,this ebook was transcribed by ,les     
,bowler4            ,a ,,tour ,,in      
,,ireland4  #aggf-aggi4                 
,,by                                    
,,arthur ,,young4                       
,,cassell  ,,company1 ,,limited3        
,,london1 ,,paris1 ,,new ,,york         
,,melbourne4                            
#ahig4          ,,introduction4         
,arthur ,young was born in #agda1 the   
son of a clergyman1 at ,bradfield1 in   
,suffolk4  ,he was apprenticed to a     
merchant at ,lynn1 but his activity of  
mind caused him to be busy over many    
questions of the day4  ,he wrote when   
he was seventeen a pamphlet on ,american
 politics1 for which a publisher  paid  
him with ten pounds' worth of books4    
,he started a periodical1 which  ran to 
six numbers4  ,he wrote novels4  ,when  
he was twenty-eight years old  his      
father died1 and1 being free to take his
 own course in life1 he would  have     
entered the army if his mother had not  
opposed4  ,he settled down1  therefore1 

to farming1 and applied to farming all  
his zealous energy for  reform1 and all 
the labours of his busy pen4  ,in #agfh1
 a year before his  father's death1 he  
had published ,a ,six ,weeks' ,tour     
through the ,southern  ,counties of     
,england and ,wales1 which found many   
readers4    ,between #agfh and #agga    
,arthur ,young produced also ,the       
,farmer's ,letters to  the ,people of   
,england1 containing the ,sentiments of 
a ,practical  ,husbandman on the present
 ,state of ,husbandry4  ,in #aggj he    
published1 in  two thick quartos1 ,a    
,course of ,experimental ,agriculture1  
containing an  exact ,register of the   
,business transacted during ,five ,years
 on near #cjj  ,acres of various ,soils2
 also in the same year appeared ,rural  
,economy2  or1 ,essays on the ,practical
 ,part of ,husbandry2 also in the same  
year  ,the ,farmer's ,guide in ,hiring  
and ,stocking ,farms1 in two volumes1   
with  plans4  ,also in the same year    
appeared his ,farmer's ,kalendar1 of    

which  the #baeth edition was published 
in #ahfb4  ,there had been a second     
edition  of the ,six ,weeks' ,tour in   
the ,south of ,england1 with            
enlargements1 in  #agfi1 and ,arthur    
,young was encouraged to go on with     
increasing vigour to  the publication of
 ,the ,farmer's ,tour through the ,east 
of ,england3 being  a ,register of a    
,journey through various ,counties1 to  
inquire into the  ,state of             
,agriculture1 ,manufactures1 and        
,population4  ,this extended to  four   
volumes1 and appeared in the years #aggj
 and #agga4  ,in #agga also  appeared1  
in four volumes1 with plates1 ,a ,six   
,months' ,tour through the  ,north of   
,england1 containing an ,account of the 
,present ,state of  ,agriculture1       
,manufactures1 and ,population in       
several ,counties of this  ,kingdom4    
,thus ,arthur ,young took all his       
countrymen into counsel while he was    
learning his art1 as a farmer who       
brought to his calling a vigorous       

spirit of inquiry with an activity in   
the diffusion of his thoughts that  is a
 part of ,god's gift to the men who have
 thoughts to diffuse2 the  instinct for 
utterance being almost invariably joined
 to the power of  suggesting what may   
help the world4    ,whether he was      
essentially author turned farmer1 or    
farmer turned author1  ,arthur ,young   
has the first place in ,english         
literature as a  farmer-author4  ,other 
practical men have written practical    
books of  permanent value1 which have   
places of honour in the literature of   
the  farm2 but ,arthur ,young's writings
 have won friends for themselves among  
readers of every class1 and belong more 
broadly to the literature of the        
country4    ,between #agff and #agge he 
says that he made #c1jjj pounds by his  
agricultural writings4  ,the pen brought
 him more profit than the plough4  ,he  
took a hundred acres in ,hertfordshire1 
and said of them1 ,i know not  what     
epithet to give this soil2 sterility    

falls short of the idea2 a  hungry      
vitriolic gravel--,i occupied for nine  
years the jaws of a wolf4  ,a  nabob's  
fortune would sink in the attempt to    
raise good arable crops in  such a      
country4  ,my experience and knowledge  
had increased from  travelling and      
practice1 but all was lost when exerted 
on such a spot4  ,he tried at one time  
to balance his farm losses by reporting 
for the  ,morning ,post1 taking a       
seventeen-mile walk home to his farm    
every  ,saturday night4    ,in #aghj    
,arthur ,young published this ,tour in  
,ireland1 with ,general  ,observations  
on the ,present ,state of that ,kingdom 
in #aggf-gh4  ,the  general             
observations1 which give to all his     
books a wide general  interest1 are1 in 
this volume1 of especial value to us    
now4  ,it is here  reprinted as given by
 ,pinkerton4    ,in #aghd ,arthur ,young
 began to edit ,annals of ,agriculture1 
which were  continued through forty-five
 volumes4  ,all writers in it were to   

sign  their names1 but when ,his        
,majesty ,king ,george ,,iii4           
contributed a  description of ,mr4      
,duckett's ,farm at ,petersham1 he was  
allowed to sign  himself ,ralph         
,robinson of ,windsor4    ,in #agib     
,arthur ,young published the first      
quarto volume1 and in #agid the  two    
volumes of his ,travels during the years
 #aghg-h-i and #agij1  undertaken more  
particularly with a view of ascertaining
 the ,cultivation1  ,wealth1 ,resources 
and ,national ,prosperity of the        
,kingdom of ,france4  ,this led to the  
official issue in ,france in #ahja1 by  
order of the  ,directory1 of a          
translation of ,young's agricultural    
works1 under the  title of ,le          
,cultivateur ,anglais4  ,arthur ,young  
also corresponded with  ,washington1 and
 received recognition from the ,empress 
,catherine of  ,russia1 who sent him a  
gold snuff-box1 and ermine cloaks for   
his wife and  daughter4  ,he was made a 
,fellow of the ,royal ,society4    ,in  

#agic his labours led to the formation  
of a ,board of ,agriculture1 of  which  
he was appointed secretary4    ,when he 
was set at ease by this appointment1    
with a house and #djj pounds  a year1   
,arthur ,young had been about to        
experiment on the reclaiming of  four   
thousand acres of ,yorkshire moorland4  
,the ,agricultural ,board was  dissolved
 in #ahaf1 four years before surveys of 
the agriculture of each  county were    
made for the ,agricultural ,board1      
,arthur ,young himself  contributing    
surveys of ,hertfordshire1              
,lincolnshire1 ,oxfordshire1  ,norfolk1 
,suffolk1 and ,sussex4    ,arthur       
,young's sight became dim in #ahjh1 and 
blindness gradually  followed4  ,he died
 in #ahbj at his native village of      
,bradfield1 in  ,suffolk1 at the age of 
seventy-nine years4                     
,h4 ,m4          ,a ,,tour ,,in         
,,ireland4      ,june #ai1 #aggf4       
,arrived at ,holyhead1 after an         
instructive journey through  a part of  

,england and ,wales ,i had not seen     
before4  ,found the packet1 the         
,claremont1 ,captain ,taylor1 would sail
 very soon4  ,after a tedious  passage  
of twenty-two hours1 landed on the #bjth
 in the morning1 at  ,dunlary1 four     
miles from ,dublin1 a city which much   
exceeded my  expectation4  ,the public  
buildings are magnificent1 very many of 
the  streets regularly laid out1 and    
exceedingly well built4  ,the front of  
the  ,parliament-house is grand1 though 
not so light as a more open finishing   
of the roof would have made it4  ,the   
apartments are spacious1 elegant1  and  
convenient1 much beyond that heap of    
confusion at ,westminster1 so  inferior 
to the magnificence to be looked for in 
the seat of empire4  ,i  was so         
fortunate as to arrive just in time to  
see ,lord ,harcourt1 with the  usual    
ceremonies1 prorogue the ,parliament4   
,trinity ,college is a  beautiful       
building1 and a numerous society2 the   
library is a very fine  room1 and well  

filled4  ,the new ,exchange will be     
another edifice to do  honour in        
,ireland2 it is elegant1 cost forty     
thousand pounds1 but  deserves a better 
situation4  ,from everything ,i saw1 ,i 
was struck with  all those appearances  
of wealth which the capital of a        
thriving community  may be supposed to  
exhibit4  ,happy if ,i find through the 
country in  diffused prosperity the     
right source of this splendour6  ,the   
common  computation of inhabitants      
#bjj1jjj1 but ,i should suppose         
exaggerated4  ,others guessed the number
 #adj1jjj or #aej1jjj4    ,june #ba4    
,introduced by ,colonel ,burton to the  
,lord ,lieutenant1 who was  pleased to  
enter into conversation with me on my   
intended journey1 made  many remarks on 
the agriculture of several ,irish       
counties1 and showed  himself to be an  
excellent farmer1 particularly in       
draining4  ,viewed the  ,duke of        
,leinster's house1 which is a very large
 stone edifice1 the front  simple but   

elegant1 the pediment light2 there are  
several good rooms2 but  a circumstance 
unrivalled is the court1 which is       
spacious and  magnificent1 the opening  
behind the house is also beautiful4  ,in
 the  evening to the ,rotunda1 a        
circular room1 ninety feet diameter1 an 
imitation of ,ranelagh1 provided with a 
band of music4    ,the barracks are a   
vast building1 raised in a plain style1 
of many  divisions2 the principal front 
is of an immense length4  ,they contain 
every convenience for ten regiments4    
,june #bc4  ,lord ,charlemont's house in
 ,dublin is equally elegant and         
convenient1 the apartments large1       
handsome1 and well disposed1 containing 
some good pictures1 particularly one by 
,rembrandt1 of ,judas throwing the      
money on the floor1 with a strong       
expression of guilt and remorse2 the    
whole group fine4  ,in the same room is 
a portrait of ,caesar ,borgia1 by       
,titian4  ,the library is a most elegant
 apartment of about forty by  thirty1   

and of such a height as to form a       
pleasing proportion2 the light  is well 
managed1 coming in from the cove of the 
ceiling1 and has an  exceeding good     
effect2 at one end is a pretty          
ante-room1 with a fine copy  of the     
,venus de ,medicis1 and at the other two
 small rooms1 one a cabinet  of pictures
 and antiquities1 the other medals4  ,in
 the collection also of  ,robert        
,fitzgerald1 ,esq41 in ,merion ,square1 
are several pieces which very  well     
deserve a traveller's attention2 it was 
the best ,i saw in ,dublin4  ,before ,i 
quit that city ,i observe1 on the houses
 in general1 that what  they call their 
two-roomed ones are good and convenient4
  ,mr4 ,latouche's1  in ,stephen's      
,green1 ,i was shown as a model of this 
sort1 and ,i found it  well contrived1  
and finished elegantly4  ,drove to ,lord
 ,charlemont's villa  at ,marino1 near  
the city1 where his lordship has formed 
a pleasing lawn1  margined in the higher
 part by a well-planted thriving        

shrubbery1 and on  a rising ground a    
banqueting-room1 which ranks very high  
among the most  beautiful edifices ,i   
have anywhere seen2 it has much         
elegance1 lightness1  and effect1 and   
commands a fine prospect4  ,the rising  
ground on which it  stands slopes off to
 an agreeable accompaniment of wood1    
beyond which on  one side is ,dublin    
,harbour1 which here has the appearance 
of a noble  river crowded with ships    
moving to and from the capital4  ,on the
 other  side is a shore spotted with    
white buildings1 and beyond it the hills
 of  ,wicklow1 presenting an outline    
extremely various4  ,the other part of  
the  view 7it would be more perfect if  
the city was planted out7 is varied1 in 
some places nothing but wood1 in others 
breaks of prospect4  ,the lawn1  which  
is extensive1 is new grass1 and appears 
to be excellently laid  down1 the       
herbage a fine crop of white clover     
7trifolium repens71  trefoil1 rib-grass 
7plantago lanceolata71 and other good   

plants4  ,returned to ,dublin1 and made 
inquiries into other points1 the prices 
of  provisions1 etc4  ,the expenses of a
 family in proportion to those of       
,london are1 as five to eight4          
,having the year following lived more   
than two months in ,dublin1 ,i am able  
to speak to a few points1 which as a    
mere traveller ,i could not have  done4 
,the information ,i before received of  
the prices of living is  correct4  ,fish
 and poultry are plentiful and very     
cheap4  ,good lodgings  almost as dear  
as they are in ,london2 though we were  
well accommodated  7dirt excepted7 for  
two guineas and a-half a week4  ,all the
 lower ranks  in this city have no idea 
of ,english cleanliness1 either in      
apartments1  persons1 or cookery4       
,there is a very good society in ,dublin
 in a  ,parliament winter3 a great round
 of dinners and parties2 and balls and  
suppers every night in the week1 some of
 which are very elegant2 but you  almost
 everywhere meet a company much too     

numerous for the size of the            
apartments4  ,they have two assemblies  
on the plan of those of ,london1 in     
,fishamble ,street1 and at the ,rotunda2
 and two gentlemen's clubs1 ,anthry's   
and ,daly's1 very well regulated3 ,i    
heard some anecdotes of deep play at    
the latter1 though never to the excess  
common at ,london4  ,an ill-judged  and 
unsuccessful attempt was made to        
establish the ,italian ,opera1 which    
existed but with scarcely any life for  
this one winter2 of course they  could  
rise no higher than a comic one4  ,la   
,buona ,figliuola1 ,la  ,frascatana1 and
 ,il ,geloso in ,cimento1 were          
repeatedly performed1 or  rather        
murdered1 except the parts of ,sestini4 
,the house was generally  empty1 and    
miserably cold4  ,so much knowledge of  
the state of a country  is gained by    
hearing the debates of a ,parliament1   
that ,i often frequented  the gallery of
 the ,house of ,commons4  ,since ,mr4   
,flood has been silenced  with the      

,vice-,treasurership of ,ireland1 ,mr4  
,daly1 ,mr4 ,grattan1 ,sir  ,william    
,osborn1 and the prime serjeant ,burgh1 
are reckoned high among the  ,irish     
orators4  ,i heard many very eloquent   
speeches1 but ,i cannot say  they struck
 me like the exertion of the abilities  
of ,irishmen in the  ,english ,house of 
,commons1 owing perhaps to the          
reflection both on the  speaker and     
auditor1 that the ,attorney-,general of 
,england1 with a dash of  his pen1 can  
reverse1 alter1 or entirely do away the 
matured result of  all the eloquence1   
and all the abilities of this whole     
assembly4  ,before  ,i conclude with    
,dublin ,i shall only remark1 that      
walking in the streets  there1 from the 
narrowness and populousness of the      
principal  thoroughfares1 as well as    
from the dirt and wretchedness of the   
canaille1  is a most uneasy and         
disgusting exercise4    ,june #bd4      
,left ,dublin1 and passed through the   
,phoenix ,park1 a very  pleasing ground1

 at the bottom of which1 to the left1   
the ,liffey forms a  variety of         
landscapes3 this is the most beautiful  
environ of ,dublin4  ,take the road to  
,luttrel's ,town1 through a various     
scenery on the banks  of the river4     
,that domain is a considerable one in   
extent1 being above  four hundred acres 
within the wall1 ,irish measure2 in the 
front of the  house is a fine lawn      
bounded by rich woods1 through which are
 many  ridings1 four miles in extent4   
,from the road towards the house they   
lead  through a very fine glen1 by the  
side of a stream falling over a rocky   
bed1 through the dark woods1 with great 
variety on the sides of steep  slopes1  
at the bottom of which the ,liffey is   
either heard or seen  indistinctly4     
,these woods are of great extent1 and so
 near the capital1  form a retirement   
exceedingly beautiful4  ,lord ,irnham   
and ,colonel ,luttrel  have brought in  
the assistance of agriculture to add to 
the beauties of  the place2 they have   

kept a part of the lands in cultivation 
in order to  lay them down the better to
 grass2 one hundred and fifty acres have
 been  done1 and above two hundred acres
 most effectually drained in the covered
  manner filled with stones4  ,these    
works are well executed4  ,the drains   
are also made under the roads in all wet
 places1 with lateral short ones  to    
take off the water instead of leaving   
it1 as is common1 to soak  against the  
causeway1 which is an excellent method4 
,great use has been  made of limestone  
gravel in the improvements1 the effect  
of which is so  considerable1 that in   
several spots where it was laid on ten  
years ago1  the superiority of the grass
 is now similar to what one would expect
 from  a fresh dunging4    ,leaving     
,luttrel's ,town ,i went to ,st4        
,wolstan's1 which ,lord ,harcourt had   
been so obliging as to desire ,i would  
make my quarters1 from whence to  view  
to the right or left4    ,june #be4  ,to
 ,mr4 ,clement's1 at ,killadoon1 who has

 lately built an  excellent house1 and  
planted much about it1 with the         
satisfaction of  finding that all his   
trees thrive well4  ,i remarked the     
beech and larch  seemed to get beyond   
the rest4  ,he is also a good farmer4   
,june #bf4  ,breakfasted with ,colonel  
,marlay1 at ,cellbridge1 found he had   
practised husbandry with much success1  
and given great attention to it  from   
the peace of #agfc1 which put a period  
to a gallant scene of service  in       
,germany4  ,walked through his grounds1 
which ,i found in general very  well    
cultivated2 his fences excellent2 his   
ditches five by six and seven  by six2  
the banks well made1 and planted with   
quicks2 the borders dug  away1 covered  
with lime till perfectly slacked1 them  
mixed with dung and  carried into the   
fields1 a practice which ,mr4 ,marlay   
has found of very  great benefit4       
,viewed ,lucan1 the seat of ,agmondisham
 ,vesey1 ,esq41 on the banks of the     
,liffey4  ,the house is rebuilding1 but 

the wood on the river1 with walks       
through it1 is exceedingly beautiful4   
,the character of the place is that  of 
a sequestered shade4  ,distant views are
 everywhere shut out1 and the  objects  
all correspond perfectly with the       
impression they were designed  to raise4
  ,it is a walk on the banks of the     
river1 chiefly under a  variety of fine 
wood1 which rises on varied slopes1 in  
some parts gentle1  in others steep1    
spreading here and there into cool      
meadows1 on the  opposite shore1 rich   
banks of wood or shrubby ground4  ,the  
walk is  perfectly sequestered1 and has 
that melancholy gloom which should ever 
dwell in such a place4  ,the river is of
 a character perfectly suited to  the   
rest of the scenery1 in some places     
breaking over rocks1 in other  silent1  
under the thick shade of spreading wood4
  ,leaving ,lucan1 the next  place is   
,leixlip1 a fine one1 on the river1 with
 a fall1 which in a wet  season is      
considerable4  ,then ,st4 ,wolstan's1   

belonging to the ,dean of  ,derry1 a    
beautiful villa1 which is also on the   
river2 the grounds gay and  open1 though
 not without the advantage of much wood1
 disposed with  judgment4  ,a winding   
shrubbery quits the river1 and is made  
to lead  through some dressed ground    
that is pretty and cheerful4    ,mr4    
,conolly's1 at ,castle ,town1 to which  
all travellers resort1 is the  finest   
house in ,ireland1 and not exceeded by  
many in ,england4  ,it is a  large      
handsome edifice1 situated in the middle
 of an extensive lawn1  which is quite  
surrounded with fine plantations        
disposed to the best  advantage4  ,to   
the north these unite into very large   
woods1 through which  many winding walks
 lead1 with the convenience of several  
ornamented  seats1 rooms1 etc4  ,on the 
other side of the house1 upon the river1
 is a  cottage1 with a shrubbery1       
prettily laid out2 the house commands an
  extensive view1 bounded by the        
,wicklow mountains4  ,it consists of    

several  noble apartments4  ,on the     
first floor is a beautiful gallery1     
eighty feet  long1 elegantly fitted up4 
,june #bg4  ,left ,lord ,harcourt's1 and
 having received an invitation from  the
 ,duke of ,leinster1 passed through ,mr4
 ,conolly's grounds to his ,grace's     
seat at ,cartown4  ,the park ranks among
 the finest in ,ireland4  ,it is a  vast
 lawn1 which waves over gentle hills1   
surrounded by plantations of  great     
extent1 and which break and divide in   
places so as to give much  variety4  ,a 
large but gentle vale winds through the 
whole1 in the bottom  of which a small  
stream has been enlarged into a fine    
river1 which throws  a cheerfulness     
through most of the scenes3 over it a   
handsome stone  bridge4  ,there is a    
great variety on the banks of this vale2
 part of it  consists of mild and gentle
 slopes1 part steep banks of thick wood4
  ,in  another place they are formed    
into a large shrubbery1 very elegantly  
laid  out1 and dressed in the highest   

order1 with a cottage1 the scenery about
  which is uncommonly pleasing3 and     
farther on this vale takes a stronger   
character1 having a rocky bank on one   
side1 and steep slopes scattered        
irregularly1 with wood on the other4    
,on one of the most rising grounds  in  
the park is a tower1 from the top of    
which the whole scenery is  beheld2 the 
park spreads on every side in fine      
sheets of lawn1 kept in  the highest    
order by eleven hundred sheep1 scattered
 over with rich  plantations1 and       
bounded by a large margin of wood1      
through which is a  riding4    ,from    
hence took the road to ,summerhill1 the 
seat of the ,right ,hon4 ,h4 ,l4        
,rowley4  ,the country is cheerful and  
rich2 and if the ,irish cabins  continue
 like what ,i have hitherto seen1 ,i    
shall not hesitate to  pronounce their  
inhabitants as well off as most ,english
 cottagers4  ,they  are built of mud    
walls eighteen inches or two feet thick1
 and well  thatched1 which are far      

warmer than the thin clay walls in      
,england4  ,here  are few cottars       
without a cow1 and some of them two4  ,a
 bellyful  invariably of potatoes1 and  
generally turf for fuel from a bog4  ,it
 is  true they have not always chimneys 
to their cabins1 the door serving for   
that and window too4  ,if their eyes are
 not affected with the smoke1 it  may be
 an advantage in warmth4  ,every cottage
 swarms with poultry1 and  most of them 
have pigs4    ,went in the evening to   
,lord ,mornington's at ,dangan1 who is  
making many  improvements1 which he     
showed me4  ,his plantations are        
extensive1 and he  has formed a large   
water1 having five or six islands much  
varied1 and  promontories of high land  
shoot so far into it as to form almost  
distant  lakes2 the effect pleasing4    
,there are above a hundred acres under  
water1  and his lordship has planned a  
considerable addition to it4  ,returned 
to  ,summerhill4    ,june #bi4  ,left   
it1 taking the road to ,slaine1 the     

country very pleasant  all the way2 much
 of it on the banks of the ,boyne1      
variegated with some  woods1 planted    
hedgerows1 and gentle hills4  ,the      
cabins continue much the  same1 the same
 plenty of poultry1 pigs1 and cows4     
,the cattle in the road  have their fore
 legs all tied together with straw to   
keep them from  breaking into the       
fields2 even sheep1 and pigs1 are all in
 the same  bondage4    ,lord            
,conyngham's seat1 ,slaine ,castle1 on  
the ,boyne1 is one of the most          
beautiful places ,i have seen2 the      
grounds are very bold and various1      
rising round the castle in noble hills  
or beautiful inequalities of  surface1  
with an outline of flourishing          
plantations4  ,under the castle  flows  
the ,boyne1 in a reach broken by        
islands1 with a very fine shore of  rock
 on one side1 and wood on the other4    
,through the lower plantations  are     
ridings1 which look upon several        
beautiful scenes formed by the  river1  

and take in the distant country1        
exhibiting the noblest views of  waving 
,cultinald hills1 with the castle finely
 situated in the midst of  the planted  
domain1 through which the ,boyne winds  
its beautiful course4    ,under ,mr4    
,lambert's house on the same river is a 
most romantic and  beautiful spot2 rocks
 on the side1 rising in peculiar forms  
very boldly2  the other steep wood1 the 
river bending short between them like a 
land-locked basin4    ,lord ,conyngham's
 keeping up ,slaine ,castle1 and        
spending great sums1  though he rarely  
resides there1 is an instance of        
magnificence not often  met with2 while 
it is so common for absentees to drain  
the kingdom of  every shilling they can1
 so contrary a conduct ought to be held 
in the  estimation which it justly      
deserves4    ,june #cj4  ,rode out to   
view the country and some improvements  
in the  neighbourhood3 the principal of 
which are those of ,lord ,chief ,baron  
,foster1 which ,i saw from ,glaston     

hill1 in the road from ,slaine to       
,dundalk4    ,in conversation with ,lord
 ,longford ,i made many inquiries       
concerning the  state of the lower      
classes1 and found that in some respects
 they were in  good circumstances1 in   
others indifferent2 they have1 generally
 speaking1  such plenty of potatoes as  
always to command a bellyful2 they have 
flax  enough for all their linen1 most  
of them have a cow1 and some two1 and   
spin wool enough for their clothes2 all 
a pig1 and numbers of poultry1  and in  
general the complete family of cows1    
calves1 hogs1 poultry1 and  children pig
 together in the cabin2 fuel they have  
in the utmost plenty4  ,great numbers of
 families are also supported by the     
neighbouring lakes1  which abound       
prodigiously with fish4  ,a child with a
 packthread and a  crooked pin will     
catch perch enough in an hour for the   
family to live on  the whole day1 and   
his lordship has seen five hundred      
children fishing at  the same time1     

