmost of the two kingdoms into which the island of Great-Britain was formerly divided, is bounded west by the Atlantic ocean, north by the North sea, east by the German ocean, southeast by England, south by the Irish sea. From north to south, it extends 270 miles, and its greatest breadth is 150, but in some places not above 80. It is divided into 33 counties, most of which send one member each to parliament.

General Appearance, Soil and Productions. Nature seems to have pointed out three grand divisions in Scotland; the north, the middle, and the south. The north division is chiefly an assemblage of vast, dreary mountains, with some fertile vallies, on the northern and eastern shores. The middle division is traversed in different directions by ranges of mountains; though cultivation is chiefly on the eastern shore, yet the arable land bears a small proportion to the mountainous and barren. The south division has a great resemblance to England, aud, with respect to the general aspect of the country, and the progress of cultivation, exhibits every kind of rural variety. The climate is various and the air healthy. The products of the country are, grain, flax, woods of oak and fir, coal, lead, iron, freestone, limestone, slate, the most beautiful marble, fine rock crystals, pearls, variegated pebbles, &c. It feeds vast herds and flocks, which are small but much valued for the delicacy of their flesh: the fleece of the latter emulates the finest Spanish wool.

Rivers. The principal rivers are Spey, Don, Tay, Tweed, Clyde, Forth, Northern Dee, Esk, Annan, Nith, and Southern Dee.

Population, Religion, Manners. According to Pinkertou the whole population of Scotland is 1,526,429. The established religion is the Presbyterian. The people are

taught from their infancy to bridle their passions; they are temperate and frugal, by which they save their constitutions and their money. The amusements of the rich are similar to those of the English; but those of the peasantry have several diversities, which the reader may per haps best learn from the poems of Burns.

Language, Literature, and Education. The language of Scotland falls under two divisions; that of the Lowlands, consisting of the ancient Scandinavian dialect; and that of the Highlands, which is Irish. The literature of Scotland, though of recent origin, has been rapid in its pregress, and extensive in its fame. The Scottish poets have been numerous and deservedly celebrated; their divines and philosophers are also universally known and admired. Every country parish has a schoolmaster for the instruction of indigent children. There are four universities, St. Andrew's, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

Cities. EDINBURGH, the capital, contains about 90,000 inhabitants. The houses are of remarkable height, some being 13 or 14 stories. The churches and places of worship, of various denominations are numerous. Edinburgh has 40 printing houses, in which are employed upwards of 120 printing presses.

GLASGOW, on the river Clyde, is the second city in Scotland. The number of inhabited houses is upwards of 10,000 and of inhabitants 77,335. It contains several hospitals, charitable foundations, and a public infirmary.

ABERDEEN is a large city on the Dee, at its entrance into the German ocean. It has a university and 25,000 inhabitants. Perth, Dundee, and Greenock, are all places of eminence.

IRELAND

Is an island west of Great-Britain, from which it is separated by St. George's channel, or the Irish sea. It is 278 miles long and 155 broad.

Divisions, Population, c. It is divided into four provinces, viz. Ulster, Leinster, Munster, and Connaught; these are subdivided into counties. Ireland is estimated to contain about 21,000,000 acres; 1084 market towns, in

191 of which post offices are kept; 37 charter schools, in which 1735 youths of both sexes are maintained and taught till the age of fourteen; four provincial nurseries, in which 300 children are prepared for the public schools; 3000 Episcopal clergy, and, according to an enumeration in 1801, 5,499,044 inhabitants.

Climate, Productions, &c. The air is mild and temperate, but more humid than in England. In general it is a level country, well watered with lakes and rivers ; and the soil in most parts is fertile, producing corn, hemp, flax, beef, and butter. The principal manufacture of Ireland is fine linen. This country is well situated for foreign trade, having many secure and commodious harbors.

Religion. In 1731, there were 700,453 Protestants, and 1,309,768 Catholics. There is still a majority of the latter in Ireland, who, since 1793, have enjoyed greater privileges than they did formerly. The laws differ but little from those of England; and the established religion

is the same.

Manners. The manners of the superior classes in Ireland approach nearly to the English standard. The common people still retain many features of national manners.

Literature and Education. The ancient literary fame of Ireland is placed in a high rank. Among its modern writers are the justly celebrated names of Usher, Swift, Goldsmith, Burke, Sheridan; besides many celebrated dramatic writers and orators.

Ireland contains but one University, that of Dublin," founded in the reign of Elizabeth. The peasantry are in a wretched state of ignorance and superstition.

Cities. DUBLIN, the capital of Ireland, is, in point of beauty, extent, and population, the second city in the British dominions, and the fifth in Europe. It stands on the East side of the island, near the mouth of the river Liffey, and has 15,000 houses, and 168,000 inhabitants.

Cork, Limerie, Belfast, Waterford, Kilkenny, Galway, and Londonderry, are all large and populous places, and celebrated for manufactures.

Curiosities. The Giant's Causeway so called, is a remarkable curiosity, consisting of many thousand basaltic pillars, mostly in verticle positions. The lake of Killarney and Lough Neagh, celebrated for its petrifying powers, are reckoned among the curiosities of Ireland.

SMALLER ISLANDS. Adjacent to the British isles, lie a great number of smaller ones belonging to Great-Britain. The principal of these are the Isle of Wight, Jersey, Guernsey, Anglesea, and Man, in the English channel; and the Hebrides, or Western Islands, the Orkneys and the Shetland Isles, in the North Atlantic ocean, which are considered as appendages to Scotland.

FRANCE.

Boundaries and Extent. THE present limits of France are as they were before the Revolution commenced in 1789. By the treaty of Luneville, in 1801, the Belgic provinces, and all the territory of the house of Austria between Burzack and Basle, together with all the countries and domains on the left, or western bank of the Rhine, which before made a part of the German empire, were annexed to the French Republic, who were to possess them in full sovereignty and property. By the late treaty these have been given up.

Divisions and Population. France was formerly divided into 30 provinces. In 1789, the National Assembly divided it into ten metropolitan circles, and 83 departments. By later decrees alterations have been made in these divisions; to which were added nine departments, into which the Catholic Netherlands were divided; and five more, comprehending that part of ancient Germany, which fies on the left side of the Rhine from the Netherlands to Switzerland, consisting in all of 109 departments. Each department is divided into districts, and each district into cantons. Since France has been reduced to its original limits, its divisions have not been settled.

France, in 1809, contained 400 cities, 1500 smaller towns, 43.000 parishes. 100,000 villages.

The empire of France, in 1809, was estimated to contain 39,401,000 inhabitants. Its present population is not known.

Climate, General Appearance. The air of France is generally mild and wholesome; but in some parts the beat is excessive. The weather is more clear and settled than in England. The face of the country is plain, occasionally diversified with hills and dales.