Besides the public grammar school, and other esta blishments for the instruction of the ignorant poor, Bath contains two excellent institutions for the pro motion of science and the arts. The Bath and West of England Society was established in 1777, by Mr Edmund Rack, for the encouragement of agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and the arts. The volumes of its Transactions, which have already appeared, evince the utility of the institution, and the activity of its members.. The Philosophical Society was established in 1799, for the diffusion of science and literature.
The principal churches in Bath are the Abbey Church, St James's Church, St Michael's Church, and Walcot Church. The Abbey Church, which has the form of a cross, is about 210 feet long, from north-east to west, and 126 from north and south, with a breadth of 72 feet. A magnificent tower, about 162 feet high, rises from the centre of the building, and gives a dignified appearance to this beautiful specimen of English architecture. The richness of the west window, the arched doorway, which forms the western entrance, the roof of the building, and the marble monuments within, are de serving of particular attention.
There are here four public baths, viz. the King's Bath, the Queen's Bath, the Cross Bath, and the Hot Bath. The King's Bath is 65 feet long and 40 broad, and contains more than 346 tons ofwatcr when it stands at its usual height. The spring which fills it rises from the centre, and is inclosed by a brass hand-rail of an octagonal form, while the whole bath is surrounded by a beautiful colonnade of the Doric order. The
Queen's Bath, which is attached to the former, and receives its water from it, is a bacon 25 feet square. The Cross Bath, which was so called from a cross erected in its centre by the Earl of Melfort, is of a triangular form, and is situated at the extremity of Bath Street. The Hot Bath, which is about 40 yards south-west of the King's Bath, is about 56 feet square, and is remarkable for the great heat of its which is 117° of Fahrenheit. Besides these there are several private baths, which are not worthy of particular notice.
The Bath water has a gentle chalybeate taste, which completely disappears as soon as the water cools. The portion of iron which enters into its composi tion, does not exceed a grain in a gallon of water. The Bath water is also hard, and besides a little cal careous earth, and a small portion of azotic gas, it holds in solution a small quantity of silcx. It con tains also about of its bulk of carbonic acid. The diseases in which the Bath water is supposed to be useful, arc gout, palsy, rheumatism, and diseases of the urinary organs. Bath contains 3619 houses, and 27,686 inhabitants, of whom 10,521 arc males, and 17,165 females, 6103 being employed in trade. West Long. 2° 22', and North Lat. 23'. See Phil. Trans. 1767, vol. lvii. N° 22. Gibb's Treatise op the Bath Waters. \Varner's History of Bath. (j)