If we had crossed the island, about 25 miles to the south of the direction we have just described, near the latitude of Sheffield and Chester, we should travel over nearly a similar series of rocks, except that beyond the vale of Dement, 12 miles to the west of Sheffield, we should meet with the metalliferous limestone of Derby shire. The same metalliferous limestone would also be met with, if, after crossing the red sandstone of Che shire, we continued our line into Wales. Here it occurs in Flintshire, forming the boundary of the alpine dis trict.
If we cross the island in the latitude of Lancaster, the metalliferous limestone mountains of Craven, in Yorkshire, would be observed, rising from under the grit-stone, and resting upon slate. In this latitude, the grit-stone mountains of Wharfdale approach near the earthy limestone on the eastern side, and nearly shut out the coal district.
In travelling from Kent to Cornwall, nearly 150 miles of chalk and calcareous sandstone, as far as the western district of Dorsetshire, are passed over. After we leave the chalk, a few miles of the lower secondary strata oc cur, before we arrive at the transition and primary rocks.
A brief notice of the principal mineral waters of Eng land seems properly to belong to this part of our sub ject. They are thus classed by Dr Saunders: The sim pler thermal, viz. Bristol, the temperature of which is 74"; Matlock, the temperature of which is 66°; and Buxton, with a temperature of 82°. The simple saline, of which Epsom is the principal : the simple carbona ted chalybeatc, of which Tunbridge is the principal : the hot carbonated chalybcate, or Bath waters, the tem perature of which is 110: the saline carbonated chaly hcate, as the Cheltenham and Scarborough : the vitrio lated chalybeate, as the llartlell waters : and the cold sulphureous, as the llarrowgate. The waters of Mal vern and /lolywell seem to owe their medical virtues entirely to their purity.
H ot% I NG thus fully considered, and, we trust, faith fully and accurately described England, as it came from the hands of Nature, with respect to its climate, soil, and natural history, we shall now proceed to the second grand division of our subject ; and consider and describe it, as it has been operated upon, by the exertion of the labour, and by the application of the science, the know ledge, the skill, and the capital of its inhabitants. From the sketch which we have given of its natural state, it will be seen, that while it presents no great obstacles, in any respect, to the successful exertion of human indus try ; on the other hand, it does not hold out what is re quisite or desirable for the subsistence, comfort, or luxu ry of man, to be acquired by ease and indolence. To the man of enterprize and science, it is a valuable country, or may be made so; to the man of indolent habits and confined knowledge, existence in it could not be desirable.
This division of our subject naturally comprises se veral important branches. In the first place, the agri culture of the country ; the leading principles on which it is practised ; the more prominent particulars of the agricultural practice itself; and a comparative view of agricultural knowledge at present, and at former peri ods, claim our attention. In the second place, the mines
and quarries, especially the former, as exhibiting evi dences of the industry, ingenuity, and success of the people of this country, and as contributing to their de fence, subsistence, power, and wealth, will be consider ed in an economical point of view, having been already treated of as branches of the natural history of England. In the third place, our manufactures, in which, more than in any other branch of human industry, England ,,tands proudly pre-eminent over the rest of the world, will be considered at considerable length. It will easily be seen, that, under this head, we have no concern with the processes themselves of the different manufactures, except so far as a general description of some of them may contribute to point out and explain the great im provements which we have from time to time made in manufactures. In treating on this subject, also, we shall intermix or premise historical notices, concerning the state of our principal manufactures at former periods. Neither our information, our limits, nor the nature and object of this article, will permit us to render these his torical notices numerous, regular, or connected. What we have in view in giving them, is only to enable our readers to form some idea of the comparative state of our manufactures now and at former periods; and pro bably, in some instances, such historical notices may be important and interesting, as pointing out those changes in national manners and habits, which are sometimes in dicated by the changes that take place in the manufac tures for home usc. In the fourth place, we shall con sider the fisheries of England under their two natural and grand divisions; of the fisheries on our own coasts, or in our own rivers, and the fisheries which are carried on abroad, at Greenland and Davis' Straits, in the South Seas, and off the coasts of Newfoundland. Lastly, the trade and commerce of England will claim our notice. The former divided into the inland and coasting trade ; the latter embracing our mercantile connections with foreign nations. We are well aware of the extent and magnitude of this plan ; of the importance, interest, and advantage, which would result from the complete and accurate execution of it ; and of the extreme difficulty, and numerous obstacles, which lie in the way of such execution. Even if it were attempted by numerous in dividuals, each most judiciously and impartially selected for his information and knowledge in one particular branch, omissions and errors must appear; it must not, therefore, be a matter of wonder or of censure, if, in the present article, those who are conversant in any particu lar branch of the various and dissimilar subjects which are treated of, should detect omissions or errors.