HAMPSHIRE, HANTS, or the County of Southamp ton, is a maritime county, situated on the southern coast of England. It is bounded on the north by Berkshire ; on the east by Sussex and Surrey ; on the south by the English Channel, and the sound, which separates it from that part of the county called the Isle of Wight ; and on the west by Dorsetshire. Its limits on the south side are the numerous creeks and inlets formed by the sea ; on the west and east they are mostly artificial; on the north they are chiefly composed by the rivers Enborsa and Black water. The figure of Hampshire is nearly that of a square, with a triangular projection at the south-west angle, re sembling the bastion of a fortification. Besides the Isle of Wight, the islands of Jersey and Guernsey are included as parts of the county : its length, exclusive of the pro jection of the south-west and the Isle of Wight, is about 42 miles, and its breadth about 38.
Hampshire is divided into 52 hundreds and liberties ; these are subdivided into 356 parishes, precincts, hamlets, and tythings, the parishes alone being 253. y town, one city, Winchester, which is a.1...
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though Southampton is somet,ipaly.ipton, there are 18 other Besides Winchester and market towns, of the principal are Portsmouth, An dover, Ly ;-0 Christchurch, Basingstoke, Alton, Fare rn ham. Komsey. Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Andover, Lymington, Christchurch, Stockbridge, Whit church, and Petersfield, send each two members to par liament, so that the county sends in all twenty members to pat liament, exclusive of those sent by the Isle of Wight : it pays 14 parts of the land-tax. Hampshire lies in the province of Canterbury, and diocese of Winchester, and, with the county of the town of Southampton, is included in the wester n circuit.
This county is justly regarcl7c1 as one of the ino:;t agreeable in England, being equally disting.uished for the goodness of its soil, the heaithinesS and mitclness of its cli mate, and the beauty of its prospects. Tne surface is finely varied with hills of gentle elevation and fruitful vallies,adorn ed with numerous gentlemen's seats and villages, and inter spersed with numerous woodlands. its southern parts were the first peopled, and there the population is still the greatest ; the mildness of the seasons, and the convenience of the ports, operating as strollg inducements to continued residence. The ridge of chalk hills may be traced across the county, passing in the parallel of Winchester. The climate in the higher parts is bracing and healthy, from the clearness and pureness of the air; towards the sea, it is mild, and rather moist.
The soil of Hampshire is extremely various, though, for the most part, of a calcareous nature., On the borders of Berkshire, it is deep, of a good quality,3ind very produc tive of corn and timber, particularly oak and elm. On the acclivities of the hills towards Basingstoke, it is also very deep and strong, with a calcareous subsoil. Round Whit church it is less deep and chalky. From Overton towards Stockbridge, and thence to Redbridge, there is a beautiful vale, which is divided into well-watered meadows. Round
Andover the land is high, and approaches to the nature of downs. Towards Romsey it is more fertile. The country here is very beautiful, being interspersed with woods, and fine hedge-row timber. The centre of the county, in gene ral, may be described as consisting of land higher and more chalky than the rest of the county, but by no means of an unfertile soil. On the borders of Dorsetshire, are vast tracts of waste land covered with heath. The vicinity of Redbridge is distinguished for its valuable salt marshes. Down land is met with between Petersfield and Portsmouth. On the banks of the Itchin, are some valuable water mea dows. Perhaps the richest and most valuable soil in this county is near Alton.
The principal rivers in Hampshire, are the Itchin, the Avon, the Boldre Water, the Exe, the Anton, and the Tesse, or Test. Several smaller streams rise in the north west parts of the county, but these soon quit it in their course to the Thames. The Itchin rises near Alresford, near the centre of the county; and after passing Winches ter, it unites its streams with the water of Southampton, about half a mile to the east of that town. The Avon en ters the county from Wiltshire, near Fordingbridge, and coasts the edge of the New Forest. This part of its course is thus not only well wooded, but enlivened by the numerous villas that ornament its banks. After passing Ringwood, it flows through a less interesting sandy revel towards Christchurch. Below this town, it .cceives the waters of the Stour from with them falls into Christ- church bay. ".- xsoldre Water is formed by various in the New Forest, winch uniting, pass are and Lymington to the sea. The Exe also rises in the same district, and opens in a broad estuary to the sea, low Exbury. The Anton rises in the north-west angle of the county, and flowing through Andover, runs into the Tesse about a mile below Whirwell. The Tesse has its origin below Whitchurch; and after its junction with the Anton assumes a southerly course, and passing Stockbridge and Ramsay, receives several small streams from the New Forest, near Redbridge. Below this place it expands siderably, and Forms the head of Southampton Water. This, properly speaking, is an arm of the sea, extending from above Southampton to Caldshot Castle, and rendered very picturesque by its woody and i egular banks. Its whole extent is neatly 10 miles. Near Southampton, it is about four miles broad. It is navigable almost to the head for vessels of considerable burden ; and the two principal rivers which flow into it, admit small craft some way up into the county. On tracing the sea coast from the east, we come to Portsea island, a low tract of considerable ex tent, separated from the main by a shallow creek, over which a bridge is built. On this island Portsmouth is situat ed. Off the point of land terminating this peninsula, is the noted road of Spithead, where the men of war anchor when prepared for actual service. From this, on the cast side, commences Trissanton Bay, or Southampton Water.