The national capital of the state, according to the estimate under the law of 1825, amounts to 59,506,451 dollars, viz. landed estate, consisting of 15,143,309 acres, valued at 37,714,225 dollars; buildings on the land, valued at 1,549,889 dollars; property in towns, 7,321,034 dollars; 138,074 horses, valued at 5,517,810 dollars; 274,689 heads of horned cattle, 2,201,093 dollars; capitals in trade, 5,202,400 dollars. Elementary schools are established throughout the state; 13 academies, and 5 colleges, at Athens, Oxford, Western Reserve, Kenyon, and Cincinnati, promote the progress of science. Athens is exclusively devoted to theology, and Oxford to medicine; four other colleges are already incorporated, but have not yet commenced their courses. Sixty-two newspapers, of which one is daily, were published at the beginning of this year.

LONDON.

NOTHING can be more surprising than the contrasts presented by London to a traveller at a first view; the monotonous regularity of some quarters of this city which are quite spacious, clean and uniform; and the dirt and darkness of several others; the incredible activity of an innumerable crowd of people who are running about the streets; the sorrowful gravity which reigns on every face; the brilliancy of the illuminations at Vauxhall, and in the public gardens; the silence of that multitude of walkers, who seem to frequent balls and assemblies more with a view of making each other miserable than for amusement; the perpetual movement of an immense population on working days; the solitude and dulness which succeed on Sundays; the licentiousness of elections, the frequency of riots, the facility with which order is restored in the name of the law; the respect shown to the constituted authorities; the abuse that is lavished, and the stones thrown at men in power; the profound sentiment of civil equality; the maintenance of the most ridiculous feudal customs; the admiration accorded and unlimited honours tendered to talents and merit of every kind, and yet, an almost exclusive esteem for wealth; finally, a boundless ardour for every enjoyment, and almost an incurable ennui for all the pleasures of life. Such are only a part of the singularities which distinguish these proud islanders, a people apart from the rest of the world, and whose manners, characters, inclinations, qualities, and defects so totally differ from those of other nations, that they seem to be a separate

community amidst the great European family, and which has for many centuries retained and preserved a stamp whica is distinct and indelible. Memoirs of Count Segur.

The Gatherer.

"I am but a Gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."- Wotton.

THE following notice of a Maying (copied from the original) was some time ago fixed to a post in a village in the county of Hants:-

Tak notes-that the mayen will Bee as yesel On saterday th 13 of May Next On this Green their Will Be An Exlen May hous for Dansers Much Beter than Last Was And the Musick Will com. mence abot 15 in number. And to Bee on this Green to Begin Play Bersisley at 10 clock

The May pool to Bee taken don and fresh painted Abot 5 Days Bee for Thime And on the 13 to Bee reerd Up again

We am Sir The inhabentens of this Plas.

No. 253.]

[PRICE 2d.

OF

HAVING presented the readers of the MIRROR, in No. 249, with an engraving of Yarmouth Church, we have selected the above interesting subject from Mr. Druery's excellent volume, entitled Historical and Topographical Notices of Great Yarmouth, as it enables us to resume our series of views 0. the most popular and frequented Watering Places, and record further notices of the fine old town to which we briefly alluded in a former article. The intelligent author, just mentioned, observes, the town of Great Yarmouth, which is thrown into the figure of a long and irregular parrallelogram, is built within a very narrow compass, the area containing only 133 acres. It was formerly divided into four leets, and is now subdivided into eight wards. The streets are uniformly in the direction of north and south, except two at the extreme ends, which are in an opposite point, east and west, and a noble and spacious opening, in the centre of the quay, leading to the market, named Regent-street, which was VOL. IX.

Y

completed in 1813, at an expense of nearly £30,000. and adds much to the beauty and convenience of the place. Previous to the erection of this street, there was no carriage way through the town, except by Fuller's. hill on the north, and Friar's-lane to the south, both distant and inconvenient. The streets are joined by narrow rows or alleys, running parallel from east to west. There are one hundred and fifty-six of these rows, in which the houses are built extremely close. This singularity of plan is evidently the consequence of endeavouring, at an early period, to fix as large a population as possible within the narrowest limits, in order to facilitate the fortification and security of the whole. Many of the houses are very dark, and carry with them a gloomy appearance, although not generally inconvenient.