there being no tenaciousness in the     
proprietors of the  lands about a right 
to the fish4  ,besides perch1 there is  
pike upwards of  five feet long1 bream1 
tench1 trout of ten pounds1 and as red  
as salmon1  and fine eels4  ,all these  
are favourable circumstances1 and are   
very  conspicuous in the numerous and   
healthy families among them4    ,reverse
 the medal3 they are ill clothed1 and   
make a wretched appearance1  and what is
 worse1 are much oppressed by many who  
make them pay too dear  for keeping a   
cow1 horse1 etc4  ,they have a practice 
also of keeping  accounts with the      
labourers1 contriving by that means to  
let the poor  wretches have very little 
cash for their year's work4  ,this is a 
great  oppression1 farmers and gentlemen
 keeping accounts with the poor is a    
cruel abuse3 so many days' work for a   
cabin2 so many for a potato garden2  so 
many for keeping a horse1 and so many   
for a cow1 are clear accounts  which a  
poor man can understand well1 but       

farther it ought never to go2  and when 
he has worked out what he has of this   
sort1 the rest of his work  ought       
punctually to be paid him every         
,saturday night4  ,another  circumstance
 mentioned was the excessive practice   
they have in general of  pilfering4     
,they steal everything they can lay     
their hands on1 and ,i  should remark1  
that this is an account which has been  
very generally  given me3 all sorts of  
iron hinges1 chains1 locks1 keys1 etc42 
gates will  be cut in pieces1 and       
conveyed away in many places as fast as 
built2  trees as big as a man's body1   
and that would require ten men to move1 
gone in a night4  ,lord ,longford has   
had the new wheels of a car stolen as   
soon as made4  ,good stones out of a    
wall will be taken for a fire-hearth1   
etc41 though a breach is made to get at 
them4  ,in short1 everything1 and  even 
such as are apparently of no use to     
them2 nor is it easy to catch  them1 for
 they never carry their stolen goods    

home1 but to some bog-hole4  ,turnips   
are stolen by car-loads1 and two acres  
of wheat plucked off in a  night4  ,in  
short1 their pilfering and stealing is a
 perfect nuisance4  ,how far it is owing
 to the oppression of laws aimed solely 
at the  religion of these people1 how   
far to the conduct of the gentlemen and 
farmers1 and how far to the mischievous 
disposition of the people  themselves1  
it is impossible for a passing traveller
 to ascertain4  ,i am  apt to believe   
that a better system of law and         
management would have good  effects4    
,they are much worse treated than the   
poor in ,england1 are  talked to in more
 opprobrious terms1 and otherwise very  
much oppressed4    ,left ,packenham     
,hall4    ,two or three miles from ,lord
 ,longford's in the way to ,mullingar   
the road  leads up a mountain1 and      
commands an exceeding fine view of ,lock
  ,derrevaragh1 a noble water eight     
miles long1 and from two miles to half a
  mile over2 a vast reach of it1 like a 

magnificent river1 opens as you  rise   
the hill4  ,afterwards ,i passed under  
the principal mountain1 which  rises    
abruptly from the lake into the boldest 
outline imaginable4  ,the  water there  
is very beautiful1 filling up the steep 
vale formed by this  and the opposite   
hills4    ,reached ,mullingar4    ,it   
was one of the fair days4  ,i saw many  
cows and beasts1 and more  horses1 with 
some wool4  ,the cattle were of the same
 breed that ,i had  generally seen in   
coming through the country4    ,july #e4
  ,left ,mullingar1 which is a dirty    
ugly town1 and taking the road  to      
,tullamore1 stopped at ,lord            
,belvidere's1 with which place ,i was as
 much  struck as with any ,i had ever   
seen4  ,the house is perched on the     
crown of  a very beautiful little hill1 
half surrounded with others1 variegated 
and  melting into one another4  ,it is  
one of the most singular places that is 
anywhere to be seen1 and spreading to   
the eye a beautiful lawn of  undulating 

ground margined with wood4  ,single     
trees are scattered in some  places1 and
 clumps in others2 the general effect so
 pleasing1 that were  there nothing     
further1 the place would be beautiful1  
but the canvas is  admirably filled4    
,lake ,ennel1 many miles in length1 and 
two or three  broad1 flows beneath the  
windows4  ,it is spotted with islets1 a 
promontory of rock fringed with trees   
shoots into it1 and the whole is        
bounded by distant hills4  ,greater and 
more magnificent scenes are often  met  
with1 but nowhere a more beautiful or a 
more singular one4    ,from ,mullingar  
to ,tullespace ,i found rents in general
 at twenty shillings  an acre1 with much
 relet at thirty shillings1 yet all the 
crops except  bere were very bad1 and   
full of weeds4  ,about the latter-named 
place the  farms are generally from one 
hundred to three hundred acres2 and     
their  course3 #a4 fallow2 #b4 bere2 #c4
 oats2 #d4 oats2 #e4 oats4  ,great      
quantities  of potatoes all the way1    

crops from forty to eighty barrels4     
,the road before it comes to ,tullamore 
leads through a part of the bog of      
,allen1 which seems here extensive1 and 
would make a noble tract of  meadow4    
,the way the road was made over it was  
simply to cut a drain on  each side1 and
 then lay on the gravel1 which1 as fast 
as it was laid and  spread1 bore the    
ears4  ,along the edges is fine white   
clover4    ,in conversation upon the    
subject of a union with ,great ,britain1
 ,i was  informed that nothing was so   
unpopular in ,ireland as such an idea2  
and  that the great objection to it was 
increasing the number of absentees4     
,when it was in agitation1 twenty peers 
and sixty commoners were talked of  to  
sit in the ,british ,parliament1 which  
would be the resident of eighty  of the 
best estates in ,ireland4  ,going every 
year to ,england would1 by  degrees1    
make them residents2 they would educate 
their children there1  and in time      
become mere absentees3 becoming so they 

would be unpopular1  others would be    
elected1 who1 treading in the same      
steps1 would yield the  place still to  
others2 and thus by degrees1 a vast     
portion of the kingdom  now resident    
would be made absentees1 which would1   
they think1 be so  great a drain to     
,ireland1 that a free trade would not   
repay it4    ,i think the idea is       
erroneous1 were it only for one         
circumstance1 the  kingdom would lose1  
according to this reasoning1 an idle    
race of country  gentlemen1 and in      
exchange their ports would fill with    
ships and  commerce1 and all the        
consequences of commerce1 an exchange   
that never  yet proved disadvantageous  
to any country4    ,viewed ,mount       
,juliet1 ,lord ,carrick's seat1 which is
 beautifully situated  on a fine        
declivity on the banks of the ,nore1    
commanding some extensive  plantations  
that spread over the hills1 which rise  
in a various manner on  the other side  
of the river4  ,a knoll of lawn rises   

among them with  artificial ruins upon  
it1 but the situation is not in unison  
with the  idea of a ruin1 very rarely   
placed to effect1 unless in retired and 
melancholy spots4    ,the river is a    
very fine one1 and has a good           
accompaniment of well grown  wood4      
,from the cottage a more varied scene is
 viewed1 cheering and  pleasing2 and    
from the tent in the farther plantation 
a yet gayer one1  which looks down on   
several bends of the river4    ,july    
#aa4  ,left ,kilsaine4  ,mr4 ,bushe     
accompanied me to ,woodstock1 the seat  
of ,sir ,w4 ,fownes4  ,from ,thomastown 
hither is the finest ride ,i have yet   
had in ,ireland4  ,the road leaving     
,thomastown leads on the east side of   
the river1 through some beautiful copse 
woods1 which before they were cut  must 
have had a most noble effect1 with the  
river ,nore winding at the  bottom4     
,the country then opens somewhat1 and   
you pass most of the way  for six or    
seven miles to ,innisteague1 on a       

declivity shelving down to  the river1  
which takes a varied winding course1    
sometimes lively1  breaking over a rocky
 bottom1 at others still and deep under 
the gloom of  some fine woods1 which    
hang down the sides of steep hills4     
,narrow slips  of meadow of a beautiful 
verdure in some places form the shore1  
and unite  with cultivated fields that  
spread over the adjoining hills1        
reaching  almost the mountain tops4     
,these are large and bold1 and give in  
general  to the scenes features of great
 magnificence4  ,passed ,sir ,john      
,hasler's  on the opposite side of the  
river1 finely situated1 and ,mr4        
,nicholson's  farm on this side1 who has
 very extensive copses which line the   
river4  ,coming in sight of ,sir ,w4    
,fownes's1 the scenery is striking2 the 
road  mounts the side of the hill1 and  
commands the river at the bottom of the 
declivity1 with groups of trees prettily
 scattered about1 and the little        
borough of ,innisteague in a most       

picturesque situation1 the whole bounded
  by mountains4  ,cross the bridge1 and 
going through the town1 take a path     
that leads to a small building in the   
woods1 called ,mount ,sandford4  ,it  is
 at the top of a rocky declivity almost 
perpendicular1 but with brush  wood     
growing from the rocks4  ,at the bottom 
is the river1 which comes  from the     
right from behind a very bold hanging   
wood1 that seems to unite  with the hill
 on the opposite shore4  ,at this pass  
the river fills the  vale1 but it widens
 by degrees1 and presents various       
reaches1 intermixed  with little tufts  
of trees4  ,the bridge we passed over is
 half hid4  ,innisteague is mixed with  
them1 and its buildings backed by a     
larger  wood1 give variety to the scene4
  ,opposite to the point of view there  
are  some pretty enclosures1 fringed    
with wood1 and a line of cultivated     
mountain sides1 with their bare tops    
limit the whole4    ,taking my leave of 
,mr4 ,bushe1 ,i followed the road to    

,ross4  ,passed  ,woodstock1 of which   
there is a very fine view from the top  
of one of the  hills1 the house in the  
centre of a sloping wood of five hundred
 ,english  acres1 and hanging in one    
noble shade to the river1 which flows at
 the  bottom of a winding glen4  ,from  
the same hill in front it is seen in a  
winding course for many miles through a 
great extent of enclosures1  bounded by 
mountains4  ,as ,i advanced the views of
 the river ,nore were  very fine1 till  
,i came to ,ross1 where from the hill   
before you go down to  the ferry is a   
noble scene of the ,barrow1 a vast river
 flowing through  bold shores4  ,in some
 places trees on the bank half obscure  
it1 in others  it opens in large        
reaches1 the effect equally grand and   
beautiful4  ,ships  sailing up to the   
town1 which is built on the side of a   
hill to the  water's edge1 enliven the  
scene not a little4  ,the water is very 
deep and  the navigation secure1 so that
 ships of seven hundred tons may come up

 to  the town2 but these noble harbours 
on the coast of ,ireland are only       
melancholy capabilities of commerce3 it 
is languid and trifling4  ,there  are   
only four or five brigs and sloops that 
belong to the place4    ,having now     
passed through a considerable extent of 
country1 in which the  ,whiteboys were  
common1 and committed many outrages1 ,i 
shall here review  the intelligence ,i  
received concerning them throughout the 
county of  ,kilkenny4  ,i made many     
inquiries into the origin of those      
disturbances1  and found that no such   
thing as a leveller or ,whiteboy was    
heard of till  #agfj1 which was long    
after the landing of ,thurot1 or the    
intending  expedition of ,m4 ,conflans4 
,that no foreign coin was ever seen     
among  them1 though reports to the      
contrary were circulated2 and in all the
  evidence that was taken during ten or 
twelve years1 in which time there       
appeared a variety of informers1 none   
was ever taken1 whose testimony  could  

be relied on1 that ever proved any      
foreign interposition4  ,those  very few
 who attempted to favour it1 were of the
 most infamous and  perjured characters4
  ,all the rest1 whose interest it was  
to make the  discovery1 if they had     
known it1 and who concealed nothing     
else1  pretended to no such knowledge4  
,no foreign money appeared1 no arms of  
foreign construction1 no presumptive    
proof whatever of such a connection4    
,they began in ,tipperary1 and were     
owing to some inclosures of commons1    
which they threw down1 levelling the    
ditches1 and were first known by the    
name of ,levellers4  ,after that1 they  
began with the tithe-proctors 7who  are 
men that hire tithes of the rectors71   
and these proctors either  screwed the  
cottars up to the utmost shilling1 or   
relet the tithes to  such as did it4    
,it was a common practice with them to  
go in parties  about the country1       
swearing many to be true to them1 and   
forcing them to  join by menaces1 which 

they very often carried into execution4 
,at last  they set up to be general     
redressers of grievances1 punished all  
obnoxious persons who advanced the value
 of lands1 or hired farms over  their   
heads2 and1 having taken the            
administration of justice into their    
hands1 were not very exact in the       
distribution of it4  ,forced masters to 
release their apprentices1 carried off  
the daughters of rich farmers1 and      
ravished them into marriages1 of which  
four instances happened in a  fortnight4
  ,they levied sums of money on the     
middling and lower farmers  in order to 
support their cause1 by paying          
attorneys1 etc41 in defending           
prosecutions against them2 and many of  
them subsisted for some years  without  
work1 supported by these contributions4 
,sometimes they committed  several      
considerable robberies1 breaking into   
houses1 and taking the  money1 under    
pretence of redressing grievances4  ,in 
the course of these  outrages they burnt

 several houses1 and destroyed the whole
 substance of  men obnoxious to them4   
,the barbarities they committed were    
shocking4  ,one of their usual          
punishments 7and by no means the most   
severe7 was  taking people out of their 
beds1 carrying them naked in winter on  
horseback for some distance1 and burying
 them up to their chin in a hole  filled
 with briars1 not forgetting to cut off 
their ears4  ,in this manner  the evil  
existed for eight or ten years1 during  
which time the gentlemen  of the country
 took some measures to quell them4      
,many of the magistrates  were active in
 apprehending them2 but the want of     
evidence prevented  punishments1 for    
many of those who even suffered by them 
had no spirit to  prosecute4  ,the      
gentlemen of the country had frequent   
expeditions to  discover them in arms2  
but their intelligence was so uncommonly
 good by  their influence over the      
common people1 that not one party that  
ever went  out in quest of them was     

successful4  ,government offered large  
rewards  for informations1 which brought
 a few every year to the gallows1       
without  any radical cure for the evil4 
,the reason why it was not more         
effective  was the necessity of any     
person that gave evidence against them  
quitting  their houses and country1 or  
remaining exposed to their resentment4  
,at  last their violence arose to a     
height which brought on their           
suppression4  ,the popish inhabitants of
 ,ballyragget1 six miles from ,kilkenny1
 were the  first of the lower people who
 dared openly to associate against them2
  they threatened destruction to the    
town1 gave notice that they would       
attack it1 were as good as their word1  
came two hundred strong1 drew up  before
 a house in which were fifteen armed    
men1 and fired in at the  windows2 the  
fifteen men handled their arms so well1 
that in a few rounds  they killed forty 
or fifty4  ,they fled immediately1 and  
ever after left  ,ballyragget in peace3 

indeed1 they have never been resisted at
 all  without showing a great want of   
both spirit and discipline4  ,it should1
  however1 be observed1 that they had   
but very few arms1 those in bad  order1 
and no cartridges4  ,soon after this    
they attacked the house of ,mr4  ,power 
in ,tipperary1 the history of which is  
well known4  ,his murder  spirited up   
the gentlemen to exert themselves in    
suppressing the evil1  especially in    
raising subscriptions to give private   
rewards to whoever  would give evidence 
or information concerning them4  ,the   
private  distribution had much more     
effect than larger sums which required a
  public declaration2 and ,government   
giving rewards to those who resisted    
them1 without having previously promised
 it1 had likewise some effect4  ,laws   
were passed for punishing all who       
assembled1 and 7what may have a  great  
effect7 for recompensing1 at the expense
 of the county or barony1  all persons  
who suffered by their outrages4  ,in    

consequence of this  general exertion1  
above twenty were capitally convicted1  
and most of them  executed2 and the     
gaols of this and the three neighbouring
 counties1  ,carlow1 ,tipperary1 and    
,queen's ,county1 have many in them     
whose trials are  put off till next     
assizes1 and against whom sufficient    
evidence for  conviction1 it is         
supposed1 will appear4  ,since this all 
has been quiet1  and no outrages have   
been committed3 but before ,i quit the  
subject1 it is  proper to remark that   
what coincided very much to abate the   
evil was the  fall in the price of lands
 which has taken place lately4  ,this is
  considerable1 and has much lessened   
the evil of hiring farms over the  heads
 of one another2 perhaps1 also1 the     
tithe-proctors have not been  quite so  
severe in their extortions3 but this    
observation is by no means  general2 for
 in many places tithes yet continue to  
be levied with all  those circumstances 
which originally raised the evil4       

,july #ae4  ,leaving ,courtown1 took the
 ,arklow road2 passed a finely wooded   
park of ,mr4 ,ram's1 and a various      
country with some good corn in it4      
,flat  lands by the coast let very high1
 and mountain at six or seven shillings 
an acre1 and some at eight shillings or 
ten shillings4  ,passed to  ,wicklow1   
prettily situated on the sea1 and from  
,newrybridge walked to see  ,mr4 ,tye's1
 which is a neat farm1 well wooded1 with
 a river running  through the fields4   
,reached in the evening ,mount ,kennedy1
 the seat of ,general ,cunninghame1  who
 fortunately proved to me an instructor 
as assiduous as he is able4  ,he is in  
the midst of a country almost his own1  
for he has #aj1jjj ,irish  acres here4  
,his domain1 and the grounds about it1  
are very beautiful2  not a level can be 
seen2 every spot is tossed about in a   
variety of hill  and dale4  ,in the     
middle of the lawn is one of the        
greatest natural  curiosities in the    
kingdom3 an immense arbutus tree1       

unfortunately blown  down1 but yet      
vegetating4  ,one branch1 which parts   
from the body near the  ground1 and     
afterwards into many large branches1 is 
six feet two inches  in circumference4  
,the ,general buried part of the stem as
 it laid1 and it  is from several       
branches throwing out fine young shoots3
 it is a most  venerable remnant4       
,killarney1 the region of the arbutus1  
boasts of no  such tree as this4        
,july #af4  ,rode in the morning to     
,drum2 a large extent of mountains and  
wood on the ,general's estate4  ,it is a
 very noble scenery2 a vast rocky  glen2
 one side bare rocks to an immense      
height1 hanging in a thousand  whimsical
 yet frightful forms1 with vast         
fragments tumbled from them1 and  lying 
in romantic confusion2 the other a fine 
mountain side covered with  shrubby     
wood4  ,this wild pass leads to the     
bottom of an amphitheatre of  mountain1 
which exhibits a very noble scenery4    
,to the right is an  immense sweep of   

mountain completely wooded2 taken as a  
single object it  is a most magnificent 
one1 but its forms are picturesque in   
the highest  degree2 great projections  
of hill1 with glens behind all wooded1  
have a  noble effect4  ,every feature of
 the whole view is great1 and unites to 
form a scene of natural magnificence4   
,from hence a riding is cut through  the
 hanging wood1 which rises to a central 
spot1 where the ,general has  cleared   
away the rubbish from under the wood1   
and made a beautiful waving  lawn with  
many oaks and hollies scattered about   
it3 here he has built a  cottage1 a     
pretty1 whimsical oval room1 from the   
windows of which are  three views1 one  
of distant rich lands opening to the    
sea1 one upon a  great mountain1 and a  
third upon a part of the lawn4  ,it is  
well placed1  and forms upon the whole a
 most agreeable retreat4    ,july #ag4  
,took my leave of ,general ,cunninghame1
 and went through the glen  of the downs
 in my way to ,powerscourt4  ,the glen  

is a pass between two  vast ridges of   
mountains covered with wood1 which have 
a very noble  effect4  ,the vale is no  
wider than to admit the road1 a small   
gurgling  river almost by its side1 and 
narrow slips of rocky and shrubby ground
  which part them4  ,in the front all   
escape seems denied by an immense       
conical mountain1 which rises out of the
 glen and seems to fill it up4  ,the    
scenery is of a most magnificent        
character4  ,on the top of the ridge  to
 the right ,mr4 ,la ,touche has a       
banqueting-room4  ,passing from this    
sublime scene1 the road leads through   
cheerful grounds all under corn1  rising
 and falling to the eye1 and then to a  
vale of charming verdure  broken into   
inclosures1 and bounded by two rocky    
mountains1 distant  darker mountains    
filling up the scene in front4  ,this   
whole ride is  interesting1 for within a
 mile and a half of ,tinnyhinch 7the inn
 to  which ,i was directed71 you come to
 a delicious view on the right3 a small 

vale opening to the sea1 bounded by     
mountains1 whose dark shade forms a     
perfect contrast to the extreme beauty  
and lively verdure of the lower  scene1 
consisting of gently swelling lawns     
rising from each other1 with  groups of 
trees between1 and the whole so prettily
 scattered with white  farms1 as to add 
every idea of cheerfulness4  ,kept on   
towards  ,powerscourt1 which presently  
came in view from the edge of a         
declivity4  ,you look full upon the     
house1 which appears to be in the most  
beautiful  situation in the world1 on   
the side of a mountain1 half-way between
 its  bare top and an irriguous vale at 
its foot4  ,in front1 and spreading     
among woods on either side1 is a lawn   
whose surface is beautifully varied  in 
gentle declivities1 hanging to a winding
 river4    ,lowering the hill the       
scenery is yet more agreeable4  ,the    
near inclosures  are margined with      
trees1 through whose open branches are  
seen whole  fields of the most lively   

verdure4  ,the trees gather into groups1
 and the  lawn swells into gentle       
inequalities1 while the river winding   
beneath  renders the whole truly        
pleasing4    ,breakfasted at the inn at 
,tinnyhinch1 and then drove to the park 
to see  the waterfall4  ,the park itself
 is fine2 you enter it between two vast 
masses of mountain1 covered with wood1  
forming a vale scattered with  trees1   
through which flows a river on a broken 
rocky channel4  ,you follow  this vale  
till it is lost in a most uncommon      
manner2 the ridges of  mountain1        
closing1 form one great amphitheatre of 
wood1 from the top of  which1 at the    
height of many hundred feet1 bursts the 
water from a rock1  and tumbling down   
the side of a very large one1 forms a   
scene singularly  beautiful4  ,at the   
bottom is a spot of velvet turf1 from   
which rises a  clump of oaks1 and       
through their stems1 branches and       
leaves1 the falling  water is seen as a 
background1 with an effect more         

picturesque than can  be well imagined4 
,these few trees1 and this little lawn1 
give the  finishing to the scene4  ,the 
water falls behind some large fragments 
of  rock1 and turns to the left1 down a 
stony channel1 under the shade of a     
wood4    ,returning to ,tinnyhinch1 ,i  
went to ,inniskerry1 and gained by this 
detour  in my return to go to the       
,dargle1 a beautiful view which ,i      
should  otherwise have lost4  ,the road 
runs on the edge of a declivity1 from   
whence there is a most pleasing prospect
 of the river's course through  the vale
 and the wood of ,powerscourt1 which    
here appear in large masses  of dark    
shade1 the whole bounded by mountains4  
,turn to the left into the  private road
 that leads to the ,dargle1 and         
presently it gives a specimen  of what  
is to be expected by a romantic glen of 
wood1 where the high  lands almost lock 
into each other1 and leave scarce a     
passage for the  river at bottom1 which 
rages as if with difficulty forcing its 

way4  ,it  is topped by a high mountain1
 and in front you catch a beautiful plat
 of  inclosures bounded by the sea4     
,enter the ,dargle1 which is the name of
 a  glen near a mile long1 come         
presently to one of the finest ranges of
 wood  ,i have anywhere seen4  ,it is a 
narrow glen or vale formed by the sides 
of  two opposite mountains2 the whole   
thickly spread with oak wood4  ,at the  
bottom 7and the depth is immense71 it is
 narrowed to the mere channel of  the   
river1 which rather tumbles from rock to
 rock than runs4  ,the extent  of wood  
that hangs to the eye in every direction
 is great1 the depth of  the precipice  
on which you stand immense1 which with  
the roar of the  water at bottom forms a
 scene truly interesting4  ,in less than
 a quarter  of a mile1 the road passing 
through the wood leads to another point 
of  view to the right4  ,it is the crown
 of a vast projecting rock1 from which  
you look down a precipice absolutely    
perpendicular1 and many hundred feet    

