BRISTOL, a city of England, partly within the boundary of the county of Somerset, and partly in that of Gloucester, though it is a county of itself; distant 119 miles from London, and 13 miles from Bath. It is situated in a valley, rather contracted, at the junction of the rivers Frome and Avon, which, by the construction of a canal and locks, have been formed into a basin, where vessels, which lay on the ground formerly at low water, are now kept constantly afloat. From this floating dock the ships are lowered by locks into the united stream, which joins the Severn a few miles below the city. Bristol is a city of extensive and beneficial commerce, and that with almost every part of the globe. The trade with the West Indies is the most considerable; that with Spain and Portugal, with the Baltic ports, with the Mediterranean, with Africa, and the East Indies, if inferior to that of London and Liverpool, comes next to the latter place. There are considerable manufactures also in and near the city, especially of glass, sugar, braziery and tin ware, snuff, tobacco, beer, soap, corn, spirits, vinegar, sugar refineries, white lead, and many smaller articles. It has, from its local position, an advantageous inland trade; and is a kind of emporium for South Wales, and the northern parts of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, to which there is a constant water conveyance; whilst by means of other canals goods are transmitted to the central parts of the kingdom. Many ships are built here; and the equipment of them, as well as the barges and trows for inland navigation, affords considerable employment to the labouring portion of the population.

Although tins city dates its origin at a remote period, and some parts of it contain streets that are narrow, crooked, and gloomy, and many houses of an antiquated appearance, yet many parts are not behind any city in England in improvements of every kind. Several new streetsand squares have been built of late years in the valley; whilst in Clifton, one of the parishes which compose the city, there have been constructed crescents, parades, and streets, which vie with the best in the metropolis, and, from their beautiful situation and prospects, far exceed them. Another of the parishes of this city, Bedminster, has also much increased in beauty of buildings, as well as in the number of its inhabitants. The city is governed by a mayor, two sheriffs, twelve aldermen, and twenty-eight common council men, besides a high steward, commonly a nobleman of high rank, and a recorder, usually a lawyer of distinguished eminence. The guilds are thirteen in number, and the , whole body of freemen many thousands, and the more so as every daughter of a freeman conveys by marriage the freedom to her husband. The two members for the city are chosen by the whole body of them. Bristol contains, besides the cathedral, eighteen parish churches and five chapels, with a number of places of worship for the several descriptions of separatists from the established religion. It has two scientific institutions, social establishments, and numerous societies for the laudable purposes of benevolence, in the formation of which all the jarring political and religious parties show an honourable rivalry. There are several markets, where provisions are supplied of excellent quality, in great abundance, and at very moderate rates. The inhabitants of Bristol are more distinguished for their steady prudence than for their adventurous spirit in commerce; hence, if the city has not made occasionally such rapid advances, it has gone on steadily, and scarcely ever suffered by extensive disappointments in its commercial pursuits, or been the victim of those crises and fluctuations which have frequently occurred in other trading towns.

The hot wells near this city were formerly higher in fame than at the present day, but the water is still in estimation for its purity, and large quantities of it are dispatched to distant parts of the world. The population of Bristol has made the same regular advances as are to be found in the other ports of the British islands. In our view we include the parish of Bedminster in the city of Bristol, because it forms a part of it, as much as Westminster or Southwark do of London. The number of inhabitants thus taken amounted in 1801 to 66,922, in 1811 to 76,952, and in 1821 to 95,758. According to all probable appearance this rate of increase must have continued since the last census, which will make the present population at least 105,000 persons.

Bristol, a seaport town, and capital of a county of the same name, in Rhode Island. It is a very pleasant town, finely situated and handsomely built. The harbour is safe and commodious, and the place has a considerable trade. In 1820, the shipping belonging to the port amounted to 10,701 tons. The trade is carried on principally with the West Indies and with Europe. Bristol possesses a courthouse, a jail, a market-house, a masonic-hall, a public library containing about 1400 volumes, and four places of public worship. Great quantities of onions are raised here for exportation. Mount Hope, which lies about two miles north-east of Bristol, within the township, is a pleasant bill, of a conical form, and famous for having been the residence of the Indian king, Philip. The population of Bristol in 1820 amounted to 3197. It is situated fifteen miles south from Providence, fifteen north from Newport, and fifty-six south-south-west from Boston. Long. 71.12. W. Lat. 41. 38. N.

Bristol, a town of the United States, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. It stands on Delaware river, opposite Burlington in New Jersey, and contains'about one hundred houses. It is a great thoroughfare, and is noted for its mills of several kinds. It is situated about eleven miles south-south-east from Newton, and about twenty northeast from Philadelphia. Long. 74. 56. W. Lat. 40. 5. N. There are several other places of this name in the United States, but of inferior note.

Bristol Channel, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of Great Britain, lying between the south coast of Wales and the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, in England.
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