a town and cape of the isle of Anglesea in Wales, and in the Irish channel, where people usually embark for Dublin, there being three packet-boats that sail for that city every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, wind and weather permitting. It is 276 miles from London, and has a very convenient harbour for the northern trade, when taken short by contrary winds. It is situated near the extremity of the isle, and is joined to the north-west part of it by a stone bridge of one arch. It has a small market on Saturdays. The parish is about five or six miles long, and two or three broad, bounded nearly by the sea. The church stands above the harbour, within an old quadrangular fortification, with a bastion at each corner built about 450. On a mountain near it is another old fortification called Turris Munimentum, which Holyhead, which is an old stone wall without mortar, and in its centre is a small turret, and contains a well of water. Holyhead was frequently formerly visited by Irish rovers, and was defended as a place of consequence. There are several remains of old fortifications and Druidical antiquities in its neighbourhood, as well as chapels of religious worship. The parish church of Holyhead was built in the reign of Edward III., and is in the form of a cross, with a porch and steeple very antique. There was an old chapel near the church, now converted into a school-house. A fort-house was erected on an island in the harbour in Queen Anne's reign, but it is now in ruins. The town is little more than a fishing town, rendered considerable by being the place of passage to Ireland. It has three good inns. The passage hence to Ireland is in general about twelve hours. There is no fresh water here except from rain, nor any bread sold but what comes from Ireland. A bath and assembly-room were erected here in 1770.

Under the mountains that overhang the town is a large cavern in the rock, supported by natural pillars, called the Parliament-house, accessible only by boats, and the tide runs into it. If this harbour was properly repaired, and ware-houses built, it would be very convenient for the Irish to import such of their goods as pay English duty, it being but a few hours sail from Dublin. Besides, the Dublin merchants might come over with the packets to see their goods landed. The commodities are, butter, cheese, bacon, wild-fowl, lobsters, crabs, oysters, razor-fish, shrimps, herrings, cod-fish, whitings, whiting-pollacks, sole-fish, sea-tongues, turbot, foles, flounders, rays, and plenty of other fish. On the rocks the herb grows of which they make kelp, a fixed salt used in making glaas, and alum works. In the neighbourhood there is a large vein of white fuller's earth and another of yellow, which might be useful to fullers. On the isle of Skerries, nine miles to the north, is a light-house, which may be seen 24 miles off. Large flocks of puffins are often seen here; they all come in one night, and depart in the same manner.

Holy Island, a small island lying on the coast of England, 10 miles south-east of Berwick, in Northumberland. Bede calls it a semi-island, being, as he observes, twice an island and twice continent in one day: for at the flowing of the tide, it is encompassed by water; and at the ebb, there is an almost dry passage, both for horses and carriages, to and from the main land; from which, if measured on a straight line, it is distant about two miles eastward; but on account of some quicksands passengers are obliged to make so many detours, that the length of way is nearly doubled. The water over these flats at spring-tides is only seven feet deep.—This island was by the Britons called Inis Medicante; also Lindisfarne, from the small rivulet of Lindi or Landia, which here runs into the sea, and the Celtic word fahren or "recess;" and on account of its being the habitation of some of the first monks in this country, it afterwards obtained its present name of Holy Island. It measures from east to west about two miles and a quarter, and its breadth from north to south is scarcely a mile and a half. At the north-west part there runs out a spit of land of about a mile in length. The monastery is situated at the southernmost extremity; and at a small distance north of it stands the village. On this island there is plenty of fish and fowl; but the air and soil are bad. There is not a tree on the island. The village, which stands on a rising ground, consists but of a few scattered houses, chiefly inhabited by fishermen; and it has two inns. The north and east coasts are formed of perpendicular rocks, the other sides sink by gradual slopes to the sands. There is a commodious harbour, defended by a block-house; which last was surprized and taken in 1715, but was soon invested and retaken.

Holy Island, though really part of Northumberland, belongs to Durham; and all civil disputes must be determined by the justices of that county.—It was a very ancient episcopal seat. Aidan the first bishop, after presiding in it 14 years, died and was buried here A.D. 651. Finan, his successor, built a wooden church, thatched with reeds, but before the end of the century covered with lead by Bishop Eadbert. St Cuthbert, who from a poor shepherd became monk of Melrose 15 years, was prior here 12 more, when he retired to one of the barren Farne rocks, from whence he was called to this see, which he held only two years, and returned to his retirement, where he died, and was buried at the east end of his oratory, where his stone coffin is still shown. His body was found fresh 11 years after his death. Lindisfarne was ruined by the Danes, A.D. 793, when the monks carried his body about for seven years, and at last settled at Chester-le-Street, whither the see was translated, and where it continued many years. On a second destruction of the monastery by the Danes they were removing to Ripon, but stopped by a miracle at Durham, where the saint continued till the reformation, when his body was found entire, and privately buried in a wooden coffin, as some pretend, near the clock, but more probably in the ground under where his shrine stood. The entrochii found among the rocks at Lindisfarne are called St Cuthbert's beads, and pretended to be made by him in the night. Eighteen bishops sat here till the removal of the see to Chester, which had eight more till the removal to Durham, A.D. 995. Lindisfarne became a cell to that Benedictine monastery, valued at £8l. per ann. The north and south walls of the church are standing, much inclined; part of the west end remains, but the east is down. The columns of the nave are of four different sorts, 12 feet high and 5 feet diameter, mostly and richer than those of Durham; the bases and capitals plain, supporting circular arches. Over each arch are large windows in pairs, separated by a short column, and over these are smaller single windows. In the north and south walls are some pointed arches. The length of the body is 138 feet, breadth 18 feet, and with the two aisles 36 feet; but it may be doubted whether there ever was a transept. One arch of the centre tower remains adorned, as is its entrance from the nave, with Saxon zigzag. Somewhat to the east is the base of a cross, and to the west the present parish-church.