deep1 upon the torrent at the bottom1   
which finds its noisy way over  large   
fragments of rock4  ,the point of view  
is a great projection of the  mountain  
on this side1 answered by a concave of  
the opposite1 so that you  command the  
glen both to the right and left4  ,it   
exhibits on both immense  sheets of     
forest1 which have a most magnificent   
appearance4  ,beyond the  wood to the   
right1 are some inclosures hanging on   
the side of a hill1  crowned by a       
mountain4  ,i knew not how to leave so  
interesting a spot2  the impressions    
raised by it are strong4  ,the solemnity
 of such an extent  of wood unbroken by 
any intervening objects1 and the whole  
hanging over  declivities1 is alone     
great2 but to this the addition of a    
constant roar  of falling water1 either 
quite hid1 or so far below as to be seen
 but  obscurely1 united to make those   
impressions stronger4  ,no contradictory
  emotions are raised2 no ill-judged    
temples appear to enliven a scene that  

is gloomy rather than gay4  ,falling or 
moving water is a lively object2  but   
this being obscure the noise operates   
differently4  ,following the  road a    
little further1 there is another bold   
rocky projection from which  also there 
is a double view to the right and left4 
,in front so immense a  sweep of hanging
 wood1 that a nobler scene can hardly be
 imagined2 the  river as before1 at the 
bottom of the precipice1 which is so    
steep and  the depth so great as to be  
quite fearful to look down4  ,this      
horrid  precipice1 the pointed bleak    
mountains in view1 with the roar of the 
water1 all conspire to raise one great  
emotion of the sublime4  ,you  advance  
scarcely twenty yards before a pretty   
scene opens to the left--a  distant     
landscape of inclosures1 with a river   
winding between the hills  to the sea4  
,passing to the right1 fresh scenes of  
wood appear2 half-way  to the bottom1   
one different from the preceding is     
seen2 you are almost  inclosed in wood1 

and look to the right through some low  
oaks on the  opposite bank of wood1 with
 an edging of trees through which the   
sky is  seen1 which1 added to an        
uncommon elegance in the outline of the 
hill1  has a most pleasing effect4      
,winding down to a thatched bench on a  
rocky  point1 you look upon an uncommon 
scene4  ,immediately beneath is a vast  
chasm in the rock1 which seems torn     
asunder to let the torrent through  that
 comes tumbling over a rocky bed far    
sunk into a channel embosomed in  wood4 
,above is a range of gloomy obscure     
woods1 which half overshadow  it1 and   
rising to a vast height1 exclude every  
object4  ,to the left the  water rolls  
away over broken rocks--a scene duly    
romantic4  ,followed the  path3 it led  
me to the water's edge1 at the bottom of
 the glen1 where is  a new scene1 in    
which not a single circumstance hurts   
the principal  character4  ,in a hollow 
formed of rock and wood 7every object   
excluded  but those and water7 the      

torrent breaks forth from fragments of  
rock1 and  tumbles through the chasm1   
rocks bulging over it as if ready to    
fall into  the channel and stop the     
impetuous water4  ,the shade is so thick
 as to  exclude the heavens2 all is     
retired and gloomy1 a brown horror      
breathing  over the whole4  ,it is a    
spot for melancholy to muse in4         
,return to the carriage1 and quit the   
,dargle1 which upon the whole is a  very
 singular place1 different from all ,i  
have seen in ,england1 and ,i  think    
preferable to most4  ,cross a murmuring 
stream1 clear as crystal1  and1 rising a
 hill1 look back on a pleasing landscape
 of inclosures1  which1 waving over     
hills1 end in mountains of a very noble 
character4  ,reach ,dublin4    ,july    
#bj4  ,to ,drogheda1 a well-built town1 
active in trade1 the ,boyne  bringing   
ships to it4  ,it was market-day1 and ,i
 found the quantity of  corn1 etc41 and 
the number of people assembled1 very    
great2 few country  markets in ,england 

more thronged4  ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,nesbit1
 to whom  recommended1 absent1 which was
 a great loss to me1 as ,i had several  
inquiries which remained unsatisfied4   
,to the field of battle on the ,boyne4  
,the view of the scene from a rising    
ground which looks down upon it is      
exceedingly beautiful1 being one of  the
 completest landscapes ,i have seen4    
,it is a vale1 losing itself in  front  
between bold declivities1 above which   
are some thick woods and  distant       
country4  ,through the vale the river   
winds and forms an island1  the point of
 which is tufted with trees in the      
prettiest manner  imaginable2 on the    
other side a rich scenery of wood1 among
 which is ,dr4  ,norris's house4  ,to   
the right1 on a rising ground on the    
banks of the  river1 is the obelisk1    
backed by a very bold declivity4        
,pursued the road  till near it1 quitted
 my chaise1 and walked to the foot of   
it4  ,it is  founded on a rock which    
rises boldly from the river4  ,it is a  

noble  pillar1 and admirably placed4  ,i
 seated myself on the opposite rock1 and
  indulged the emotions which1 with a   
melancholy not unpleasing1 filled my    
bosom1 while ,i reflected on the        
consequences that had sprung from the   
victory here obtained4  ,liberty was    
then triumphant4  ,may the virtues of   
our posterity secure that prize which   
the bravery of their ancestors won6     
,peace to the memory of the ,prince to  
whom1 whatever might be his  failings1  
we owed that day memorable in the annals
 of ,europe6    ,returned part of the   
way1 and took the road to ,cullen1 where
 the ,lord  ,chief ,baron ,forster      
received me in the most obliging manner1
 and gave me  a variety of information  
uncommonly valuable4  ,he has made the  
greatest  improvements ,i have anywhere 
met with4  ,the whole country twenty-two
  years ago was a waste sheep-walk1     
covered chiefly with heath1 with some   
dwarf furze and fern4  ,the cabins and  
people as miserable as can be           

conceived2 not a ,protestant in the     
country1 nor a road passable for a      
carriage4  ,in a word1 perfectly        
resembling other mountainous tracts1 and
  the whole yielding a rent of not more 
than from three shillings to four       
shillings an acre4  ,mr4 ,forster could 
not bear so barren a property1 and      
determined to attempt the improvement of
 an estate of five thousand acres  till 
then deemed irreclaimable4  ,he         
encouraged the tenants by every  species
 of persuasion and expense1 but they had
 so ill an opinion of the  land that he 
was forced to begin with two or three   
thousand acres in his  own hands2 he did
 not1 however1 turn out the people1 but 
kept them in to  see the effects of his 
operations4    ,to ,dundalk4  ,the view 
down on this town also very beautiful3  
swelling  hills of a fine verdure1 with 
many rich inclosures backed by a bold   
outline of mountain that is remarkable4 
,laid at the ,clanbrassil ,arms1  and   
found it a very good inn4  ,the place1  

like most of the ,irish towns ,i  have  
been in1 full of new buildings1 with    
every mark of increasing wealth  and    
prosperity4  ,a cambric manufacture was 
established here by  ,parliament1 but   
failed2 it was1 however1 the origin of  
that more to the  north4    ,july #bb4  
,left ,dundalk1 took the road through   
,ravensdale to ,mr4  ,fortescue1 to whom
 ,i had a letter1 but unfortunately he  
was in the ,south  of ,ireland4  ,here  
,i saw many good stone and slate houses1
 and some bleach  greens2 and ,i was    
much pleased to see the inclosures      
creeping high up the  sides of the      
mountains1 stony as they are4  ,mr4     
,fortescue's situation is  very         
romantic--on the side of a mountain1    
with fine wood hanging on every  side1  
with the lawn beautifully scattered with
 trees spreading into them1  and a      
pretty river winding through the vale1  
beautiful in itself1 but  trebly so on  
information that before he fixed there  
it was all a wild  waste4  ,rents in    

,ravensdale ten shillings2 mountain land
 two shillings  and sixpence to five    
shillings4  ,also large tracts rented by
 villages1  the cottars dividing it     
among themselves1 and making the        
mountain common  for their cattle4      
,breakfasted at ,newry--the ,globe1     
another good inn4  ,this town appears   
exceedingly flourishing1 and is very    
well built2 yet forty years ago1 ,i  was
 told1 there were nothing but mud cabins
 in it4  ,this great rise has  been much
 owing to the canal to ,loch ,neagh4  ,i
 crossed it twice2 it is  indeed a noble
 work4  ,i was amazed to see ships of   
one hundred and fifty  tons and more    
lying in it1 like barges in an ,english 
canal4  ,here is a  considerable trade4 
,reached ,armagh in the evening1 and    
waited on the ,primate4    ,july #bc4   
,his ,grace rode out with me to ,armagh1
 and showed me some of the  noble and   
spirited works by which he has perfectly
 changed the face of  the neighbourhood4
  ,the buildings he has erected in seven

 years1 one  would suppose1 without     
previous information1 to be the work of 
an active  life4  ,a list of them will  
justify this observation4    ,he has    
erected a very elegant palace1 ninety   
feet by sixty1 and forty  high1 in which
 an unadorned simplicity reigns4  ,it is
 light and pleasing1  without the       
addition of wings or lesser parts1 which
 too frequently  wanting a sufficient   
uniformity with the body of the edifice1
 are  unconnected with it in effect1 and
 divide the attention4  ,large and ample
  offices are conveniently placed behind
 a plantation at a small distance4      
,around the palace is a large lawn1     
which spreads on every side over the    
hills1 and is skirted by young          
plantations1 in one of which is a       
terrace1  which commands a most         
beautiful view of cultivated hill and   
dale4  ,the  view from the palace is    
much improved by the barracks1 the      
school1 and a  new church at a distance1
 all which are so placed as to be       

exceedingly  ornamental to the whole    
country4    ,the barracks were erected  
under his ,grace's directions1 and form 
a large  and handsome edifice4  ,the    
school is a building of considerable    
extent1  and admirably adapted for the  
purpose3 a more convenient or a better  
contrived one is nowhere to be seen4    
,there are apartments for a master1  a  
school-room fifty-six feet by           
twenty-eight1 a large dining-room1 and  
spacious1 airy dormitories1 with every  
other necessary1 and a spacious         
playground walled in2 the whole forming 
a handsome front3 and attention  being  
paid to the residence of the master 7the
 salary is four hundred  pounds a year71
 the school flourishes1 and must prove  
one of the greatest  advantages to the  
country of anything that could have been
 established4  ,this edifice entirely at
 the ,primate's expense4  ,the church is
 erected of  white stone1 and having a  
tall spire makes a very agreeable object
 in a  country where churches and spires

 do not abound--at least1 such as are   
worth looking at4  ,three other churches
 the ,primate has also built1 and  done 
considerable reparations to the         
cathedral4    ,he has been the means    
also of erecting a public infirmary1    
which was  built by subscription1       
contributing amply to it himself4    ,a 
public library he has erected at his own
 expense1 given a large  collection of  
books1 and endowed it4  ,the room is    
excellently adapted1  forty-five feet by
 twenty-five1 and twenty high1 with a   
gallery1 and  apartments for a          
librarian4    ,he has further ornamented
 the city with a market-house and       
shambles1 and  been the direct means1 by
 giving leases upon that condition1 of  
almost  new-building the whole place4   
,he found it a nest of mud cabins1 and  
he  will leave it a well-built city of  
stone and slate4  ,i heard it asserted  
in common conversation that his ,grace1 
in these noble undertakings1 had  not   
expended less than thirty thousand      

pounds1 besides what he had been  the   
means of doing1 though not directly at  
his own expense4    ,in the evening     
reached ,mr4 ,brownlow's at ,lurgan1 to 
whom ,i am indebted  for some valuable  
information4  ,this gentleman has made  
very great  improvements in his domain4 
,he has a lake at the bottom of a slight
  vale1 and around are three walks1 at a
 distance from each other2 the  centre  
one is the principal1 and extends two   
miles4  ,it is well conducted  for      
leading to the most agreeable parts of  
the grounds1 and for  commanding views  
of ,loch ,neagh1 and the distant        
country4  ,there are  several buildings1
 a temple1 green-house1 etc4  ,the most 
beautiful scene  is from a bench on a   
gently swelling hill1 which rises almost
 on every  side from the water4  ,the   
wood1 the water1 and the green slopes1  
here  unite to form a very pleasing     
landscape4  ,let me observe one thing   
much  to his honour2 he advances his    
tenants money for all the lime they     

choose1 and takes payment in eight years
 with rent4    ,upon inquiring          
concerning the emigrations1 ,i found    
that in #aggb and #aggc  they were at   
the height2 that some went from this    
neighbourhood with  property1 but not   
many4  ,they were in general poor and   
unemployed4  ,they  find here that when 
provisions are very cheap1 the poor     
spend much of  their time in            
whisky-houses4  ,all the drapers wish   
that oatmeal was never  under one penny 
a pound4  ,though farms are exceedingly 
divided1 yet few  of the people raise   
oatmeal enough to feed themselves2 all  
go to market  for some4  ,the weavers   
earn by coarse linens one shilling a    
day1 by fine  one shilling and          
fourpence1 and it is the same with the  
spinners--the  finer the yarn1 the more 
they earn2 but in common a woman earns  
about  threepence4  ,for coarse linens  
they do not reckon the flax hurt by     
standing for seed4  ,their own flax is  
much better than the imported4    ,this 

country is in general beautiful1 but    
particularly so about the  straits that 
lead into ,strangford ,loch4  ,from ,mr4
 ,savage's door the view  has great     
variety4  ,to the left are tracts of    
hilly grounds1 between  which the sea   
appears1 and the vast chain of mountains
 in the ,isle of ,man  distinctly seen4 
,in front the hills rise in a beautiful 
outline1 and a  round hill projects like
 a promontory into the strait1 and under
 it the  town amidst groups of trees2   
the scene is cheerful of itself1 but    
rendered doubly so by the ships and     
herring-boats sailing in and out4  ,to  
the right the view is crowned by the    
mountains of ,mourne1 which1 wherever   
seen1 are of a character peculiarly     
bold1 and even terrific4  ,the shores   
of the loch behind ,mr4 ,savage's are   
bold ground1 abounding with numerous    
pleasing landscapes2 the opposite coast1
 consisting of the woods and            
improvements of ,castle ,ward1 is a fine
 scenery4    ,called at ,lord ,bangor's1

 at ,castle ,ward1 to deliver a letter  
of  recommendations but unfortunately he
 was on a sailing party to ,england2    
walked through the woods1 etc4  ,the    
house was built by the present lord4    
,it is a very handsome edifice1 with two
 principal fronts1 but not of the  same 
architecture1 for the one is ,gothic and
 the other ,grecian4  ,from the  temple 
is a fine wooded scene3 you look down on
 a glen of wood1 with a  winding hill   
quite covered with it1 and which breaks 
the view of a large  bay4  ,over it     
appears the peninsula of ,strangford1   
which consists of  enclosures and wood4 
,to the right the bay is bounded by a   
fine grove1  which projects into it4  ,a
 ship at anchor added much4  ,the house 
well  situated above several rising     
woods2 the whole scene a fine one4  ,i  
remarked in ,lord ,bangor's domains a   
fine field of turnips1 but unhoed4      
,there were some cabbages also4         
,belfast is a very well built town of   
brick1 they having no stone quarry  in  

the neighbourhood4  ,the streets are    
broad and straight1 and the             
inhabitants1 amounting to about fifteen 
thousand1 make it appear lively  and    
busy4  ,the public buildings are not    
numerous nor very striking1 but  over   
the exchange ,lord ,donegal is building 
an assembly room1 sixty feet  long by   
thirty broad1 and twenty-four high2 a   
very elegant room4  ,a  card-room       
adjoining1 thirty by twenty-two1 and    
twenty-two high2 a  tea-room of the same
 size4  ,his lordship is also building a
 new church1  which is one of the       
lightest and most pleasing ,i have      
anywhere seen3 it  is seventy-four by   
fifty-four1 and thirty high to the      
cornice1 the aisles  separated by a     
double row of columns2 nothing can be   
lighter or more  pleasing4  ,the town   
belongs entirely to his lordship4  ,rent
 of it #b1jjj  pounds a year4  ,his     
estate extends from ,drumbridge1 near   
,lisburn1 to  ,larne1 twenty miles in a 
right line1 and is ten broad4  ,his     

royalties are  great1 containing the    
whole of ,loch ,neagh1 which is1 ,i     
suppose1 the  greatest of any subject in
 ,europe4  ,his eel fishery at ,tome1   
and ,port  ,new1 on the river ,ban1 lets
 for #ejj pounds a year2 and all the    
fisheries  are his to the leap at       
,coleraine4  ,the estate is supposed to 
be #ca1jjj  pounds a year1 the greatest 
at present in ,ireland4  ,inishowen1 in 
,donegal1 is his1 and is #aa1jjj pounds 
of it4  ,in ,antrim1 ,lord ,antrim's is 
the most extensive property1 being four 
baronies1 and one hundred and           
seventy-three thousand acres4  ,the rent
 #h1jjj pounds a year1 but re-let  for  
#fd1jjj pounds a year1 by tenants that  
have perpetuities1 perhaps the          
cruellest instance in the world of      
carelessness for the interests of       
posterity4  ,the present lord's father  
granted those leases4    ,i was informed
 that ,mr4 ,isaac1 near ,belfast1 had   
four acres1 ,irish  measure1 of strong  
clay land not broken up for many years1 

which being  amply manured with lime    
rubbish and sea shells1 and fallowed1   
was sown  with wheat1 and yielded #hg   
pounds #is4 at #is4 to #abs4 per cwt4   
,also that  ,mr4 ,whitley1 of           
,ballinderry1 near ,lisburn1 a tenant of
 ,lord ,hertford's1  has rarely any     
wheat that does not yield him #ah pounds
 an acre4  ,the  tillage of the         
neighbourhood for ten miles round is    
doubled in a few  years4  ,shall export 
one thousand tons of corn this year from
 ,belfast1  most of it to the ,west     
,indies1 particularly oats4    ,august  
#a4  ,to ,arthur ,buntin's1 ,esq41 near 
,belfast2 the soil a stiff clay2  lets  
at old rents #ajs41 new one #ahs41 the  
town parks of that place #cjs4  to      
#gjs41 ten miles round it #ajs4 to      
#bjs41 average #acs4  ,a great deal of  
flax sown1 every countryman having a    
little1 always on potato land1 and  one 
ploughing3 they usually sow each family 
a bushel of seed4  ,those who  have no  
land pay the farmers #bjs4 rent for the 

land a bushel of seed  sows1 and always 
on potato land4  ,they plant many more  
potatoes than they  eat1 to supply the  
market at ,belfast2 manure for them with
 all their  dung1 and some of them mix  
dung1 earth1 and lime1 and this is found
 to do  better4  ,there is much         
alabaster near the town1 which is used  
for stucco  plaster2 sells from #a pound
 #as4 to #bes4 a ton4    ,on my way to  
,antrim1 viewed the bleach green of ,mr4
 ,thomas ,sinclair2 it  is the          
completest ,i have seen here4  ,i       
understood that the bleaching  season   
lasted nine months1 and that watering on
 the grass was quite left  off4  ,mr4   
,sinclair himself was not at home1 or ,i
 should probably have  gained some      
intelligence that might have been       
useful4    ,crossed the mountains by the
 new road to ,antrim1 and found them to 
the  summits to consist of exceeding    
good loam1 and such as would improve    
into  good meadow4  ,it is all thrown to
 the little adjoining farms1 with very  

little or any rent paid for it4  ,they  
make no other use of it than  turning   
their cows on4  ,pity they do not       
improve2 a work more profitable  than   
any they could undertake4  ,all the way 
to ,antrim lands let1 at an  average1 at
 #hs4  ,the linen manufacture spreads   
over the whole country1  consequently   
the farms are very small1 being nothing 
but patches for the  convenience of     
weavers4    ,from ,antrim to ,shanes    
,castle the road runs at the end of     
,loch ,neagh1  commanding a noble view  
of it2 of such an extent that the eye   
can see no  land over it4  ,it appears  
like a perfect sea1 and the shore is    
broken  sand-banks1 which look so much  
like it1 that one can hardly believe the
  water to be fresh4  ,upon my arrival  
at the castle1 ,i was most agreeably    
saluted with four men hoeing a field of 
turnips round it1 as a  preparation for 
grass4  ,these were the first           
turnip-hoers ,i have seen in  ,ireland1 
and ,i was more pleased than if ,i had  

seen four emperors4    ,the castle is   
beautifully situated on the lake1 the   
windows commanding a  very noble view of
 it2 and this has the finer effect1 as  
the woods are  considerable1 and form a 
fine accompaniment to this noble inland 
sea4    ,rode from ,mr4 ,lesly's to view
 the ,giant's ,causeway4  ,it is        
certainly a  very great curiosity as an 
object for speculation upon the manner  
of its  formation2 whether it owes its  
origin to fire1 and is a species of     
lava1  or to crystallisation1 or to     
whatever cause1 is a point that has     
employed  the attention of men much more
 able to decide upon it than ,i am2 and 
has  been so often treated1 that nothing
 ,i could say could be new4  ,when two  
bits of these basalts are rubbed        
together quick1 they emit a considerable
  scent like burnt leather4  ,the       
scenery of the ,causeway1 nor of the    
adjacent mountains1 is very magnificent1
 though the cliffs are bold2 but  for a 
considerable distance there is a strong 

disposition in the rocks to  run into   
pentagonal cylinders1 and even at a     
bridge by ,mr4 ,lesly's is a  rock in   
which the same disposition is plainly   
visible4  ,i believe the  ,causeway     
would have struck me more if ,i had not 
seen the prints of  ,staffa4            
,returned to ,lesly ,hill1 and on       
,august #eth departed for ,coleraine4   
,there  the ,right ,hon4 ,mr4 ,jackson  
assisted me with the greatest politeness
 in  procuring the intelligence ,i      
wished about the salmon fishery1 which  
is  the greatest in the kingdom1 and    
viewed both fisheries1 above and below  
the town1 very pleasantly situated on   
the river ,ban4  ,the salmon spawn in   
all the rivers that run into the ,ban   
about the beginning of ,august1 and  as 
soon as they have done1 swim to the sea1
 where they stay till ,january1  when   
they begin to return to the fresh water1
 and continue doing it till  ,august1 in
 which voyage they are taken4  ,the nets
 are set in the middle  of ,january1 but

 by ,act of ,parliament no nets nor     
weirs can be kept down  after the #abth 
of ,august4  ,all the fisheries on the  
river ,ban let at  #f1jjj pounds a year4
  ,from the sea to the rock above       
,coleraine1 where the  weirs are built1 
belongs to the ,london companies2 the   
greatest part of  the rest to ,lord     
,donegal4  ,the eel fisheries let at    
#a1jjj pounds a year1  and the salmon   
fisheries at ,coleraine at #a1jjj       
pounds4  ,the eels make  periodical     
voyages1 as the salmon1 but instead of  
spawning in the fresh  water1 they go to
 the sea to spawn1 and the young fry    
return against the  stream2 to enable   
them to do which with greater ease at   
the leap straw  ropes are hung in the   
water for them4  ,when they return to   
sea they are  taken4  ,many of them     
weigh nine or ten pounds4  ,the young   
salmon are  called grawls1 and grow at a
 rate which ,i should suppose scarce any
  fish commonly known equals2 for within
 the year some of them will come to     

sixteen and eighteen pounds1 but in     
general ten or twelve pounds4  ,such  as
 escape the first year's fishery are    
salmon2 and at two years old will       
generally weigh twenty to twenty-five   
pounds4  ,this year's fishery has       
proved the greatest that ever was known1
 and they had the largest haul1  taking 
#a1deb salmon at one drag of one net4   
,in the year #ageh they had  #hhb1 which
 was the next greatest haul4  ,i had the
 pleasure of seeing #cgj  drawn in at   
once4  ,they have this year taken #djj  
tons of fish2 #bjj sold  fresh at a     
penny and three-halfpence a pound1 and  
two hundred salted1 at  #ah pounds and  
#bj pounds per ton1 which are sent to   
,london1 ,spain1 and  ,italy4  ,the     
fishery employs eighty men1 and the     
expenses in general are  calculated to  
equal the rent4    ,the linen           
manufacture is very general about       
,coleraine1 coarse ten-hundred  linen4  
,it is carried to ,dublin in cars1 one  
hundred and ten miles1 at  #es4 per cwt4

 in summer1 and #gs4 #f;d4 in winter4   
,from ,limavady to ,derry there is very 
little uncultivated land4  ,within  four
 miles of the latter1 rents are from    
#abs4 to #bjs42 mountains paid for  but 
in the gross4  ,reached ,derry at night1
 and waited two hours in the  dark      
before the ferry-boat came over for me4 
,august #g4  ,in the morning went to the
 bishop's palace to leave my letters  of
 recommendation2 for ,i was informed of 
my misfortune in his being out  of the  
kingdom4  ,he was upon a voyage to      
,staffa1 and had sent home some  of the 
stones of which it consists4  ,they     
appeared perfectly to resemble  in      
shape1 colour1 and smell1 those of the  
,giant's ,causeway4    ,august #h4      
,left ,derry1 and took the road by      
,raphoe to the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,golding's at
 ,clonleigh1 who favoured me with much  
valuable information4  ,the view of     
,derry at the distance of a mile or two 
is the most  picturesque of any place ,i
 have seen4  ,it seems to be built on an

