The business of shipbuilding is carried on to a very considerable extent in Bristol; and stimulated by that spirit which has always characterized the magistrates and merchants of Bristol, added to the vast improvements which have been so recently affected, it is confidently believed, that this ancient city and port are now entering upon a fresh epoch in their commercial prosperity.
The principal exports are derived from the neighbouring manufactures; and the imports consist chiefly of sugar, rum, wine, wool, tobacco, coffee, turpentine, hemp, and timber. The quay extends upwards of a mile along the banks of the rivers Frome and Avon. Owing to the serious inconvenience and frequent damage sustained by large vessels, when lying at low water in the river, a floating harbour was formed here at great expense in 1804. To accomplish so important a design the course of the Avon was changed; the old channel was dammed up to form the new harbour, which, communicating with the river, is accessible at all times, with sufficient depth of water for vessels of the largest size. This great work, comprising the elegant iron bridges over the Avon, was the result of five years' labour, and an enormous expenditure; and, although much benefit has accrued to the port from the success of so spirited an undertaking, still the expectations to which it naturally gave rise, as to the extension of commerce, have not been realized. This is attributable to various local causes.
CLIFTON.
THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
"Scared at thy presence, start the train of Death,
And hide their whips and scorpions; thee, confused,
Slow Fever creeps from; thee the meagre fiend
Consumption flies, and checks his rattling cough!"
Address to the Bristol Fountain.
The village of Clifton has long been distinguished among our native watering-places as the Montpelier of England. In point of situation, and the beautiful and varied scenery it commands, it is without a rival among those numerous springs which, from their medicinal virtues, have risen into universal repute. It occupies a very elevated position; and from the windows of his apartment the visitor may enjoy enchanting views of the western part of Bristol, the Avon, and the numerous vessels that glide to and fro upon its waters. The plateau, which terminates a gradual ascent from the river, is covered with elegant buildings, that furnish excellent accommodation to the numerous visitors who annually resort to these salubrious fountains. Many private families of opulence and respectability make this their principal residence, and with justice, for few situations in the British empire can supply more varied and rational sources of enjoyment. Those who seek to combine the blessings of health with rational amusement and mental cultivation, will very rarely be disappointed in selecting the now "classic" shades of Clifton as a residence.