The market-place, nearly encompassed by large, elegant, and respectable shops, is very spacious and handsome; the area (as measured by the late Mr. Thomas Sutton) contains two acres and three

253

quarters. It is well paved, and on market days, a proper arrangement is observed in the several departments. At the lower end, on the east side, are the fish-stalls; in the same line, farther north, is the butchery; and the centre is occupied by the venders of fowls, fruit, and vegetables, which, with every other necessary, are brought to sale, in great abundance, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The space between the north end of the market and the gate of the churchyard, is occupied by a grove of stately and beautiful trees, whose clustering and umbrageous foliage, almost impervious to the sun and rain, affords a cool and delightful promenade to visitors during the summer season, and is, upon that account, in great estimation.

The principal object of attraction to visitors in this town, is its unrivalled Commercial Quay, which for length, breadth, and extent, is certainly superior to any other in England, and, perhaps unequalled in Europe. In particular places, it is one hundred and fifty yards in breadth, and upwards of a mile in length. It is almost equally divided into two parts, north and south, extending either way from the bridge; but the South Quay is the most beautiful, for there all the larger ships resort, and the greatest part of the trade is carried on; the other is used by wherries and smaller craft, principally employed in conveying corn and coals up the rivers to Norwich and the adjacent country. The centre of the former is a charming promenade, planted on each side with a row of fine trees, and enclosed on the east by some very handsome houses, most of which are modern buildings, chiefly occupied by merchants and gentlemen.

In October, 1769, the townsmen resolved to petition for an act of parliament, to enable them to raise money for repairing the piers, by levying a contribution on goods imported, and by such other ways and means as the act should direct. After much opposition from the city of Norwich, and some other towns, the act was passed for ten years then next ensuing, and the same number of commissioners appointed to inspect the works, during the operation of this act. Subsequently several others were passed for the same purpose; and under the present act, certain commissioners are nominated, with a pier master to collect the duties, and an engineer, who superintends all repairs done to the works. Incredible sums have been expended about this haven, which although a more fortunate work than any of the others before mentioned, is yet nevertheless far from being

good; and at intervals, navigation is much retarded. Seldom more than eleven feet water is found upon the sand-bank or bar, during the spring floods, and the channel through which ships are obliged to pass, is frequently altering its position, under the influence of the winds and tides. It has been observed, that the passage is always improved after a heavy gale from the eastward, which causing the sand to bank up at the mouth of the channel, and form a high bar, the backwaters of Breydor and the adjoining rivers being thus confined, descend with the greatest violence, and scouring the mud and silt in their progress, break for themselves a passage through the sandbank, and leave for a time the channel deep and free for navigation. The origi nal north pier was subsequently suffered to fall into disuse, and the present one, on the south side, greatly enlarged; a continuation of which, in a fine curve, has been carried up the river, forming an extensive and excellent wharf, giving every possible accommodation and security to shipping. A new north pier has also been erected, on a plan chiefly intended to assist in warping ships into the harbour. On the north side of the haven's mouth is a mural fortification, mounting ten pieces of ordnance, six of which are of a large calibre, intended to scour the roads, and defend the haven. This fort, supposed to have been built in 1653, is kept in good repair, and a gunner appointed to superintend it, who resides constantly on the spot; some other batteries, and a magazine, were also erected in the late war, on different parts of the denes.

In addition to the piers at the haven's mouth, the jetty upon the beach, erected in 1808, is a convenient structure to seamen and others engaged in commercial pursuits. It extends into the sea upwards of four hundred and fifty feet, and is composed of strong oak piles driven into the soil, braced together by cross beams of the same material, and well secured by iron fastenings; upon the top is a platform, twenty-one feet in width, surrounded by a substantial railing. This work cost in the erection upwards of £5,000. it is intended to facilitate the approach of boats to the beach, and the landing of passengers in bad weather, which would otherwise be attended with much danger. This jetty is a highly fashionable and favourite promenade in the bathing season.

