years, that I make no doubt that this canal would be shortened many leagues, were it to be undertaken afresh. It is full of angles and turns that do not appear necessary; and on the contrary, in one or two places has been driven straight at an enormous expence, through numberless obstacles, when a short sweep would have conveyed the waters, with greater ease, and less expence, to the place of their des tination. There are fifteen locks upon it in the fall toward the ocean, and forty-five on the side of the Mediterranean. The highest point between the two seas is at Naurouge, which is elevated one hundred toises (more than two hundred yards) above the level of each shore. The canal is carried over thirty-seven aqueducts, and crossed by eight bridges."

The SEINE rises near Dijon, in Burgundy (now the department of Cote d'Ore); it proceeds in a north-western course. On this river Paris is situated. It consists of three parts, independently of its twelve suburbs, namely, the town, which lies on the north of the Seine, the city, which is environed by that river, and the university, which lies to the south of it. The city comprises three islands, formed by the Seine, which are, l'Isle du Palais, l'Isle de St. Louis, and l'Isle Louviers: the last is small, and contains only storehouses for wood. The isle du Palais communicates with other parts of the city by means of seven stone bridges, the principal of which is the Pont Neuf, or New Bridge, the finest bridge in Paris. It consists of twelve arches, and is seventy-two feet broad, reckoning the pa. rapets. The middle, or carriage-way, is thirty feet broad, and on each side is a raised footway.

Over the piles on either side are also semicircular lodgments, in which are an hundred and seventy-eight small shops,, formerly belonging to the king's footmen, which, like those formerly disfiguring London-bridge, only serve to obstruct a most beautiful prospect. In the centre of the bridge stood once a fine equestrian statue of Henry IV. in brass, larger than life, and standing on a marble pedestal, on the sides of which were basso relievos, with inscriptions, representing the victories and principal actions of that hero. At the four corners were tied four slaves, also of brass, who trample upon autique arms. This stately monument was inclosed within iron rails. Another orna. ment of the Pont Neuf is the Samaritaine, a building three stories high, in which is an engine that supplies some parts of the city with water. It was thus named from its containing in the front a groupe

of figures representing the story of Christ and the Samaritan woman. These statues were taken down by order of the National Convention.

Another bridge, called the PONT AU CHANGE, had also a statue of Louis XIV. in brass; and both this and the bridge of Notre Dame, on which are also water-works, have each two rows of houses upon them; those of the first being four, and of the last two stories high.

The Seine, passing through Normandy (now divided into five departments), visits Rouen, and falls into the British Channel near Havre de Grace.

The great and small rivers in SPAIN are said to amount to an hundred and fifty; the principal of these are the Minho, which rises in Galicia; the Douro, which has its source in Old Castile, in a part of the mountains of Idubeda; the Tagus, rising in a mountain in New Castile, which it passes through, the city of Toledo being situated on its banks, and the river encompassing it in the form of a horse shoe. It bounds the Portuguese province of Beira to the south, passes through that of Estramadura, and discharges itself into the Atlantic. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is situated near its mouth. All the great rivers of PORTUGAL have their sources in Spain. Thus the Guadiana also issues from New Castile, deriving its source from some lakes, at a small distance from which it takes its course between high mountains, in which it conceals itself for near three miles, and then re-appears in a fenny soil, but soon hides itself again amidst reeds and rocks, which probably gave occasion to the mistaken idea of its losing itself under-ground. This river separates the Spanish province of Andalusia from Portuguese Algarva. The Guadalquiver, or Great River, by the ancients called Bætis, and Tartessus, begins its course in Andalusia, where several small streams issuing from Mount Segura unite in a lake, from which this river flows. From Corduba to Seville, it is passable only by small craft; .but from the last city to its mouth, it is navigable by ships of burden, though dangerous on account of its many sandbanks. The Ebro rises in the mountains of Santillane, in Old Castile, from two springs, and receives upward of thirty brooks in its course, becoming navigable near Tudela; its navigation, however, is dangerous, on account of its many, rocks; at length it discharges itself with great rapidity into the Mediterranean, and its mouth forins the little island of Alfacs.

J

All these rivers abound in fishes; and the three principal, the Douro, the Tagus, and the Guadiana, divide the kingdom of Spain into three parts.

In the province of Andalusia is the river Tinto, or Azeche, the water of which cannot be drunk; it is accused, indeed, of being noxious even to herbs and the roots of trees, and has no kind of fish, or any living creature, to inhabit its waters.

To close the survey of rivers on the European continent, some of those in Italy must necessarily be spoken of; in which country the Apennine mountains take their rise near the Alps, on the sea-coast, in the territories of Genoa, and dividing Italy into almost two equal parts, reach to the straits that separate it from Sicily, and give rise to an incredible variety of rivers that water this delightful country. The largest and most remarkable of the rivers of ITALY are the following.

