Ter-Tholen has on it a town of the fame name, being the fourth and laft of the four towns of Zealand.

The province of Utrecht has the city of

1. Utrecht, for its capital, in a healthful fituation, and is allowed to be a fine ancient city, fituated on the channel of the old Rhine. It is ftrong and large, has many fine churches, and a noble univerfity. Its market place or piazza is very fair, and is the center of several long streets, inhabited by many perfons of rank and quality. Here is a good inland trade, and a manufacture for filkthrowing.

2. Amersfort ftands on a navigable river falling into the Zuyder Sea, and is the next best town of this province; carries on a naval communication with Amfterdam, in German merchandize, brought to it by land carriage. Here are fome newly established manufactures of dimity and bombazeen. In this province is produced much tobacco.

The province of Friefland resembles Holland in its many canals, (having undoubtedly been originally conjoined to it, before the irruption of the ocean into the place now termed the Zuyder Sea) and in the fertility of its foil. It has a greater proportion than Holland of good wheat and pulse, breeds large and excellent horfes, of which great numbers are exported to Germany and other parts. It has eleven towns and three hundred and thirty-fix villages, and is well known for its various. woollen ftuffs, and much more fo for its linen, the finest in Europe, fome of which, according to Dr. Bufching, has been fold at twelve Dutch guilders, or about twenty fhillings fterling, per ell. Its principal town and feat of government, is,

1. Leeuwarden, three miles in coinpafs, having, by its many canals and ftreams, a confiderable commerce with Holland, Embden, Bremen, and Hamburg, although it has no harbour.

2. Harlingen, a fea port, is its next beft town; here is the admiralty college for this province; and it makes great quantities of falt.

3. Franeker is a handfome town and an univerfity, though in point of commerce it is inconfiderable, as are all the other towns and villages, as alfo the two ifles on its coaft.

The adjoining province of Groningen very much resembles Friefland, in its foil, low fituation, and its many canals and dykes. It has three towns and one hundred and fixty-five villages.

Groningen, its capital, is the feat of government, ftands on the river Hunfe, which brings large fhips up to it. It has a good trade, is large, wealthy, and well inhabited, and has also an univerfity. By means of its canals, the Dollert Sea, and the neighbouring river Ems, it has a confiderable commerce. It contains three churches, twenty-feven fpacious ftreets, and was formerly a Hans-town.

The country of Drenthe, fouth of and adjoining to this province, though it has no right to have any reprefentatives to the States General, yet is under their protection. It is merely an inland and marthy country.

Affen, its chief town, is well built; and Coevorden is a very ftrong place, in the middle of a morafs, near the frontier of Germany.

The province of Overyffel has fixteen towns and but eighteen villages; for, being more barren, it is not fo well inhabited nor cultivated as moft of the other provinces. Here are three of its towns that fend reprefentatives to the affembly of the States General, viz.

1. Deventer, on the Yffel, is a ftrong town, having four churches; it is populous, though not very large, is the feat of government, and has a very good trade: its beer is fo very good, that a great deal of it is exported. Here is an iron foundery. It was originally one of the Hans-towns.

2. Zwolle

2. Zwolle is the finest and richest town in the province, has a naval communication and trade down the Yffel into the Zuyder Sea, and is a very strong place. Its chief trade is in timber. It was alfo formerly an Hans-town.

3. Kampen, or Campen, near the mouth of the Yffel, is fmaller than the other two towns; and, although it has still fome trade, yet its harbour on the Zuyder Sea is much choaked up, fo that it is now a declining place, though it had formerly a confiderable trade, and was a confederate of the Hanfeatic League.

The other places are inconfiderable.

The province of Dutch Guelderland, including in its appurtenance the county of Zutphen, has the best air of any of the Seven United Provinces, and its foil is mostly good: its principal towns are, 1. Nimmegen, a strong fortress on the river Waal, being the utmost eastern boundary of the Netherlands. It contains two Dutch churches, a French Calvinist, and a Lutheran church; five Popish churches, and feveral hofpitals. It was formerly an Hans-town and an imperial city. It is the feat of government, has a canal to Arnheim, and a good trade to fome parts of Germany; it trades also in fine beer brewing, fattening of cattle, and exporting of its fine butter into all the other provinces.

