an attractive feature, is now well known and much frequented as a
delightful watering-place. It stands about a mile from the narrow
channel which separates the main land from the Isle of Wight. Owing to
the daily increasing facilities of communication, the picturesque
scenery of the New Forest, the various objects of interest and notoriety
with which the vicinity abounds, and the delightful prospects which may
be enjoyed from the windows of the apartments as well as from the
adjoining walks, Lymington is well deserving of the commendation which
it has uniformly received from all strangers.[5]
Among the many tempting rides and walks which are open to the public,
and present a continual variety of sea and inland views, the most
interesting are those to Mudiford, Milford, Boldre, Beaulieu, and High
Cliff. On the latter the late Earl of Bute erected a magnificent
edifice, in consequence of an early and strong partiality to the spot;
for here, he observed, he had always slept soundly, when he could find
that luxury nowhere else. The view from this point is one of the finest
in the kingdom. The house, though much reduced in size, and modernized
by the present owner, has rather gained than lost by the change; while
the salubrious quality of the air has certainly not deteriorated. Boldre
contains much picturesque scenery, which will be still more highly
appreciated when the stranger is informed that in the vicarage of this
parish, and amidst the scenes which daily met his eye, the late Rev. and
pious William Gilpin composed his popular work on Forest Scenery.[6]
Beaulieu is interesting as having been the seat of a rich abbey, founded
in 1204; the refectory of which has been long used as a parish
church.[7] Mudiford possesses a fine level sandy beach, of wide extent,
admirably adapted for sea-bathing, and commanding a variety of scenes
and objects of great beauty. It was a favourite with George the Third
and Queen Charlotte, when at Weymouth, who honoured Mr. Rose with a
visit at his picturesque cottage on the beach.
[5] The cliffs which extend towards Hurst Castle abound in marine
fossils, shells, and petrifactions, from which many excellent
collections have been made.
[6] _Remarks on Forest Scenery and other Woodland Views, illustrated by
the Scenery of New Forest, 1791._ The _Picturesque Tours_, by the same
author, display a deep and correct feeling of the beauties of nature. At
his death, in 1804, he appropriated a collection of his Sketches to the
endowment of a school at Boldre.
[7] The pulpit belonging to this ancient refectory is the most perfect
and elegant relic of its kind in England.
[Illustration: COWES.
_HAMPSHIRE._]
COWES.
East and West Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, lie on opposite sides, and
near the mouth of the river Medina, which rises on the southern side of
the island, and after passing Newport, discharges itself into the
strait--usually called the Solent Sea--that separates the Isle of Wight
from the main land. The view of the harbour in the engraving is taken
from West Cowes.
In the reign of Henry VIII., two castles were built at the mouth of the
river Medina to defend the passage to Newport. The old castle at West
Cowes is still standing, but that of East Cowes has long been
demolished. The castellated building seen in the engraving is a
gentleman's seat, and is of modern erection, combining the interior
comforts of modern civilization with the exterior grandeur of a baronial
residence of the middle ages; but whether such a combination is lawful,
admits of a doubt. Beheld from the sea, with its towers and battlements
rising above the luxuriant plantations around it, has a fine and
imposing effect. The grounds are extensive and well designed, possessing
at once the scenery of a park and the cultivated beauty of a
pleasure-ground.
Cowes harbour is spacious and commodious; and the roads off the mouth of
the river, which afford excellent anchorage, used frequently to be
crowded, in time of war, with merchant-vessels waiting for convoy; and
the towns derived great advantage from supplying ships, while thus
detained, with provisions and small stores. The loss of a great part of
this trade, on the termination of the war, has perhaps been more than
compensated by Cowes having become the rendezvous of the Royal Yacht
Squadron, which was first established under the name of the Yacht Club,
in 1815. The number of vessels belonging to the squadron is about a
hundred, and their aggregate tonnage is nearly 9,000 tons. The members
have a club-house at Cowes; and at the annual regatta, which generally
takes place about the last week in August, there are usually upwards of
two hundred vessels assembled in the roads, to witness the sailing for
the different prizes.
