The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-09-21
Letters from, Ewope-.No. TX.

For several days, the thermometer
has stood at about 900 in the shade (; a
phenomenon Scarcely without parallel
in the annals of the place. Such tem-
perature is here the more intolerable,
since if was unexpected, and the inhabi-
tants are not so we'll prepared to en-
counter it, as with US. cargo of ice
would be worth, in Liverpool to-day,
twice as much as cargo of cotton.
Liverpool is comparatively modern
town, not unlike Newly ork, although it
was founded eight hundred years ago.
Not vestige of its ancient appearance
now remains. A spirit Of improvement,
an accession ofpopulation, and the con-
veniences- of commerce have swept a.
way every relic of antiquity, and left no
monuments TO carry the mind back to
other times.
The houses, shops, ndpublic buildings
are brick and stone, all in the modern
style, and differing very little from those
of New-York. A moist climate and the
great quantity of coal smoke has given
the town dingy aspect. The streets
are quite as irregular as ours; and
Knickerbocker might here find second
edition of his COW paths. There is also
the same bustle- The same notes.-the
same activity through the town.
The first object which arrested our
attention on arriving at this place, were
its splendid docks. The tides in the
estuary of the Mersey, which rise TWEEN
ty-fve or thirty feet, are SO rapid that
vessels cannot with any kind of cOnven-
sience lie along its shores, to take in
their cargoes. At low water, their
docks would be fifteen or twenty feet
below the wharves.
These embarrassment induced the
merchants to construct artificial channels
resembling the locks and basins of ca
mails, extending into the very heart of the
town, and to the doors Of the ware-hous-
es. Vessels go in at flood tide the
gates are then closed; and sufficient
water is retained for purposes of naviga-
ton, from one wharf to another.
The view of these docks, filled With
the commerce of the world, and present
ing forest Of masts, rising among the
houses and stores in various parts of the
togs. is at once srrikingIy novel and in
terestiDg.. 1t is by far the most peculiar
and prominent feature in the town.
Vessels from the U. States are decided
ly the finest ships in the port, both ex-
ternalIy and internally. You may tell
Yankee vessel as far as you can see her.
She sits like Swan upon the water,
with her deck forming beautiful curve,
and her bow not SO round and full as
lhoseiof other nations.
No expense has been spared in pro-
noting and facilitating the commerce Of
the port. The stores are spacious and
commodious, sumo of them being twelve
or fourteen stories high, with tackles for
raising articles expeditiously to the up
per lofts.
There is striking popularity IN the
carts and dray-horses of this town. Both
are heavy beyond any thing which has
me! my observation. One of the carts,
l should think, would outweigh four Of
ours, forming load for an ordinary
team. They are apparently more un-
wieldy than Pennsylvania Wagons.
The horses, however, are proportional
bly, large, being of thereaI Brobdennagg
breed. Their legs are like mill-posts.
They are well fed, strong, but clumsy.
They lumber along the streets, with a
jar like the carriages of heavy artillery,
carrying sometimes three or four tons al
a load. II is said these horses degene-
rate, when exported to other countries.
The Exchange is magnificent pile
of buildings, said TO be unequalled by
any thing of the kind in Great Britain, or
perhaps in the world. This beautiful
ediice occupies three sides of square,
which is 1877 feet by 49,
NATURAL INGENUITY.
The Greenlander. and the Esouinanx