2. 3. Bommel and Tiel lie on the Waal, but are both decayed and inconfiderable places.

4. Zutphen is a large and strong town on both fides the Yffel; it was formerly a Hans-town, and had a great trade, but is fince fomewhat decayed. It now contains five Protestant churches and one Popish church, a gymnasium or great school, several hofpitals and other charitable foundations and public edifices.

5. Arnheim is a strong town on the Rhine, containing three Dutch Calvinist churches, and one Lutheran church; but in refpect of commerce, it is much decayed from what it once was.

6. Harderwyk, a port-town on the Zuyder Sea, and an univerfity. This is also a decayed town, yet ftill carries on a confiderable trade in corn, timber, and the fisheries.

These three laft-named towns have scarcely recovered the damages done by the French in the year 1672.

The Generality Lands are fuch parts of the other provinces as the feven United Provinces have fubdued by their joint arms; and therefore have this name given them, as belonging jointly to all the United Netherlands.

1. In Dutch Brabant is the quarter of Bois le Duc, as the French call it, or, in Dutch, Hertogenbosch. It is a strong and moderately large town, on a navigable river which runs into the Scheldt at Fort Crevecœur. Its trade and navigation are confiderable, which are much affifted by the many canals in its neighbourhood.

2. Ofterwyk quarter is much employed in the woollen manufactures; and the town of that name has fix villages in its precinct.

3. Eindhoven is an open town, chiefly employed in the woollen manufacture; which, as well as Grave and Ravenftein, belong to the Prince of Orange.

4. Breda, a fortified town, containing, according to Dr. Bufching, fifteen hundred houses, though other writers are of opinion that it contains many more. It belongs to the Prince of Orange; but, although it has a communication with the fea, by a fmall navigable river, its commerce and woollen manufactures are greatly decayed.

5. The lordship and ftrong little town of Willemftadt has only about one hundred houfes in it, though a good fea-port. It belongs alfo to the Prince of Orange; as does likewife Steenbergen, another ftrong little town of about one hundred and fifty houses.

Bergen

Bergen-op-Zoom is a very ftrongly fortified town, with eleven hundred houfes. It communicates with the river Scheldt by the means of its good harbour. Although the marquifate or territory of Bergen-op-Zoom belongs to the Elector Palatine, yet the town itfelf is fubject to the States-General of the United Provinces.

Fort Frederick-Henry and Fort Lillo, are on the banks of the Scheldt, below Antwerp.

Macftricht, in the bishopric of Liege, on both fides the river Maefe, is one of the ftrongest fortreffes belonging to the States General: that part of it standing on the right of the Scheldt is called Wyk, and is joined to Maeftricht by a grand fortified ftone-bridge. It is one of the principal keys of the Maefe. The houfes within its walls are about three thoufand. Its woollen manufactures, once fo confiderable, are now much decayed. The fovereignty of the town belongs jointly to the States General and the Bishop of Liege. It contains four Proteftant churches, and fix Popish ones, cight convents of Monks, eleven nunneries, and a college; with feveral other fine public edifices. Its magiftracy confits of an equal number of Calvinifts and Romanifts, and the latter must be natives of the bishopric of Liege.

Valkenburg, Rolduc, and Dalem, three fmall towns in the dutchy of Limburg, belong partly to the States General, with part of their dependencies, though but of little importance; as does likewife a part of what is called the Upper Quarter of Guelderland, viz.

1. Venlo, a strong town on the Macfe, containing about nine hundred houfes, but nothing of

commerce.

