WHITEHAVEN, a seaport town of England in Cumberland, is situated at the mouth of the Poe beck on the Irish Sea. The town, which is built on a regular plan, is extremely handsome, not only for its spacious streets crossing at right angles, but from the houses being roofed with blue slate. The shops also are particularly elegant. The approach from the north is singular, from the heights being so much above the town, that the slated roofs only are visible till the traveller is near the entrance to the town, which is by a fine portico of red freestone, with a rich entablature bearing the Lowther arms. There are three chapels, St. James's, Trinity, and St. Nicholas. The interior of St. James's is par ticularly handsome. There are also several meet ing-houses, a Roman Catholic chapel, a dispensary, a poor's house, a neat theatre, assembly rooms, a free school, and several charity schools. The castle, a residence of the Earl of Lonsdale, contains some fine paintings. The harbour of Whitehaven has been greatly improved, and accommodated to the activity of its trade. Light-houses are erected on the old and new quays, and the entrance to the har bour is defended by four batteries, containing 98 cannon, among which are twelve 42-pounders, and eighteen 36-pounders. The principal manufactures of Whitehaven are shipbuilding, for which there are six yards, sail-cloth, for which there are two establishments, and cordage, which is made in three roperies. The principal trade of Whitehaven
is in coals, great quantities of which are sent to Ireland. The coal works are near the sea, and some are wrought even beneath the town, in conse quence of which eighteen houses were destroyed in 1791, by the falling in of some of the old works. Some of the pits are 960 feet deep, and the working extends some miles beneath the sea. About 80,000 wagons of coals are supposed to be raised annu ally, each wagon weighing about 43 cwt. The coal staith, or magazine, on the west side of the town and near the harbour, contains 3000 wagon loads, and so perfect is the machinery employed, that from eight to twelve vessels, carrying from 100 to 120 tons, can be laden in one tide. Whitehaven carries on a trade to Africa, America, and the West Indies, and in 1822 it had 181 ships, with a tonnage of 24,220, or 145 tons each at an average. Two weekly papers are published here, and in sum mer a steam-boat plies between this port, Dum fries, and Liverpool. In 1821 the population of the town was 2117 houses, 2749 families, 45 ditto engaged in agriculture, 1324 in trade, &c. and total number of inhabitants 12,438. The population is said to have decreased in 1819 and 1820 from the decrease of trade.