a peninsula in Dorsetshire, of great strength both by nature and art, being surrounded with inaccessible rocks, except at the landing-place, where there is a strong castle, called Portland castle, built by king Henry VIII. There is but one church in the island: and that stands so near the sea, that it is often in danger from it. It is now chiefly noted for the freestone which is found there, and which is greatly employed in London, and other parts of England, for building the finest structures. St Paul's church, in particular, was built therewith. W. Long. 2. 35. N. Lat. 50° 30'.

The following custom at Portland is worthy of notice. "While I was looking over the quarries at Portland (says Mr Smeaton), and attentively considering the operations, observing how soon the quarrymen would cut half a ton of spaws from an unformed block, and what large pieces flew off at every stroke; how speedily their blows followed one another, and how incessantly they purified this labour with a tool of from 18 to 20 pound weight; I was naturally led to view and consider the figure of the operative agent; and after having observed, that by far the greatest number of the quarrymen were of a very robust hardy form, in whose hands the tool I have mentioned seemed a mere play-thing, I at last broke out with surprise, and inquired of my guide, Mr Roper, where they could possibly pick up such a set of stout fellows to handle the level, which in their hands seemed nothing? for I observed, that in the space of 15 minutes, they would knock off as much waste matter from a mass of stone, as any of that occupation I had ever seen before would do in an hour. Says Roper, 'we do not go to fetch those men from a distance, they are all born upon the island, and many of them have never been farther upon the main land than to Weymouth.' I told him, I thought the air of that island must be very propitious, to furnish a breed of men so particularly formed for the business they followed. 'The air,' he replied, 'though very sharp from our elevated situation, is certainly very healthy to working men; yet if you knew how these men are produced, you would wonder the less; for all our marriages here are productive of children.' On defining an explanation how this happened, he proceeded: 'Our people here, as they are bred to hard labour, are very early in a condition to marry and provide for a family; they intermarry with one another, very rarely going to the mainland to seek a wife; and it has been the custom of the island, from time immemorial, that they never marry till the woman is pregnant.' But pray (said I) does not this subject you to a great number of bastards? Have not your Portlanders the same kind of fickleness?" in their attachments that Englishmen are subject to? and, in consequence, does not this produce many inconveniences? None at all (replies Roper), for previous to my arrival here, there was but one child on record of the parish register that had been born a bastard in the compass of 150 years. The mode of courtship here is, that a young woman never admits of the serious addresses of a young man, but on supposition of a thorough probation. When she becomes with child, she tells her mother, the mother tells her father, her father tells his father, and he tells his son, that it is then proper time to be married. But suppose, Mr Roper, she does not prove to be with child, what happens then? Do they live together without marriage? or, if they separate, is not this such an imputation upon her, as to prevent her getting another suitor? The case is thus managed (answered my friend), if the woman does not prove with child after a competent time of courtship, they conclude they are not destined by Providence for each other; they therefore separate; and as it is an established maxim, which the Portland women observe with great strictness, never to admit a plurality of lovers at one time, their honour is noway tarnished: she just as soon (after the affair is declared to be broke off) gets another suitor, as if she had been left a widow, or that nothing had ever happened, but that she had remained an immaculate virgin. But pray, Sir, did nothing particular happen upon your men coming down from London? Yes (says he) our men were much struck, and mightily pleased with the facility of the Portland ladies, and it was not long before several of the women proved with child; but the men being called upon to marry them, this part of the lesson they were un instructed in; and on their refusal, the Portland women arose to stone them out of the island; insomuch, that those few who did not choose to take their sweethearts for better or worse, after so fair a trial, were in reality obliged to decamp; and on this occasion some few bastards were born: but since then matters have gone on according to the ancient custom."