2. Stevenfwaerd, a ftrong fort on an island in the Maefe, for preferving the communication between Venlo and Maeftricht.

Dutch Flanders contains Sluys, its largest town. It was formerly the proper fea-port of Bruges; but when it fell into the hands of the Dutch, the Brugians dug a canal from their city to Oftend, and thereby made the latter their fea port. The once famous harbour of Sluys is now fo choaked up as to admit only fmall veffels: and its air is fo unhealthy, that the Dutch garrifon is changed every year. The ifle of Cadzant, on this coaft, has been partly fwept away by the fea; but what remains is now fenced with strong dykes, and yields excellent wheat. On it are fettled great numbers of French and Saltsburg refugees.

2. Biervliet, a fmall town on the Weft Scheldt, is now much fallen from its ancient greatnefs, by inundations.

3. In the bailiage of Hulft ftand the fmall towns of Hulft and Axel, both well fortified.

4. Sas van Ghent is a fmall fortrefs on a branch of the Western Scheldt, below the city of Ghent. Here alfo are numbers of other inconfiderable places belonging to the Dutch.

By the barrier-treaty between the Emperor and the States General, in the year 1715, the Dutch were to garrifon Namur, Tournay, Menin, Furnes, Ypres, Warneton, and Fort Knoque; and the faid two potentates agreed to keep up forty thousand men therein, on the probability of a war, and more if an actual war, but that treaty was little regarded on either fide.

The KINGDOMS of GREAT-BRITAIN and IRELAND.

The Ifland of Great Britain may be confidered both in a geographical and commercial fenfe, as comprehending two diftinct parts, viz. England, the richer and greater; and Scotland, the fmaller and lefs confiderable part: although in a legal and political fenfe, thofe two parts have been indiffolubly united ever fince the year 1707. I. Eng

I. England is the more level and fertile part of this noble island, and Scotland more mountainous and in its northern and north-western parts more cold and barren, though enjoying a pure and healthy air.

England is often fubject to damps, fogs, and much variable weather; yet the country is uncommonly fertile, almost always abounding in plenty of corn, and excellent vegetables and fruit; in cyder, perry, saffron, liquorice, woad, excellent timber both for house and ship-building, as also for fuel; almost inexhaustible pit-coal; the finest pastures, horses, and horned cattle; and sheep, a most profitable article beyond any other, on account of the noblest manufacture upon earth. The mines and manufactures of England are alfo very confiderable, and the latter continually increasing; and her tin mines of Cornwall have not their parallel in any other part of Europe, nor perhaps in the whole world. In her mountains are found marble, alabafter, chryftal, alum, and vitriol; her feacoafts and rivers abound in the greatest quantities of the best kinds of fish.

II. In Scotland they are making many improvements in agriculture, and in the greater production of hemp and flax, for the further increafingtheir already extenfive very fine and valuable linen manufacture. It alfo abounds in horned cattle, sheep, and a smaller breed of hardy horfes; in vast quantities of pit-coal, though not equal to that of England; and in plenty of lead, of falmon in its rivers, and an inexhauftible abundance of fish in her feas.

III. Ireland, though abounding in lakes and bogs, is nevertheless a noble ifland. Its agriculture is greatly improved, and its cultivation of hemp, and yet more of flax, is become very confiderable; alfo her linen manufacture is grown almost to be a prodigy, even in the space of a few years.

Dr. Bufching makes the inhabitants of Great Britain amount to nine millions, which is probably near the truth; and the people of Ireland are nearly computed at two millions two hundred and fifty thousand.

The foreign commerce of England is immenfe.

ENGLAND.

1. To Turkey, England fends woollen cloths, tin, lead, and iron, folely in her own shipping; and brings from thence raw-filk, carpets, galls, and other dying drugs, cotton, fruits, medicinal drugs, coffee, &c. Dr. Busching relates, that a very eminent Turkey merchant at London affured him," that the balance of this trade in England's favour was, to his certain knowledge, near fix "hundred thousand pounds per annum;" which we heartily with may be true, though we have too much ground to doubt it.

2. To Italy, England exports woollen goods of various kinds, peltry, leather, lead, tin, fish, and Eaft India goods; and brings back raw and thrown filk, wines, oil, foap, olives, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, dried fruits, colours, anchovies, &c. And the fame author thinks, the balance of this trade, in favour of Italy, cannot be lefs than two hundred thousand pounds per

annum.

