During the first part of its course, it is so buried within its banks, that it adds little to the scenery of the country through which it flows ; but between Tunbridge and Maidstone, the valley expands, and the character of the river is seen in its true light. This character is still more marked, after it winds round the decayed town of Aylesford, and becoming suddenly a bold and wide stream, flows with considerable rapidity under the arches of the ancient bridge of Rochester. Below the bridge, it takes a broad sweep, and when increased by the tide, exhibits, in connection with the superb build ings and dock of Chatham, and the great ships within its port, a grand and striking spectacle. From Chatham to its mouth, the banks of the Medway are marshy and uninteresting, till its approach to the sea is indicated by the immense number of masts which encompass Sheer ness.
Besides these rivers which we have described, the following deserve notice. The Black water, which takes its rise near Saffron Walden, in Essex, and flowing by Coggleshall and Wetham, falls into the sea at Maldon in the same county. The source of the Chelmer is near that of the Blackwater : it winds through the middle of Essex, and passing Chelmsford, also discharges itself into the sea at Maldon. The Collie rises near Clare, in Suffolk, and after passing Colchester, falls into the sea between Mersey Island and the main-land of Essex. The Stotn: divides this county from Suffolk ; it rises on the southern boundary of the latter county, and falls into the sea at Harwich ; near its mouth it is joined by the Orwell, which runs up to Ipswich. Proceeding north ward, the next river of consequence which we meet with, is the Waveney, which forms part of the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk, and unites with the Yare a little above Yarmouth. This river is navigable from Bungay. The Yare, which falls into the German Ocean below Yarmouth, is navigable as high as Norwich. But the most important rivers in this part of England, are the Great and Little Ouse ; the former rises on the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Its course, at first, is east, a little inclining to the north through Buckinghamshire ; it then bends to th'e south, with many windings, and reaches Bedford, where it be comes navigable ; it afterwards proceeds through Hun tingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, and the Isle of Ely, to the county of Norfolk ; and inclining more and more to the north, it falls into the Wash, beneath the walls of Lyn Regis. In its course, it receives the Nen from Northampton and Peterborough ; the Cam, from Cam bridge ; the lesser Ouse from Norfolk ; and the Milden hall from Suffolk ; all of them navigable rivers. The entire course of this river may be 100 miles. The character of this river through the whole of its course, is very tame and uninteresting. In the latter part of its course, it sinks into those great marshes that abound on this part of the eastern coast. The Welland has its source between Luttcrworth and Harborough ; and after flowing in a north-east and northerly direction, and separating Northamptonshire from Leicestershire, Rut landshire, and Lincolnshire, it contlibutes to form the Wash of Fosdyke. The Witham hills into the sea at the same place, taking its rise north of Stamford, and pursuing a northerly direction by Grantham to Lincoln ; it afterwards changes its course, and flowing first to the cast and next to the south, its course is terminated near Boston. As the principal rivers which join the Trent have already been noticed, we shall proceed to the Wear. This river rises to the north of the Tees ; at
Bishops Auckland, it changes the south-easterly course which it had hitherto pursued, turns to the north-east, and after nearly surrounding the city of Durham, it flows northward to Chester-le-Street, and then inclines a little to the east to reach Sunderland.
As the Tweed is rather a Scotch than an English river, we shall proceed to a brief notice of the secondary rivers in the west of England. The Eden, the first English river on the south-west border of Scotland, has its source in the moors of Westmoreland ; for a short way its course is to the north-east, after which it in clines to the north-west till it reaches Crosby, when it turns to the south-west to pass Carlisle : for the remain der of its course, its direction is again north-west. At its mouth it meets the Eske, and both rivers fall into the Solway Frith. The Ribble rises in the district of Craven ; it flows in a south-easterly direction, till it has passed Settle, when it turns south-west by Clithero, where it enters Lancashire. After passing Ribchester, it enters a dale of considerable beauty, to which it gives name; it next encompasses the handsome town of Pres ton, soon after which it discharges itself by a broad sandy outlet. No rivers occur (except such as have been already described) that need detain us between the Ribble and the Wye. This latter river rises on the south side of Plinlimmon, near the source of the Se vern. It flows at first towards the south, with a trifling inclination to the east ; and this direction it pursues through the great plain of Herefordshire; but as it ap proaches Monmouth, its course is south and south-west. It falls into the mouth of the Severn near Chepstow. "The romantic beauties of the Wye, which flows in a deep bed, between lofty rocks, clothed with hanging woods, and here and there crowned with ruined castles, have employed the descriptive powers of the pen and pencil, and frequently engage the curiosity of travel lers." Avon is a name which no fewer than seven rivers in England and Wales bear ; but of these, only the Upper and Lower Avon, and the Avon of Wiltshire and Hamp shire, call for our notice. Our account of the last we shall defer till we come to the rivers on the south coast of England. The Upper Avon rises on the borders of Leicestershire and Warwickshire, and, bringing a large influx of water past the castle and town of Warwick, it afterwards flows through a fine country to Stratford on Avon. From this place, it traverses the great level of Worcestershire, by Evesham, and, bending to the south, falls into the Severn near Tewksbury. The Lower Avon has its source near Wotton Basset, in the hilly district of North Wiltshire, bordering on the county of Gloucester. From these hills it flows with a wind ing course into the vale that leads to Chippenham; hence its windings are still greater and more numerous, the country through which it passes being very hilly. It next enters the clothing district of Wiltshire, and for a short space divides that county from Somersetshire. Its course is next to the south, and afterwards it takes a long compass by the west and the north. The city of Bath is now nearly encircled by its waters. From this place, with frequent meanderings, it descends to Bristol, whence it falls into the Bristol Channel at King's Road. The country through which the Lower Avon flows is in general rich and picturesque; but its waters are fre quently discoloured, after heavy rains, by the chalky soil of Wiltshire, and the ochry soil of Somersetshire.