each foot-way, and thirty for the carriage-way. There are fourteen piers and fifteen arches, all of which are femicircles. The centre is 76 feet in width, each adjoining, 72; the decrease of the others is in a gradation of four feet, making the two laft large ones fifty-two feet; thofe in the abutments are about twenty feet in width. The middle piers are seventeen feet broad, and there is a decrease of one foot in each till the laft is twelve feet at the spring of the arch.

The arch turned over the defective pier was recommended by Dr. Stukeley, and a plan of it laid before the Royal Society. He calls it an interlaced arch. An examination of it takes place every feventh year, An intelligent gentleman, who went into the cavity, thus defcribes it: "The flat fpace on which you ftand is the centre of the pier. On each hand are the ring crowns of the two arches, refting on this pier, which is the fifth from the Weftminfter fhore. And about eighteen feet above where you stand is the crown, or foffit of the great arch, rifing from the centre of the adjoining two, and carrying this bridge from the fourth to the fixth pier; fo that by this arch of Dr. Stukeley's the fifth may be removed, and not injure the bridge in any degree. The hexagonal angles of the two ends of this chamber, which is fifteen yards wide, are alfo hollow, and indeed it is in the fouth angle or recefs in which the ladder is fixed to defcend, near the bottom of which is a small opening, to permit fresh air to pass through the chamber to ventilate its ponderous walls and roof."

BLACKFRIAR'S BRIDGE. When there were draw-bridges upon London bridge, fhips of a certain fize ufed to país and discharge their cargoes in the mouth of the Fleet. The end of Blackfriar's bridge now fills the filthy mouth of Fleet-ditch. This elegant structure was built after the design of Mr. Robert Mylne. It confifts of nine arches, the centre of which is a hundred feet wide. The whole length 995 feet, the breadth of the carriage way twenty-eight feet; of the two foot-ways feven each. Over each pier is a recefs, an apology for the beautiful pairs of Ionic pillars which fupport them. The effect of this fingular application of columns is beautiful from the river. The equinoctial tides rife here to the height of eighteen or twenty feet. The firft ftone of this bridge was laid October 30th, 1760, and it was completed about the latter end of the year 1768, at the expence of 152,840/. 35. 10d. The Fleet, a fmall river whofe waters fwelled by Turnmill and Oldbourne brooks, formerly flowed in a valley, which may be very readily traced from the Thames to Battle-bridge, near the Small-pox hofpital. But now we have loft every thing but the names of Oldbourne and Turnmill; and the Fleet exifts

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only under a fewer. After repeated complaints of the increafing nuifance arifing from this ftream, and which was deftructive not only of comfort, but of health, the Corporation of London obtained an act of parliament (which vefted the grounds in their hands) to fill it up. This was done about the year 1736. The expence of the undertaking, making the vaft arch that now carries off the water, and erecting the market, amounted to 10,256/. 175.

DOCKS. Until within thefe few years all the loading and unloading of shipping was carried on in the open river, which, from the vast increase of the trade of this port was become infufficient in extent for thefe purposes. When large fleets arrived, much damage was frequently fuftained by the shipping, and the fmall number and confined fituation of the quays rendered long delays unavoidable. Befides this the whole of the cargoes while on board or unloading were compleatly at the mercy of men whofe chief income confifted in pilferage, and who carried this fyftem to an intolerable pitch. The only watch that government had over thofe goods which paid duties was by means of an officer, whofe income probably from government did not exceeed 50l. per annum, and whom a small temptation could easily bring over to wink at, or participate in the theft and fmuggling which were daily carried on. Even after the goods (as fugars) were warehoufed, it was feldom the hogfheads did not come out from a quarter to half a hundred weight lighter than they went in, which the warehousekeepers afcribed to the fampling and draining of the casks. As but few of the heavy fhips could come to the quay to unload, the goods were put into lighters, where they were at the mercy of the lightermen and their fervants; and this was another caufe, and afforded ample opportunity for fmuggling. By all these means the proprietors of the goods, who, in the cafe of Weft-India produce, were abroad and obliged to leave the care of their crops to their agents here, were robbed of their property, government was defrauded of revenue, and thus the load of taxes laid heavier upon the quantity which remained to tax, and from this caufe the goods went dearer into market.

After frequent meetings of the merchants upon the above fubject, application was made to parliament refpecting it, and a committee appointed by the Houfe to examine into the beft means of redrelling the grievances complained of. This committee having received ample evidence of the neceflity of increafed accommodation to the, port, proceeded to examine the different plans laid before them, and reported to the Houfe

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upon their opinion of the merits of each. Mr. Pitt, then prime minifter, paid particular attention to the subject, went down and infpected the grounds which were propofed as the fituations for the Docks, that he might make himself master of the fubject, and make up his opinions by ocular demonftration of the affertions which were made by the favourers of the different plans.

The principal West-India merchants at last resolved to bring in a bill for making Docks in the Ifle of Dogs, for the accommodation of the Weft-India trade alone, while a bill was by another body of merchants brought in for making Docks in Wapping, for the relief of the general trade of the port.

The Weft-India Dock bill, which includes the canal in the Ifle of Dogs, was paffed into an act in the feffion of 1799, and the Wapping or London Dock bill in 1800.