3. To Spain, England sends all kinds of woollen goods, leather, lead, tin, fifli, corn, iron and brafs manufactures, haberdashery wares, affortments of linen from Germany and elfewhere for her American colonies; and receives in return, wines, oils, dried fruits, oranges, lemons, olives, wools, indigo, cochineal and other dying drugs, colours, gold and filver coins, &c. And is, without doubt, a gainful trade for England, though lefs fo than it was formerly, before other nations, and more especially France, interfered fo much of late years.

4. To Portugal, England fends moftly the fame kinds of merchandize as to Spain: and makes returns in vast quantities of wines, with oils, falt, dried and moift fruits, dying drugs, and gold coins; and, undoubtedly much to the advantage of England.

5. To France, England fends tobacco, lead, tin, flannels, horns, hardware, Manchester goods, &c. &c. and fometimes corn; and brings home, wines, brandies, linen, cambricks, lace, velvets, brocades, &c.

As a commercial treaty has fo lately taken place between the two kingdoms, it is impoffible to ftate the relative operations of it, and the balance of profit and lofs to either country.

6. To Flanders, England fends ferges, flannels, tin, lead, fugars, and tobacco; and makes returns in fine lace, linen, cambricks, &c. to England's disadvantage, according to Dr. Busching, to the amount of two hundred and fifty thoufand pounds fterling yearly.

7. To Germany, England fends cloth and stuffs, tin, pewter, fugars, tobacco, and Eaft India merchandize and brings from thence vast quantities of linen, thread, goat-skins, tinned plates, timbers for all ufes, wines, and many other articles: and Dr. Bufching thinks the balance against England may amount annually to five hundred thousand pounds.

8. To Norway, England fends a finall quantity of tobacco, and of woollen ftuffs; and, it is faid, one hundred and fifty thousand pounds in money; and brings from thence vast quantities of deal and other timber.

9. To Sweden, England fends fome few manufactures, and about two hundred thousand pounds annually in money; and brings back from thence much iron, timber, tar, copper, &c.

10. To Ruffia, England fends much woollen cloth and stuffs, tin, lead, tobacco, diamonds, houshold furniture, &c. and makes return in hemp, flax, linen, thread, furs, pot-afh, iron, wax, tallow, &c. And by this trade England loses, according to the opinion of fome, four hundred thoufand pounds annually.

11. To Holland, England fends an immenfe quantity of many forts of merchandize; fuch as all kinds of woollen goods, hides, corn, coals, East India and Turkey merchandize, tobacco, tar, sugar, rice, ginger, and other American productions and makes return in fine linen, lace, cambricks, thread, tapes, incle, madder, boards, drugs, whalebone, train-oil, toys, and many other things. And the balance is ufually fuppofed to be much in favour of England.

12. To Ireland, England fends almost all kinds of merchandize, linen and woollen ftuffs and provifions alone excepted; and, doubtlefs, reaps great advantage thereby. Although, of late years, Ireland's great and increafing importations of linen into England, may, in time, turn the balance against England, notwithstanding the great fums of money spent in England by Ireland's abfentees. Ireland moreover enjoys the benefit of a direct commerce to most parts of Europe, viz. with the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Portugal, with her hides, tallow, falted beef, pork, and butter. The returns whereof helps to pay England what they have from thence.

13. To America, England fends her product and manufactures of almost every kind; and from thence the returns with tobacco, fugars, rice, ginger, indigo, drugs, logwood, timber, &c.

14. To the Coaft of Guinea, England fends various forts of coarfe woollen and linen, iron, pewter, brafs, and hardware manufactures, lead-fhot, fwords, knives, fire-arms, gunpowder, glafs manufactures, &c. And, befide its drawing no money out of the kingdom, it fupplies her American colonies with negro flaves, amounting in number to one hundred thoufand annually; and moreover brings home to England gold-duft, dying, and other drugs, red-wood, Guinea grains, ivory, &c. This trade therefore is extremely profitable to England.

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