The river Tyne which has, for many ages, been the principal sea port for coals, is in its lower part the boun dary between the counties of Durham and Northumber land. The towns of North and South Shields stand on each bank near its mouth, where the spring tides rise 13 feet. The river is navigable for large vessels 15 iniles up to Newcastle. The coals are generally de livered to the coasting vessels by tneans of certain barg es, known by the name of Keels, which by acts of 11 and 15 Geo. III. are to carry 8 Newcastle chaldrons, or 21* tons. In many instances, however, the coals are brought by waggons on railways from the mines to the river, and from platfot ms and spouts on its banks shot imme diately into the vessels. It is said that wooden railways have been in use ever since the year 1680.
The Humber.
The estuary called the Humber, has its mouth in the German Sea, about 5 miles in width. In passing 20 miles up to the town of Hull, it contracts to about one mile ; thence westward it passes between the Lincoln shire and Ye‘kshire Chalk Wok's for about 18 miles, terminating in a marshy flat, which is the general recep tacle of the rivers of the adjacent districts. Of these, two are chiefly remarkable, viz. the Trent southwards, and the Ouse towards the north-west, each following the hollow of the red land soil, and forming a natural naviga tion for upwards of a hundred miles, through this fertile part of England. On the west of this line is a coal country, extending, with little interruption, from the Newcastle fields as far south as Coventry. Behind which, Derbyshire affords limcstone ancl lead, while gyp sum and other minerals are found in the lower parts of the basin. The numerous flocks fed on the heights of Yorkshire had early created extensive woollen manufac tures at Leeds, Halifax, Wakefield, Ecc. and they are still the seats of that trade. The abundant water-falls in Der byshire induced the working in cotton, before the appli cation of the steam engine was known. Nottingham and its vicinity was chiefly employed in hosiery and lace ; and, in the southern parts of Yorkshire, Sheffield is the seat of an extensive cutlery trade. These important circumstances, with the neccssity of embanking and draining the low lands, early promoted an extensive inland navigation, first by means of the natural streams, next by side-cuts, locks, and weirs ; and lastly, by artificial canals.
Hull is the great sea-port of this district ; its popula tion being upwards of 30,000. It is provided with exten sive wet docks, capable of admitting 50 gun ships. It carries on an important trade with the north of Eu rope.
In Lincolnshire, at the mouth of the Humber, is the Louth navigation. It commences at the town of Louth, and passes by Leatherhill Mead, Kiddington Old North Cockering to Titney ; in all 14 miles, with a fall of 561 feet.
At Grimsby, a cut of large dimensions has been made 1-1-- mile to the tideway. The sea lock is 126 feet long, 86 feet wide, with 20 fect water. Act 36 Geo. III. John Rennie, engineer.
In the northern parts of Lincolnshire, the Caistor and Ancholme navigations join the Humber above Hull. The Ancholme is 26 miles; act 42 Cleo. III. The Caistor branch is 9 miles ; act 35 Geo. III. The pur poses of it are drainage, and supplying the towns of Caistor and Market Raisen.
North of the estuary, the river Hull passes from the sea-port of Kingston upon Hull to Beverley. About 12 miles thence the Duffield canal, by acts 7, 41 Geo. III. continues N. 1 miles to Great Duffield. The first 5 miles is. by the river, the remainder by a canal. En 3 H gincer, John Smeaton. A branch from it is the IIull and Leven canal, '3 miles. Acts 41, 45 Geo. III.
Near the upper end nf the estuary, opposite the Trent, is thc Market Weighton canal. It passes nearly north about 11 miles. A sea loci; at its mouth communicates 'with the Humber; thence it is level to near its head, where there are 3 locks. Acts 12 Geo. III. Engineer, John Smeaton.
We now proceed to the northern great branch of the _Humber, the river Ouse. From the Trent this river is navigable 15 miles, for vessels of 150 tons, to Armin, at the junction of the Aire and Calder navigation. From thence it has a crooked course of 25 miles to the city of York. In this space it receives at Barnaby the river Derwent, navigable about 35 miles to NM Mahon ; and near York the Foss navigation, 33 and 41 Geo. pro ceeds northward 13 miles to Stillington On the south side the Ouse receives the river Dun at Goole, and the Aire and Calder at Armin, and also by a canal at Selby, (as will be afterwards described.) At Cawood it receives the Wharfe, having a bad navigation of about 9 miles to Tadcaster. Between Cawood and York there is one lock.