inhabitants of Bristol, on the erection of this port, proves little more than their own jealous apprehensions; and ac cording to Sir Robert Atkyns, "the complaint had no foun dation, for that the port of Gloucester had very little foreign trade through the contiguity of Bristol." Great expectations have indeed lately been excited, that the foreign trade would be considerably increased by the Berkeley Canal; but the peculiar circumstances of the present age, which have more or less influenced all public undertakings, have given a check to the completion of a scheme well and wisely planned at the outset, and of consequence the final result or advantages to be derived from it remain, it is to be feared, to be proved at a distant period. The foreign imports chiefly consist of wines, fruits, cork, &c. from Portugal; and tallow, deals, &c. from Russia and Norway. The coasting trade is more considerable. Large quantities of copper are brought from Swansea and other places for Birmingham; sugar and other articles of grocery from Bristol to various places upwards; and timber, bark, corn, coals, and other inland produce, are carried down the river.

RIVERS AND CANALS.

The SEVERN rises from a small pond on the north eastern side near the summit of Plinlimmon, in Wales. The inhabitants call it Haffren or Havren, as it flows through a wild district towards the S, E. to Llanidloes. As it approaches Newtown it assumes the name of Severn. It then passes through the vale of Montgomeryshire, and beyond Welch

pool enters Shropshire, and having almost encircled the town of Shrewsbury, passes Colebrook Dale, flowing by Bridgenorth, Bewdley, Worcester, Tewkesbury, and Gloucester, and continuing its course some miles beyond Newnham, is called the Bristol Channel, till it empties itself into the Atlantic Ocean, between the Land's-end and the extreme point of Pembrokeshiré. The distance of this course is

more than 200 miles.-Compressed Hist. of the County.

The tide flows by Gloucester with great rapidity, and has been felt as high as Worcester; this, however, is very seldom the case, and more often its effect is lost four or five miles above the town. After it has passed Newnham, from the sudden contraction of the river, the water which had flowed over the wide channel at Frampton, is collected into a small compass, and being strongly and suddenly impelled forwards, rises with a great wave. This wave presents a striking phenomenon below and at Gloucester, and from its noise and fury, is called the Boar, or Hygre. The greatest elevation produced by the tide at Gloucester is nine feet, but the most usual is seven feet and a half. The saline impregnation is soon lost after it has passed Framilode Passage. The produce of the Severn is roach, dace, blake, flounders, eels, elvers, chub, carp, trout, and percli. The three last, though often found in the Severn, are not naturally belonging to it. Salmon, lampreys, lamperns, shad, are taken near the town, and other varieties as it approaches towards the sea.-Agricult. Survey of Glouc.

The Severn, about a mile above the town, divides into two channels, inclosing the Isle of Alney, at the south extre mity of which they again unite. At a distant period of time it was probably divided into three channels, one of which has long since been filled up. In old records it is mentioned under the title of Little Severn, and sometimes

Old Severn. The course of it was from Longford Ham down Tweendike, round the east side of Meanham, skirting St. Oswald's Priory, where was once a quay, and proceeding to the Foreign Bridge into the present channel at the Quay.

The Severn often overflows the adjoining meadows far and wide, in consequence of violent and continued rains, or the sudden melting of snow on the mountains near the source. In the year 1770, and several times since, the water has risen to the heighth of four feet in St. Mary de Lode Church. One is naturally led to infer from this circumstance either that there is, from some unknown cause, a greater accumulation of water now than in former times, or that the bed of the Severn is considerably higher; for it is not likely that our ancestors would have built a church within the reach of floods; or if this had been the case, such events would have been noticed in the register of the Abbey, which have recorded the effects of fire with accurate regularity. That the land has been raised six feet at least in all the parts adjoining to the Severn is undoubted, because to that depth the soil is adventitious, evidently formed from the long continued and annual deposits of muddy water. When St. Bartholomew's Hospital was taken down a few years since, the shafts of the pillars were nearly eight feet under ground. Such was not the original building, but as the bed of the Severn continued to rise, and carry up its waters with it, the ground floor of this hospital was necessarily raised to be kept above the water mark, and this was done by Whitmay, who was Prior 4 H. VIII. The rise of the bed of the Severn is a necessary consequence of the waste of soil on all the elevated lands adjoining it. It is remarked in Plott's History of Staffordshire, on respectablę authority, that the pinnacle of Gloucester Cathedral

tower was scarcely visible from the window of the chamber on the first floor of the Manor-house at Churcham two or three centuries ago; but now, from waste of the intervening hill, the tower is to be seen, from the same elevation, nearly as low as the roof of the building. If the information of the learned historian was well founded, it is a strong circumstance to prove that the same effect is gradually taking place in other situations of a similar nature. Leland, in speaking of Derhurst, remarks, "that the site of the town as it now is, is in the manner of a meadow, so that when Severn much risith, the water cummith almoste about the towne. It is to be supposed that it was of olde tyme lesse subjecte to waters, and that the bottom of Severne then deeper without choking of sand dyd at flouddes leste hurte." -Itin. vol. 6. p. 78. One reason indeed why the floods are higher, and continue longer than former is, that the free current of the waters is much impeded by the raised causeway to Over, which is of comparatively modern date. A few years since, when the ground was opened to a considerable depth, for the purpose of building a bridge over the Hereford Canal, large stones were found, supported on oak timbers, where seemed to have been the ancient causeway. Whether this was of Roman construction or not, is of little consequence, but it gives strong evidence that the waters did not then rise to their present height, or that they run off much sooner, as otherwise the communication between the town and country must have been often and long suspended.

The BERKELEY CANAL was intended to open an easy and safe communication with the Severn at Berkeley. It was begun in 1794, but from an unexpected increase of expences, five miles only were completed, and the work is not yet resumed. The Bason at Gloucester comprehends three

acres, and the Canal is 70 feet wide at top, 20 feet at bot tom, and 18 feet deep. The length was intended to be seventeen miles and a half; and so level is the ground that no lock would be required in the intermediate space. Twenty miles of navigation would be saved, and complete security to the vessels. If it should ever be finished, the final result will be highly favourable to the commercial interests of Gloucester.-Compressed History.

The HEREFORD and GLOUCESTER CANAL was intended to open the trade between the city and county of Hereford and Bristol. The Wye being navigable only for very small vessels beyond the reach of the tide, land carriage is necessarily substituted at an enormous expence, and therefore great expectations were formed of the advantages to be derived from this Canal. It was begun in 1792, but after the expenditure of one hundred and five thousand pounds, it has been carried only 17 miles, of more than 30. That the completion of the plan should have been prevented, is much to be regretted on public considérations, as well as individual disappointment and loss.

OF CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS, BENEFACTIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS.

CRYPT SCHOOL, situate in Southgate-street, and adjoining to St Mary de Crypt church, was founded by John Coke, Alderman of Gloucester. By his will, dated May 18, 1528, he directed, among other things, a school-house to be built in the parish of Crypt, "for a continual free-chool of grammar, for the erudition of children and scholers." The in