 island  of bold land rising from the   
river1 which spreads into a fine basin  
at  the foot of the town2 the adjacent  
country hilly4  ,the scene wants        
nothing but wood to make it a perfect   
landscape4    ,august #aa4  ,left ,mount
 ,charles1 and passing through ,donegal 
took the road  to ,ballyshannon2 came   
presently to several beautiful          
landscapes1 swelling  hills cultivated1 
with the bay flowing up among them4     
,they want nothing  but more wood1 and  
are beautiful without it4  ,afterwards  
likewise to the  left they rise in      
various outlines1 and die away          
insensibly into one  another4  ,when the
 road leads to a full view of the bay of
 ,donegal1 these  smiling spots1 above  
which the proud mountains rear their    
heads1 are  numerous1 the hillocks of   
almost regular circular forms4  ,they   
are very  pleasing from form1 verdure1  
and the water breaking in their vales4  
,before ,i got to ,ballyshannon1        
remarked a bleach green1 which indicates

  weaving in the neighbourhood4  ,viewed
 the salmon-leap at ,ballyshannon1      
which is let for #djj pounds a year4    
,the scenery of it is very beautiful4   
,it is a fine fall1 and the coast of the
 river very bold1 consisting of         
perpendicular rocks with grass of a     
beautiful verdure to the very edge4  ,it
 projects in little promontories1 which 
grew longer as they approach  the sea1  
and open to give a fine view of the     
ocean4  ,before the fall in  the middle 
of the river1 is a rocky island on which
 is a curing house1  instead of the     
turret of a ruined castle for which it  
seems formed4  ,the  town prettily      
situated on the rising ground on each   
side of the river4  ,to ,sir ,james     
,caldwell's4  ,crossing the bridge1     
stopped for a view of the  river1 which 
is a very fine one1 and was delighted to
 see the salmon  jump1 to me an unusual 
sight2 the water was perfectly alive    
with them4  ,rising the hill1 look back 
on the town2 the situation beautiful1   

the  river presents a noble view4  ,come
 to ,belleek1 a little village with one 
of the finest water-falls ,i remember   
anywhere to have seen2 viewed it  from  
the bridge4  ,the river in a very broad 
sheet comes from behind some  wood1 and 
breaks over a bed of rocks1 not         
perpendicular1 but shelving in  various 
directions1 and foams away under the    
arches1 after which it grows  more      
silent and gives a beautiful bend under 
a rock crowned by a fine  bank of wood4 
,reached ,castle ,caldwell at night1    
where ,sir ,james ,caldwell  received me
 with a politeness and cordiality that  
will make me long  remember it with     
pleasure4    ,august #ae4  ,to          
,belleisle1 the charming seat of the    
,earl of ,ross4  ,it is  an island in   
,loch ,earne1 of two hundred ,irish     
acres1 every part of it  hill1 dale1 and
 gentle declivities2 it has a great deal
 of wood1 much of  which is old1 and    
forms both deep shades and open1        
cheerful groves4  ,the  trees hang on   

the slopes1 and consequently show       
themselves to the best  advantage4  ,all
 this is exceedingly pretty1 but it is  
rendered trebly so  by the situation4   
,a reach of the lake passes before the  
house1 which is  situated near the banks
 among some fine woods1 which give both 
beauty and  shelter4  ,this sheet of    
water1 which is three miles over1 is    
bounded in  front by an island of thick 
wood1 and by a bold circular hill which 
is  his lordship's deer park2 this hill 
is backed by a considerable mountain4   
,to the right are four or five fine     
clumps of dark wood--so many islands    
which rise boldly from the lake2 the    
water breaks in straits between  them1  
and forms a scene extremely picturesque4
  ,on the other side the  lake stretches
 behind wood in a strait which forms    
,belleisle4  ,lord ,ross  has made walks
 round the island1 from which there is a
 considerable  variety of prospect4  ,a 
temple is built on a gentle hill1       
commanding the  view of the wooded      

islands above-mentioned1 but the most   
pleasing  prospect of them is coming out
 from the grotto4  ,they appear in an   
uncommon beauty2 two seem to join1 and  
the water which flows between  takes the
 appearance of a fine bay1 projecting   
deep into a dark wood3  nothing can be  
more beautiful4  ,the park hill rises   
above them1 and the  whole is backed    
with mountains4  ,the home scene at your
 feet also is  pretty2 a lawn scattered 
with trees that forms the margin of the 
lake1  closing gradually in a thick wood
 of tall trees1 above the tops of which 
is a distant view of ,cultiegh mountain1
 which is there seen in its  proudest   
solemnity4    ,they plough all with     
horses three or four in a plough1 and   
all abreast4  ,here let it be remarked  
that they very commonly plough and      
harrow with  their horses drawing by the
 tail3 it is done every season4         
,nothing can  put them beside this1 and 
they insist that1 take a horse tired in 
traces  and put him to work by the tail1

 he will draw better3 quite fresh again4
  ,indignant reader1 this is no jest of 
mine1 but cruel1 stubborn1 barbarous    
truth4  ,it is so all over ,cavan4      
,at ,clonells1 near ,castlerea1 lives   
,o',connor1 the direct descendant of    
,roderick ,o',connor1 who was king of   
,connaught six or seven hundred years   
ago2 there is a monument of him in      
,roscommon ,church1 with his sceptre1   
etc4  ,i was told as a certainty that   
this family were here long before  the  
coming of the ,milesians4  ,their       
possessions1 formerly so great1 are     
reduced to three or four hundred pounds 
a year1 the family having fared  in the 
revolutions of so many ages much worse  
than the ,o',niels and  ,o',briens4     
,the common people pay him the greatest 
respect1 and send him  presents of      
cattle1 etc41 upon various occasions4   
,they consider him as  the prince of a  
people involved in one common ruin4     
,another great family in ,connaught is  
,macdermot1 who calls himself ,prince   

of ,coolavin4  ,he lives at ,coolavin1  
in ,sligo1 and though he has not above  
one hundred pounds a year1 will not     
admit his children to sit down in his   
presence4  ,this was certainly the case 
with his father1 and some assured  me   
even with the present chief4  ,lord     
,kingsborough1 ,mr4 ,ponsonby1 ,mr4     
,o',hara1 ,mr4 ,sandford1 etc41 came to 
see him1 and his address was curious3   
,o',hara1 you are welcome6  ,sandford1  
,i am glad to see your mother's son     
7his mother was an ,o',brien73 as to the
 rest of ye1 come in as ye can4  ,mr4   
,o',hara1 of ,nymphsfield1 is in        
possession of a considerable estate in  
,sligo1 which is the remains of great   
possessions they had in that  country4  
,he is one of the few descendants of the
 ,milesian race4    ,to ,lord           
,kingston's1 to whom ,i had a letter1   
but unfortunately for me he  was at     
,spa4  ,walked down to ,longford ,hill  
to view the lake4  ,it is one of  the   
most delicious scenes ,i ever beheld2 a 

lake of five miles by four1  which fills
 the bottom of a gentle valley almost of
 a circular form1  bounded very boldly  
by the mountains4  ,those to the left   
rise in a noble  slope2 they lower      
rather in front1 and let in a view of   
,strand mountain1  near ,sligo1 above   
twenty miles off4  ,to the right you    
look over a small  part of a bog to a   
large extent of cultivated hill1 with   
the blue  mountains beyond4  ,were this 
little piece of bog planted1 the view   
would  be more complete2 the hill on    
which you stand has a foliage of        
well-grown  trees1 which form the       
southern shore4  ,you look down on six  
islands1 all  wooded1 and on a fine     
promontory to the left1 which shoots far
 into the  lake4  ,nothing can be more  
pleasing than their uncommon variety4   
,the  first is small 7,rock ,island71   
tufted with trees1 under the shade of   
which  is an ancient building1 once the 
residence of ,macdermot4  ,the next a   
mixture of lawn and wood4  ,the third1  

which appears to join this1 is of a     
darker shade1 yet not so thick but you  
can see the bright lawn under the       
trees4  ,house ,island is one fine1     
thick wood1 which admits not a gleam of 
light1 a contrast to the silver bosom of
 the lake4  ,church ,island is at a     
greater distance2 this is also a clump1 
and rises boldly4  ,rock ,island is  of 
wood2 it opens in the centre and shows a
 lawn with a building on it4  ,it is    
impossible to imagine a more pleasing   
and cheerful scene4  ,passed  the chapel
 to ,smithfield ,hill1 which is a fine  
rising ground1 quite  surrounded with   
plantations4  ,from hence the view is   
changed2 here the  promontory appears   
very bold1 and over its neck you see    
another wooded  island in a most        
picturesque situation4  ,nothing can be 
more picturesque  than ,rock ,island1   
its ruin overhung with ivy4  ,the other 
islands assume  fresh and varied        
outlines1 and form upon the whole one of
 the most  luxuriant scenes ,i have met 

with4    ,the views of the lake and     
environs are very fine as you go to     
,boyle2 the  woods unite into a large   
mass1 and contrast the bright sheet of  
water  with their dark shades4    ,the  
lands about ,kingston are very fine1 a  
rich1 dry1 yellow1 sandy loam1  the     
finest soil that ,i have seen in        
,ireland2 all grass1 and covered with   
very fine bullocks1 cows1 and sheep4    
,the farms rise to five hundred  acres1 
and are generally in divisions1 parted  
by stone walls1 for oxen1  cows1 young  
cattle1 and sheep separate4  ,some of   
the lands will carry an  ox and a wether
 per acre2 rents1 #aes4 to #bjs4        
,dined at ,boyle1 and took the road to  
,ballymoat4  ,crossed an immense        
mountainy bog1 where ,i stopped and made
 inquiries2 found that it was ten  miles
 long1 and three and a half over1       
containing thirty-five square  miles2   
that limestone quarries were around and 
in it1 and limestone  gravel in many    
places to be found1 and used in the     

lands that join it4  ,in addition to    
this ,i may add that there is a great   
road crossing it4  ,thirty-five miles   
are twenty-two thousand four hundred    
acres4  ,what an  immense field of      
improvement6  ,nothing would be easier  
than to drain it  7vast tracts of land  
have such a fall71 that not a drop of   
water could  remain4  ,these hilly bogs 
are extremely different from any ,i have
 seen in  ,england4  ,in the moors in   
the north the hills and mountains are   
all  covered with heath1 like the ,irish
 bogs1 but they are of various soils1   
gravel1 shingle1 moor1 etc41 and boggy  
only in spots1 but the ,irish bog  hills
 are all pure bog to a great depth      
without the least variation of  soil2   
and the bog being of a hilly form1 is a 
proof that it is a growing  vegetable   
mass1 and not owing merely to stagnant  
water4  ,sir ,laurence  ,dundass is the 
principal proprietor of this4           
,reached ,ballymoat in the evening1 the 
residence of the ,hon4 ,mr4             

,fitzmaurice1 where ,i expected great   
pleasure in viewing a manufactory1 of   
which ,i heard much since ,i came to    
,ireland4  ,he was so kind as to give me
  the following account of it in the    
most liberal manner3--    ,twenty years 
ago the late ,lord ,shelburne came to   
,ballymoat1 a wild  uncultivated region 
without industry or civility1 and the   
people all  ,roman ,catholics1 without  
an atom of a manufacture1 not even      
spinning4  ,in  order to change this    
state of things1 his lordship contracted
 with people  in the north to bring     
,protestant weavers and establish a     
manufactory1 as  the only means of      
making the change he wished4  ,this was 
done1 but  falling into the hands of    
rascals he lost #e1jjj pounds by the    
business1  with only seventeen          
,protestant families and twenty-six or  
twenty-seven  looms established for it4 
,upon his death ,lady ,shelburne wished 
to carry  his scheme into execution1 and
 to do it gave much encouragement to    

,mr4  ,wakefield1 the great ,irish      
factor in ,london1 by granting          
advantageous  leases under the contract 
of building and colonising by weavers   
from the  north1 and carrying on the    
manufactory4  ,he found about twenty    
looms  working upon their own account1  
and made a considerable progress in this
  for five years1 raising several       
buildings1 cottages for the weavers1 and
  was going on as well as the variety of
 his business would admit1  employing   
sixty looms4  ,he then died1 when a     
stand was made to all the  works for a  
year1 in which everything went much to  
ruin4  ,lady ,shelburne  then employed a
 new manager to carry on the manufacture
 upon his own  account1 giving him very 
profitable grants of lands to encourage 
him to  do it with spirit4  ,he         
continued for five years1 employing     
sixty looms  also1 but his circumstances
 failing1 a fresh stop was put to the   
work4    ,then it was that ,mr4         
,fitzmaurice1 in the year #aggd1        

determined to exert  himself in pushing 
on a manufactory which promised to be of
 such  essential service to the whole   
country4  ,to do this with effect1 he   
saw  that it was necessary to take it   
entirely into his own hands4  ,he could 
lend money to the manager to enable him 
to go on1 but that would be at  best    
hazardous1 and could never do it in the 
complete manner in which he  wished to  
establish it4  ,in this period of       
consideration1 ,mr4 ,fitzmaurice  was   
advised by his friends never to engage  
in so complex a business as a           
manufacture1 in which he must of        
necessity become a merchant1 also engage
  in all the hazard1 irksomeness1 etc41 
of commerce1 so totally different  from 
his birth1 education1 ideas1 and        
pursuits2 but tired with the  inactivity
 of common life1 he determined not only 
to turn manufacturer1  but to carry on  
the business in the most spirited and   
vigorous manner  that was possible4  ,in
 the first place he took every means of 

making  himself a complete master of the
 business2 he went through various      
manufactures1 inquired into the         
minutiae1 and took every measure to know
  it to the bottom4  ,this he did so    
repeatedly and with such attention in   
the whole progress1 from spinning to    
bleaching and selling1 that he  became  
as thorough a master of it as an        
experienced manager2 he has wove  linen1
 and done every part of the business    
with his own hands4  ,as he  determined 
to have the works complete1 he took ,mr4
 ,stansfield the  engineer1 so well     
known for his improved saw-mills1 into  
his pay4  ,he  sent him over to         
,ballymoat in the winter of #aggd1 in   
order to erect the  machinery of a      
bleach mill upon the very best          
construction2 he went to  all the great 
mills in the north of ,ireland to       
inspect them1 to remark  their          
deficiencies1 that they might be        
improved in the mills he intended  to   
erect4  ,this knowledge being gained1   

the work was begun1 and as water  was   
necessary1 a great basin was formed by a
 dam across a valley1 by  which means   
thirty-four acres were floated1 to serve
 as a reservoir for  dry seasons1 to    
secure plenty at all times4    ,august  
#cj4  ,rode to ,rosshill1 four miles    
off1 a headland that projects  into the 
,bay of ,newport1 from which there is a 
most beautiful view of the  bay on both 
sides2 ,i counted thirty islands very   
distinctly1 all of them  cultivated     
under corn and potatoes1 or pastured by 
cattle4  ,at a distance  ,clare rises in
 a very bold and picturesque style2 on  
the left ,crow  ,patrick1 and to the    
right other mountains4  ,it is a view   
that wants  nothing but wood4           
,september #e4  ,to ,drumoland1 the seat
 of ,sir ,lucius ,o',brien1 in the      
county  of ,clare1 a gentleman who had  
been repeatedly assiduous to procure me 
every sort of information4  ,i should   
remark1 as ,i have now left ,galway1    
that that county1 from entering it in   

the road to ,tuam till leaving it       
to-day1 has been1 upon the whole1       
inferior to most of the parts ,i have   
travelled in ,ireland in point of       
beauty3 there are not mountains of a    
magnitude to make the view striking4    
,it is perfectly free from woods1  and  
even trees1 except about gentlemen's    
houses1 nor has it a variety in  its    
face4  ,i do not1 however1 speak without
 exception2 ,i passed some  tracts which
 are cheerful4  ,drumoland has a        
pleasing variety of grounds  about the  
house2 it stands on a hill gently rising
 from a lake of  twenty-four acres1 in  
the middle of a noble wood of oak1 ash1 
poplar1  etc42 three beautiful hills    
rise above1 over which the plantations  
spread  in a varied manner2 and these   
hills command very fine views of the    
great  rivers ,fergus and ,shannon at   
their junction1 being each of them a    
league  wide4    ,there is a view of the
 ,shannon from ,limerick to ,foynes     
,island1 which is  thirty miles1 with   

all its bays1 bends1 islands1 and       
fertile shores4  ,it  is from one to    
three miles broad1 a most noble river1  
deserving regal  navies for its         
ornament1 or1 what are better1 fleets of
 merchantmen1 the  cheerful signs of    
far-extended commerce1 instead of a few 
miserable  fishing-boats1 the only      
canvas that swelled upon the scene2 but 
the want  of commerce in her ports is   
the misfortune not the fault of         
,ireland--thanks for the deficiency to  
that illiberal spirit of trading        
jealousy1 which has at times actuated   
and disgraced so many nations4  ,the    
prospect has a noble outline in the bold
 mountains of ,tipperary1 ,cork1        
,limerick1 and ,kerry4  ,the whole view 
magnificent4    ,at the foot of this    
hill is the castle of ,bunratty1 a very 
large edifice1  the seat of the         
,o',briens1 princes of ,thomond2 it     
stands on the bank of a  river1 which   
falls into the ,shannon near it4  ,about
 this castle and that  of ,rosmanagher  

the land is the best in the county of   
,clare2 it is worth #a  pound #acs4 an  
acre1 and fats a bullock per acre in    
summer1 besides winter  feed4    ,to    
,limerick1 through a cheerful country1  
on the banks of the river1 in a  vale   
surrounded by distant mountains4  ,that 
city is very finely situated1  partly on
 an island formed by the ,shannon4  ,the
 new part1 called ,newtown  ,pery1 from 
,mr4 ,pery the speaker1 who owns a      
considerable part of the  city1 and     
represents it in ,parliament1 is well   
built4  ,the houses are new  ones1 of   
brick1 large1 and in right lines4       
,there is a communication with  the rest
 of the town by a handsome bridge of    
three large arches erected  at ,mr4     
,pery's expense4  ,here are docks1      
quays1 and a custom-house1 which  is a  
good building1 faces the river1 and on  
the opposite banks is a large           
quadrangular one1 the house of industry4
  ,this part of ,limerick is very       
cheerful and agreeable1 and carries all 

the marks of a flourishing place4       
,the exports of this port are beef1     
pork1 butter1 hides1 and rape-seed4     
,the imports are rum1 sugar1 timber1    
tobacco1 wines1 coals1 bark1 salt1  etc4
  ,the customs and excise1 about sixteen
 years ago1 amounted to #af1jjj  pounds1
 at present #cb1jjj pounds1 and rather  
more four or five years ago4    ,whole  
revenue           #agea                 
#af1jjj pounds                          
#agge                    #ea1jjj pounds 
,revenue of the ,port of ,limerick4     
,year ending    ,march #be1 #agei       
#bj1did pounds          #agfj           
#bi1aig          #agfa                  
#bj1gbg          #agfb                  
#bj1fej          #agfc                  
#bj1ebe          #agfd                  
#cb1fce          #agfe                  
#ca1jii        ,com4 ,jour41            
vol4 xiv41 p4 #ga4                      
,price of ,provisions4    ,wheat1 #as4  
#a;d4 a stone              ,wild ducks1 
#bj;d4 to #bs4 a couple4  ,barley and   

oats1 #e4ge;d4 to #f;d4      ,teal1     
#aj;d4 a couple4  ,scotch coals1 #ahs42 
,whitehaven1     ,plover1 #f;d4 a       
couple4  #bjs4  ,a boat-load of turf1   
#bj tons1       ,widgeon1 #aj;d4 ditto4 
#des4  ,salmon1 three-halfpence4        
,hares1 #as4 each1 commonly sold all    
year4  ,trout1 #b;d41 very fine1 per lb4
      ,woodcocks1 #bj;d4 to #bs4 #b;d4 a
 brace4  ,eels1 #b;d4 a pound4          
,oysters1 #d;d4 to #as4 a #ajj4         
,rabbits1 #h;d4 a couple4               
,lobsters1 #as4 to #as4 #f;d41 if good4 
,land sells at twenty years' purchase4  
,rents were at the highest in #agfe2    
fell since1 but in four years have      
fallen #hs4 to #ajs4 an acre about      
,limerick4  ,they are at a stand at     
present1 owing to the high price of     
provisions from pasture4  ,the number of
 people in ,limerick is computed at     
thirty-two thousand2 it is exceedingly  
populous for the size1 the chief  street
 quite crowded2 many sedan chairs in    
town1 and some hackney  chaises4        

,assemblies the year round1 in a new    
assembly-house built for  the purpose1  
and plays and concerts common4    ,upon 
the whole1 ,limerick must be a very gay 
place1 but when the usual  number of    
troops are in town much more so4  ,to   
show the general expenses  of living1 ,i
 was told of a person's keeping a       
carriage1 four horses1  three men1 three
 maids1 a good table1 a wife1 three     
children1 and a  nurse1 and all for #ejj
 pounds a year3                         
l4   s4  d4             l4   s4  d4  ,a 
footman               #d   #d   #j to   
#f   #f   #j  ,a professed              
#f   #f   #j  woman-cook  ,a house-maid 
#c   #j   #j  ,a kitchen-maid           
#b   #j   #j  ,a butler                 
#aj   #j   #j to           #ab   #j   #j
    ,a barrel of beef or pork1 #bjjlb4  
weight4  ,vessels of #djj tons can come 
up  with spring tides1 which rise       
fourteen feet4    ,september #i4  ,to   
,castle ,oliver2 various country1 not so
 rich to  appearance as the ,caucasus1  

being fed bare2 much hilly sheep walk1  
and  for a considerable way a full third
 of it potatoes and corn3 no sign of    
depopulation4  ,just before ,i got to   
the hills a field of ragwort  7senesio  
jacoboea7 buried the cows4  ,the first  
hill of ,castle ,oliver  interesting4   
,after rising a mountain so high that no
 one could think of  any house1 you come
 in view of a vale1 quite filled with   
fine woods1  fields margined with trees1
 and hedge plantations climbing up the  
mountains4  ,having engaged myself to   
,mr4 ,oliver1 to return from ,killarney 
by his house1 as he was confined to     
,limerick by the assizes1 ,i shall omit 
saying anything of it at present4       
,september #af4  ,to ,cove by water1    
from ,mr4 ,trent's quay4  ,the view of  
,lota  is charming2 a fine rising lawn  
from the water1 with noble spreading    
woods reaching on each side2 the house a
 very pleasing front1 with lawn         
shooting into the woods4  ,the river    
forms a creek between two hills1 one    

,lota1 the other opening to another hill
 of inclosures well wooded4  ,as  the   
boat leaves the shore nothing can be    
finer than the view behind us2  the back
 woods of ,lota1 the house and lawn1 and
 the high bold inclosures  towards      
,cork1 form the finest shore imaginable1
 leading to ,cork1 the city  appearing  
in full view1 ,dunkettle wooded         
inclosures1 a fine sweep of  hill1      
joining ,mr4 ,hoare's at ,factory ,hill1
 whose woods have a beautiful  effect4  
,dunkettle ,house almost lost in a wood4
  ,as we advance1 the woods  of ,lota   
and ,dunkettle unite in one fine mass4  
,the sheet of water1 the  rising lawns1 
the house in the most beautiful         
situation imaginable1 with  more woods  
above it than lawns below it1 the west  
shore of ,loch ,mahon1 a  very fine     
rising hill cut into inclosures but     
without wood1 land-locked  on every side
 with high lands1 scattered with        
inclosures1 woods1 seats1  etc41 with   
every cheerful circumstance of lively   

commerce1 have  altogether a great      
effect4  ,advancing to ,passage the     
shores are various1  and the scenery    
enlivened by fourscore sail of large    
ships2 the little  port of ,passage at  
the water's edge1 with the hills rising 
boldly above  it4  ,the channel narrows 
between the great island and the hills  
of  ,passage4  ,the shores bold1 and the
 ships scattered about them1 with the   
inclosures hanging behind the masts and 
yards picturesque4  ,passing the        
straits a new basin of the harbour      
opens1 surrounded with high lands4      
,monkstown ,castle on the hill to the   
right1 and the grounds of               
,ballybricken1 a beautiful intermixed   
scene of wood and lawn4  ,the high      
shore of the harbour's mouth opens      
gradually4  ,the whole scene is         
land-locked4  ,the first view of        
,haulbowline ,island and ,spike ,island1
 high  rocky lands1 with the channel    
opening to ,cove1 where are a fleet of  
ships  at anchor1 and ,rostellan1 ,lord 