Near the jetty is the bath-house, which was first built in 1759, and short time since it underwent considerable repair and much judicious im

Yarmouth is twenty-four miles distant from Norwich, to which place coaches and steam-boats are passing and repassing daily; an extensive and expeditious communication is also kept up with the towns of the adjacent country.

An Idler's Album;

OR,

SKETCHES of MEN and THINGS.

MY UNCLE AND HIS STUDY.

(For the Mirror.)

My uncle, the virtuoso, is a most extraordinary being, a species of multum-inparvo man. He is by profession a divine; for amusement, any thing and every thing that his ever-varying fancy impels him to be, in the pursuit of arts and sciences. What a treat is a peep into such a man's study! what a greater, were it possible, into his cranium ! Though, truth to say, were my uncle's invisible treasury of knowledge in as great disorder as his palpable receptacle for it, little benefit, I doubt, would accrue to the world from such a survey. A few days since I was with him in his study, and, as it chanced, he had leisure to answer my queries as to a few of its contents, an event that rarely occurs. First, I observed a large press, from which appeared hanging the rough edges of a couple of quires of blotting paper; it was for pressing sea-weeds and other plants. Near it stood some of the former in a large white pie-dish; and by that laid a handful of land-weeds, with earth and stones, yet adhering to their roots, and two or three slender red worms twining about them. Another press next engaged my attention; it was for bookbinding. "Yes," said my uncle, "all those old black-looking books yonder I mean to bind in white vellum, and handsomely gild." "Those ?"

"Aye;

those are invaluable! they are books, either from the presses of the earliest printers, or rare MSS.; indeed there is one that the most learned antiquarians have never yet been able to decypher." "No; then wherein does its value consist ?" "In that which alone makes gold and jewels valuable-its scarcity." "That may be; but still, sir, that you should pride yourself on possessing a a book that nobody understands, seems to me "Pshaw! what do you know of the matter?" I had touched a point on which my uncle was peculiarly vulnerable, and perceiving that I had hurt him, sought to change the topic, and therefore

statue.

proceeded to look round, to examine and to admire! Admire, if I could, amid the incredible litter of packages, boxes, nails, string, straw, tow, wool, paper, &c. &c. &c., over which I stumbled every moment; while the dust flew around me as it curled about Belzoni in his awful enterprises amid the ashes of the Egyptian dead, my eyes fell on a fractured gypsum "Aye," said my uncle, "the cat broke its leg; it was a beautiful cast of the Medicean Venus. The mould next it was taken from T-'s head after his dissection. See how fully the organ of murder is developed !" "Poor wretch!" exclaimed 1," methinks 'tis a pity his judge did not feel it before he hung him. You mean to say then, that from this conformation he could not avoid committing the crime for which he suffered ?" "No," replied my relative, I keep the cast as a curiosity, but distinctly state I am no convert to the fallacies of phrenology, those wild dreams, which, though sometimes, like gipsy predictions, meeting by casualty with an accomplishment, must infallibly tend to demoralize human nature when elevated into a system, by establishing infidel doctrines of materialism, annulling the free agency of man, and consequently impugning Almighty ustice in its distribution of rewards and punishments. Fhrenologists may overcome these difficulties as they can; but the million are not so easily satisfied as themselves; and those illuminati have moreover, as I understand, now mixed up with their science the mysticisms of Kantean metaphysics, by way of rendering it intelligible!" At this juncture an involuntary" Pha!" escaped me, for I had unconsciously lifted a plate off a a basin, and the noisome odour that issued thence was altogether insupportable. "Oh! I had forgotten those snails," said my uncle. "Come, you've nothing to do, you may as well help me to take them out of their shells." Observing me not a little reluctant, "Hoh, ho!" added he, "you are too nice, are you? and when do you expect to become a raturalist ?" "Never, sir, if I must scald snails, stick butterflies, draw birds, (for stuffing I mean,) stand up to my knees in stagnant pools and ditches in order to procure a few weeds, or, it may be, villanous reptiles, that make one shudder to look at, and dwell in such elegant litters as these." "Très bien," dit-il, “chacun à son goût. I seek amusement, and am as much gratified amidst these litters, as you could possibly be in a fashionably arranged drawing-room, amongst a host of your dilettanti friends. You here see the worst side of one of my pursuits; I