The Po, which rises in mount Viso, in Piedmont, one of the highest of all the Alps, and after receiving upward of thirty small rivers, discharges itself into the Adriatic, by seven different mouths. "It passes through Montferrat, the Milanese and Mantua, laves the borders of the Parmesan, and a part of the Modenese. It often overflows its banks, causing great devastation. The Adige, in Latin Athesis, has its source in the Rhætian Alps, and waters,the cities of Trent and Verona, it being the only large river in Lombardy, and instead of joining the Po, runs, like that river into the Adriatic. The Arno flowing from the Appennine mountains, and falling into the Tuscan sea near Pisa. The Tiber, which rises out of the Apennine mountains, and at a small distance from Rome, empties itself into that part of the Mediterranean called the Tuscan sea. It is known in Italy by the name of Tivere. Its waters are generally so thick and muddy at Rome, that even horses are not watered in its stream; but after standing two or three days, it works itself clear, and becomes fit for drinking. The bed of the river being raised by the ruins of many houses which have fallen into it, and its mouth much choaked up, it frequently overflows its banks, more especially when a strong south wind blows.

The principal rivers of England are the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, and the Humber.

The THAMES, if considered with respect to its course and navi

gation, is not to be equalled by any river in the known world. It rises from a small spring a little to the south-west of Cirencester, in Gloucestershire; and, taking its course eastward, becomes navigable at Lechlade for vessels of fifty tons, and there receives the river Colne, about one hundred and thirty-eight miles from London. From Lechlade it continues its course north-east to Oxford, where it receives the Charwell; after which it runs south-west to Abingdon, and thence to Dorchester, where it receives the Thame, and continuing its course south-east, flows by the borders of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Middlesex, Essex, and Kent. In this extensive progress it passes along a multitude of towns and fiue picturesque villages; and having visited London and Westminster, proceeds by Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, and Gravesend, to the sea. It is impossible to represent the beauties with which the banks of this noble river are embellished from Windsor to London; besides numerous villages, they are adorned with magnificent seats and gardens of numerous nobility and gentlemen. The tide flows as high as Richmond in Surry, which, following the winding course of the river, is seventy miles from the sea. At London the depth is sufficient for the navigation of large ships, which renders it the greatest port for trade in the universe. The water is justly esteemed exceedingly wholesome, and fit for use in very long voyages, during which it will work itself perfectly fine. It likewise abounds with a great variety of fishes.

The best description of this renowned river is to be found in SirJohn Denham's poem of Cowper's Hill. It is as follows; and the fine simile with which it concludes, and particularly the sweetness of the lines in which the simile is conveyed, have been objects of admiration and perhaps of envy by every succeeding poet.

Thames, the most lov'd of all the Ocean's sons

By his old sire, to his embraces runs ;
Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea,
Like mortal life to meet eternity.
Nor are his blessings to his banks confin'd,
But free and common as the sea or wind;

Where he, to boast or to disperse his stores,
Full of the tribute of his grateful shores,

Visits the world, and in his flying tow'rs
Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours;

VOL. III,

D

So that to us no thing, no place is strange,
While his fair bosom is the world's exchange.

O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream

My great example, as it is my theme!

Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull;
Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full.

Although it is the current opinion that the Thames had its name from the conjunction of the Thame and Isis, yet it is always called Thames before it comes near the Thame. This the annotator on Camden proves from ancient records, and adds, "it may be safely affirmed, that it does not occur under the name of Isis in any charter or authentic history; and that the name is no where heard of, exeept among scholars; the common people all along, from the springhead to Oxford, calling it by no other name but that of the Thames."

The SEVERN rises from a small lake on the vast mountain of Plynlimmon, in Montgomeryshire, and is the principal beauty of the county, in which it receives so many small streams, that it becomes navigable near the town of Montgomery. It passes through the middle of Shropshire; on its banks are the towns of Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth; its course is through the centre of Worcestershire, from north to south, the city of Worcester and town of Tewkesbury being here seated on its margin. Entering Gloucestershire, it runs by the city of Gloucester, and discharges itself into a large bay, which, from the commercial city in its vicinity, is called the Bristol Channel. About fifteen miles from its mouth a navigable canal has been constructed, which conveys the waters of the Severn to within about two miles of Cirencester; they are then carried by a tunnel or archway, the height of which is fifteen feet above the surface of the water, through Saperton hill, two miles and three furlongs in extent, for the purpose of communicating with the Thames at LechJade. In November 1789, this navigation was completed. The Severn is distinguished for the abundance of salmon which frequent it, and the lamprey, which is almost peculiar to it; this last fish is in season in the spring of the year, when it has a delicious taste, which abates as the summer advances.

The TRENT rises among the moor lands in the north-west part of Staffordshire, and has its waters increased by several rivulets, by