they resemble the weavers about Manchefter. All Europe is more or lefs fupplied with the articles above-mentioned, made in this neighbourhood." P. 311. In this parish" the Ravenhead works manufacture thirty tons weekly of mal! copper bars, not feven ounces troy weight, for the Eaft-India Company; which are exported to China, and are fuppofed to pafs for coin. Thefe bars are dropped from the mould into water, where an effervefcence begins in a few minutes to take place at one end, and proceeds quickly to the other, by which the bar is changed from a leaden hue to the colour of red fealing wax. The bar refembles in shape a stick of wax." P. 313. At Liverpool," the other eye of Lancashire," as it is properly denominated, the population appears to have grown in the following proportion, as we collect it from the fucceffive pages of the work. From thefe lifts, regifters of marriages, chriftenings, and burials, "It would appear, that, even in the first year of this century, Liverpool did not poffefs a population of more than about 4240 perfons.The number of inhabitants in 1720 is computed at 10,446, confiderably above double that in the first year of the century.—In the year 1730, the number of people exceeded 12,000.In 1740, they were by computation more than 18,000.By the year 1760, the population of Liverpool had reached, by computation, 25,787 fouls. In the beginning of the year 1773, a plan was executed, which ought never to be long neglected in a large town, that of an actual enumeration of its inhabitants, which gave 34,407." P. 335-343. Let us compare this population with that at Manchester, and we shall stand amazed at the refult of both. In the fame year, 1773, on an equal enumeration of inhabitants, Manchefter, with its fuburbs of Salford, contained 27,246 persons. "At Christmas 1788, the whole number of people in both towns might be reckoned at more than 50,000. During the year 1791, the chriftenings in these towns amounted to 2960, the burials at 2286: these numbers, by the ufual mode of calculating, will give from fixtyfive to feventy-four thousand inhabitants; an increase almost unparal leled!" P. 157. From what parts of this or the neighbouring ifles, did two towns fo near derive fuch an aftonishing acceffion of inhabitants, in so short a period? Let us now trace the progrefs of its commerce, in the fame manner, but more at large. "In 1565, all the shipping of the place confifted of ten barks, the largest of forty tons burthen, and two boats, the whole making 223 tons, and navigated by 75 tons; and at Wallafey, a creek oppofite, were three barks and boats, making thirty-fix tons, and navigated by fourteen men. From this period to that of the civil wars, the increase of of its trade could not be very confiderable, fince we find no mention of the place worthy of being recorded." P. 334. This is a mistake, equally in Dr. Enfield, who is cited, and Dr. Akin; as Camden in 1590-1607, calls the town the most commodious, and the most accustomed port of paffage into Ireland, more famous for elegance and population than for antiquity*. But" in 1710 the increafe of trade had fuggefled the neceffity of a dock, and an act paffed for the purpose of empowering the town to conftruct one. Before this time, the thips must have lain in the open channel oppofite the town, as there is no natural creek or inlet from it. About this period, the number of fnips belonging to the port was eighty-four, averaging fomething lefs than feventy tons burthen each, and navigated by eleven men at a medium.-In 1720 an act paffed for making navigable the rivers Merfey and Irwell as far as Manchester; the firft of thofe fchemes for internal navigation in Lancafhire, which have fince multiplied to fuch a degree, to the benefit of the whole country, and efpecially of Liverpool, the great centre of its export and import trade. The fame year, 1720, likewife gave rife to a fill more important defign of water-communication, which was that, by means of the river Weaver, with Northwich and Winfford bridge. But, although the act paffed this year, it was not till a confiderable time afterwards that its purpofes were fully brought into effect.-An aft had paffed in 1717 for enlarging the time granted by the first dock act; and, in 1738, another act paffed for enlarging the time of the last act; whence it may be concluded, that its purposes, as to the making of the fecond dock, were not yet completed. It was probably for the want of thefe conveniences, that the tonnage of fhips entering inwards was no greater in the year 1737, than it had been in 1716; but, after this period, the increafe became rapid,By the year 1760, the tonnage of the fhipping belonging to its port was above four times that of the year 1709.