DUNDEE, a seaport town in Forfarshire, situated on the north bank of the river Tay, about twelve miles from its mouth. It is forty-two miles from Edinburgh, twenty-two miles from Perth, and eighteen south-west from Arbroath, being in latitude 56. 2. 23. north, and longitude 3. 2. 55. west. The history of Scotland narrates many sackings and burnings of this town. The last of these was by General Monek; and such was its wealth at that time, that every soldier in Monck’s army is said to have received L.60 sterling as his share of the plunder. Dundee was erected into a royal burgh by William the Lion in 1165. The town is governed by a provost, four bailies, a dean of guild, and thirteen councillors, and sends a member to parliament. In 1831 the government, at the solicitation of the inhabitants, granted them a resident sheriff-substitute. The market-place, or High Street, is a spacious square, 360 feet long by 100 broad, from which diverge the Nethergate, Seagate, Overgate, and Murrangate, the principal streets, which run from east to west, parallel to the river. These streets, till within the last forty years, formed the chief part of the town; and the access from it to the harbour being through narrow lanes, it had a very hampered and crowded appearance. This defect has been remedied by the opening up of several spacious streets [7:8:281]leading from north to south, with houses built in a modern style. Castle Street leads from the south-east end of the High Street to the new docks on the south, and contains, among other neat buildings, an episcopal chapel and a theatre. At the south-east corner is an elegant building in the Grecian style, erected for an exchange and reading-room. On the south side of the market-place or square stands the town-hall, surmounted by a steeple, and having piazzas below; it was built in 1743. Opposite to this building is a spacious new street, named Reform Street; at the north end of which, and fronting the town-hall, an elegant edifice has lately been erected, in the Grecian style of architecture, for an academy and public schools. At the east end of the High Street, and rather obstructing the entrance to the Murrangate, stands the trades’ hall, a plain edifice, with pilasters of the Ionic order, the principal apartment of which is used as a reading-room, and it contains, besides, apartments for each of the nine incorporated trades. A little to the west of the High Street is the Nethergate, a spacious and well-built street, in which are the remains of an old cathedral, containing four places of worship, one of which, the most entire, is built in the finest Gothic style, the groining of the arches being much admired. This structure is said to have been originally built by David earl of Huntingdon as far back as the year 1185. On the west end of these churches stands a magnificent Gothic tower 156 feet high. There are several other churches and chapels connected with the establishment, besides two episcopal chapels, and various other places of worship for dissenters, who form no inconsiderable part of the population. Among the public institutions may he mentioned a lunatic asylum, an infirmary, a dispensary for out-patients, and an orphan institution; a chamber of commerce, the society of writers, incorporated by royal charter, and a mechanics’ institution. Dundee has four joint-stock banking establishments, viz. the Dundee Bank, the Union Bank, the New Bank, and the Commercial Bank. Besides these, there are agencies for the British Linen Company, the National Bank of Scotland, and the Bank of Scotland. There is a native establishment for fire insurance, and one for sea insurance. There are two weekly newspapers published in the place. The trade of Dundee has long been extensive, and it has rapidly increased of late years. Its manufactures are chiefly brown and bleached linens for the home and foreign market, great quantities of which are exported directly to North and South America. It also carries on a great trade to the Baltic, and has a number of vessels employed in the whale fishery. In the London trade, besides a number of sailing smacks, there are two splendid steam-vessels, having each two engines of 125 horse power. A railway was opened some years ago between Dundee and New-tyle, a village in Strathmore, about ten miles distant, which lays open the traffic of that extensive agricultural district. This undertaking has been attended with considerable expense, from the nature of the ground. It crosses the Law of Dundee, a high hill, by means of an inclined plane and tunnel, and the Siedlaw range of hills by an inclined plane at Balbeuchly. Two locomotive engines of ten horse power each are employed on it. The difficulties encountered in crossing the mountainous ridges being overcome, it is about to be extended to Coupar Angus, Glammis, Forfar, &c. Among the undertakings either in progress or in prospect may be mentioned a new jail and bridewell, a newcustom-hoιιse, and an establishment for supplying water to the town. The tonnage of the port in 1832 amounted to 32,868 tons, which employed about 3500 seamen. Its imports in flax and hemp in 1832 amounted to 21,967 tons. There are in the town and neighbourhood about fifty spinning-mills, all worked by steam; and the steam power employed in the different establishments exceeds 1400 horse power. There are several extensive iron founderies, and establishments for the manufacture of steam-engines and machinery. The grandest and most important feature, however, of Dundee is its harbour, upon which, nearly L.200,000 has been expended. It consists of magnificent wet docks and a number of spacious quays, graving dock, &c. spreading along the margin of the Tay, and terminated on the west by the Craig Pier, which is exclusively appropriated to the use of the ferry, on which two twin steam-boats are employed, of a construction which admits of horses and carriages being transported across the river, which is here two miles broad, without unloosing the horses from the vehicles to which they are attached. The increase of the trade of Dundee within the last eighteen years has been in a greater ratio than that of any other place in the empire, if we except Liverpool and Glasgow, as will be seen from the following statement: In 1815 it had 157 vessels, registering 15,275 tons; in 1832 it had 274 vessels, registering 32,867 tons. In 1815 sixty-six vessels entered inwards with cargoes from foreign ports, registering 10,620; in 1832 there were 307 vessels, registering 46,539 tons, being an increase of 241 vessels, and four times the amount of tonnage. In 1815 three vessels cleared outwards with cargoes for foreign ports, registering 679 tons; in 1832, fifty-six vessels cleared outwards for foreign ports, registering 11,159 tons, being an increase of fifty-three vessels, and more than sixteen times the amount of tonnage. The population of Dundee in 1821 was 30,575, and by the census of 1831 it was 45,355, exclusive of the seamen belonging to the port. It is now understood to exceed 50,000. This town has become the principal seat of the linen trade of Great Britain, and the great emporium of flax and hemp.