WEST-INDIA DOCKS. The fund for executing these works was raised by the subscription of private individuals. The proprietors are repaid an intereft not to exceed ten per cent. by'a rate or charge upon all the fhipping and merchandize entering the dock, and the trade of the company has hitherto enabled them to pay that dividend. By the act, all Weft-India produce coming to the port of London must be unloaded in these docks. The prefent capital of the company is 1,100,000%. The plan comprehends two docks, one for unloading the fhips arrived from the Weft-Indies, containing thirty acres, and capable of accommodating 300 Weft-Indiamen, and the other for loading outward-bound fhips, containing twenty-four acres, and capable of containing upwards of 200 Weft-Indiamen. The former was begun February 3d, 1800, and opened the 27th of Auguft, 1802, being only two years and a half, and it is furrounded by extenfive ranges of warehouses, capable of accommodating the whole of the Weft-India trade, in which warehoufes the goods are lodged until the duty is paid. The dock of twenty-four acres was completed and opened in 1805.

The depth of water in the dock is twenty-three feet, and its bottom five feet under low water in the river. The business of the company is conducted by twenty-one directors, of whom thirteen are chofen from among the proprietors, and the remaining eight are members of and appointed by the corporation of the city of London.

Thefe docks are formed across the narrowest part of the Isle of Dogs, which is formed by a circuitous courfe the river takes, leaving this almost a peninfula, fo that the docks communicate with the river at both extremities of the ifland. The foil was befides very favourable for the purpofe of making docks, for the whole of this ground has been gained by embanking from Hh 4

the

the river, and the marsh, before it was begun to be cut, was from fix to seven feet under the level of high water, fo that the ground which was cut out from the docks was all wanted for making up the quays.

The Canal to the fouthward of the Weft-India docks is intended to enable ships to avoid the circuitous navigation of the Ifle of Dogs, by which a distance of feveral miles will be faved, The expence of making it is paid from the confolidated fund of the nation, and will be repaid by a small tax upon all shipping coming to the port: 180,000l. have already been granted for making it. The management of it is committed to a committee of the corporation of the city of London.

THE LONDON DOCKS. The fund by which they were executed was raised in the fame way as that of the Weft-India docks, and its proprietors will be repaid in the fame manner. The first ftone of the works was laid June 26th, 1802, and the dock of twenty acres was opened January 31, 1805. Another large dock of fourteen acres is propofed to be made in Shadwell to communicate with that already finished. Extenfive warehouses are completed upon the north quay of the dock, and alfo a large tobacco warehoufe. The immenfe number of houfes which have been taken down for the purpose of making this dock have much increafed the expence of the execution, The capital of the company at prefent is 2,200,000l. The great trade of the company comes in the general traffic of the port; the tobacco warehouse alone covers four acres of ground, and government pay the company 15,600l. annually as rent for it. The bufinefs is conducted by twenty-four directors chofen from among the proprietors, together with the lordmayor of the city of London for the time being.

EAST-INDIA DOCKS. In the year 1803, the principal proprietors of Eafl-India fhipping feeing the falutary effects de rived from the Weft-India docks, came to a resolution of following the example by having docks made for the accommodation of Eaft-India fhipping, and for the fecurity of the goods brought home by them, 'which the ftate of the river and the abufes practifed had rendered highly neceffary. Having carried a bill through the House for these purposes, and opened a subfcription to the amount of 300,000/.; and the directors who were appointed made purchafe of the Brunfwick dock at Blackwall, with a view of converting it into a dock for loading the outwardbound thipping. The dock which received its name in honour of the prefent race of monarchs, was begun and executed by Mr. Perry, from his private fortune, and affords an ample proof of his enterprizing public spirit. In addition to this the Eaft-India Dock company have executed a large dock of eighteen

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acres, for the purpose of unloading the homeward-bound ships with a commodious bafon and embrafures to it. This great dock was begun in the end of 1803, and the whole of the works were completed in 1806. All Eaft-India produce coming to this port must be unloaded in these docks. The business is conducted by thirteen directors of the Eaft-India company.

COMMERCIAL ROAD. For the purpofe of opening an eafy communication between the city of London and the different docks, a very commodious road called the Commercial Road, has been made from a fund raised in the fame way as those of the different docks. The road is feventy feet wide, and in the centre of it is a strong pavement of twenty feet in width. The management is committed to thirteen trustees, who are empowered to raise a sum of 120,000l. for making and paving it. The distance from the Royal Exchange in London to the Weft-India dock gate is three miles, and to the Eaft-India dock gate three miles and a half.

In the digging of the East and Weft-India docks, a very thick ftratum of decayed vegetables or peat was found fpread over the foil, about fix feet under the furface, in which nuts, leaves, branches of trees, &c. of different fpecies were found almost in an entire state. In the East-India docks a very fine elephant's tooth was picked up near the bottom of the dock; and in the Weft-India docks a very large deer's horn nearly at the fame depth.

To the furprize of thinking men, all these great undertakings were begun and carried on during a long and expenfive war; they display to great advantage the spirit and enterprize of the merchants of this nation.

PLACES OF WORSHIP. The following enumeration of places of worship in the metropolis is made by Mr. Colquhoun, in his Treatife on the Police.