is found in the former country, in which case the viper ought to be a stranger, which is the only poisonous animal in England. The numerous heads of black cattle have already been noticed and the small race of horses are remarkable for their easy motions. Deer of a gigantic size must in ancient times have abounded in Ireland, for their horns, some not less than 14 feet from tip to top, have often been found deep buried in the bogs. The Irish hound, a large and majestic animal, is now become very scarce: from their being used to scour the country against wolves they aequired the name of the Irish wolf-dog.

Vegetables. From the early accounts of Ireland it appears that the country was once over-run with forest; but now these have almost entirely disappeared. The botany of Ireland may be considered as perfectly similar to that of England: but the rich pastures of the former country present various sorts of grass, which are in a great degree peculiar to it. The arbutus unedo, a particular kind of the strawberry tree, is one of the natural ornaments of the environs of the lake of Killarney. The culture of the potatoe is in Ireland carried to such a degree of extent and perfection, as to become the principal article in the food of the great body of the people.

Islands. These are neither numerous nor considerable. Cape Clear, commonly considered as the southernmost point of Ireland, is in fact the extremity of a small island situated at a short distance from the land. Valentia, and some other isles of little importance, line the coast of Kerry. In the bay of Galway lie the south isles of Arran. Off the coast of Mayo is situated Achill, 12 miles in length by 9 or 10 in breadth. On the northwest point of the kingdom lie the north isles of Arran, and Tory, a well known mark for seamen. Rachlin, a small island on the northern part of Antrim, is chiefly remarkable as having been noticed by Ptolemy under the name of Ricina.

RELIGION.

RELIGION.

The protestant reformed religion is by law established in all the British isles, with certain differences relating more to the forms of church-government, and the external rites and ceremonies of divine worship, than to the system of doctrines professed by each communion. In England and Ireland the established system is that peculiarly styled, the Church of England, which at the Reformation retained the hierarchy or episcopal form of government. In Scotland the presbyterian form has been adopted, in which the whole body of the clergy are perfectly equal in rank and dignity, and all ecclesiastical affairs are administered by a gradation of elective and representative assemblies of the pastors and lay-elders.

In England are two archbishops, those of Canterbury and York: under Canterbury are, the bishops of London, Winchester, Litchfield and Coventry, Lincoln, Ely, Salisbury, Exeter, Bath and Wells, Chichester, Norwich, Worcester, Hereford, Rochester, Oxford, Peterborough, Gloucester, Bristol, Landaff, St. David's, St. Asaph, and Bangor : under York are, the bishops of Durham, Carlisle, Chester, and the Isle of Mann, or of Sodor and Mann.

In Ireland are four archbishops, those of Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam: under Armagh are, the bishops of Meath, Kilmore, Dromore, Clogher, Raphoe, Down and Connor, and Derry: under Dublin are, the bishops of Kildare, Leighlin and Ferns, and Ossory: under Cashel are, Waterford and Lismore, Limerick and Ardfert, Killaloe and Kilfenora, Cork and Ross, and Cloyne: under Tuam are, Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, Killalla and Achonry, and Elphin.

In Scotland the parishes are 941, distributed into 78 presbyteries, which compose 15 synods, the whole united in one general assembly held every year at Edinburgh.

Those

Those who dissent from the establishments in England and Scotland, are numerous, and divided into various classes but in Ireland the dissenters of all descriptions, are by far the most numerous body of the people. By a late calculation those who profess the Roman catholic religion in Ireland, form no less than fourth-fifths of the whole population of the kingdom; and of the remaining fifth the presbyterians alone, who are chiefly found in the north, amount to half a million.

Universities.—In England there are two universities, Oxford and Cambridge; in Scotland four, viz. St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh. Ireland contains but one university, viz. Dublin.

Government.-On the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, James the Sixth ot Scotland, succeeding in right of blood to the kingdom of England, the two crowns were united, and so continued until the year 1707, in Queen Ann's reign, when the two kingdoms were united under the name of Great Britain: but Ireland continued a separate state until the 1st January 1801, when the three states were formed into one, styled the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The constitution of this great kingdom is a limited monarchy, balanced by two senates or houses of parliament, the one consisting of hereditary peers, the other of representatives chosen by the people.

II.

DENMARK AND NORWAY.

The kingdom of Denmark and Norway, which are only separated by the channel or entrance of the Sound about 70miles across, are situated between the mouth of the Elbe

in N. lat. 54, and the north cape of Lapland, in lat. 71° 10'; the extent from north to south on a meridian, is about 1030 geographic, or 1200 English miles; that of Denmark alone being 250 but the breadths are very unequal; that of Denmark being about 150 English miles; the southern parts of Norway 240; but in the northern parts

not 40.

The population of these countries is estimated at about 2,500,000. The capital of Denmark, and of the whole dominions, is Copenhagen, a handsome town, containing 90,000 inhabitants, with an excellent harbour on the east side of the island of Zealand. Bergen is the chief town of Norway, containing about 20,000 inhabitants. Altona on the north shore of the Elbe, contiguous to Hamburgh, is a thriving modern town, inhabited by 25,000 people. Other considerable towns are, Christiana, a seaport in the south of Norway, exporting great quantities o timber, iron, and copper. Drontheim, another port in the north, contains 8,000 inhabitants.

In countries stretching so far towards the pole, great variety and great severity of climate must be expected. Even in Denmark, the Sound and other straits between the islands. are covered with ice in winter, so as to preclude all navigation. In Holstein and the southern parts of Jutland, as well as in Zealand, and some other isles of Denmark Proper, which are all low and flat, the soil is generally fertile in grain and in pasturage but Norway, a very mountainous country, produces very little grain, with some good pastures; and vast forests of fir and pine. Denmark affords but a few streams of little importance; but in the south of Norway, are several rivers, particularly the Glom, which although, on account of the precipices in its channel, it is not navigable, yet contains a great body of water, and serves to float down. multitudes of trees to the coast for exportation. Norway presents a number of lakes, some of considerable

size

size, and the vast chains of mountains dividing it from Sweden, rise in many places to the height of 9,000 feet.

Holstein, and the southern parts of Jutland, produce many large and excellent horses and cattle, and in Lapland is found the rein-deer, a most useful animal to the inhabitants of that remote and inhospitable region.

Norway possesses valuable mines of silver, sufficient for the supply of the Danish mint; copper and iron are also found there in great abundance.

The whole coast of Norway is covered with multitudes of small, rocky, and in general uninhabited islands: but to the Crown of Denmark belongs the great island of Iceland, situated in the Arctic ocean between lat. 63° 30′ and 66° 45', and between long. 16° and 25' west from Greenwich. The inhabitants are computed to be 50,000. Iceland possesses the celebrated volcanoe, Hecla, besides some very ex❤ traordinary fountains, which discharge prodigious columns of boiling water to a considerable height. The climate of this remote island, although cold, is not unwholesome. The country is thus described by some travellers from Britain who visited Iceland in August 1772- Imagine to yourself a country which, from the one end to the other, presents to your view only barren mountains, whose summits are covered with cternal snow, and between them fields divided by vitrified cliffs, whose high and sharp points seem to vie with each other to deprive you of the sight of a little grass which scantily grows up among them. These same dreary rocks likewise conceal the few scattered habitations of the natives; and no where a single tree appears which might afford shelter to friendship and innocence. The prospect before us though not pleasing was uncommon and surprising: whatever presented itself to our view bore the marks of devastation; and our eyes accustomed to behold the pleasing coast of England, now saw nothing but the vestiges of a fire, heaven knows how ancient."

The