Descriptive account of the principal towns in Scotland

IS
Dee and Don, and form an article of very considerable
demand in the London market. Another lucrative
branch of commerce is the exporting of stones from the
granite quarries which abound in the vicinity ; the streets
of the metropolis are paved with this durable substance ;
and one of the finest bridges over the Thames has been
constructed of the same material.
Several of the public buildings in Aberdeen are wor-
thy of notice. Of the churches, the most venerable is
the parish church of St Machar, which was formerly the
cathedral. All that now remains is the nave, surmount-
ed with two spires at the west end. The roof, which is of
oak, finely blazoned with coats of arms and inscriptions,
is justly admired. The central tower, which stood at the
east end of the present building, fell about the close of
the 17th century, and buried the transept and the choir
in its ruins. The two parish churches of St Nicholas
are adjoining to each other, being separated only by a
cross aisle, over which is a tower and pyramidal spire
140 feet in height. The East church is a plain Norman
building, divided, like the church of St Machar, by two
rows of pillars surmounted with pointed arches. The
West church was founded about 70 years ago on the site
of a fine old Gothic structure which had gone to ruin a
short time before. It is a handsome structure in the
modern Roman style, divided by two rows of piers, over
which are semicircular arches. Here the magistrates
have a gallery, and the seat of the chief magistrate is
adorned with an elegant mahogany canopy. The wall
behind is enriched with several scripture pieces on tapes-
try, executed by a native of the city. None of the other
churches or chapels on the establishment are remarkable.