The town of West Cowes is situated on the declivity, and at the base of
a hill, on the summit of which stands the church. The streets are mostly
narrow, and irregularly built; but recently the town and its vicinity
have been much improved by the erection of several large houses and
beautiful villas. There is a regular communication between Cowes and
Southampton, by steam-boats, which, in summer, leave each place twice a
day. East Cowes is a much smaller place than West Cowes; but, like the
latter, it has been greatly enlarged within the last twenty years.
In the vicinity of East Cowes is situated Osborne House, the marine
residence of her Majesty and the royal family, for whose accommodation
great additions and improvements have been made to the house and
grounds, and what was formerly the seat of a private gentleman, has now
been rendered a palace worthy of the royalty of England. The brief
limits to which our notices are confined preclude us from entering upon
a description of an edifice to which we could do but very imperfect
justice, and which, after all, must derive its chief interest from the
illustrious family who occupy its walls, and avail themselves of its
peculiarly advantageous situation as the starting point for those marine
excursions in which the Queen and her Consort so frequently indulge. The
presence of royalty in its neighbourhood has rendered Cowes one of the
most fashionable, as nature had previously made it one of the most
beautiful, of the watering places on our southern coast, while the
facilities afforded by the competing lines of the London and South
Western, and London and South Coast Railways, render it at all times
easy of access from the metropolis.
[Illustration: SOUTHAMPTON.
_HANTS._]
SOUTHAMPTON.
The town of Southampton is situated in the county of the same name, or,
as it is more frequently called, Hampshire. It is built on a point of
land at the confluence of the river Itchin with the estuary called the
Anton, but which is more generally known as Southampton Water. The
origin of the name of the town--which has unquestionably given its name
to the county--does not appear to have been satisfactorily ascertained;
some writers supposing it to be composed of the Saxon words, _ham_ and
_tun_ or _ton_--which are nearly synonymous, and each equivalent to the
modern English town--with the prefix _South_ to distinguish it more
emphatically from Northampton. Others, however, consider that the name
has been derived from the river Anton, on the banks of which the town is
situated. "The town of _An_dover," says Sir Henry Englefield, "the
village of Abbot's-_An_, the farm of North_anton_, and the hamlet of
South_anton_, both near Overton, and not far from the eastern source of
the river _Anton_ or rather _Ant_, are abundant proofs of the
probability of this etymology."
Southampton, as a chartered borough, may rank with the oldest in the
kingdom. Madox, in his _Firma Burgi_, says that Henry II. "confirmed to
his men, or burgesses of Southampton, their guild, and their liberties
and customs by sea and land; he having regard to the great charges which
the inhabitants thereof have been at in defending the sea-coasts." From
a grant by the same king to the priory of St. Dionysius, it appears that
there were then four churches in Southampton. While the English were in
possession of Guienne, the merchants of Southampton carried on a
considerable trade with Bayonne, Bordeaux, and other towns in the south
of France.
In 1338 the town was assaulted and burnt by a party of French or
Genoese; and in the next year an act was passed for its better
fortification. Whatever injury the town might have sustained from the
attack of the French or Genoese, it would seem that its trade as a port
was not diminished by it; for, nine years afterwards, Southampton
supplied twenty-one ships and four hundred and seventy-six mariners to
the great fleet of Edward III. In consequence of another attack by the
French, in the reign of Richard II., the fortifications were further
strengthened. In 1415 the army of Henry V., destined for the invasion
of France, assembled at Southampton, where, previous to their
embarkation, the Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope, and Sir Thomas Grey,
were executed for high treason. The result of this memorable expedition
was the victory of Agincourt. While the English continued to hold
possession of part of France, the trade of Southampton appears to have
been very flourishing, and the port was one of the principal in the
south of England for the import of wine. Camden, writing about 1586,
describes it as a town famous for the number and neatness of its
buildings, the wealth of its inhabitants, and the resort of merchants;
"but now," adds Camden's translator, writing about a hundred years
afterwards, "it is not in the same flourishing condition as formerly it
was; for having lost a great part of its trade, it has lost most of its
inhabitants too; and the great houses of merchants are now dropping to
the ground, and only show its ancient magnificence."[8]
For the last fifty years the trade of Southampton, as a port, has been
gradually reviving; and at present there is no port in the south of
England in a more flourishing condition. The arrival and departure of
the numerous large steamers belonging to the Oriental and Peninsular and
the West India Mail Packet Companies, give it an air of activity and
importance very different from the character given of it in the
preceding paragraph. The splendid docks, and the facilities afforded by
the railway, have induced the government of the day to select it as an
eligible point for the embarkation of a large portion of the emigrants
sent out with free or assisted passages to the Australian colonies.
