a large and rapidly-growing seaport-town on the north-east coast of England, in the county of Durham, 268 miles from London. The municipal boundary embraces an area of 1684 acres, and includes the parish of Sunderland-near-the-Sea, the townships of Bishopwearmouth, and Bishopwearmouth Paans, part of the parish of Monkwearmouth, and the township of Monkwearmouth Shore. The River Wear, after running through the centre of the borough, falls into the sea. The first authentic evidence of the existence of Sunderland as a place of maritime commerce is found in a charter granted by Hugh Pudsey, bishop of Durham, in the end of the twelfth century; and there are records extant showing that in the year 674 a monastery was founded at Monkwearmouth, in which the Venerable Bede was educated, and spent the greatest part of his life. The town contains a number of fine streets, the principal of which is the High Street, which extends for nearly one mile from east to west. Throughout the older part of the town, the houses are much crowded together, and to the defective state of the sanitary arrangements in that quarter may be mainly attributed the great ravages committed by cholera, which first broke out in this country at the port of Sunderland in 1832. In 1849 the cholera again visited the town, but since that time many local improvements have been projected and completed. In 1855, a commencement was made with a system of thorough draining of the entire borough, and in March 1860 the works were finished, 52 miles of sewers having been formed at a cost of L.51,000. From September 1854 to April 1860, 75 new streets were laid out; and during the same period 1280 houses were erected. To afford the means of healthful recreation for the inhabitants, 14 acres of land on Building Hill—a picturesque eminence within the borough—were purchased for L.2000, and L.3250 (including a grant of L.750 from Government) were expended in laying out and beautifying the place for a public park and pleasure-ground. Under the new burial acts, 3 cemeteries have been formed outside the borough boundaries, the extent of ground thus enclosed being 54 acres, and the total cost L.37,000. Three public bathing and washing establishments have been set on foot, under the provisions of the Baths and Washhouses Act 1846, the cost of the whole being L.12,750. A water company has also been formed, and, at an outlay of nearly L.160,000, works have been erected which supply daily to Sunderland and South Shields fully one million and a half gallons of water, pumped from the sand underlying magnesian limestone. One of the greatest objects of interest in Sunderland is the well-known iron bridge which crosses the Wear, and connects Monkwearmouth with the south bank of the river. It consists of a single arch of 236 feet in span, having a height of upwards of 100 feet from the surface of the river at low water to the centre of the arch, which enables vessels of 400 tons burden to pass under by merely lowering their topgallant masts. This remarkable structure was finished in the year 1796, having cost L.33,400, of which L.30,000 was subscribed by one of its designers, Rowland Burdon, Esq., then member of Parliament for the county of Durham. In 1856 it was found necessary to strengthen and widen the bridge, as well as to improve its approaches; and the town council having obtained the necessary parliamentary powers, the renovation of the fabric was commenced in the following year, according to plans furnished by Robert Stephenson, Esq., civil engineer. The improved bridge was opened in 1859, the total cost of the alterations having been L.40,000, the repayment of which is provided for by tolls, from which foot-passengers, by a resolution of the town council, are exempted. The leading feature of Mr Stephenson's design was the throwing across of three great tubular girders, one on each side of the east and west ribs, and another in the centre. The cast-iron rings of the original bridge were replaced in the new one, with malleable iron lattice-work. The harbour at the mouth of the river is enclosed by two piers, the north pier, extending 1000 feet, and the south pier 1800 feet. On the north pier there is a lighthouse, which, in 1841, on the lengthening of the pier, was removed a distance of nearly 500 feet without taking down the masonry. The depth of water on the bar varying from 18 to 21 feet at ordinary tides, vessels of a large size can enter and leave the harbour. Docks have also been formed on the north and south sides of the river. Wearmouth Dock, on the north, can accommodate 80 sail of vessels. It was constructed at a cost of L.120,000, and is now the property of the North Eastern Railway Company. Sunderland Docks, on the south side of the harbour, were constructed at a cost of L.720,000. They can accommodate 350 sail of vessels, and have an outlet to the sea independent of the river. This outlet is of great service to large ships, the depth of water at its mouth being greater than that on the bar at the harbour's mouth. Sunderland docks were opened in 1850; in 1859 they passed from the hands of the company that was formed for their construction to the Commissioners of the River Wear, who that Sunium year obtained an act of Parliament authorizing them to purchase the docks. Ship-building, the export of coals and lime, glass-making, the manufacture of anchors and chains, of ropes and sails, and earthenware goods, are the principal industrial features of Sunderland. On the 1st of January 1860, the number of vessels belonging to the port was 1004, representing an aggregate of 232,261 tons. In 1836, the number of vessels that sailed from the port was 994, with an aggregate of 153,415 tons. In 1859, the number of vessels that left the port had increased to 10,736, and the tonnage to 1,712,928. In 1836, the total exports of coal amounted to 971,190 tons; in 1859, the coal exports had reached 2,633,232 tons. Several hundred sailing vessels belonging to the port are solely employed in the coal trade, but this branch of the shipping interest is threatened with gradual extinction, the screw-steamers belonging to the port carrying in the aggregate half a million tons of coals to the London market in the course of twelve months. The custom-house duty paid at Sunderland in 1859 was £99,115; the expenses of the establishment were £7,721.

The port is defended by three batteries, near to the most important of which is the barracks, with quarters for 300 men. Ship-building is carried on to a great extent on the Wear. In 1859, a year of great depression in that branch of trade, 100 vessels were launched at Sunderland, with a total tonnage of 37,184, and an average per vessel of 371 tons. The total value of the vessels built during a year of average briskness in business, when fitted out for sea and ready to receive their cargoes, is three quarters of a million sterling. The glass trade is also of considerable importance. Of window-glass, 6240 tons are manufactured on an average in the year; and 23 millions of bottles are produced in the same period. There are seven firms carrying on both these departments of glass manufacture, and the total annual value of the window-glass and bottles produced by the 1700 hands whom they employ is nearly a quarter of a million sterling. There are a number of charitable institutions in the town, one of which, the Orphan Asylum, opened in 1860, is patronised by her Majesty Queen Victoria, who contributed 100 guineas to its funds. This asylum was founded for the children of deceased mariners of the port, and is principally maintained from the proceeds of the sale of land on the Town Moor for dock and railway purposes. There are several literary institutions in Sunderland; and a museum, with the nucleus of a free library attached, has been established by the town council. There are 2 handsome theatres, with accommodation for 3500 persons. The town is connected by railway with Newcastle-on-Tyne, which is 13 miles north-west of Sunderland; altogether, there are 4 railway termini in the borough. The municipal government is vested in a mayor, 14 aldermen, and 42 councillors, elected by 7 wards. The borough returns 2 members to Parliament. In 1841 the population was 56,607; in 1851 it was 63,897.

Sunium, a promontory and demus of ancient Attica, forming the southern extremity of that country. The promontory, which rises steeply from the sea to a great height, was crowned with a temple to Athens, the tutelary deity of Athens. This temple is now in ruins, but many of its columns are still standing, and have given to the promontory its modern name of Cape Colonna. Sunium was fortified in the nineteenth year of the Peloponnesian war, in order to protect the corn-ships in their passage to Athens with supplies, and from that time onwards it was considered one of the chief fortresses of Attica.

Superior, Lake. See Canada.