,inchiquin's house1 backed with hills1 a
  scenery that wants nothing but the    
accompaniment of wood4  ,the view of    
,ballybricken changes2 it now appears to
 be unfortunately cut into right  lines4
  ,arrived at the ship at ,cove2 in the 
evening returned1 leaving ,mr4          
,jefferys and family on board for a     
voyage to ,havre1 in their way to       
,paris4    ,dunkettle is one of the most
 beautiful places ,i have seen in       
,ireland4  ,it  is a hill of some       
hundred acres broken into a great       
variety of ground by  gentle            
declivities1 with everywhere an         
undulating outline and the whole  varied
 by a considerable quantity of wood1    
which in some places is thick  enough to
 take the appearance of close groves1 in
 others spreads into  scattered thickets
 and a variety of single groups4  ,this 
hill1 or rather  cluster of hills1 is   
surrounded on one side by a reach of    
,cork ,harbour1  over which it looks in 
the most advantageous manner2 and on the

 other by  an irriguous vale1 through   
which flows the river ,glanmire2 the    
opposite  shore of that river has every 
variety that can unite to form pleasing 
landscapes for the views from ,dunkettle
 grounds2 in some places narrow  glens1 
the bottoms of which are quite filled   
with water1 and the steep  banks covered
 with thick woods that spread a deep    
shade2 in others the  vale opens to form
 the site of a pretty cheerful village1 
overhung by  hill and wood3 here the    
shore rises gradually into large        
inclosures1  which spread over the      
hills1 stretching beyond each other2 and
 there the  vale melts again into a     
milder variety of fields4  ,a hill thus 
situated1  and consisting in itself of  
so much variety of surface1 must        
necessarily  command many pleasing      
views4  ,to enjoy these to the better   
advantage1 ,mr4  ,trent 7than whom no   
one has a better taste1 both to discover
 and describe  the beauties of natural  
scenes7 is making a walk around the     

whole1 which  is to bend to the         
inequalities of the ground1 so as to    
take the principal  points in view4     
,the whole is so beautiful1 that if ,i  
were to make the  regular detour1 the   
description might be too minute2 but    
there are some  points which gave me so 
much pleasure that ,i know not how to   
avoid  recommending to others that      
travel this way to taste the same       
satisfaction4  ,from the upper part of  
the orchard you look down a part of  the
 river1 where it opens into a regular   
basin1 one corner stretching up  to     
,cork1 lost behind the hill of ,lota1   
the lawn of which breaks on the         
swelling hills among the woods2 the     
house obscured1 and therefore seeming  a
 part of your home scene2 the losing the
 river behind the beautiful  projection 
of ,lota is more pleasing than can be   
expressed4  ,the other  reach1 leading  
to the harbour's mouth1 is half hidden  
by the trees1 which  margin the foot of 
the hill on which you stand2 in front a 

noble range of  cultivated hills1 the   
inclosures broken by slight spots of    
wood1 and  prettily varied with houses1 
without being so crowded as to take off 
the  rural effect4  ,the scene is not   
only beautiful in those common          
circumstances which form a landscape1   
but is alive with the cheerfulness  of  
ships and boats perpetually moving4     
,upon the whole1 it is one of the  most 
luxuriant prospects ,i have anywhere    
seen4  ,leaving the orchard1 pass  on   
the brow of a hill which forms the bank 
of the river of ,glanmire1  commanding  
the opposite woods of ,lota in all their
 beauty4  ,rise to the  top of the high 
hill which joins the deer park1 and     
exhibits a scene  equally extensive and 
beautiful2 you look down on a vale which
 winds  almost around at your feet1     
finishing to the left in ,cork river1   
which  here takes the appearance of a   
lake1 bounded by wood and hills1 and    
sunk  in the bottom of a vale1 in a     
style which painting cannot imitate2 the

  opposite hills of ,lota1 wood1 and    
lawn1 seem formed as objects for this   
point of view3 at your feet a hill rises
 out of the vale1 with higher  ones     
around it1 the margins scattered wood2  
to the right1 towards  ,riverstown1 a   
vale2 the whole backed by cultivated    
hills to ,kallahan's  field4  ,milder   
scenes follow3 a bird's-eye view of a   
small vale sunk at  your feet1 through  
which the river flows2 a bridge of      
several arches  unites two parts of a   
beautiful village1 the meadow grounds of
 which rise  gently1 a varied surface of
 wood and lawn1 to the hills of         
,riverstown1  the whole surrounded by   
delicious sweeps of cultivated hills4   
,to the  left a wooded glen rising from 
the vale to the horizon1 the scenery    
sequestered1 but pleasing2 the oak wood 
which hangs on the deer-park  hills1 an 
addition4  ,down to the brow of the     
hill1 where it hangs over  the river1 a 
picturesque interesting spot4  ,the     
inclosures of the  opposite bank hang   

beautifully to the eye1 and the wooded  
glen winds up  the hill4  ,returning to 
the house ,i was conducted to the hill1 
where the  grounds slope off to the     
river of ,cork1 which opens to view in  
noble  reaches of a magnitude that fills
 the eye and the imagination2 a whole   
country of a character truly            
magnificent1 and behind the winding vale
  which leads between a series of hills 
to ,glanmire4        ,pictures at       
,dunkettle4      ,a ,st4 ,michael1 etc41
 the subject confused1 by ,michael      
,angelo4  ,a ,st4  ,francis on wood1 a  
large original of ,guido4  ,a ,st4      
,cecilia1 original of  ,romanelli4  ,an 
,assumption of the ,virgin1 by ,l4      
,carracci4  ,a ,quaker's  meeting1 of   
above fifty figures1 by ,egbert         
,hemskerk4  ,a sea view and rock  piece1
 by ,vernet4  ,a small flagellation1 by 
,sebastian del ,piombo4  ,a  ,madonna   
and ,child1 small1 by ,rubens4  ,the    
,crucifixion1 many figures in           
miniature1 excellent1 though the master 

is unknown4  ,an excellent copy of  the 
famous ,danae of ,titian1 at ,monte     
,cavallo1 near ,naples1 by ,cioffi of   
,naples4  ,another of the ,venus of     
,titian1 at the ,tribuna in ,florence4  
,another of ,venus blinding ,cupid1 by  
,titian1 at the ,palazzo ,borghese in   
,rome4  ,another of great merit of the  
,madonna della ,sedia of ,raphael1 at   
the ,palazzo ,pitti in ,florence1 by    
,stirn1 a ,german1 lately at ,rome4     
,another of a ,holy ,family1 from       
,raphael1 of which there are said to be 
three originals1 one at the king's      
palace in ,naples1 one in the ,palais   
,royal in ,paris1 and the third in the  
collection of ,lord ,exeter1 lately     
purchased at ,rome4  ,a portrait of ,sir
 ,patrick ,trent1 by ,sir ,p4 ,lely4    
,an  excellent portrait of a person     
unknown1 by ,dahl4    ,september #ag4   
,to ,castlemartyr1 the seat of the ,earl
 of ,shannon1 one of  the most          
distinguished improvers in ,ireland2 in 
whom ,i found the most  earnest desire  

to give me every species of information1
 with a knowledge  and ability which    
enabled him to do it most effectually4  
,passed through  ,middleton1 a          
well-built place1 which belongs to the  
noble lord to whom it  gives title4     
,castlemartyr is an old house1 but much 
added to by the  present earl2 he has   
built1 besides other rooms1 a dining one
 thirty-two  feet long by twenty-two    
broad1 and a drawing one1 the best rooms
 ,i have  seen in ,ireland1 a double    
cube of twenty-five feet1 being fifty   
long1  twenty-five broad1 and           
twenty-five high4  ,the grounds about   
the house are  very well laid out2 much 
wood well grown1 considerable lawns1 a  
river  made to wind through them in a   
beautiful manner1 an old castle so      
perfectly covered with ivy as to be a   
picturesque object4  ,a winding walk    
leads for a considerable distance along 
the banks of this river1 and  presents  
several pleasing landscapes4    ,from   
,rostellan to ,lota1 the seat of        

,frederick ,rogers1 ,esq4  ,i had before
  seen it in the highest perfection from
 the water going from ,dunkettle to     
,cove1 and from the grounds of          
,dunkettle4  ,mrs4 ,rogers was so       
obliging as  to show me the back        
grounds1 which are admirably wooded1 and
 of a fine  varied surface4    ,got to  
,cork in the evening1 and waited on the 
,dean1 who received me with  the most   
flattering attention4  ,cork is one of  
the most populous places ,i  have ever  
been in2 it was market-day1 and ,i could
 scarce drive through  the streets1 they
 were so amazingly thronged3 on the     
other days the  number is very great4   
,i should suppose it must resemble a    
,dutch town1  for there are many canals 
in the streets1 with quays before the   
houses4  ,the best built part is        
,morrison's ,island1 which promises     
well2 the old  part of the town is very 
close and dirty4  ,as to its commerce1  
the  following particulars ,i owe to    
,robert ,gordon1 ,esq41 the             

surveyor-general3           ,average of 
,nineteen ,years' ,export1 ending ,march
 #bd1 #aggc4    ,hides1 at #a pounds    
each                 #fd1jjj pounds     
,bay and woollen yarn                   
#bid1jjj  ,butter1 at #cjs4 per cwt4    
from #efs4 to   #ahj1jjj  #gbs4  ,beef1 
at #bjs4 a barrel                       
#bia1igj  ,camlets1 serges1 etc4        
#dj1jjj  ,candles                       
#cd1bbj  ,soap                          
#bj1jjj  ,tallow                        
#bj1jjj  ,herrings1 #ah to #ce1jjjl4 all
 their      #ba1jjj  own  ,glue #bj to  
#be1jjj                       #bb1jjj   
,pork                                   
#fd1jjj  ,wool to ,england              
#ad1jjj  ,small exports1 ,gottenburg    
herrings1     #ce1jjj  horns1 hoofs1    
etc41 feather-beds1  palliasses1        
feathers1 etc4                          
#a1ajj1aij    ,average prices of the    
nineteen years on the custom books4     
,all exports on  those books are rated  
at the value of the reign of ,charles   

,,ii42 but the  imports have always #aj 
per cent4 on the sworn price added to   
them4  ,seventy to eighty sail of ships 
belong to ,cork4  ,average of ships that
  entered that port in those nineteen   
years1 eight hundred and seventy-two    
per annum4  ,the number of people at    
,cork mustered by the clergy by         
hearth-money1 and by the number of      
houses1 payments to minister1 average   
of the three1 sixty-seven thousand      
souls1 if taken before the #ast of      
,september1 after that twenty thousand  
increased4  ,there are seven hundred    
coopers in the town4  ,barrels all of   
oak or beech1 all from ,america3 the    
latter for herrings1 now from           
,gottenburg and ,norway4  ,the excise of
 ,cork  now no more than in ,charles the
 ,second's reign4  ,ridiculous6    ,cork
 old duties1 in #agea1           #fb1jjj
 pounds  produced  ,now the same        
#adj1jjj    ,bullocks1 #af1jjj head1    
#cb1jjj barrels2 #da1jjj hogs1 #bj1jjj  
barrels4  ,butter1 #bb1jjj firkins of   

half a hundredweight each1 both increase
 this  year1 the whole being    #bdj1jjj
 firkins of butter1     #abj1jjj barrels
 of beef4    ,export of woollen yarn    
from ,cork1 #cjj1jjj pounds a year in   
the ,irish  market4  ,no wool smuggled1 
or at least very little4  ,the wool     
comes to  ,cork1 etc41 and is delivered 
out to combers1 who make it into balls4 
,these balls are bought up by the       
,french agents at a vast price1 and     
exported2 but even this does not amount 
to #dj1jjj pounds a year4               
,prices4      ,beef1 #bas4 per cwt41    
never so high by #bs4 #f;d42 pork1      
#cjs41 never higher  than #ahs4 #f;d41  
owing to the army demand4  ,slaughter   
dung1 #h;d4 for a horse  load4  ,country
 labourer1 #f;d42 about town1 #aj;d4    
,milk1 seven pints a  penny4  ,coals1   
#cs4 #h;d4 to #es4 a barrel1 six of     
which make a ton4  ,eggs1  four a penny4
    ,cork labourers4  ,cellar ones1     
twenty thousand2 have #as4 #a;d4 a day1 
and as  much bread1 beef1 and beer as   

they can eat and drink1 and seven pounds
 of  offals a week for their families4  
,rent for their house1 #djs4  ,masons'  
and carpenters' labourers1 #aj;d4 a day4
  ,sailors now #c pounds a month and    
provisions3 before the ,american war1   
#bhs4  ,porters and coal-heavers paid   
by the great4  ,state of the poor people
 in general incomparably better  off    
than they were twenty years ago4  ,there
 are imported eighteen  thousand barrels
 annually of ,scotch herrings1 at #ahs4 
a barrel4  ,the salt  for the beef trade
 comes from ,lisbon1 ,st4 ,ube's1 etc4  
,the salt for the  fish trade from      
,rochelle4  ,for butter ,english and    
,irish4    ,particulars of the woollen  
fabrics of the county of ,cork received 
from a  manufacturer4  ,the woollen     
trade1 serges and camlets1 ratteens1    
friezes1  druggets1 and narrow cloths1  
the last they make to #ajs4 and #abs4 a 
yard2  if they might export to #hs4 they
 are very clear that they could get a   
great trade for the woollen manufactures

 of ,cork4  ,the wool comes from        
,galway and ,roscommon1 combed here by  
combers1 who earn #hs4 to #ajs4 a  week1
 into balls of twenty-four ounces1 which
 is spun into worsteds of  twelve skeins
 to the ball1 and exported to ,yarmouth 
for ,norwich2 the  export price1 #cj    
pounds a pack to #cc pounds1 never      
before so high2  average of them1 #bf   
pounds to #cj pounds4  ,some they work  
up at home into  serges1 stuffs1 and    
camlets2 the serges at #ab;d4 a yard1   
thirty-four  inches wide2 the stuffs    
sixteen inches1 at #ah;d41 the camlets  
at #i4e;d4 to  #ac;d42 the spinners at  
#i;d4 a ball1 one in a week2 or a ball  
and half #ab;d4  a week1 and attend the 
family besides2 this is done most in    
,waterford and  ,kerry1 particularly    
near ,killarney2 the weavers earn #as4 a
 day on an  average4  ,full             
three-fourths of the wool is exported in
 yarn1 and only  one-fourth worth worked
 up4  ,half the wool of ,ireland is     
combed in the  county of ,cork4    ,a   

very great manufacture of ratteens at   
,carrick-on-,suir2 the bay worsted  is  
for serges1 shalloons1 etc4  ,woollen   
yarn for coarse cloths1 which  latter   
have been lost for some years1 owing to 
the high price of wool4  ,the bay export
 has declined since #aggj1 which        
declension is owing to the  high price  
of wool4    ,no wool smuggled1 not even 
from ,kerry2 not a sloop's cargo in     
twenty  years1 the price too high2 the  
declension has been considerable4  ,for 
every eighty-six packs that are         
exported1 a licence from the ,lord      
,lieutenant1 for which #bj pounds is    
paid4    ,from the ,act of the last     
sessions of ,great ,britain for         
exporting woollen  goods for the troops 
in the pay of ,ireland1 ,mr4 ,abraham   
,lane1 of ,cork1  established a new     
manufacture of army clothing for that   
purpose1 which is  the first at ,cork1  
and pays #dj pounds a week in labour    
only4  ,upon the  whole there has been  
no increase of woollen manufacture      

within twenty  years4  ,is clearly of   
opinion that many fabrics might be      
worked up here  much cheaper than in    
,france1 of cloths that the ,french have
 beat the  ,english out of2 these are1  
particularly1 broadcloths of one yard   
and half  yard wide1 from #cs4 to #fs4  
#f;d4 a yard for the ,levant trade4     
,friezes  which are now supplied from   
,carcassone in ,languedoc4  ,friezes1 of
  twenty-four to twenty-seven inches1 at
 #aj;d4 to #ac;d4 a yard4  ,flannels1   
twenty-seven to thirty-six1 from #g;d4  
to #ad;d4  ,serges of twenty-seven to   
thirty-six inches1 at #g;d4 to #ab;d4 a 
yard2 these would work up the coarse    
wool4  ,at ,ballynasloe ,fair1 in ,july1
 #bjj1jjj pounds a year bought in  wool4
  ,there is a manufactory of            
knit-stocking by the common women about 
,cork1 for eight or ten miles around2   
the yarn from #ab;d4 to #ah;d4 a pair1  
and the worsted from #af;d4 to #bj;d41  
and earn from #ab;d4 to #ah;d4 a week4  
,besides their own consumption1 great   

quantities are sent to the north of     
,ireland4    ,all the weavers in the    
country are confined to towns1 have no  
land1 but  small gardens4  ,bandle1 or  
narrow linen1 for home consumption1 is  
made in  the western part of the county4
  ,generally speaking1 the circumstances
 of  all the manufacturing poor are     
better than they were twenty years ago4 
,the manufactures have not declined1    
though the exportation has1 owing to    
the increased home consumptions4        
,bandon was once the seat of the stuff1 
camlet1 and shag manufacture1 but has in
 seven years declined above             
three-fourths4  ,have changed it for the
 manufacture of coarse green  linens1   
for the ,london market1 from #f;d4 to   
#i;d4 a yard1 twenty-seven  inches wide2
 but the number of manufactures in      
general much lessened4    ,rode to the  
mouth of ,cork ,harbour2 the grounds    
about it are all fine1  bold1 and       
varied1 but so bare of trees1 that there
 is not a single view  but what pains   

one in the want of wood4  ,rents of the 
tract south of the  river ,caragoline1  
from #es4 to #cjs42 average1 #ajs4  ,not
 one man in five  has a cow1 but        
generally from one to four acres1 upon  
which they have  potatoes1 and five or  
six sheep1 which they milk1 and spin    
their wool4  ,labour #e;d4 in winter1   
#f;d4 in summer2 many of them for three 
months in the  year live on potatoes and
 water1 the rest of it they have a good 
deal of  fish4  ,but it is remarked1 at 
,kinsale1 that when sprats are most     
plentiful1 diseases are most common4    
,rent for a mere cabin1 #ajs4  ,much    
paring and burning2 paring twenty-eight 
men a day1 sow wheat on it and  then    
potatoes2 get great crops4  ,the soil a 
sharp1 stony land2 no  limestone south  
of the above river4  ,manure for        
potatoes1 with sea-weed1  for #bfs41    
which gives good crops1 but lasts only  
one year4  ,sea-sand much  used2 no     
shells in it4  ,farms rise to two or    
three hundred acres1 but are  hired in  

partnership4    ,before ,i quit the     
environs of ,cork1 ,i must remark that  
the country on the  harbour ,i think    
preferable1 in many respects1 for a     
residence1 to  anything ,i have seen in 
,ireland4  ,first1 it is the most       
southerly part of  the kingdom4         
,second1 there are very great beauties  
of prospect4  ,third1  by much the most 
animated1 busy scene of shipping in all 
,ireland1 and  consequently1 fourth1 a  
ready price for every product4  ,fifth1 
great  plenty of excellent fish and wild
 fowl4  ,sixth1 the neighbourhood of a  
great city for objects of convenience4  
,september #be4  ,took the road to      
,nedeen1 through the wildest region of  
mountains that ,i remember to have seen2
 it is a dreary but an interesting      
road4  ,the various horrid1 grotesque1  
and unusual forms in which the          
mountains rise and the rocks bulge2 the 
immense height of some distant  heads1  
which rear above all the nearer scenes1 
the torrents roaring in  the vales1 and 

breaking down the mountain sides1 with  
here and there a  wretched cabin1 and a 
spot of culture yielding surprise to    
find human  beings the inhabitants of   
such a scene of wildness1 altogether    
keep the  traveller's mind in an        
agitation and suspense4  ,these rocks   
and mountains  are many of them no      
otherwise improvable than by planting1  
for which1  however1 they are           
exceedingly well adapted4    ,sir ,john 
,colthurst was so obliging as to send   
half a dozen labourers with  me1 to help
 my chaise up a mountain side1 of which 
he gave a formidable  account3 in truth 
it deserved it4  ,the road leads        
directly against a  mountain ridge1 and 
those who made it were so incredibly    
stupid1 that  they kept the straight    
line up the hill1 instead of turning    
aside to the  right to wind around a    
projection of it4  ,the path of the road
 is worn by  torrents into a channel1   
which is blocked up in places by huge   
fragments1  so that it would be a horrid

 road on a level2 but on a hill so      
steep1  that the best path would be     
difficult to ascend--it may be supposed 
terrible3 the labourers1 two passing    
strangers1 and my servant1 could  with  
difficulty get the chaise up4  ,it is   
much to be regretted that the  direction
 of the road is not changed1 as all the 
rest from ,cork to ,nedeen  is good     
enough4  ,for a few miles towards the   
latter place the country is  flat on the
 river ,kenmare1 much of it good1 and   
under grass or corn4  ,passed ,mr4      
,orpine's at ,ardtilly1 and another of  
the same name at  ,killowen4    ,nedeen 
is a little town1 very well situated1 on
 the noble river ,kenmare1  where ships 
of one hundred and fifty tons may come  
up2 there are but  three or four good   
houses4  ,lord ,shelburne1 to whom the  
place belongs1  has built one for his   
agent4  ,there is a vale of good land1  
which is here  from a mile and a half to
 a mile broad2 and to the north and     
south1 great  ridges of mountains said  

to be full of mines4    ,at ,nedeen1    
,lord ,shelburne had taken care to have 
me well informed by his  people in that 
country1 which belongs for the greatest 
part to himself1  he has above one      
hundred and fifty thousand ,irish acres 
in ,kerry2 the  greatest part of the    
barony of ,glanrought belongs to him1   
most of  ,dunkerron and ,ivragh4  ,the  
country is all a region of mountains1   
inclosed  by a vale of flat land on the 
river2 the mountains to the south come  
to  the water's edge1 with but few      
variations1 the principal of which is   
,ardee1 a farm of ,lord ,shelburne's to 
the north of the river1 the flat  land  
is one-half to three-quarters of a mile 
broad4  ,the mountains to the  south    
reach to ,bear-haven1 and those to the  
north to ,dingle ,bay2 the soil  is     
extremely various2 to the south of the  
river all are sandstones1 and  the hills
 loam1 stone1 gravel1 and bog4  ,to the 
north there is a slip of  limestone     
land1 from ,kilgarvon to ,cabbina-cush1 

that is six miles east of  ,nedeen1 and 
three to the west1 but is not more than 
a quarter of a mile  broad1 the rest1   
including the mountains1 all sandstone4 
,as to its  rents1 it is very difficult 
to tell what they are2 for land is let  
by the  plough-land and gineve1 twelve  
gineves to the plough-land2 but the     
latter  denomination is not of any      
particular quantity1 for no two         
plough-lands  are the same4  ,the size  
of farms is various1 from forty acres to
 one  thousand2 less quantities go with 
cabins1 and some farms are taken by     
labourers in partnership4    ,soon      
entered the wildest and most romantic   
country ,i had anywhere seen2 a  region 
of steep rocks and mountains which      
continued for nine or ten  miles1 till  
,i came in view of ,mucruss4  ,there is 
something magnificently  wild in this   
stupendous scenery1 formed to impress   
the mind with a  certain species of     
terror4  ,all this tract has a rude and 
savage air1 but  parts of it are        

strikingly interesting2 the mountains   
are bare and rocky1  and of a great     
magnitude2 the vales are rocky glens1   
where a mountain  stream tumbles along  
the roughest bed imaginable1 and        
receives many  torrents1 pouring from   
clefts1 half overhung with shrubby wood2
 some of  these streams are seen1 and   
the roar of others heard1 but hid by    
vast  masses of rock4  ,immense         
fragments1 torn from the precipices by  
storms  and torrents1 are tumbled in the
 wildest confusion1 and seem to hang    
rather than rest upon projecting        
precipices4  ,upon some of these        
fragments of rock1 perfectly detached   
from the soil1 except by the side  on   
which they lie1 are beds of black turf1 
with luxuriant crops of heath1  etc41   
which appeared very curious to me1      
having nowhere seen the like2  and ,i   
observed very high in the               
mountains--much higher than any         
cultivation is at present1 on the right 
hand--flat and cleared spaces of  good  

grass among the ridges of rock1 which   
had probably been cultivated1  and      
proved that these mountains were not    
incapable from climate of being  applied
 to useful purposes4    ,from one of    
these heights ,i looked forward to the  
,lake of ,killarney at a  considerable  
distance1 and backward to the river     
,kenmare2 came in view of  a small part 
of the upper lake1 spotted with several 
islands1 and  surrounded by the most    
tremendous mountains that can be        
imagined1 of an  aspect savage and      
dreadful4  ,from this scene of wild     
magnificence1 ,i  broke at once upon all
 the glories of ,killarney2 from an     
elevated point  of view ,i looked down  
on a considerable part of the lake1     
which gave me a  specimen of what ,i    
might expect4  ,the water you command   
7which1 however1  is only a part of the 
lake7 appears a basin of two or three   
miles round2  to the left it is inclosed
 by the mountains you have passed1      
particularly  by the ,turk1 whose       

outline is uncommonly noble1 and joins a
 range of  others1 that form the most   
magnificent shore in the world3 on the  
other  side is a rising scenery of      
cultivated hills1 and ,lord ,kenmare's  
park and  woods2 the end of the lake at 
your feet is formed by the root of      
,mangerton1 on whose side the road      
leads4  ,from hence ,i looked down on a 
pretty range of inclosures on the lake1 
and the woods and lawns of  ,mucruss1   
forming a large promontory of thick     
wood1 shooting far into the  lake4  ,the
 most active fancy can sketch nothing in
 addition4  ,islands of  wood beyond    
seem to join it1 and reaches of the     
lake1 breaking partly  between1 give the
 most lively intermixture of water2 six 
or seven isles  and islets form an      
accompaniment3 some are rocky1 but with 
a slight  vegetation1 others contain    
groups of trees1 and the whole thrown   
into  forms1 which would furnish new    
ideas to a painter4  ,farther is a chain
 of  wooded islands1 which also appear  