[8] Camden's _Britannia_, translated by Bishop Gibson, vol. i., p. 213.
[Illustration: THE WALLS OF SOUTHAMPTON.]
SOUTHAMPTON.
THE WALLS.
"Of yore, SOUTHAMPTON, by thy briny flood,
Girt with his courtly train, great Canute stood;
And, turning from the disobedient wave,
A check severe to servile flattery gave."
The accompanying View shows a portion of those ancient fortifications
within which the town of Southampton was originally enclosed. The walls
are in many places quite demolished; but in others they still present a
venerable, though dilapidated appearance, with the remains of several
towers at regular intervals, after the manner of fortified cities. The
circuit of the walls is computed at nearly two miles. With regard to the
precise date at which the walls were erected, there is no certain
record. The north, east, and south walls bear every mark of uniform
regularity in their structure: the gates of the town are apparently of
the same date with the walls, and much resemble each other in the massy,
flat form of their pointed arches, which rise at an angle from their
piers, being struck from centres below the level of their spring--a mode
of construction chiefly used in the reign of Edward the First. Yet the
remains of semicircular towers, still visible on the Bargate, and which
flanked its round arch, very much resembling the towers on the north and
east walls, lead us to suspect that the wall, on the land side at least,
is of higher antiquity than the time of the Edwards, and that the
present gates were built later than the wall. The very singular position
of the Water-gate, which retires thirty feet behind the eastern part of
the south wall, and the awkward position of the South-gate, at the very
angle of the wall, seem to indicate that these gates were not parts of
the original design. From the south-west angle of the wall, quite to the
Bridle-gate, which was close to the vallum of the Castle, the whole wall
is a mass of irregular and almost inexplicable construction. It is
conjectured that the side of the town, protected as it was by the
Castle, and covered by the sea, was not at all, or but very slightly
fortified, until the fatal experience of the sack of the town by the
French proved that some further defence was necessary. The line of the
town wall, south of the West-gate, is irregular in its construction; and
the wall between the West and Bridle-gates bears evident marks of
having been built in the most hasty manner, and with the greatest
economy of materials. This wall, in its present form, Sir Henry
Englefield supposes to have been built about the period when, according
to the old historians, Richard the Second fortified the town, and built,
or probably repaired and strengthened, the Castle, for it had evidently
been built several centuries before his reign.
At the accession of Henry the Eighth, the port of Southampton was much
frequented by foreign merchant vessels, particularly those of Venice,
which traded largely in wool and tin. But the exportation of wool being
prohibited by the legislature, the Levant merchants gradually resorted
to other ports, and, now deserted by her commercial friends, Southampton
found her resources greatly impoverished. About the commencement of the
last century, however, the tide flowed once more in her favour, and,
continuing to increase, has at length placed her in a position of
unprecedented prosperity. But to this happy result the erecting of new
docks, an improved harbour, and, above all, communication with London by
railway, have mainly contributed. The terminus to the latter, begun and
completed in 1839, is a very pleasing piece of Italian composition, with
a projecting rusticated arcade of five arches below, and the same number
of pedimental windows to the upper floor. The facade, nearly seventy
feet in length, is considerably extended in its lower part by
screen-walls, which take a sweep from the building.
The principal trade of Southampton is with Portugal and the Baltic, and
with the islands of Guernsey and Jersey. Hemp, iron, and tallow are
imported from Russia; tar and pitch from Sweden; and from Portugal, wine
and fruit.
