PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD. The ex cellence of Portsmouth Harbour attracted the notice of the Romans, who established a station at Porchester on its northern shore. Portsmouth was a place of importan^a in the time of Henry I., and there was a naval station there in the reign of John. The dockyard is the laraest in the kingdom, covering from 115 to acres. It includes a rope-house, anchor wharfs, an anchor forge, a copper-sheathing foundry and mills ; block, mast, sail and rigging, and other store-houses; a grand basin, in which vessels are received with all their standing and running rigging to be repaired ; building slips, docks for repairing —in a word, all that is requisite for the con struction, equipment, armament, and repair of vessels. There are also residences for the port-admiral, the admiral superintendent, and other officers of the yard, a chapel, a school for naval architecture, and other buildings. The block-machinery; invented by the late Sir M. Isambert Brunel, is an admirable
manifestation of mechanical skill ; it is im pelled by steam. [BLOWI-MACFIINERY.] Ad jacent to the dockyard is the spacious and well furnished gun wharf and its connected buildings. It is the grand depot fer cannon, shot, and every description of ordnance stores.
The trade of Portsmouth, which is consider able at all times, but especially in time of war, depends much upon the expenditure con nected with or caused by the naval station and dockyard, and is of a very miscellaneous character. There is a considerable import of cattle from the Isle of Wight and from the west of England. Corn and provisions are brought in from Ireland, eggs from France, timber from the Baltic, and wine is imported direct from the Continent. Steam commu nication is kept up with the Isle of Wight, Southampton, Plymouth, and Havre. The number of vessels registered at the port is about 150.