the name of two cities in Scotland, called the Old and New Towns, situated on the German ocean, in W. Long. 1° 40' and N. Lat. 57° 19'.

Aberdeen is a place of great antiquity. According to tradition, it was of note in the reign of Gregory, who conferred on it some privileges about the year 893. In 1004, Malcolm II. founded a bishopric at a place called Mortlich in Banffshire, in memory of a signal victory which he there gained over the Danes; which bishopric was translated to Old Aberdeen by David I.; and in 1163, the then bishop of Aberdeen obtained a new charter from Malcolm IV. There is extant a charter of Alexander II. by which, in 1217, the King grants to Aberdeen the same privileges he had granted to his town of Perth.

The Old Town lies about a mile to the north of the new, at the mouth of the river Don, over which is a fine Gothic bridge, of a single arch, greatly admired, which rests at both sides on two rocks. This arch, said to have been built by a bishop of Aberdeen about the year 1290, is 67 feet wide at the bottom, and 34½ feet high above the surface of the river, which at ebb-tide is here 19 feet deep. The old town was formerly the seat of the bishop, and had a large cathedral commonly called St Machar's. Two very antique spires, and one aisle, which is used as a church, are now the only remains of it. The bishopric was founded in the time of David I., as above mentioned. The cathedral had anciently two rows of stone pillars across the church, and three turrets; the steeple, which was the largest of these turrets, rested upon an arch, supported by four pillars. In this cathedral there was a fine library; but, about the year 1560, it was almost totally destroyed. But the capital building is the King's college, on the south side of the town, which is a large and stately fabric. It is built round a square, with cloisters on the south side. The chapel is very ruinous within; but there still remains some woodwork of exquisite workmanship. This was preserved by the spirit of the principal at the time of the reformation, who armed his people and checked the blind zeal of the barons of the Mearns; who, after stripping the cathedral of its roof, and robbing it of the bells, were going to violate this seat of learning. They shipped their sacrilegious booty, with an intention of exposing it to sale in Holland; but the vessel had scarcely gone out of port, when it perished in a storm with all its ill-gained lading. The steeple is vaulted with a double cross arch; above which is an imperial crown, supported by eight stone-pillars, and closed with a globe and two gilded crosses. In the year 1631 this steeple was thrown down by a storm, but was soon after rebuilt in a more stately form. This college was founded in 1494, by William Elphinston bishop of this place, Aberdeen, Lord Chancellor of Scotland in the reign of James III. and Lord Privy Seal in that of James IV. But James IV. claimed the patronage of it, and it has since been called the King's College. This college, and the Marischal-college in the New Town, form one university, called the University of King Charles. The library is large, but not remarkable for many curiosities. Hector Boethius was the first principal of the college; and sent for from Paris for that purpose, on an annual salary of forty marks Scots, at thirteen pence each. The square tower on the side of the college was built by contributions from General Monk and the officers under him then quartered at Aberdeen, for the reception of students; of which there are about a hundred belonging to the college who lie in it.

The New Town is the capital of the shire of Aberdeen. For largeness, trade, and beauty, it greatly exceeds any town in the north of Scotland. It is built on a hill or rising ground, and lies on a small bay formed by the Dee, deep enough for a ship of 200 tons, and above two miles in circumference. The buildings (which are of granite from the neighbouring quarries) are generally four stories high; and have, for the most part, gardens behind them, which gives it a beautiful appearance. On the high-street is a large church, which formerly belonged to the Franciscans. This church was begun by Bishop William Elphinston; and finished by Gavin Dunbar, bishop of Aberdeen, about the 1500. Bishop Dunbar is said likewise to have built the bridge over the Dee, which consists of seven arches. In the middle of Castle-street is an octagon building, with neat bas-reliefs of the kings of Scotland from James I. to James VII. The town-house makes a good figure, and has a handsome spire in the centre. The grammar-school is a low but neat building. Gordon's hospital is handsome; in front is a good statue of the founder; it maintains forty boys, who are apprenticed at proper ages. The infirmary is a large plain building, and sends out between eight and nine hundred cured patients annually. But the chief public building in the new town is the Marischal-college, founded by George Keith earl of Marischal, in the year 1593; but since greatly augmented with additional buildings. There are about 140 students belonging to it. In both the Marischal and King's college the languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, divinity, &c. are taught by very able professors. The convents in Aberdeen were: One of Mathurines, or of the order of the Trinity, founded by William the Lion, who died in 1214; another of Dominicans, by Alexander II.; a third of Observantines, a building of great length in the middle of the city, founded by the citizens and Mr Richard Vans, &c.; and a fourth of Carmelites, or White Friars, founded by Philip de Arbuthnot in 1350.

