Of the auxiliary streams which unite with the Trent, the Blythe is the first of any consequence. It rises a few miles to the eastward of that river, and pursues nearly a parallel course, till it joins it near King's Brom ley. The Tame rises near Coleshill in Warwickshire, and after a short course, in which there is nothing re markable, except the castle of Tamworth, it unites with the Trent a few miles above Burton. The Dove rises near the Peak in Derbyshire, and after various windings, generally inclining to the eastward from the south, it falls into the Trent below Burton. This river is very romantic in its character for a considerable part of its course, particularly where it forms the dell of Dove dale. It afterwards flows through more expanded vales, and joins the Trent near Burton. Near Sawley, on the borders of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, the Trent is augmented by the Derwent, which also rises near the Peak of Derbyshire, and pursues a course nearly parallel to that of the Dove to Derby, where it inclines to the east. The features of this river are still more peculiar and extraordinary than those of the Dove. The Soar is a river of an entirely different character ; rising west from Hinckley in Leicestershire, it passes through a rich grazing country, and more than half en compasses the ancient town. of Leicester ; after which, it receives the Wreke from the north-east, and then turns to Mount Soar Hill, where an abrupt rock, (an extraordinary feature in so level a country), overhangs it, watering, in its course, meadows of extraordinary beauty and fertility, till it falls into the Trent, not far from Cavendish Bridge.
Yorkshire also supplies various streams, to increase the size of the Trent. The Don rises in the high moors of this county, near the confines of Derby shire. It takes a south-eastern direction to Sheffield, and then turns north-east by Rotherham to Doncaster. At Thorne it alters its course to the north, and soon afterwards joins the Northern Ouse. The character of this river does not correspond with its mountainous origin, except very near its source. Near Doncaster it forms a most beau tiful vale, but after passing this town, it sinks into an extensive flat and tame country, which environs the Ouse. Just before its junction with this river, it is divided into two branches, the lower of which appears to be a navigable cut, and is called the Dutch river. The Calder rises in Yorkshire, near the borders of Lancashire. Its course is very winding, but nearly in an easterly direction, till it reaches Wakefield ; it then turns to the north, and joins the Ayre near Ferrybridge. This river is more rapid than the Don, but is more remarkable, from the circumstance of the numerous canals by which it is intersected, and which form a junc tion between the eastern and western seas, than by any peculiar feature. The origin of the Ayre is moun tainous, a little to the north-east of Settle, in Yorkshire. It pursues a course to the south-east, nearly as far as Leeds, where it turns nearly eastward ; after its junction with the Calder, it traverses a flat country, and receiv ing the Don, joins the Ouse near Howden. The district
of Craven, through which it flows in the first part of its course, is singularly romantic ; while at Leeds its character is entirely changed, its banks being covered with the various manufactories of that place. Between Leeds and Ferrybridge, it divides one of the richest plains in the kingdom ; afterwards it possesses little beauty, passing through a level country, to join the Ouse, not far from the Don.
The Ure, and the Swale, which may be regarded as the parents of the Ouse, rise near each other in the romantic borders of Westmoreland. The Ure flows at first eastward, and then inclines to the south to Rippon ; from this place it turns again more to the eastward to Boroughbridge ; and at Aldborough it unites with the Swale. The character of this river, through most of its course, is that of a mountainous stream ; and this cha racter it particularly displays in its passage through Wensleydale. The direction of the Swale, at first, is to the south-east ; it afterwards turns to the north-east to Richmond, and from this place it pursues nearly its original direction till it joins the Ure. The country through which this river flows is uncommonly romantic, till it reaches the great vale of York. Swale-dale, and the view of the river from the castle at Richmond, are particularly celebrated.
Those two rivers, after their junction at Aldborough, take the name of the Ouse. From this town, its course is nearly south-east to York, south to Cathwood, where being increased by the junction of the Wharfe, it turns again to the south-east, and pursues that direction, with various windings, till it meets the Trent, and forms the Humber.
The Humber is a name almost exclusively given to the great estuary that divides Yorkshire from Lincoln shire, being formed, as we have seen, principally of the Trent and the Ouse, and of the streams which fall into these two rivers.
The river Medway rises from four sources ; the first at Crowherst in Surrey, the second at Stewards-mead in Sussex, the third at Goldwell, and the fourth at Big genheath, both in Kent. The first three soon unite their waters, and take a north-east direction to Tun bridge and Maidstone, at which latter place they are joined by the fourth stream. The tide flows up hither, and the river is navigable for barges and other vessels of the burden of fifty tons. After passing .Maidstone, the Medway turns with a long compass by the north to the east, to reach Rochester and Chatham. Between this place and Gillingham, which is about a mile and a half to the north-east of it, some of the largest ships in the royal navy are usually laid up. Afterwards it winds with various curves to the eastward, till it joins the arm of the sea called the Swale, (which divides the isle of Shepey from the main land of Kent,) and then turning again northward, it enters the Nore near the mouth of the Thames, under the fort of Sheerness. Its whole course is about 40 miles ; and that circumstance con sidered, it is perhaps one of the deepest rivers in Eu rope..