excluded, and thus the workmen are admitted with safety and convenience quite down to the keel.

The same bridges are used here as across the entrance of the wet docks.

The channel of the river Mersey affords safe anchorage for ships of any burthen.

In Liverpool the proportion of women is much greater than of men, especially in the lower orders of society. The men of this grade are usually in the army or navy, and multitudes of the females are maintained by their vices.

No. IV. LIVERPOOL.

English dinners....Great men of the city.... Wine every where a theme....Coldness of manners....Allerton-Hall....Botanical Garden....Mr. Roscoe....His usual retirement...A transport ship....A Quarry...Duelling ground....Environs of Liverpool ....St. Domingo...Singular compliment to the Prince of GlouGester....An English hotel....Servants.... Wide difference between them and American servants....The cause of it.... A French servant.

ENGLISH DINNERS.

I DINED to-day at Birchfield, a beautiful seat in the suburbs of Liverpool, formerly the residence of Mr. Roscoe. The house is surrounded by highly improved grounds, ornamented with gravel walks, winding with easy turns among groves and green fields, for the verdure has now become general in this part of England. Mr. E, the possessor of this mansion, has been recently elected a bailiff of Liverpool, and, on this occa

sion, gave a kind of official dinner to the mayor, the aldermen, the town clerk, and other officers of the city. A previous introduction to their host, gave me the honour of dining with these gentlemen, and several others of the first citizens. There were two gentlemen at table, who, when the income tax was laid, gave in their incomes at twenty thousand pounds sterling, or almost ninety thousand dollars.

Our table was loaded with luxuries and splendidly furnished. The arrangements however differed very little from those which are usual at the tables of peo ple of fortune in America. There was one custom which was wholly new to me. The gentlemen challenged each other to drink ale, (just as is done, every where else, with wine, at the same time wishing health; this was merely introductory to the drinking of wine.*

The beef was not superior to the best in our mar. kets; the apples were hard and insipid, having somewhat the taste of raw turnips, and there was no article better than the correspondent productions of America, except the ale.

The manners of the gentlemen were substantially the same with those of similar American circles. Most of the subjects of conversation were so personal and local, that a stranger could not be supposed to be informed concerning them, and could scarcely speak upon them without indelicacy, had he chanced to possess sufficient information. The only topics which could be considered as at all general were the alleged peculation of Lord Melville, and the best method of ripening wine.

I never observed this practice at any other place in England, and therefore presume it was a local custom.

To a country needing, at this crisis, all its resources for the defence of its liberties, it is not strange that the former topic should appear highly important.

As to the ripening of wine, this is a subject of universal interest among convivial men, and forms a standing topic of discussion, on both sides of the Atlantic, in those circles where abundant drinking gives brilliancy to wit, and ardor to patriotism; and while the faculties are thus sharpened, it is no doubt very natural to descant on the properties of this great cheerer of the heart of man. The bottle went round rapidly, and continued its circuit for several hours. Port, Claret, and Madeira, were the wines; the two latter are very expensive in this country, and Port costs nearly as much in England as Madeira does with us. The Ma. deira is not so good as that which has been ripened in our warmer climates, but the Port is better, and is the only wine generally used in Great-Britain. Their in <timate connection with Portugal gives it to them in greater purity than we commonly obtain it, for it is not difficult to imitate the astringent taste and purple eolour of this wine, so that it is adulterated and even manufactured with considerable facility. Before dismissing this dinner, I ought to observe that the reserve and coldness which marked the manners of most of the gentlemen were strongly contrasted with the polite, and attentive hospitality of our host, (a Scotchman,) who suffered no one of his guests to remain unnoticed. The hour of dinner was five o'clock, and I took French leave at half past nine.

May 10.-I had the honour of an introduction to Mr. Roscoe on my first arrival in Liverpool, and his son had the goodness to conduct me to-day to Aller.

ton-Hall, his father's seat, five or six miles from town. On our way we visited the Botanical Garden, an institution which Mr. Roscoe and Dr. Currie set on foot about three years since. Under their patronage it has flourished rapidly, and is now a fine establishment. It occupies five statute acres; the ground appears to be well adapted to the purpose, there is a pond and a portion of marshy land in the middle of the garden for such plants as require a wet soil or constant immer. sion ; the hot-houses are extensive and handsome, and exhibit a great variety of exotics, while the whole garden is a place of great beauty.

Our road to Allerton-Hall was through a most delightful country. The river Mersey was on our right, and the fields sloped with gentle declivity to its banks, The county of Cheshire was extensively in view over the river, and beyond that, Wales with its rude moun. tains.

Allerton-Hall is a stone building which has an air of grandeur; it stands at a considerable distance from the road, in the midst of beautiful grounds, and appears every way fitted to be the residence of its present distinguished possessor. Mr. Roscoe was, (as I am informed,) bred to the bar, but being disgusted. with the profession, he turned his attention to literature. He is now connected in business with an extensive banking-house in Liverpool, and retired to this place that he might have more leisure for indulging in his favourite pursuits. His house is filled with statues, busts, and pictures, principally Italian, and in his study, he is surrounded by the figures of the men, who are the subjects of his history of Lorenzo, and of Leo X. Of the latter work, not yet given to the world, he shewed

me a copy, and pointed out the beauty of the plates executed from designs on wood.

Mr. Roscoe's person is tall, his figure is graceful, his countenance intelligent, his expression mild, and his features what would generally be called handsome. He is now in middle life, and is possessed of a private character of distinguished excellence. From him I received every attention which was consistent with the obligations of politeness to a considerable number of gentlemen assembled at his table. Some of them were men of literature, and one in particular was said to be engaged in a biographical work upon one of the distinguished literary men of the period of Lorenzo, for, Mr. Roscoe has diffused around him a general taste for Italian literature. In such a circle it was unpleasant to find literature excluded in favour of those personal and local topics, which, as only neighbours and friends can understand, such only should participate. I was par ticularly solicitous to hear Mr. R. speak upon his favourite subject, the revival of arts and literature in Italy, but the conversation took a turn which preclud ed every thing of this nature, till a call to the drawing room cut it short and left Mr. Roscoe at liberty, for a few minutes, to satisfy my curiosity. At an early hour in the evening I returned to Liverpool.

A TRANSPORT SHIP.

I found some amusement yesterday in witnessing the embarkation of a regiment of cavalry. The horses were hoisted in by means of a canvas bag which was made to surround the body of the animal, and tied with ropes over the back. To these ropes a tackle was fastened, and the horses were thus raised from the