It contains 5732 |houses, and 56,060 inhabitants. | |The mouth of the Tamar is called _Hamoaze_, and that of the Plym, |_Catwater_; and the sound is capable of receiving 1000 sail of |shipping. It is one of the most considerable sea ports in the |kingdom, and is defended by several strong batteries, and a |citadel, erected in the reign of Charles the Second, opposite to |Nicholas Island, which contains a large storehouse, and five |regular bastions. | |Plymouth has two parish churches, a large custom-house, a charity |school, several hospitals, exclusive of a general military and |marine hospital, and an extensive workhouse. The town is well |supplied with water, which was first brought from a place seven |miles distant, at the expense of Sir Francis Drake, a native of |this town. | |Between the town and the sea is a high hill, called the _Haw_, |having a delightful plain on the top, and affording a most |charming prospect. | |Opposite to Plymouth is Mount Edgecumbe, the charming seat of the |Earl of that title, (_see Index of Seats_). This mount, commanding |the town of Plymouth, was garrisoned for Charles the First, and |considerably annoyed the town. Between Mount Edgecumbe and |Plymouth are erected two baths, and near them an elegant assembly |and breakfasting room. | |That part of Plymouth called the Dock, which lies about a mile and |a half from the town, at the mouth of the Tamar, was first |designed as a wet and dry dock, in the reign of William the Third, |and to which two others have since been added, with all the |conveniencies necessary for building and repairing ships of war; |the docks are dug out of a mine of slate, and lined with Portland |stone. | |Near the docks are erected ranges of storehouses for the arms, |rigging, sails, &c. with houses for the various officers of the |different departments to live in. Here are also commodious |barracks, and so numerous are the shops, and the buildings have |within these few years so rapidly increased, that =Dock= (as it is |termed) is now as large as the town itself. There is also a neat |little theatre here. | |For accommodating the great intercourse and distance between the |extremities of the town, there are four-wheeled chaises drawn by |one horse for regular hire, similar to the Hackney coaches of the |metropolis. | |It returns two members to parliament, and is termed an admiralty |borough. The markets are on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. | |At the entrance of Plymouth Sound lies a very large and dangerous |rock, called the _Edystone_, covered at high water, but at low |water bare. On the summit of this rock is erected a light-house, |80 feet high, built of Portland stone and granite. |