The environs of Southampton are particularly interesting and
agreeable--enlivened with elegant seats, romantic ruins, picturesque
villages, and much beautiful scenery, which never fail to attract a
great confluence of visitors during the fine season. Among these Netley
Abbey is the grand attraction. The town itself is rich in vestiges of
antiquity; and, in its modern character, presents all the _agremens_ to
be met with in our most fashionable watering-places.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR.]
PORTSMOUTH.
ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR.
In the front of this view, and towards the right, a man-of-war cutter is
seen running out of the harbour; and, from her heel to leeward, and the
agitated state of the water, we may perceive that it is blowing a stiff
breeze. Vessels of her class are chiefly employed in the coast-guard
service and as admirals' tenders, or as packets on short voyages, or in
communicating between one naval depot and another. In the distance, to
leeward of her, the Dock-yard semaphore is perceived; and more to the
right, but nearer to the eye of the spectator, is seen the Round Tower;
from which, in former times, an immense chain used to extend to the
Block-house at Gosport, on the opposite side of the channel, for the
purpose of protecting the entrance to the harbour, in the event of its
being assailed by the ships of an enemy. Towards the centre of the
engraving a broad-side view is presented of the Port-Admiral's
flag-ship, a first-rate, which, from the flags at her mast-head, appears
to be making a signal; ahead of her, in the distance, the hulls are
perceived of two ships of war, laid up in ordinary; and further to the
left is seen part of the Block-house Fort, at Gosport, with a beacon, to
direct vessels in making the harbour.
Portsmouth harbour is one of the most secure and commodious in the
kingdom; and from the depth of water, both within it and at its mouth,
ships of the line can enter or depart at all times of the tide. From the
narrowness of its entrance,--which, between the old Round Tower at
Portsmouth and the Block-house Fort at Gosport, is not wider than the
Thames at London-bridge,--it is protected from the swell of the sea;
while it is sheltered from the violence of winds blowing off the land,
by the range of hills to the northward. Immediately above its entrance
the harbour begins to expand, and about a mile and a half above the old
Round Tower it is nearly two miles in breadth. It then branches off into
three principal creeks, or _leats_, as they are frequently called; one
of which runs up to Fareham, another to Porchester Castle, and the third
to Portsbridge. In these creeks most of the men-of-war in ordinary are
moored. As those ships, when laid up, are each covered over with a large
wooden roof, to protect them from the effects of the weather, they
appear, when seen from Portsdown Hill, which commands an excellent view
of the harbour, not so much like floating castles as like immense
floating barns--ample garners, which would contain more corn than the
swords and cutlasses of their former gallant crews, beat into
reaping-hooks, will ever cut down!
At Portsmouth the tide flows about seven hours and ebbs about five; and
the velocity with which the ebb tide runs out effectually scours the
channel at the mouth of the harbour, and prevents the accumulation of
sand. It is high water in the harbour at half-past 11 o'clock at the
full and change of the moon; and the rise of spring tides is about
eighteen feet, and of neaps about twelve. In the months of March and
April the specific gravity of the water in Portsmouth harbour becomes so
much increased, that ships lying there are observed to float about two
inches lighter than at other times of the year. The latitude of the
Observatory in the Dock-yard is 50 deg. 48' 3" north; longitude 1 deg. 5' 59"
west.
Though Portsmouth does not appear to have been a place of much
consideration as a naval station previous to the reign of Henry VIII.,
who may be regarded as the first English King that established a
permanent royal navy, it was yet undoubtedly a town of some consequence
long before that time. In 1194, Richard I. granted a charter to the
inhabitants, wherein, after declaring that he retains the town of
"Portsmue" in his own hands, he establishes an annual fair to be held
therein for fifteen days, to which all persons of England, Normandy,
Poictou, Wales, Scotland, and all others, either foreigners or his own
people, might freely resort, and enjoy the same privileges as at the
fairs of Winchester, Hoiland, or elsewhere in his dominions. The
burgesses of "Portsmue," as the place was then called, were also allowed
to have a weekly market, with the same privileges and immunities as
those of Winchester and Oxford; with freedom from all tolls of portage,
passage, and stallage, and exemption from suit and service at hundred
and county courts.[9] This charter was confirmed in 1201 by King John,
and in 1230 by Henry II.; and in 1256 the latter monarch granted another
charter, establishing a guild of merchants at Portsmouth. The privileges
of the burgesses were at several different times confirmed by succeeding
kings; and, in 1627, Charles I. granted them a charter, whereby a mayor
and twelve aldermen were appointed for the civil government of the town.