to join the mainland1 with an offspring 
of lesser ones scattered around4        
,arrived at ,mr4 ,herbert's at ,mucruss1
 to whose friendly attention ,i owed  my
 succeeding pleasure4  ,there have been 
so many descriptions of  ,killarney     
written by gentlemen who have resided   
some time there1 and seen  it at every  
season1 that for a passing traveller to 
attempt the like  would be in vain2 for 
this reason ,i shall give the mere      
journal of the  remarks ,i made on the  
spot1 in the order ,i viewed the lake4  
,september #bg4  ,walked into ,mr4      
,herbert's beautiful grounds1 to        
,oroch's  ,hill1 in the lawn that he has
 cleared from that profusion of stones  
which  lie under the wall2 the scene    
which this point commands is truly      
delicious2 the house is on the edge of  
the lawn1 by a wood which covers  the   
whole peninsula1 fringes the slope at   
your feet1 and forms a  beautiful shore 
to the lake4  ,tomys and ,glena are vast
 mountainous masses  of incredible      

magnificence1 the outline soft and easy 
in its swells1  whereas those above the 
eagle's nest are of so broken and abrupt
 an  outline1 that nothing can be       
imagined more savage1 an aspect horrid  
and  sublime1 that gives all the        
impressions to be wished to astonish    
rather  than please the mind4  ,the     
,turk exhibits noble features1 and      
,mangerton's  huge body rises above the 
whole4  ,the cultivated tracts towards  
,killarney  form a shore in contrast to 
the terrific scenes ,i have just        
mentioned2  the distant boundary of the 
lake1 a vast ridge of distant blue      
mountains  towards ,dingle4  ,from hence
 entered the garden1 and viewed ,mucruss
 ,abbey1  one of the most interesting   
scenes ,i ever saw2 it is the ruin of a 
considerable abbey1 built in ,henry     
,,vi4's time1 and so entire1 that if it 
were more so1 though the building would 
be more perfect1 the ruin would  be less
 pleasing2 it is half obscured in the   
shade of some venerable ash  trees2 ivy 

has given the picturesque circumstance1 
which that plant alone  can confer1     
while the broken walls and ruined       
turrets throw over it        ,the last  
mournful graces of decay2    heaps of   
skulls and bones scattered about1 with  
nettles1 briars1 and  weeds sprouting in
 tufts from the loose stones1 all unite 
to raise those  melancholy impressions1 
which are the merit of such scenes1 and 
which can  scarcely anywhere be felt    
more completely4  ,the cloisters form a 
dismal  area1 in the centre of which    
grows the most prodigious yew-tree ,i   
ever  beheld1 in one great stem1 two    
feet diameter1 and fourteen feet high1  
from whence a vast head of branches     
spreads on every side1 so as to  perform
 a perfect canopy to the whole space4   
,i looked for its fit  inhabitant2 it is
 a spot where        ,the moping owl    
doth to the moon complain4    ,this ruin
 is in the true style in which all such 
buildings should appear2  there is not  
an intruding circumstance1 the hand of  

dress has not touched  it1 melancholy is
 the impression which such scenes should
 kindle1 and it  is here raised most    
powerfully4    ,from the abbey we passed
 to the terrace1 a natural one of grass1
 on the  very shore of the lake2 it is  
irregular and winding2 a wall of rocks  
broken into fantastic forms by the      
waves3 on the other side a wood1        
consisting of all sorts of plants1 which
 the climate can protect1 and  through  
which a variety of walks are traced4    
,the view from this terrace  consists of
 many parts of various characters1 but  
in their different  styles complete2 the
 lake opens a spreading sheet of water1 
spotted by  rocks and islands1 all but  
one or two wooded2 the outlines of them 
are  sharp and distinct2 nothing can be 
more smiling than this scene1 soft and  
mild1 a perfect contrast of beauty to   
the sublimity of the mountains  which   
form the shore3 these rise in an        
outline1 so varied1 and at the  same    
time so magnificent1 that nothing       

greater can be imagined2 ,tomys and     
,glena exhibit an immensity in point of 
magnitude1 but from a large  hanging    
wood on the slope1 and from the         
smoothness of the general  surface1 it  
has nothing savage1 whereas the         
mountains above and near the  eagle's   
nest are of the most broken outlines2   
the declivities are bulging  rocks1 of  
immense size1 which seem to impend in   
horrid forms over the  lake1 and where  
an opening among them is caught1 others 
of the same rude  character rear their  
threatening heads4  ,from different     
parts of the  terrace these scenes are  
viewed in numberless varieties4         
,returned to breakfast1 and pursued ,mr4
 ,herbert's new road1 which he has      
traced through the peninsula to ,dynis  
,island1 three miles in length2 and  it 
is carried in so judicious a manner     
through a great variety of ground1      
rocky woods1 lawns1 etc41 that nothing  
can be more pleasing2 it passes  through
 a remarkable scene of rocks1 which are 

covered with woods4  ,from  thence to   
the marble quarry1 which ,mr4 ,herbert  
is working1 and where he  gains variety 
of marbles1 green1 red1 white1 and      
brown1 prettily veined2  the quarry is a
 shore of rocks1 which surround a bay of
 the lake1 and  forms a scene consisting
 of but few parts1 but those strongly   
marked2 the  rocks are bold1 and broken 
into slight caverns2 they are fringed   
with  scattered trees1 and from many    
parts of them wood shoots in that       
romantic  manner so common at           
,killarney4  ,full in front ,turk       
,mountain rises with  the proudest      
outline1 in that abrupt magnificence    
which fills up the  whole space before  
one1 and closes the scene4    ,the road 
leads by a place where copper-mines were
 worked2 many shafts  appear2 as much   
ore was raised as sold for twenty-five  
thousand pounds1  but the works were    
laid aside1 more from ignorance in the  
workmen than  any defects in the mine4  
,came to the opening on the great lake1 

which appears to advantage here1  the   
town of ,killarney on the north-east    
shore4  ,look full on the mountain      
,glena1 which rises in very bold manner1
 the hanging woods spread half  way1 and
 are of great extent1 and uncommonly    
beautiful4  ,two very  pleasing scenes  
succeed2 that to the left is a small    
bay1 hemmed in by a  neck of land in    
front2 the immediate shore rocks1 which 
are in a  picturesque style1 and crowned
 entirely with arbutus1 and other wood2 
a  pretty retired scene1 where a variety
 of objects give no fatigue to the  eye4
  ,the other is an admirable mixture of 
the beautiful and sublime3 a  bare rock 
of an almost regular figure projects    
from a headland into the  lake1 which1  
with much wood and highland1 forms one  
side of the scene2  the other is wood   
from a rising ground only2 the lake open
 between1 in a  sheet of no great       
extent1 but in front is the hanging wood
 of ,glena1  which appears in full      
glory4    ,mr4 ,herbert has built a     

handsome ,gothic bridge1 to unite the   
peninsula to  the island of ,brickeen1  
through the arch of which the waters of 
the north  and south lake flow4  ,it is 
a span of twenty-seven feet1 and        
seventeen  high1 and over it the road   
leads to that island4  ,from thence to  
,brickeen  nearly finished1 and it is to
 be thrown across a bottom into ,dynis4 
,returned by the northern path through a
 thick wood for some distance1 and      
caught a very agreeable view of ,ash    
,island1 seen through an opening1       
inclosed on both sides with wood4       
,pursued the way from these grounds to  
,keelbeg1 and viewed the bay of the     
,devil's ,island1 which is a beautiful  
one1 inclosed by a shore1 to the right  
of very noble rocks in ledges and  other
 forms1 crowned in a striking manner    
with wood2 a little rocky islet  rises  
in front2 to the left the water opens1  
and ,turk ,mountain rises with  that    
proud superiority which attends him in  
all these scenes4    ,the view of the   

promontory of ,dindog1 near this place1 
closes this part  of the lake1 and is   
indeed singularly beautiful4  ,it is a  
large rock1  which shoots far into the  
water1 of a height sufficient to be     
interesting1 in full relief1 fringed    
with a scanty vegetation2 the shore  on 
which you stand bending to the right1 as
 if to meet that rock1  presents a      
circular shade of dark wood3 ,turk still
 the background1 in a  character of     
great sublimity1 and ,mangerton's       
loftier summit1 but less  interesting   
outline1 a part of the scenery4  ,these 
views1 with others of  less moment1 are 
connected by a succession of lawns      
breaking among the  wood1 pleasing the  
eye with lively verdure1 and relieving  
it from the  fatigue of the stupendous  
mountain scenes4    ,september #bh4     
,took boat on the lake1 from the        
promontory of ,dindog  before mentioned4
  ,i had been under a million of        
apprehensions that ,i  should see no    
more of ,killarney2 for it blew a       

furious storm all night1  and in the    
morning the bosom of the lake heaved    
with agitation1  exhibiting few marks   
but those of anger4  ,after breakfast it
 cleared up1  the clouds dispersed by   
degrees1 the waves subsided1 the sun    
shone out in  all its splendour2 every  
scene was gay1 and no ideas but pleasure
  possessed the breast4  ,with these    
emotions sallied forth1 nor did they    
disappoint us4    ,rowed under the rocky
 shore of ,dindog1 which is romantic to 
a great  degree4  ,the base1 by the     
beating of the waves1 is worn into      
caverns1 so  that the heads of the rocks
 project considerably beyond the base1  
and  hang over in a manner which makes  
every part of it interesting4           
,following the coast1 open marble quarry
 bay1 the shore great fragments of  rock
 tumbled about in the wildest manner4   
,the island of rocks against the        
copper-mine shore a remarkable group4   
,the shore near ,casemilan is of a      
different nature2 it is wood in some    

places1 in unbroken masses down to the  
water's edge1 in others divided  from it
 by smaller tracts of rock4  ,come to a 
beautiful land-locked bay1  surrounded  
by a woody shore1 which1 opening in     
places1 shows other woods  more retired4
  ,tomys is here viewed in a unity of   
form1 which gives it an  air of great   
magnificence4  ,turk was obscured by the
 sun shining  immediately above him1    
and1 casting a stream of burning light  
on the  water1 displayed an effect to   
describe which the pencil of a ,claude  
alone  would be equal4  ,turn out of the
 bay1 and gain a full view of the       
,eagle's  ,nest1 the mountains above it1
 and ,glena2 they form a perfect        
contrast2  the first are rugged1 but    
,glena mild4  ,here the shore is a      
continued  wood4    ,pass the bridge1   
and cross to ,dynis1 an island ,mr4     
,herbert has improved  in the most      
agreeable manner1 by cutting walks      
through it that command a  variety of   
views4  ,one of these paths on the banks

 of the channel to the  upper lake is   
sketched with great taste2 it is on one 
side walled with  natural rocks1 from   
clefts of which shoot a thousand fine   
arbutuses1 that  hang in a rich foliage 
of flowers and scarlet berries2 a turf  
bench in a  delicious spot2 the scene   
close and sequestered1 just enough to   
give  every pleasing idea annexed to    
retirement4    ,passing the bridge1 by a
 rapid stream1 came presently to the    
,eagle's  ,nest3 having viewed this rock
 from places where it appears only a    
part of  an object much greater than    
itself1 ,i had conceived an idea that it
 did  not deserve the applause given it1
 but upon coming near ,i was much       
surprised2 the approach is wonderfully  
fine1 the river leads directly to  its  
foot1 and does not give the turn till   
immediately under1 by which  means the  
view is much more grand than it could   
otherwise be2 it is  nearly             
perpendicular1 and rises in such full   
majesty1 with so bold an  outline1 and  

such projecting masses in its centre1   
that the magnificence  of the object is 
complete4  ,the lower part is covered   
with wood1 and  scattered trees climb   
almost to the top1 which 7if trees can  
be amiss in  ,ireland7 rather weaken the
 impression raised by this noble rock4  
,this  part is a hanging wood1 or an    
object whose character is perfect       
beauty2  but the upper scene1 the broken
 outline1 rugged sides1 and bulging     
masses1 all are sublime1 and so         
powerful1 that sublimity is the general 
impression of the whole1 by overpowering
 the idea of beauty raised by the  wood4
  ,this immense height of the mountains 
of ,killarney may be estimated  by this 
rock2 from any distant place that       
commands it1 it appears the  lowest crag
 of a vast chain1 and of no account2 but
 on a close approach  it is found to    
command a very different respect4       
,pass between the mountains called the  
,great ,range1 towards the upper  lake4 
,here ,turk1 which has so long appeared 

with a figure perfectly  interesting1 is
 become1 from a different position1 an  
unmeaning lump4  ,the rest of the       
mountains1 as you pass1 assume a varied 
appearance1 and  are of a prodigious    
magnitude4  ,the scenery in this channel
 is great and  wild in all its features2
 wood is very scarce2 vast rocks seem   
tossed in  confusion through the narrow 
vale1 which is opened among the         
mountains  for the river to pass4  ,its 
banks are rocks in a hundred forms2 the 
mountain-sides are everywhere scattered 
with them4  ,there is not a             
circumstance but is in unison with the  
wild grandeur of the scene4             
,coleman's ,eye1 a narrow pass1 opens a 
different scenery4  ,came to a  region  
in which the beautiful and the great are
 mixed without offence4  ,the islands   
are most of them thickly wooded4  ,oak  
,isle in particular  rises on a pretty  
base1 and is a most beautiful object3   
,macgillicuddy  ,reeks1 with their      
broken points2 ,baum1 with his perfect  

cone2 the ,purple  ,mountain1 with his  
broad and more regular head2 and ,turk1 
having assumed  a new and more          
interesting aspect1 unite with the      
opposite hills1 part of  which have some
 wood left on them1 to form a scene     
uncommonly striking4  ,here you look    
back on a very peculiar spot2 it is a   
parcel of rocks which  cross the lake1  
and form a gap that opens to distant    
water1 the whole  backed by ,turk1 in a 
style of the highest grandeur4    ,come 
to ,derry ,currily1 which is a great    
sweep of mountain1 covered partly  with 
wood1 hanging in a very noble manner1   
but part cut down1 much of it  mangled1 
and the rest inhabited by coopers1      
boat-builders1 carpenters1  and turners1
 a sacrilegious tribe1 who have turned  
the ,dryads from their  ancient         
habitations4  ,the cascade here is a    
fine one2 but passed quickly  from hence
 to scenes unmixed with pain4    ,row to
 the cluster of the ,seven ,islands1 a  
little archipelago2 they rise  very     

boldly from the water upon rocky bases1 
and are crowned in the most  beautiful  
manner with wood1 among which are a     
number of arbutuses2 the  channels among
 them opening to new scenes1 and the    
great amphitheatre of  rock and mountain
 that surround them unite to form a     
noble view4    ,into the river1 at the  
very end of the lake1 which winds       
towards  ,macgillicuddy ,reeks in       
fanciful meanders4    ,returned by a    
course somewhat different1 through the  
,seven ,islands1 and  back to the       
,eagle's ,nest1 viewing the scenes      
already mentioned in new  positions4    
,at that noble rock fired three cannon  
for the echo1 which  indeed is          
prodigious2 the report does not consist 
of direct  reverberations from one rock 
to another with a pause between1 but has
 an  exact resemblance to a peal of     
thunder rattling behind the rock1 as if 
travelling the whole scenery we had     
viewed1 and lost in the immensity of    
,macgillicuddy ,reeks4    ,returning    

through the bridge1 turn to the left    
round ,dynis ,island1 under  the woods  
of ,glena2 open on the cultivated       
country beyond the town of  ,killarney1 
and come gradually in sight of          
,innisfallen and ,ross ,island4    ,pass
 near to the wood of ,glena1 which here 
takes the appearance of one  immense    
sweep hanging in the most beautiful     
manner imaginable1 on the  side of a    
vast mountain to a point1 shooting into 
the great lake4  ,a more  glorious scene
 is not to be imagined4  ,it is one deep
 mass of wood1  composed of the richest 
shades perfectly dipping in the water1  
without  rock or strand appearing1 not a
 break in the whole4  ,the eye passing  
upon  the sheet of liquid silver some   
distance1 to meet so entire a sweep of  
every tint that can compose one vast    
mass of green1 hanging to such an       
extent as to fill not only the eye but  
the imagination1 unites in the  whole to
 form the most noble scene that is      
anywhere to be beheld4    ,turn under   

the north shore of ,mucruss2 the lake   
here is one great expanse  of water1    
bounded by the woods described1 the     
islands of ,innisfallen1  ,ross1 etc41  
and the peninsula4  ,the shore of       
,mucruss has a great variety2  it is in 
some places rocky2 huge masses tumbled  
from their base lie  beneath1 as in a   
chaos of ruin4  ,great caverns worn     
under them in a  variety of strange     
forms2 or else covered with woods of a  
variety of  shades4  ,meet the point of 
,ardnagluggen 7in ,english where the    
water  dashes on the rocks7 and come    
under ,ornescope1 a rocky headland of a 
most  bold projection hanging many yards
 over its base1 with an old             
weather-beaten yew growing from a little
 bracket of rock1 from which the  spot  
is called ,ornescope1 or yew broom4     
,mucruss gardens presently open among   
the woods1 and relieve the eye1  almost 
fatigued with the immense objects upon  
which it has so long gazed2  these      
softer scenes of lawn gently swelling   

among the shrubs and trees  finished the
 second day4    ,september #bi4  ,rode  
after breakfast to ,mangerton ,cascade  
and ,drumarourk  ,hill1 from which the  
view of ,mucruss is uncommonly pleasing4
    ,pass the other hill1 the view of   
which ,i described the #bgth1 and went  
to  ,colonel ,huffy's monument1 from    
whence the scene is different from the  
rest2 the foreground is a gentle hill1  
intersected by hedges1 forming  several 
small lawns4  ,there are some scattered 
trees and houses1 with  ,mucruss ,abbey 
half obscured by wood1 the whole        
cheerful and backed by  ,turk4  ,the    
lake is of a triangular form1 ,ross     
,island and ,innisfallen its  limits2   
the woods of ,mucruss and the islands   
take a new position4    ,returning1 took
 a boat again towards ,ross ,isle1 and  
as ,mucruss retires  from us1 nothing   
can be more beautiful than the spots of 
lawn in the  terrace opening in the     
wood2 above it the green hills with     
clumps1 and  the whole finishing in the 

noble group of wood about the abbey1    
which  here appears a deep shade1 and so
 fine a finishing one1 that not a tree  
should be touched4  ,rowed to the east  
point of ,ross1 which is well  wooded2  
turn to the south coast4  ,doubling the 
point1 the most beautiful  shore of that
 island appears2 it is the well-wooded  
environs of a bay1  except a small      
opening to the castle2 the woods are in 
deep shades1 and  rise on the regular   
slopes of a high range of rocky coast4  
,the part in  front of ,filekilly point 
rises in the middle1 and sinks towards  
each end4  ,the woods of ,tomys here    
appear uncommonly fine4  ,open          
,innisfallen1 which  is composed at this
 distance of the most various shades1   
within a broken  outline1 entirely      
different from the other islands1 groups
 of different  masses rising in         
irregular tufts1 and joined by lower    
trees4  ,no pencil  could mix a happier 
assemblage4  ,land near a miserable     
room1 where  travellers dine4  ,of the  

isle of ,innisfallen1 it is paying no   
great  compliment to say it is the most 
beautiful in the king's dominions1 and  
perhaps in ,europe4  ,it contains twenty
 acres of land1 and has every  variety  
that the range of beauty1 unmixed with  
the sublime1 can give4  ,the general    
feature is that of wood2 the surface    
undulates into swelling  hills1 and     
sinks into little vales2 the slopes are 
in every direction1  the declivities die
 gently away1 forming those slight      
inequalities which  are the greatest    
beauty of dressed grounds4  ,the little 
valleys let in  views of the surrounding
 lake between the hills1 while the      
swells break  the regular outline of the
 water1 and give to the whole an        
agreeable  confusion4  ,the wood has all
 the variety into which nature has      
thrown the  surface2 in some parts it is
 so thick as to appear impenetrable1 and
  secludes all farther view2 in others1 
it breaks into tufts of tall  timber1   
under which cattle feed4  ,here they    

open1 as if to offer to the  spectator  
the view of the naked lawn2 in others   
close1 as if purposely to  forbid a more
 prying examination4  ,trees of large   
size and commanding  figure form in some
 places natural arches2 the ivy mixing  
with the  branches1 and hanging across  
in festoons of foliage1 while on one    
side  the lake glitters among the trees1
 and on the other a thick gloom dwells  
in the recesses of the wood4  ,the      
figure of the island renders one part a 
beautiful object to another2 for the    
coast being broken and indented1  forms 
bays surrounded either with rock or     
wood3 slight promontories shoot  into   
the lake1 whose rocky edges are crowned 
with wood4  ,these are the  great       
features of ,innisfallen2 the slighter  
touches are full of beauties  easily    
imagined by the reader4  ,every         
circumstance of the wood1 the  water1   
the rocks1 and lawn1 are characteristic1
 and have a beauty in the  assemblage   
from mere disposition4  ,i must1        

however1 observe that this  delicious   
retreat is not kept as one could wish4  
,scenes that are great and commanding1  
from magnitude or wildness1 should      
never be dressed2 the rugged1 and even  
the horrible1 may add to the  effect    
upon the mind3 but in such as           
,innisfallen1 a degree of dress1 that   
is1 cleanliness1 is even necessary to   
beauty4  ,i have spoken of lawn1 but  ,i
 should observe that expression         
indicates what it ought to be rather    
than what it is4  ,it is very rich      
grass1 poached by oxen and cows1 the    
only inhabitants of the island4  ,no    
spectator of taste but will regret  the 
open grounds not being drained with     
hollow cuts2 the ruggedness of  the     
surface levelled1 and the grass kept    
close shaven by many sheep  instead of  
beasts4  ,the bushes and briars1 where  
they have encroached on  what ought to  
be lawn1 cleared away2 some parts of the
 isle more opened2  in a word no        
ornaments given1 for the scene wants    

them not1 but  obstructions cleared1    
ruggedness smoothed1 and the whole      
cleaned4  ,this  is what ought to be    
done2 as to what might be made of the   
island1 if its  noble proprietor 7,lord 
,kenmare7 had an inclination1 it admits 
of being  converted into a terrestrial  
paradise2 lawning with the intermixture 
of  other shrubs and wood1 and a little 
dress1 would make it an example of  what
 ornamented grounds might be1 but which 
not one in a thousand is4  ,take the    
island1 however1 as it is1 with its few 
imperfections1 and where  are we to find
 such another8  ,what a delicious       
retreat6 an emperor could  not bestow   
such a one as ,innisfallen2 with a      
cottage1 a few cows1 and a  swarm of    
poultry1 is it possible that happiness  
should refuse to be a  guest here8      
,row to ,ross ,castle1 in order to coast
 that island2 there is nothing          
peculiarly striking in it2 return the   
same way around ,innisfallen4  ,in  this
 little voyage the shore of ,ross is one

 of the most beautiful of the  wooded   
ones in the lake2 it seems to unite with
 ,innisfallen1 and projects  into the   
water in thick woods one beyond another4
  ,in the middle of the  channel a large
 rock1 and from the other shore a little
 promontory of a  few scattered trees2  
the whole scene pleasing4    ,the shore 
of ,innisfallen has much variety1 but in
 general it is woody1  and of the       
beautiful character which predominates  
in that island4  ,one  bay1 at taking   
leave of it1 is exceedingly pretty2 it  
is a semicircular  one1 and in the      
centre there is a projecting knoll of   
wood within a bay2  this is uncommon1   
and has an agreeable effect4    ,the    
near approach to ,tomys exhibits a sweep
 of wood1 so great in extent1  and so   
rich in foliage1 that no person can see 
without admiring it4  ,the  mountainous 
part above is soon excluded by the      
approach2 wood alone is  seen1 and that 
in such a noble range as to be greatly  
striking2 it just  hollows into a bay1  

and in the centre of it is a chasm in   
the wood2 this  is a bed of a           
considerable stream1 which forms        
,o',sullivan's cascade1 to  which all   
strangers are conducted1 as one of the  
principal beauties of  ,killarney4      
,landed to the right of it1 and walked  
under the thick shade  of the wood1 over
 a rocky declivity1 close to the torrent
 stream1 which  breaks impetuously from 
rock to rock1 with a roar that kindles  
expectation4  ,the picture in your fancy
 will not exceed the reality2 a  great  
stream bursts from the deep bosom of a  
wooded glen1 hollowed into a  retired   
recess of rocks and trees1 itself a most
 pleasing and romantic  spot1 were there
 not a drop of water3 the first fall is 
many feet  perpendicularly over a rock2 
to the eye it immediately makes another1
 the  basin into which it pours being   
concealed2 from this basin it forces    
itself impetuously between two rocks4   
,this second fall is also of a          
considerable height2 but the lower one1 

