DUNDEE, a sea-port and manufacturing town in Scotland, is situated on the north bank of. the Frith of Tay, and within the county of Angus or Forfarshire. In 1811 the population amounted to 29,716, exclusive of seamen and militia, being an increase in ten years of nearly 4000; and the seamen belonging to this port amount at present to about 1273. The town of Dundee is far from elegant; but there are many handsome pub lic buildings and private houses in it. The High Street is an oblong 360 feet in length, by 100 get broad ; the other streets diverging from it are generally narrow. A little to the west of this street stands the Old Church, having a large square Gothic tower 156 feet high; on the south side of it the town-house is built upon the scite of an old church, and contains a guild-hall, court-room, prison, the Dundee bank, Ste. At the east end of the square there is a handsome trades hall. St Andrew's Church is an elegant new building, with a spire 139 feet high. A large infirmary has been for a considerable time established; and a lunatic asylum, planned by the late Mr Stark, is partly finished. The other public buildings of any appearance are a small theatre, and a new Gothic chapel for an Episcopalian congregation.
Dundee is a royal borough. It has enjoyed privileges as ample as those of any borough in Scotland, since the reign of William, which began in 1165; and these were recognised by a charter of King Robert Bruce, dated March 14th, in the 22d year of his reign. The privileges were greatly increased in subsequent reigns, until, in that of James VI. in January 1601, they were all confirmed, and last of all ratified by Charles I. in what is called the great charter, which bears that all its articles were ratified in parliament, 1641. The govern ment of the town is vested in a council of twenty per sons, who, in the ordinary way throughout Scotland, chuse a provost and four bailies annually. The revenues, of which the magistrates have tile management, amount to about 4000 per annum. • The ti ade of this port is very considerable, and although of late years the actual exports and imports, owing to the general obstructions of commerce, afford no ade quate idea of the tendency to increase, we shall state them for the year 1813, with this remark, that the direct imports and exports bear no proportion to the goods car ried to and from Dundee coastwise, which are not here included.
In 1791 the exports to foreign ports, entered at the customhouse, were 72,777 tons. The imports same year 2839 tons of sundry goods ; 1036 Mids. of lint seed; 1706 loads of fir timber; 6300 fir balks; and 13,100 fir deals. In the same year the goods sent coast wise were 7,842,000 yards of linen, 130,752 pounds of thread, 280,000 yards of sailcloth, 65,000 yards of cot ton bagging, barley 23,917, and wheat 3097 quarters. The goods brought coastwise, in that period, were cot ton moot 35 tons, tea 47,743 pounds, 1080 hhds. of por ter, 28,L21 tons of coal, sugar 5831 tons. There are at in (sent 3u vessck of different sizes belonging to Dun dee, employed in the foreign Bade, 4991 tons; 116 ships, 7584 tons in the coasting nude ; and 8 ships in the lishng trade, 2694 tons; making the whole tonnage of shipping belonging to the port 14,999.
The Sallie CalIWS Which of late ha% c had a prejudicial Influence on trade, have also operated on manufactures, and those of Dundee can only he correctly viewed by taking a retrospect. Tile linen manufacture has been long carried on in it to a great extent. Betwixt 1788 and 178), the quantity of Osn iburghs stamped amounted to 4 2 t2.653 t ards, valued at lo8 7821. 14s. 2d.; and sup posing a fourth of this quantity to have been brought from the neighbourhood to the Dundee stamp-offices, the quantity made in the town and vicinity would be 3,181,9)0 yards, worth 8u,5871 Os. 8d.
We add a note of the stamped linen cloths for the last four years.
Besides Osnaburghs, there is a great deal of canvass for shipping manufactured, probably nearly 800,000 yards annually. This, however, is mostly a war manufac ture. Besides bagging, diapers, and various coarse linen cloths, the cotton manufactures have been carried on to a considerable extent. A woollen cloth manufactory has recently been established. White and coloured linen threads, and every other species of manufacture now generally introduced into Scotland, have obtained a foot ing in Dundee, and arc carried on with as much spirit and success as in other parts of the country.