This charter, which was renewed by Charles II., has since been modified
by the Municipal Reform Bill of 1835, which directs that the borough
shall be divided into six wards, which shall elect a town council of
forty-two members. In 1298 the borough was summoned to send two members
to Parliament, a privilege which it continues to enjoy.
[9] Anderson's History of Commerce, vol. i., p. 180., edit. 1787.
[Illustration: RIGGING HULK AND FRIGATE, PORTSMOUTH.]
PORTSMOUTH.
RIGGING-HULK, WITH A NEW FRIGATE ALONGSIDE.
In this engraving we have a view of a new frigate, with only her lower
masts in, lying alongside of the _Topaze_ rigging-hulk. The latter
vessel--which now presents so clumsy an appearance, from her bows and
sides being sheathed with a stout doubling of timber, and from a wooden
house being built over her stem--was formerly a French frigate, and,
when she first came into our possession, she was much admired by
nautical men for the beauty of her build. Further in the distance, to
the right, is seen a first-rate lying off the Dockyard Quay, partly
rigged; and, beyond her, are perceived the immense wooden roofs which
cover the building-slips. The line of building to the right is the
rigging-house, and the tower erected above it is the Dockyard Semaphore.
On the extreme right, towards the front, is seen the forepart of a
mooring-lighter, with one of the numerous spar-booms lying afloat near
the Common Hard. The original picture was exhibited in the Gallery of
the British Institution, where it excited general admiration.
The great naval depot at Portsmouth is partially described in connection
with other engravings in this work, and we have therefore thought it
might be interesting to occupy our present space with some details
respecting the peculiar mode in which one very important portion of the
rigging is manufactured in this yard, and which forms a principal object
of curiosity to all persons visiting it. We allude to the machinery for
manufacturing blocks, invented by Mr. Brunel, the celebrated engineer.
After the wood--generally elm--for the shell of the block is cut into
proper sizes by circular-saws, its complete formation, including the pin
and the sheave, is effected by means of several different machines, all
contrived with the greatest mechanical skill, and put in motion by a
steam-engine. The first process is that of the boring-machine, which, by
means of a centre-bit, pierces a hole to receive the pin, and at the
same time, according as the block is intended to be single or double,
forms one or two similar holes, at right angles to the former, to
receive the first stroke of the chisel which cuts out the space for the
sheave. By the second, called the mortising-machine, this space is cut
out by a chisel acting vertically, and making about a hundred and
twenty strokes a minute, and under which the block is caused to move
gradually, so that at each stroke a thin piece of the wood is cut away.
After this the block is taken to a circular-saw, which cuts off the
corners, and reduces it to the form of an octagon. The shaping-machine,
to which it is next taken, consists of two equal and parallel wheels
moving on the same axis, to which one of them is permanently fixed,
while the other is moveable in the line of the axis, so that, by sliding
it nearer to the former, or more apart, as may be required, the shells
of blocks of all sizes may be fixed between their two parallel rims. Ten
shells of the same size being firmly fixed at regular intervals between
those rims, the wheels are put into motion with extreme velocity, and
the shells are rounded by striking against a cutting instrument, which
at the same time moves in such a manner as to give to each block its
proper shape and curvature. When one half of the side has thus been
finished, the motion of the wheels is reversed, and the other half
finished in the same manner. When one side has been rounded, the shells
are reversed, and the other side completed as above. The last process
which the shell undergoes consists in scooping out the groove for the
strap, or "strop," as the rope is called, which goes round the block.
The shell is now completed, and the visitor is next shown the different
processes in forming the sheave and the pin.