-in 1762, fuch was the prefent ftate, and fuch were the future profpects of the town, that an act was obtained for making an additional dock and pier, and erecting light-houses in or near the port.-The new dock, more spacious than either of the former, was a vast addition to the accommodation of the port, and its piers and quays greatly improved its beauty and grandeur. It was not finifhed till about 1771.-In the beginning of the year 1773," on an actual enumeration of its inhabitants, with refpect to the fea-faring men employed in the Liverpool fhips, they were found to be about 6000. P.335-343. The harbour of Liverpool is entirely artificial, confifting of docks formed within the town, and communicating with the river. No maritime town in Great Britain, perhaps in Europe, can vie with Liverpool in the number and extent of thefe works, which afford conveniences in loading and unloading of fhips, fuperior to thofe enjoyed by any natural harbours. Of the docks there "Commodiffimus et ufitatiffimus eft in Hiberniam trajectus, elegantiâ et frequentiâ quam antiquitate celebrior." are are two kinds, the wet and the dry. The former are fo conftructed with flood gates, that water enough is pounded in them to keep the fhips afloat in all times of the tide. The latter are the entrances to the others, and partake of the ebb and flow of the river. The wet docks are ufually occupied by fuch fhips as go foreign voyages; the dry by coafting veffels: between the fe are feveral graving docks, which admit or exclude the water at pleafure, and are capable of receiving two or three veffels at a time, for the purpofe of repairing them. The docks extend along the river nearly the breadth of the town. The length of quay afforded by all these spacious bafons, will appear, on calculation, to be fo great, as to eclipfe all the moft famous of the river or fhore quays in the different fea-ports. On the fides of the docks are warehouses, far furpafting, in thofe refpects, the warehoufes of London. P. 354. The dock-duties were in 1754, 20951 IIS.; 1764, 2780l. 3s. 4d.; 1774, 4580l. 5s. 5d.; 1784, 65971. IIS. 18.; 1794, 10,6781. 7s. Ships, native and foreign, that have annually entered the port, 1753, 584 British, 28 Foreign; 1763, 574 British, 78 Foreign; 1773, 970 British, 57 Foreign; 1783, 1165 British, 206 Foreign; 1793, 1704 British, 215 Foreign. Before the regulation of the manifeft act, the number of ships properly belonging to each port could not be afcertained with any certainty. We do not, therefore, copy any earlier accounts of this kind for Liverpool; but content ourfelves with giving thofe for the feven years, ending in 1793, which have been copied from the register of the fhipping of that port. Year Ships Tons 1789 479 76,251 1790 504 80,003 Year Ships Tons. 96,694." P. 366. Such an aftonishing fact have we under our eyes here, of a port owning only 84 thips of 70 tons, one with another, about fo late a year as 1710; yet poffeffing 605 fhips of 96,694 tons, in all, in 1793! The fact, we prefume, is not to be paralleled in any other part of the globe. We fhould willingly go on with the work to Chester, to Wrexham, and very many towns befides. But we must remember the limits of a Review. We fhould be particularly glad to reft awhile at the Staffordshire potteries. Yet we force ourfelves from thefe and other topics, to notice what is faid of Halifax. For fome time paft the ftaple manufactory of the place and neighbourhood has been tammies, fhalloons, drawboys, known beft under the title of figured laftings and amens, fuperfine quilled everlaflings, double ruffels, ferges de Nifme and du Rome. Thefe are all made from combing wool. They are brought in the unfinished ftate to the Picce-hall, where the merchants attend every Saturday to purchase. Formerly the greateft part of thefe goods were bought by the London merchants, for the fupply of foreigners; but, for the laft fifteen fifteen or twenty years, dye-houfes and other conveniences have been erected by merchants, who finifh the goods upon the fpot, and are thereby able to underfell the London merchants. Of thefe goods, very few in proportion are fold inland. Large quantities go to all the European continent, of which thofe fent to Cadiz are chiefly exported to Spanish