the third1 is the most  considerable2 it
 issues in the same manner from a basin 
hid from the  point of view4  ,these    
basins being large1 there appears a     
space of  several yards between each    
fall1 which adds much to the picturesque
  scenery2 the whole is within an arch  
of wood1 that hangs over it2 the        
quantity of water is so considerable1 as
 to make an almost deafening  noise1 and
 uniting with the torrent below1 where  
the fragments of rock  are large and    
numerous1 throw an air of grandeur over 
the whole4  ,it is  about seventy feet  
high4  ,coast from hence the woody      
shores of ,tomys and  ,glena2 they are  
upon the whole much the most beautiful  
ones ,i have  anywhere seen2 ,glena     
woods having more oak1 and some         
arbutuses1 are the  finer and deeper    
shades2 ,tomys has a great quantity of  
birch1 whose  foliage is not so         
luxuriant4  ,the reader may figure to   
himself what these  woods are1 when he  
is informed that they fill an unbroken  

extent of six  miles in length1 and from
 half a mile to a mile and a half in    
breadth1  all hanging on the sides of   
two vast mountains1 and coming down with
 a  full robe of rich luxuriance to the 
very water's edge4  ,the acclivity of   
these hills is such1 that every tree    
appears full to the eye4  ,the  variety 
of the ground is great2 in some places  
great swells in the  mountain-side1 with
 corresponding hollows1 present concave 
and convex  masses2 in others1          
considerable ridges of land and rock    
rise from the  sweep1 and offer to the  
astonished eye yet other varieties of   
shade4  ,smaller mountains rise         
regularly from the immense bosom of the 
larger1  and hold forth their sylvan    
heads1 backed by yet higher woods4  ,to 
give  all the varieties of this immense 
scenery of forest is impossible4  ,above
  the whole is a prodigious mass of     
mountain1 of a gently swelling outline  
and soft appearance1 varying as the sun 
or clouds change their position1  but   

never becoming rugged or threatening to 
the eye4    ,the variations are best    
seen by rowing near the shore1 when     
every stroke  of the oar gives a new    
outline1 and fresh tints to please the  
eye3 but  for one great impression1 row 
about two miles from the shore of       
,glena2 at  that distance the           
inequalities in the surface are no      
longer seen1 but the  eye is filled with
 so immense a range of wood1 crowned    
with a mountain in  perfect unison with 
itself1 that objects1 whose character is
 that of  beauty1 are here1 from their  
magnitude1 truly magnificent1 and       
attended  with a most forcible          
expression4--,returned to ,mucruss4     
,september #cj4  ,this morning ,i had   
dedicated to the ascent of ,mangerton1  
but his head was so enshrouded in       
clouds1 and the weather so bad1 that ,i 
was forced to give up the scheme3 ,mr4  
,herbert has measured him with very     
accurate instruments1 of which he has a 
great collection1 and found his  height 

eight hundred and thirty-five yards     
above the level of the sea4  ,the       
,devil's ,punch-bowl1 from the          
description ,i had of it1 must be the   
crater of an exhausted volcano3 there   
are many signs of them about            
,killarney1 particularly vast rocks on  
the sides of mountains1 in streams1  as 
if they had rolled from the top in one  
direction4  ,brown stone rocks  are also
 sometimes found on lime-quarries1      
tossed thither perhaps in some  vast    
eruption4    ,in my way from ,killarney 
to ,castle ,island1 rode into ,lord     
,kenmare's park1  from whence there is  
another beautiful view of the lake1     
different from  many of the preceding2  
there is a broad margin of cultivated   
country at  your feet1 to lead the eye  
gradually in the lake1 which exhibits   
her  islands to this point more         
distinctly than to any other1 and the   
backgrounds of the mountains of ,glena  
and ,tomys give a bold relief4    ,upon 
the whole1 ,killarney1 among the lakes  

that ,i have seen1 can scarcely  be said
 to have a rival4  ,the extent of water 
in ,loch ,earne is much  greater1 the   
islands more numerous1 and some scenes  
near ,castle ,caldwell  of perhaps as   
great magnificence4  ,the rocks at      
,keswick are more sublime1  and other   
lakes may have circumstances in which   
they are superior2 but  when we consider
 the prodigious woods of ,killarney1 the
 immensity of the  mountains1 the       
uncommon beauty of the promontory of    
,mucruss and the ,isle  of ,innisfallen1
 the character of the islands1 the      
singular circumstance  of the arbutus1  
and the uncommon echoes1 it will appear1
 upon the whole1  to be in reality      
superior to all comparison4    ,before  
,i quit it ,i have one other observation
 to make1 which is relative  to the want
 of accommodations and extravagant      
expense of strangers  residing at       
,killarney4  ,i speak it not at all     
feelingly1 thanks to ,mr4  ,herbert's   
hospitality1 but from the accounts given

 me3 the inns are  miserable1 and the   
lodgings little better4  ,i am surprised
 somebody with  a good capital does not 
procure a large well-built inn1 to be   
erected on  the immediate shore of the  
lake1 in an agreeable situation1 at a   
distance  from the town2 there are very 
few places where such a one would answer
  better2 there ought to be numerous and
 good apartments4  ,a large             
rendezvous-room for billiards1 cards1   
dancing1 music1 etc41 to which the      
company might resort when they chose it2
 an ordinary for those that like  dining
 in public2 boats of all sorts1 nets for
 fishing1 and as great a  variety of    
amusements as could be collected1       
especially within doors2 for  the       
climate being very rainy1 travellers    
wait with great impatience in a  dirty  
common inn1 which they would not do if  
they were in the midst of  such         
accommodations as they meet with at an  
,english spa4  ,but above all1  the     
prices of everything1 from a room and a 

dinner to a barge and a band  of music1 
to be reasonable1 and hung up in every  
part of the house4  ,the  resort of     
strangers to ,killarney would then be   
much increased1 and their  stay would be
 greatly prolonged2 they would not view 
it post-haste1 and  fly away the first  
moment to avoid dirt and imposition4  ,a
 man with a  good capital and some      
ingenuity would1 ,i think1 make a       
fortune by fixing  here upon such       
principles4    ,the state of the poor in
 the whole county of ,kerry represented 
as  exceedingly miserable1 and owing to 
the conduct of men of property1 who  are
 apt to lay the blame on what they call 
land pirates1 or men who offer  the     
highest rent1 and who1 in order to pay  
this rent1 must and do re-let  all the  
cabin lands at an extravagant rise1     
which is assigning over all  the cabins 
to be devoured by one farmer4  ,the     
cottars on a farm cannot go  from one to
 another1 in order to find a good       
master1 as in ,england2 for  all the    

country is in the same system1 and no   
redress to be found4  ,such  being the  
case1 the farmers are enabled to charge 
the price of labour as  low as they     
please1 and rate the land as high as    
they like4  ,this is an  evil which     
oppresses them cruelly1 and certainly   
has its origin in its  landlords when   
they set their farms1 setting all the   
cabins with them1  instead of keeping   
them tenants to themselves4  ,the       
oppression is1 the  farmer valuing the  
labour of the poor at fourpence or      
fivepence a day1  and paying that in    
land rated much above its value4  ,owing
 to this the  poor are depressed2 they  
live upon potatoes and sour milk1 and   
the  poorest of them only salt and water
 to them1 with now and then a herring4  
,their milk is bought2 for very few keep
 cows1 scarce any pigs1 but a few       
poultry4  ,their circumstances are      
incomparably worse than they were       
twenty years ago2 for they had all cows1
 but then they wore no linen3 all  now  

have a little flax4  ,to these evils    
have been owing emigrations1  which have
 been considerable4    ,to the west of  
,tralee are the ,mahagree ,islands1     
famous for their corn  products2 they   
are rock and sand1 stocked with rabbits2
 near them a sandy  tract1 twelve miles 
long1 and one mile broad1 to the north1 
with the  mountains to the south1 famous
 for the best wheat in ,kerry2 all under
 the  plough4    ,arriving at ,ardfert1 
,lord ,crosby1 whose politeness ,i have 
every reason to  remember1 was so       
obliging as to carry me by one of the   
finest strands ,i  ever rode upon1 to   
view the mouth of the ,shannon at       
,ballengary1 the site  of an old fort4  
,it is a vast rock1 separated from the  
country by a chasm  of prodigious depth1
 through which the waves drive4  ,the   
rocks of the  coast here are in the     
boldest style1 and hollowed by the      
furious ,atlantic  waves into caverns in
 which they roar4  ,it was a dead calm1 
yet the swell  was so heavy1 that the   

great waves rolled in and broke upon the
 rocks  with such violence as to raise  
an immense foam1 and give one an idea of
  what a storm would be2 but fancy      
rarely falls short in her pictures4     
,the  view of the ,shannon is           
exceedingly noble2 it is eight miles    
over1 the  mouth formed by two headlands
 of very high and bold cliffs1 and the  
reach  of the river in view very        
extensive2 it is an immense scenery3    
perhaps  the noblest mouth of a river in
 ,europe4    ,ardfert is very near the  
sea1 so near it that single trees or    
rows are  cut in pieces with the wind1  
yet about ,lord ,glendour's house there 
are  extensive plantations exceedingly  
flourishing1 many fine ash and beech2   
about a beautiful ,cistercian abbey1 and
 a silver fir of forty-eight  years'    
growth1 of an immense height and size4  
,october #c4  ,left ,ardfert1           
accompanying ,lord ,crosby to ,listowel4
  ,called  in the way to view ,lixnaw1  
the ancient seat of the ,earls of       

,kerry1 but  deserted for ten years     
past1 and now presents so melancholy a  
scene of  desolation1 that it shocked me
 to see it4  ,everything around lies in 
ruin1 and the house itself is going fast
 off by thieving depredations of  the   
neighbourhood4  ,i was told a curious   
anecdote of this estate2 which  shows   
wonderfully the improvement of ,ireland4
  ,the present ,earl of  ,kerry's       
grandfather1 ,thomas1 agreed to lease   
the whole estate for #a1ejj  pounds a   
year to a ,mr4 ,collis for ever1 but the
 bargain went off upon a  dispute       
whether the money should be paid at     
,cork or ,dublin4  ,those very  lands   
are now let at #bj1jjj pounds a year4   
,there is yet a good deal of  wood1     
particularly a fine ash grove1 planted  
by the present ,earl of  ,shelburne's   
father4    ,proceeded to ,woodford1     
,robert ,fitzgerald's1 ,esq41 passing   
,listowel  ,bridge2 the vale leading to 
it is very fine1 the river is broad1 the
  lands high1 and one side a very       

extensive hanging wood1 opening on those
  of ,woodford in a pleasing style4     
,woodford is an agreeable scene2 close  
to the house is a fine winding  river   
under a bank of thick wood1 with the    
view of an old castle hanging  over it4 
,in #agfe1 ,mr4 ,fitzgerald was         
travelling from ,constantinople to      
,warsaw1 and  a waggon with his baggage 
heavily laden overset2 the country      
people  harnessed two buffaloes by the  
horns1 in order to draw it over1 which  
they did with ease4  ,in some very      
instructive conversation ,i had with    
this gentleman on the subject of his    
travels1 this circumstance  particularly
 struck me4    ,october #d4  ,from      
,woodford to ,tarbat1 the seat of       
,edward ,leslie1 ,esq41  through a      
country rather dreary1 till it came upon
 ,tarbat1 which is so  much the contrary
 that it appeared to the highest        
advantage2 the house is  on the edge of 
a beautiful lawn1 with a thick margin of
 full grown wood1  hanging on a steep   

bank to the ,shannon1 so that the river 
is seen from  the house over the tops of
 this wood1 which being of a broken     
irregular  outline has an effect very   
striking and uncommon2 the river is two 
or  three miles broad here1 and the     
opposite coast forms a promontory which 
has from ,tarbat exactly the appearance 
of a large island4  ,to the east1  the  
river swells into a triangular lake1    
with a reach opening at the  distant    
corner of it to ,limerick4  ,the union  
of wood1 water1 and lawn  forms upon the
 whole a very fine scene2 the river is  
very magnificent4  ,from the hill on the
 coast above the island1 the lawn and   
wood appear  also to great advantage4   
,but the finest point of view is from   
the higher  hill on the other side of   
the house1 which looking down on all    
these  scenes1 they appear as a         
beautiful ornament to the ,shannon1     
which spreads  forth its proud course   
from two to nine miles wide1 surrounded 
by  highlands2 a scenery truly          

magnificent4    ,the state of the poor  
is something better than it was twenty  
years ago1  particularly their clothing1
 cattle1 and cabins4  ,they live upon   
potatoes  and milk2 all have cows1 and  
when they dry them1 buy others4  ,they  
also  have butter1 and most of them keep
 pigs1 killing them for their own use4  
,they have also herrings4  ,they are in 
general in the cottar system1 of  paying
 for labour by assigning some land to   
each cabin4  ,the country is  greatly   
more populous than twenty years ago1 and
 is now increasing2 and  if ever so many
 cabins were built by a gradual         
increase1 tenants would be  found for   
them4  ,a cabin and five acres of land  
will let for #d pounds a  year4  ,the   
industrious cottar1 with two1 three1 or 
four acres1 would be  exceedingly glad  
to have his time to himself1 and have   
such an annual  addition of land as he  
was able to manage1 paying a fair rent  
for it2  none would decline it but the  
idle and worthless4    ,tithes are all  

annually valued by the proctors1 and    
charged very high4  ,there are on the   
,shannon about one hundred boats        
employed in bringing  turf to ,limerick 
from the coast of ,kerry and ,clare1 and
 in fishing2 the  former carry from     
twenty to twenty-five tons1 the latter  
from five to  ten1 and are navigated    
each by two men and a boy4    ,october  
#e4  ,passed through a very             
unentertaining country 7except for a    
few miles on the bank of the ,shannon7  
to ,altavilla1 but ,mr4 ,bateman being  
from home1 ,i was disappointed in       
getting an account of the palatines     
settled in his neighbourhood4  ,kept the
 road to ,adair1 where ,mrs4 ,quin1     
with a politeness equalled only by her  
understanding1 procured me every        
intelligence ,i wished for4             
,palatines were settled here by the late
 ,lord ,southwell about seventy  years  
ago4    ,they preserve some of their    
,german customs3 sleep between two beds4
  ,they  appoint a burgomaster1 to whom 

they appeal in case of all disputes2 and
  they yet preserve their language1 but 
that is declining4  ,they are very      
industrious1 and in consequence are much
 happier and better fed1 clothed1  and  
lodged than the ,irish peasants4  ,we   
must not1 however1 conclude from  hence 
that all is owing to this2 their being  
independent farmers1 and  having leases1
 are circumstances which will create    
industry4  ,their crops  are much better
 than those of their neighbours4  ,there
 are three villages  of them1 about     
seventy families in all4  ,for some time
 after they settled  they fed upon      
sour-crout1 but by degrees left it off1 
and took to  potatoes2 but now subsist  
upon them and butter and milk1 but with 
a great  deal of oat bread1 and some of 
wheat1 some meat and fowls1 of which    
they  raise many4  ,they have all       
offices to their houses1 that is1       
stables and  cow-houses1 and a lodge for
 their ploughs1 etc4  ,they keep their  
cows in  the house in winter1 feeding   

them upon hay and oat straw4  ,they are 
remarkable for the goodness and         
cleanliness of their houses4  ,the women
  are very industrious1 reap the corn1  
plough the ground sometimes1 and do     
whatever work may be going on2 they also
 spin1 and make their children do  the  
same4  ,their wheat is much better than 
any in the country1 insomuch  that they 
get a better price than anybody else4   
,their industry goes so  far1 that      
jocular reports of its excess are       
spread4  ,in a very pinching  season1   
one of them yoked his wife against a    
horse1 and went in that  manner to work1
 and finished a journey at plough4  ,the
 industry of the  women is a perfect    
contrast to the ,irish ladies in the    
cabins1 who cannot  be persuaded1 on any
 consideration1 even to make hay1 it not
 being the  custom of the country1 yet  
they bind corn1 and do other works more 
laborious4  ,mrs4 ,quin1 who is ever    
attentive to introduce whatever can     
contribute to their welfare and         

happiness1 offered many premiums to     
induce them to make hay1 of hats1       
cloaks1 stockings1 etc4 etc41 but all   
would not do4    ,few places have so    
much wood about them as ,adair2 ,mr4    
,quin has above one  thousand acres in  
his hands1 in which a large proportion  
is under wood4  ,the deer park of four  
hundred acres is almost full of old oak 
and very  fine thorns1 of a great size2 
and about the house1 the plantations are
  very extensive1 of elm and other wood1
 but that thrives better than any  other
 sort4  ,i have nowhere seen finer than 
vast numbers here4  ,there is  a fine   
river runs under the house1 and within  
view are no less than three  ruins of   
,franciscan friaries1 two of them       
remarkably beautiful1 and one  has most 
of the parts perfect1 except the roof4  
,in ,mr4 ,quin's house there are some   
very good pictures1 particularly an     
,annunciation by ,domenichino1 which is 
a beautiful piece4  ,it was brought     
lately from ,italy by ,mr4 ,quin1       

junior4  ,the colours are rich and      
mellow1  and the hairs of the heads     
inimitably pleasing2 the group of angels
 at  the top1 to the left of the piece1 
is very natural4  ,it is a piece of     
great merit4  ,the companion is a       
,magdalen2 the expression of melancholy1
  or rather misery1 remarkably strong4  
,there is a gloom in the whole in  full 
unison with the subject4  ,there are1   
besides these1 some others  inferior1   
yet of merit1 and two very good         
portraits of ,lord ,dartry 7,mrs4       
,quin's brother71 and of ,mr4 ,quin1    
junior1 by ,pompeio ,battoni4  ,a piece 
in  an uncommon style1 done on oak1 of  
,esther and ,ahasuerus2 the colours     
tawdry1 but the grouping attitudes and  
effect pleasing4    ,castle ,oliver is a
 place almost entirely of ,mr4 ,oliver's
 creation2 from a  house1 surrounded    
with cabins and rubbish1 he has fixed it
 in a fine  lawn1 surrounded by good    
wood4  ,the park he has very much       
improved on an  excellent plan2 by means

 of seven feet hurdles1 he fences off   
part of it  that wants to be cleaned or 
improved2 these he cultivates1 and      
leaves for  grass1 and then takes       
another spot1 which is by much the best 
way of  doing it4  ,in the park is a    
glen1 an ,english mile long1 winding in 
a  pleasing manner1 with much wood      
hanging on the banks4  ,mr4 ,oliver has 
conducted a stream through this vale1   
and formed many little water-falls  in  
an exceedingly good taste1 chiefly      
overhung with wood1 but in some  places 
open with several little rills1         
trickling over stones down the  slopes4 
,a path winds through a large wood and  
along the brow of the  glen2 this path  
leads to a hermitage1 a cave of rock1 in
 a good taste1  and to some benches1    
from which the views of the water and   
wood are in  the sequestered style they 
ought to be4  ,one of these little      
views1 which  catches several falls     
under the arch of the bridge1 is one of 
the  prettiest touches of the kind ,i   

have seen4  ,the vale beneath the house1
  when viewed from the higher grounds1  
is pleasing2 it is very well wooded1    
there being many inclosures1 surrounded 
by pine trees1 and a thick fine  mass of
 wood rises from them up the            
mountain-side1 makes a very good        
figure1 and would be better1 had not    
,mr4 ,oliver's father cut it into       
vistas for shooting4  ,upon the whole1  
the place is highly improved1 and  when 
the mountains are planted1 in which ,mr4
 ,oliver is making a  considerable      
progress1 it will be magnificent4    ,in
 the house are several fine pictures1   
particularly five pieces by ,seb4       
,ricci1 ,venus and ,a,eneas2 ,apollo and
 ,pan2 ,venus and ,achilles2 and        
,pyrrhus  and ,andromache1 by           
,lazzerini2 and the ,rape of the        
,lapithi by the  ,centaurs4  ,the last  
is by much the finest1 and is a very    
capital piece2  the expression is       
strong1 the figures are in bold relief1 
and the  colouring good4  ,venus and    

,achilles is a pleasing picture2 the    
continence  of ,scipio is well grouped1 
but ,scipio1 as in every picture ,i ever
 saw of  him1 has no expression4        
,indeed1 chastity is in the countenance 
so  passive a virtue as not to be at all
 suited to the genius of painting2  the 
idea is rather that of insipidity1 and  
accordingly ,scipio's  expression is    
generally insipid enough4  ,two fine    
pieces1 by ,lucca  ,jordano1 ,hercules  
and ,anteus2 ,samson ,killing the ,lion3
 both dark and  horrid1 but they are    
highly finished and striking4  ,six     
heads of old men1  by ,nagori1          
excellent2 and four young women1 in the 
character of the  seasons4    ,october  
#i4  ,left ,castle ,oliver4  ,had ,i    
followed my inclination1 my stay  would 
have been much longer1 for ,i found it  
equally the residence of  entertainment 
and instruction4  ,passed through       
,kilfennan and  ,duntreleague1 in my way
 to ,tipperary4  ,the road leads        
everywhere on the  sides of the hills1  

so as to give a very distinct view of   
the lower  grounds2 the soil all the way
 is the same sort of sandy reddish loam 
,i  have already described1 incomparable
 land for tillage3 as ,i advanced it    
grew something lighter1 and in many     
places free from gravel4  ,bullocks  the
 stock all the way4  ,towards ,tipperary
 ,i saw vast numbers of sheep1  and many
 bullocks4  ,all this line of country is
 part of the famous golden  vale4  ,to  
,thomas ,town1 where ,i was so          
unfortunate as not to find ,mr4         
,matthew at home2 the domain is one     
thousand five hundred ,english acres1   
so well planted that ,i could hardly    
believe myself in ,ireland4  ,there is  
a hill in the park from which the view  
of it1 the country and the  ,galties1   
are striking4    ,october #ab4  ,to     
,lord de ,montalt's1 at ,dundrum1 a     
place which his lordship  has ornamented
 in the modern style of improvement3 the
 house was situated  in the midst of all
 the regular exertions of the last age4 

,parterres1  parapets of earth1 straight
 walks1 knots and clipped hedges1 all   
which he  has thrown down1 with an      
infinite number of hedges and ditches1  
filled up  ponds1 etc41 and opened one  
very noble lawn around him1 scattered   
negligently over with trees1 and cleared
 the course of a choked-up river1  so   
that it flows at present in a winding   
course through the grounds4    ,october 
#ac4  ,leaving ,dundrum1 passed through 
,cashel1 where is a rock and  ruin on   
it1 called the ,rock of ,cashel1        
supposed to be of the remotest          
antiquity4  ,towards ,clonmel1 the whole
 way through the same rich vein of  red 
sandy loam ,i have so often mentioned3  
,i examined it in several  fields1 and  
found it to be of an extraordinary      
fertility1 and as fine  turnip land as  
ever ,i saw4  ,it is much under sheep2  
but towards ,clonmel  there is a great  
deal of tillage4    ,the first view of  
that town1 backed by a high ridge of    
mountains1 with a  beautiful space near 

it of inclosures1 fringed with a        
scattering of  trees1 was very pleasing4
  ,it is the best situated place in the 
county of  ,tipperary1 on the ,suir1    
which brings up boats of ten tons       
burthen4  ,it  appears to be a busy     
populous place1 yet ,i was told that the
 manufacture  of woollens is not        
considerable4  ,it is noted for being   
the birthplace of  the inimitable       
,sterne4    ,to ,sir ,william           
,osborne's1 three miles the other side  
,clonmel4  ,from a  character so        
remarkable for intelligence and         
precision1 ,i could not fail  of meeting
 information of the most valuable kind4 
,this gentleman has  made a mountain    
improvement which demands particular    
attention1 being  upon a principle very 
different from common ones4    ,twelve  
years ago he met with a hearty-looking  
fellow of forty1 followed  by a wife and
 six children in rags1 who begged4  ,sir
 ,william questioned  him upon the      
scandal of a man in full health and     

vigour1 supporting  himself in such a   
manner3 the man said he could get no    
work3 ,come along  with me1 ,i will show
 you a spot of land upon which ,i will  
build a cabin  for you1 and if you like 
it you shall fix there4  ,the fellow    
followed  ,sir ,william1 who was as good
 as his word3 he built him a cabin1 gave
 him  five acres of a heathy mountain1  
lent him four pounds to stock with1 and 
gave him1 when he had prepared his      
ground1 as much lime as he would come   
for4  ,the fellow flourished2 he went on
 gradually2 repaid the four  pounds1 and
 presently became a happy little cottar3
 he has at present  twelve acres under  
cultivation1 and a stock in trade worth 
at least #hj  pounds2 his name is ,john 
,conory4    ,the success which attended 
this man in two or three years brought  
others  who applied for land1 and ,sir  
,william gave them as they applied4     
,the  mountain was under lease to a     
tenant1 who valued it so little1 that   
upon  being reproached with not         

cultivating1 or doing something with it1
 he  assured ,sir ,william that it was  
utterly impracticable to do anything    
with  it1 and offered it to him without 
any deduction of rent4  ,upon this      
mountain he fixed them2 gave them terms 
as they came determinable with  the     
lease of the farm1 so that every one    
that came in succession had  shorter and
 shorter tenures2 yet are they so       
desirous of settling1 that  they come at
 present1 though only two years remain  
for a term4    ,in this manner ,sir     
,william has fixed twenty-two families1 
who are all  upon the improving hand1   
the meanest growing richer2 and find    
themselves  so well off1 that no        
consideration will induce them to work  
for others1  not even in harvest3 their 
industry has no bounds2 nor is the day  
long  enough for the revolution of their
 incessant labour4  ,some of them bring 
turf to ,clonmel1 and ,sir ,william has 
seen ,conory returning loaded with  soap
 ashes4    ,he found it difficult to    

persuade them to make a road to their   
village1  but when they had once done   
it1 he found none in getting cross roads
 to  it1 they found such benefit in the 
first4  ,sir ,william has continued to  
give whatever lime they come for3 and   
they have desired one thousand  barrels 
among them for the year #agff1 which    
their landlord has  accordingly         
contracted for with his lime-burner1 at 
#aa;d4 a barrel4  ,their  houses have   
all been built at his expense1 and done 
by contract at #f  pounds each1 after   
which they raise what little offices    
they want for  themselves4    ,october  
#ae4  ,left ,new ,town1 and keeping on  
the banks of the ,suir1 passed  through 
,carrick to ,curraghmore1 the seat of   
the ,earl of ,tyrone4  ,this  line of   
country1 in point of soil1 inferior to  
what ,i have of late gone  through3 so  
that ,i consider the rich country to end
 at ,clonmel4    ,emigrations from this 
part of ,ireland principally to         
,newfoundland3 for a  season they have  