Aberdeen, including the Old Town, is supposed to contain 25,000 people. Its trade is considerable, but might be greatly extended by an attention to the white fisheries.

The harbour was long a great detriment to its trade, and occasioned the loss of many lives and much property. A stranger could never depend upon finding it as he left it; while vessels lay at anchor in the road till the tide should make, they have often been wrecked by storms. storms which suddenly arose. It was very narrow at the mouth, having the easterly rocky point of the Grampian mountains on the south, and a flat blowing sand on the north, extending along the coast for many miles. By the easterly and north-easterly storms the sand was driven in a long ridge across the harbour's mouth, and formed what was called the bar. Upon this bar the depth of water at low tide was sometimes not above three feet. Clearing away the sand, though but a partial and temporary remedy, was a matter of great expense to the community: If it was cleared one week so as to have five or six feet of water at ebb, a fresh storm the next week undid all that had been done. The town at last came to the resolution of erecting a strong pier on the north side of the harbour. This pier is 1200 feet in length, and gradually increases in thickness and height as it approaches the sea, where the head or rounding is 60 feet diameter at the base, and the perpendicular elevation is 38 feet. The whole is built of granite, the most durable stone known; many of the outside stones are above three tons weight, with hewn beds. It was built under the direction of Mr Smeaton; and the expense, amounting to above £17,000, is defrayed by doubling the harbour-dues, which are chiefly paid by the inhabitants.

A little to the south of the bar, they have now a depth of 17 fathoms at low water; and at the harbour mouth, from eight to nine fathoms, where they had formerly but a few feet.

Aberdeen once enjoyed a good share of the tobacco trade. At present, its imports are from the Baltic, and a few merchants trade to the West Indies and North America. Its exports are stockings, thread, salmon, and oatmeal. The first is a most important article, as appears by the following state of it. For this manufacture, 20,800 pounds worth of wool is annually imported, and 1600 pounds worth of oil. Of this wool are annually made 69,333 dozen pairs of stockings; worth, at an average, £1.10s. per dozen. These are the work of the country-people in almost all parts of this great county, who get 4s. per dozen for spinning, and 14s. per dozen for knitting; so that there is annually paid them £2,329.1.4s. There is, besides, about £2000 value of stockings manufactured from the wool of the county. The thread manufacture is another considerable article, though trifling in comparison of the woollen. The salmon fisheries on the Dee and the Don are a good branch of trade. About 46 boats, and 130 men, are employed on the fish; and, in some years, 167,000 lb. of fish have been sent pickled to London, and about 930 barrels of salted fish exported to France, Italy, &c.—The fishery on the Don is far less considerable. The fish of this river are taken in cruises above the bridge; a practice contrary to the ancient laws of the kingdom, unless where the nature of the water rendered the net-fishery impracticable. The inhabitants likewise export considerable quantities of pickled pork, which they sell to the Dutch for victualling their East India ships and men of war; the Aberdeen pork having the reputation of being the best cured of any in Europe for keeping on long voyages.

"It is however remarkable, (Mr Knox observes), that there is not a single decked vessel fitted out from Aberdeen for the herring or white fisheries; here is now an excellent harbour; an active people, conversant in trade, and possessed of capital; seated within six hours failing of Long Forty, and two days failing of the Shetland Isles. This inattention is the more extraordinary, as the exports of Aberdeen, though very considerable, do not balance the imports in value. The herring and white fisheries, therefore, if prosecuted with vigour, cured and dried with judgment, would not only extend the scale of exports, but also furnish the outward bound vessels with freights, and better affortments for the foreign markets. The salmon of the Dee and Don are taken in great abundance, cured in the highest perfection, and greatly valued at the European markets. If the merchants, in addition to these, should also export the cargoes of 50 or 60 vessels constantly employed in the herring and white fisheries, the port of Aberdeen would in a few years become the most celebrated mart of fish now existing."

From a round hill at the west end of the city, flow two springs, one of pure water and the other of a quality resembling the German Spa. Aberdeen, with Aberbrothock, Brechin, Montrose, and Inverbervie, returns one member to Parliament.