America. Many fhalloons go by land to London, for the Turkey trade. There is, befides, a very confiderable manufactory of kerfeys and half-thicks, alfo of ftockings and baize, principally in the hands of merchants of property in the neighbourhood of Sowerby, and made in the valley from Sowerby-bridge up to Rippenden, and higher. The whole of the British navy is clothed from this fource. Large quantities are alfo, in time of peace, fent to Holland, and fome to America." P. 563. With this extract we conclude our revifal of this extraordinary work; and cannot but obferve at the clofe, that no other region in the whole ifland, fo pregnant with objects of manufacturing and commercial importance, could have been selected by that adventurous fpirit, who planned in fancy, and executed in expence, the prefent publication*; and whofe birth-place, with pleafure, we recognife, we think, at that real centre of the whole circle, where," at Rowcrofs," in Mottram Longdendale," is an ancient favourite cottage, of which a view is given." Nor could Mr. Stockdale have fingled out a fitter perfon for arranging his materials and compofing his work, than the very author whom he engaged in the business, whofe mind was competent to this or any other undertaking, whose fituation placed him near the centre of the circle, and whofe pen could throw all the charms of agreeable ftyle, even over the machines and the modes of manufacture themfelves. We cannot therefore with thefe feelings, hesitate to recommend a work, fo honourable at once to the writer and the collector. We recommend it to all, who wish to mark with a philofophical eye, the struggles of human industry and human ingenuity, crowned with great fuccefs at laft; and to the ftudies or libraries of thofe, who have the nobler and more British defire, to behold towns, villages, hamlets, through a circuit of a wonderful extent, all the ftriking witneffes of the political happiness enjoyed, and the aftonithing improvements made, under the patronage of our prefent conftitution in church and state. 'In the beginning of our former article, where we ftate the circuit decribed to be a thousand fquare miles, read "near four thousand": according to the calculation of the editor himself. Tt BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. JUNE, 1796. ART. ART. IV. The Sea-Sick Minstrel; or, Maritime Sorrows. A Pem. In fix Cantos. 4to. 5s. R. White. 1796. THE artist, whofe very elegant and airy figure of Venus forms the frontifpiece to this poem, is its reputed author, and certainly he has no reafon to conceal a circumftance fo honourable to his talents. If Mr. Trefham has ftudied to become a painter, Nature feems to have made him a poet without ftudy; and the connection of the powers which produce thefe kindred forts of excellence, is here very pleasingly illuftrated. We fay that he has become a poet without study, because this is by no means a work of poetic art, but a very irregular effufion of real genius. Many are the paffages, which, as critics, we thould be obliged to condemn, but much more numerous are thofe, which, as occafional votaries of the Mufe, we should be very proud to equal. The connection of fome parts is abrupt and imperfect, the meaning of others is obfcure; yet a vein of genuine humour runs through the whole, and there is much that is luminous, and much that is ingenious and energetic. The verfification is in general good, and evinces an accurate ear; except in the rhymes, where it feems to have been milled by fome provincial habits, perhaps Hibernian, for we know not the country of the author. What leads to this fufpicion in particular, is the frequency of fuch rhymes as grace and peace; declare, Belvidere; tafté, feaft; leaves, craves; debate, heat; names, beams; &c. which do not well coincide, except by the aid of fuch pronunciation. Be this as it may, there is merit enough in the poem amply to counterbalance this and all its ether defects, on which, therefore, we shall not dwell, but shall proceed to the more pleafing task of exemplifying its beauties. Among thefe is the very opening of the whole, which is replete with delicate and poetical hu mour. "Long has the poet, pent in modeft nook, Paus'd-dread fufpence!—to bind*, or burn his book; He fings the virgin forrows of the wave. For law, lawn fleeves, and field of Mars unfit, Too mild to rail at penfioners or Pitt, Too dull to catch at foul-fubduing grace; Too weak to fhield the wounded arts of peace; * Better " to print." Rev. What |