#ah or #bj pounds for their pay1 and are
 maintained1 but  they do not bring home
 more than #g to #aa pounds4  ,some of  
them stay and  settle2 three years ago  
there was an emigration of indented     
servants to  ,north ,carolina of three  
hundred1 but they were stopped by       
contrary winds1  etc4  ,there had been  
something of this constantly1 but not to
 that  amount4  ,the oppression which   
the poor people have most to complain of
 is  the not having any tenures in their
 lands1 by which means they are         
entirely subject to their employers4    
,manufactures here are only woollens4   
,carrick is one of the greatest         
manufacturing towns in ,ireland4        
,principally for ratteens1 but of late  
they have got into broadcloths1 all for 
home consumption2 the manufacture       
increases1 and is very flourishing4     
,there are between three and four       
hundred people employed by it in        
,carrick and its neighbourhood4         
,curraghmore is one of the finest places

 in ,ireland1 or indeed that ,i have    
anywhere seen4  ,the house1 which is    
large1 is situated upon a rising        
ground1 in a vale surrounded by very    
bold hills1 which rise in a variety  of 
forms and offer to the eye1 in rising   
through the grounds1 very noble  and    
striking scenes4  ,these hills are      
exceedingly varied1 so that the  detour 
of the place is very pleasing4  ,in     
order to see it to advantage1 ,i  would 
advise a traveller to take the ride     
which ,lord ,tyrone carried me4  ,passed
 through the deer-park wood of old oaks1
 spread over the side of a  bold hill1  
and of such an extent1 that the scene is
 a truly forest one1  without any other 
boundary in view than what the stems of 
trees offer  from mere extent1 retiring 
one behind another till they thicken so 
much  to the eye1 under the shade of    
their spreading tops1 as to form a      
distant  wall of wood4  ,this is a sort 
of scene not common in ,ireland2 it is a
  great extent alone that will give it4 

,from this hill enter an evergreen      
plantation1 a scene which winds up the  
deer-park hill1 and opens on to  the    
brow of it1 which commands a most noble 
view indeed4  ,the lawns round  the     
house appear at one's feet1 at the      
bottom of a great declivity of  wood1   
almost everywhere surrounded by         
plantations4  ,the hills on the         
opposite side of the vale against the   
house consist of a large lawn in  the   
centre of the two woods1 that to the    
right of an immense extent1  which waves
 over a mountain-side in the finest     
manner imaginable1 and  lead the eye to 
the scenery on the left1 which is a     
beautiful vale of  rich inclosures1 of  
several miles extent1 with the ,suir    
making one great  reach through it1 and 
a bold bend just before it enters a gap 
in the  hills towards ,waterford1 and   
winds behind them2 to the right you look
  over a large plain1 backed by the     
great ,cummeragh ,mountains4  ,for a    
distinct extent of view1 the parts of   

which are all of a commanding           
magnitude1 and a variety equal to the   
number1 very few prospects are  finer   
than this4    ,from hence the boundary  
plantation extends some miles to the    
west and  north-west of the domain1     
forming a margin to the whole of        
different  growths1 having been planted1
 by degrees1 from three to sixteen      
years4  ,it is in general well grown1   
and the trees thriven exceedingly1      
particularly the oak1 beech1 larch1 and 
firs4  ,it is very well sketched1  with 
much variety given to it4    ,pass by   
the garden across the river which       
murmurs over a rocky bed1 and  follow   
the riding up a steep hill1 covered with
 wood from some breaks1 in  which the   
house appears perfectly buried in a deep
 wood1 and come out1  after a           
considerable extent of ride1 into the   
higher lawn1 which commands  a view of  
the scenery about the house2 and from   
the brow of the hill the  water1 which  
is made to imitate a river1 has a good  

effect1 and throws a  great air of      
cheerfulness over the scene1 for from   
hence the declivity  below it is hid4   
,but the view1 which is the most        
pleasing from hence1  the finest at     
,curraghmore1 and indeed one of the most
 striking that is  anywhere to be seen1 
is that of the hanging wood to the right
 of the  house1 rising in so noble a    
sweep as perfectly to fill the eye1 and 
leave  the fancy scarce anything to     
wish3 at the bottom is a small          
semicircular  lawn1 around which flows  
the river1 under the immediate shade of 
very  noble oaks4  ,the whole wood rises
 boldly from the bottom1 tree above     
tree1 to a vast height1 of large oak4   
,the masses of shade are but tints  of  
one colour2 it is not chequered with a  
variety4  ,there is a majestic          
simplicity1 a unity in the whole1 which 
is attended with an uncommon            
impression1 and such as none but the    
most magnificent scenes can raise4      
,descending from hence through the      

roads1 the riding crosses the river1    
and passes through the meadow which has 
such an effect in the preceding  scene1 
from which also the view is very fine1  
and leads home through a  continued and 
an extensive range of fine oak1 partly  
on a declivity1 at  the bottom of which 
the river murmurs its broken course4    
,besides this noble riding1 there is a  
very agreeable walk runs  immediately on
 the banks of the river1 which is       
perfect in its style2 it  is a          
sequestered line of wood1 so high on the
 declivities in some places1  and so    
thick on the very edge in others1       
overspreading the river1 that  the      
character of the scene is gloom and     
melancholy1 heightened by the  noise of 
the water falling from stone to stone4  
,there is a considerable  variety in the
 banks of it1 and in the figures and    
growth of the wood1  but none that hurts
 the impression1 which is well preserved
 throughout4    ,october #ag4           
,accompanied ,lord ,tyrone to           

,waterford2 made some inquiries  into   
the state of their trade1 but found it  
difficult1 from the method in  which the
 custom-house books are kept1 to get the
 details ,i wished2 but  in the year    
following1 having the pleasure of a long
 visit at  ,ballycanvan1 the seat of    
,cornelius ,bolton1 ,esq41 his son1 the 
member for  the city1 procured me every 
information ,i could wish1 and that in  
so  liberal and polite a manner1 that it
 would not be easy to express the       
obligations ,i am under to both4  ,in   
general1 ,i was informed that the  trade
 of the place had increased considerably
 in ten years1 both the  exports and    
imports--the exports of the products of 
pasturage1 full  one-third in twelve    
years4  ,that the staple trade of the   
place is the  ,newfoundland trade4      
,this is very much increased2 there is  
more of it  here than anywhere4  ,the   
number of people who go as passengers in
 the  ,newfoundland ships is amazing3   
from sixty to eighty ships1 and from    

three  thousand to five thousand        
annually4  ,they come from most parts of
  ,ireland1 from ,cork1 ,kerry1 etc4    
,experienced men will get eighteen to   
twenty-five pounds for the season1 from 
,march to ,november4  ,a man who  never 
went will have five to seven pounds and 
his passage1 and others  rise to twenty 
pounds2 the passage out they get1 but   
pay home two pounds4  ,an industrious   
man in a year will bring home twelve to 
sixteen pounds  with him1 and some more4
  ,a great point for them is to be able 
to carry  out all their slops1 for      
everything there is exceedingly dear1   
one or two  hundred per cent4 dearer    
than they can get them at home4  ,they  
are not  allowed to take out any woollen
 goods but for their own use4  ,the     
ships  go loaded with pork1 beef1       
butter1 and some salt2 and bring home   
passengers1 or get freights where they  
can2 sometimes rum4  ,the ,waterford    
pork comes principally from the barony  
of ,iverk1 in ,kilkenny1 where they     

fatten great numbers of large hogs2 for 
many weeks together they kill  here     
three to four thousand a week1 the price
 fifty shillings to four  pounds each2  
goes chiefly to ,newfoundland4  ,one was
 killed in ,mr4  ,penrose's cellar that 
weighed five hundredweight and a        
quarter1 and  measured from the nose to 
the end of the tail nine feet four      
inches4    ,there is a foundry at       
,waterford for pots1 kettles1 weights1  
and all  common utensils2 and a         
manufactory by ,messrs4 ,king and       
,tegent of anvils  to anchors1 twenty   
hundredweight1 etc41 which employs forty
 hands4  ,smiths earn from #fs4 to #bds4
 a week4  ,nailers from #ajs4 to #abs4  
,and  another less considerable4  ,there
 are two sugar-houses1 and many         
salt-houses4  ,the salt is boiled over  
lime-kilns4    ,there is a fishery upon 
the coast of ,waterford1 for a great    
variety of  fish1 herrings particularly1
 in the mouth of ,waterford ,harbour1   
and two  years ago in such quantities   

there1 that the tides left the ditches  
full  of them4  ,there are some premium 
boats both here and at ,dungarvan1 but  
the quantity of herrings barrelled is   
not considerable4    ,the butter trade  
of ,waterford has increased greatly for 
seven years past2  it comes from        
,waterford principally1 but much from   
,carlow2 for it comes  from twenty miles
 beyond ,carlow1 for sixpence per       
hundred4  ,from the #ast  of ,january1  
#aggd1 to the #ast of ,january1 #agge1  
there were exported  fifty-nine thousand
 eight hundred and fifty-six casks of   
butter1 each1 on  an average1 one       
hundredweight1 at the mean price of     
#ejs4  ,revenue of  ,waterford1 #agea1  
#ag1jjj pounds2 #aggf1 #eb1jjj pounds4  
,the slaughter trade  has increased1 but
 not so much as the butter4  ,price of  
butter now at  ,waterford1 #ehs42 twenty
 years' average1 #dbs4  ,beef now to    
#bes42 average1  twenty years1 #ajs4 to 
#ahs4  ,pork1 now #cjs42 average1 twenty
 years1 #afs4  to #bbs4  ,eighty sail of

 ships now belonging to the port1 twenty
 years ago  not thirty4  ,they pay to   
the captains of ship of two hundred tons
 #e  pounds a month2 the mate #c pounds 
#ajs4  ,ten men at #djs41 five years ago
  only #bgs4  ,building ships1 #aj      
pounds a ton4  ,wear and tear of such a 
ship1 #bj pounds a month4  ,ship        
provisions1 #bjs4 a month4    ,the new  
church in this city is a very beautiful 
one2 the body of it is in  the same     
style exactly as that of ,belfast1      
already described3 the total  length one
 hundred and seventy feet1 the breadth  
fifty-eight4  ,the length  of the body  
of the church ninety-two1 the height    
forty2 breadth between  the pillars1    
twenty-six4  ,the aisle 7which ,i do not
 remember at ,belfast7  is fifty-eight  
by forty-five4  ,a room on one side the 
steeple1 space for  the bishop's court1 
twenty-four by eighteen2 on the other   
side1 a room of  the same size for the  
vestry2 and twenty-eight feet square    
left for a  steeple when their funds    

will permit4  ,the whole is light and   
beautiful4  ,it was built by            
subscription1 and there is a fine organ 
bespoke at  ,london4  ,but the finest   
object in this city is the quay1 which  
is  unrivalled by any ,i have seen4  ,it
 is an ,english mile long2 the buildings
  on it are only common houses1 but the 
river is near a mile over1 flows up  to 
the town in one noble reach1 and the    
opposite shore a bold hill1 which  rises
 immediately from the water to a height 
that renders the whole  magnificent4    
,this is scattered with some wood1 and  
divided into pastures  of a beautiful   
verdure by hedges4  ,i crossed the      
water1 in order to walk  up the rocks on
 the top of this hill4  ,in one place1  
over against  ,bilberry quarry1 you look
 immediately down on the river1 which   
flows in  noble reaches from ,granny    
,castle on the right past ,cromwell's   
rock1 the  shores on both sides quite   
steep1 especially the rock of ,bilberry4
  ,you  look over the whole town1 which 

here appears in a triangular form4      
,besides the city the ,cummeragh        
mountains1 ,slein-a-man1 etc41 come in  
view4  ,kilmacow river falls into the   
,suir1 after flowing through a large    
extent of well-planted country4  ,this  
is the finest view about the city4      
,from ,waterford to ,passage1 and got my
 chaise and horses on board the         
,countess of ,tyrone packet1 in full    
expectation of sailing immediately1  as 
the wind was fair1 but ,i soon found the
 difference of these private  vessels   
and the ,post-,office packets at        
,holyhead and ,dublin4  ,when the  wind 
was fair the tide was foul2 and when the
 tide was with them the wind  would not 
do4  ,in ,english1 there was not a      
complement of passengers1 and  so ,i had
 the agreeableness of waiting with my   
horses in the hold1 by way  of rest1    
after a journey of above one thousand   
five hundred miles4    ,october #ah4    
,after a beastly night passed on        
shipboard1 and finding no  signs of     

departure1 walked to ,ballycanvan1 the  
seat of ,cornelius ,bolton1  ,esq42 rode
 with ,mr4 ,bolton1 jun41 to            
,faithleghill1 which commands one of    
the finest views ,i have seen in        
,ireland4  ,there is a rock on the top  
of a  hill which has a very bold view on
 every side down on a great extent of   
country1 much of which is grass         
inclosures of a good verdure4  ,this    
hill  is the centre of a circle of about
 ten miles diameter1 beyond which       
higher lands rise1 which1 after         
spreading to a great extent1 have on    
every side a background of mountain3 in 
a northerly direction ,mount  ,leinster1
 between ,wexford and ,wicklow1         
twenty-six miles off1 rises in  several 
heads far above the clouds4  ,a little  
to the right of this1  ,sliakeiltha     
7i4e4 the woody mountain71 at a less    
distance1 is a fine  object4  ,to the   
left1 ,tory ,hill1 only five miles1 in a
 regular form1  varies the outline4  ,to
 the east1 there is the ,long ,mountain1

 eighteen  miles distant1 and several   
lesser ,wexford hills4  ,to the         
south-east1 the  ,saltees4  ,to the     
south1 the ocean1 and the ,colines about
 the bay of  ,tramore4  ,to the west1   
,monavollagh rises two thousand one     
hundred and  sixty feet above the level 
of the sea1 eighteen miles off1 being   
part of  the great range of the         
,cummeragh mountains3 and to the        
north-west  ,slein-a-man1 at the        
distance of twenty-four miles2 so that  
the outline is  everywhere bold and     
distinct1 though distant4  ,these       
circumstances would  alone form a great 
view1 but the water part of it1 which   
fills up the  canvas1 is in a much      
superior style4  ,the great river ,suir 
takes a  winding course from the city of
 ,waterford1 through a rich country1    
hanging on the sides of hills to its    
banks1 and1 dividing into a double      
channel1 forms the lesser island1 both  
of which courses you command            
distinctly4  ,united1 it makes a bold   

reach under the hill on which you       
stand1 and there receives the noble     
tribute of the united waters of the     
,barrow and ,nore in two great channels1
 which form the larger island4          
,enlarged by such an accession of water1
 it winds round the hill in a  bending  
course1 of the freest and most graceful 
outline1 everywhere from  one to three  
miles across1 with bold shores that give
 a sharp outline to  its course to the  
ocean4  ,twenty sail of ships at        
,passage gave animation  to the scene4  
,upon the whole1 the boldness of the    
mountain outline1 the  variety of the   
grounds1 the vast extent of river1 with 
the declivity to  it from the point of  
view1 altogether form so unrivalled a   
scenery1 every  object so commanding1   
that the general want of wood is almost 
forgotten4    ,two years after this     
account was written ,i again visited    
this enchanting  hill1 and walked to it1
 day after day1 from ,ballycanvan1 and  
with  increasing pleasure4  ,mr4        

,bolton1 jun41 has1 since ,i was there  
before1  inclosed forty acres on the top
 and steep slope to the water1 and begun
  to plant them4  ,this will be a       
prodigious addition2 for the slope      
forming  the bold shore for a           
considerable space1 and having          
projections from  which the wood will   
all be seen in the gentle hollows of the
 hill1 the  effect will be amazingly    
fine4  ,walks and a riding are tracing  
out1 which  will command fresh beauties 
at every step4  ,the spots from which a 
variety of beautiful views are seen are 
numerous4  ,all the way from            
,ballycanvan to ,faithleg1 the whole1 to
 the amount of one thousand two  hundred
 acres1 is the property of ,mr4 ,bolton4
    ,farms about ,ballycanvan1          
,waterford1 etc41 are generally small1  
from  twenty and thirty to five hundred 
acres1 generally about two hundred and  
fifty4  ,all above two hundred acres are
 in general dairies2 some of the  dairy 
ones rise very high4  ,the soil is a    

reddish stony or slaty gravel1  dry1    
except low lands1 which are clay or     
turf4  ,rents vary much--about  the town
 very high1 from #e pounds #es4 to #i   
pounds1 but at the distance of  a few   
miles towards ,passage1 etc41 they are  
from #bjs4 to #djs41 and some  higher1  
but the country in general does not rise
 so high1 usually #ajs4 to  #bjs4 for   
dairying land4    ,the poor people spin 
their own flax1 but not more1 and a few 
of them wool  for themselves4  ,their   
food is potatoes and milk2 but they have
 a  considerable assistance from fish1  
particularly herrings2 part of the  year
 they have also barley1 oaten1 and rye  
bread4  ,they are incomparably  better  
off in every respect than twenty years  
ago4  ,their increase about             
,ballycanvan is very great1 and tillage 
all over this neighbourhood is          
increased4  ,the rent of a cabin #ajs42 
an acre with it #bjs4  ,the grass of  a 
cow a few years ago #bjs41 now #bes4 or 
#cjs4    ,an exceeding good practice    

here in making their fences is1 they    
plant the  quick on the side of the bank
 in the common manner1 and then1 instead
 of  the dead hedge we use in ,england  
on the top of the bank1 they plant a row
  of old thorns1 two or three feet high1
 which readily grow1 and form at  once a
 most excellent fence4  ,their way also 
of taking in sand-banks from  the river 
deserves notice4  ,they stake down a row
 of furzes at low water1  laying stones 
on them to the height of one or two     
feet2 these retain the  mud1 which every
 tide brings in1 so as to fill up all   
within the furze as  high as their tops4
  ,i remarked1 on the strand1 that a few
 boatloads of  stones laid carelessly   
had had this effect1 for within them ,i 
measured  twelve inches deep of rich    
blue mud left behind them1 the same as  
they  use in manuring1 full of shells1  
and effervesced strongly with vinegar4  
,among the poor people the fishermen are
 in much the best circumstances4  ,the  
fishery is considerable2 ,waterford and 

its harbour have fifty boats  each1 from
 eight to twelve tons1 six men on an    
average to each1 but to  one of six tons
 five men go4  ,a boat of eight tons    
costs #dj pounds2 one  of twelve1 #fj   
pounds4  ,to each boat there is a train 
of nets of six pair1  which costs from  
#d pounds #ds4 to #f pounds #fs42 tan   
them with bark4  ,their  only net       
fishery is that of herrings1 which is   
commonly carried on by  shares4  ,the   
division of the fish is1 first1         
one-fourth for the boat2 and  then the  
men and nets divide the rest1 the latter
 reckoned as three men4  ,they reckon   
ten maze of herrings an indifferent     
night's work2 when there  is a good     
take1 forty maze have been taken1 twenty
 a good night2 the  price per maze from 
#as4 to #gs41 average #es4  ,their take 
in #agge1 the  greatest they have known1
 when they had more than they could     
dispose of1  and the whole town and     
country stunk of them1 they retailed    
them  thirty-two for a penny2 #aggc and 

#aggd good years4  ,they barrelled many1
  but in general there is an import of  
,swedish4  ,besides the common  articles
 ,i have registered1 the following are3 
pigeons1 #as4 a couple2 a  hare1 #as42  
partridges1 #i;d42 turbots1 fine ones1  
#ds4 to #ajs42 soles a  pair1 large1    
#as4 #f;d to #as42 lobsters1 #c;d4 each2
 oysters1 #fs4 per hundred2  rabbits1   
#as4 to #as4 #d;d4 a couple2 cod1 #as4  
each1 large2 salmon1 #a4be;d4 to  #b;d4 
,a very extraordinary circumstance ,i   
was told--that within five or six  years
 there has been much hay carried from   
,waterford to ,norway1 in the  ,norway  
ships that bring deals4  ,as hay is dear
 here1 it proves a most  backward state 
of husbandry in that northerly region1  
since the  neighbourhood of sea-ports to
 which this hay can alone go is         
generally  the best improved in all     
countries4    ,october #ai1 the wind    
being fair1 took my leave of ,mr4       
,bolton1 and went  back to the ship4    
,met with a fresh scene of provoking    

delays1 so that it  was the next        
morning1 ,october #bj1 at eight o'clock1
 before we sailed1 and  then it was not 
wind1 but a cargo of passengers that    
spread our sails4  ,twelve or fourteen  
hours are not an uncommon passage1 but  
such was our  luck that1 after being in 
sight of the lights on the ,smalls1 we  
were by  contrary winds blown opposite  
to ,arklow sands4  ,a violent gale      
arose1  which presently blew a storm    
that lasted thirty-six hours1 in which1 
under a reefed mainsail1 the ship       
drifted up and down wearing in order to 
keep clear of the coasts4    ,no wonder 
this appeared to me1 a fresh-water      
sailor1 as a storm1 when the  oldest men
 on board reckoned it a violent one4    
,the wind blew in furious  gusts2 the   
waves ran very high2 the cabin windows  
burst open1 and the sea  pouring in set 
everything afloat1 and among the rest a 
poor lady1 who had  spread her bed on   
the floor4  ,we had1 however1 the       
satisfaction to find1  by trying the    

pumps every watch1 that the ship made   
little water4  ,i had  more time to     
attend these circumstances than the rest
 of the passengers1  being the only one 
in seven who escaped without being sick4
  ,it pleased  ,god to preserve us1 but 
we did not cast anchor in ,milford      
,haven till  ,tuesday morning1 the      
#bbnd1 at one o'clock4    ,it is much to
 be wished that there were some means of
 being secure of  packets sailing       
regularly1 instead of waiting till there
 is such a number  of passengers as     
satisfies the owner and captain4  ,with 
the ,post-,office  packets there is this
 satisfaction1 and a great one it is4   
,the contrary  conduct is so perfectly  
detestable that ,i should suppose the   
scheme of  ,waterford ones can never    
succeed4    ,two years after1 having    
been assured this conveyance was put on 
a new  footing1 ,i ventured to try it   
again1 but was mortified to find that   
the  ,tyrone1 the only one that could   
take a chaise or horses 7the ,countess  

being laid up71 was repairing1 but would
 sail in five days4  ,i waited1  and    
received assurance after assurance that 
she would be ready on such a  day1 and  
then on another4  ,in a word1 ,i waited 
twenty-four days before ,i  sailed4     
,moderately speaking1 ,i could by       
,dublin have reached ,turin or  ,milan  
as soon as ,i did ,milford in this      
conveyance4  ,all this time the  papers 
had constant advertisements of the      
,tyrone sailing regularly1  instead of  
letting the public know that she was    
under a repair4  ,her  owner seems to be
 a fair and worthy man2 he will         
therefore probably give  up the scheme  
entirely1 unless assisted by the        
corporation with at least  four ships   
more1 to sail regularly with or without 
passengers4  ,at  present it is a       
general disappointment4  ,i was         
fortunate in ,mr4 ,bolton's             
acquaintance1 passing my time very      
agreeably at his hospitable mansion2    
but those who1 in such a case1 should   

find a ,waterford inn their  resource1  
would curse the ,tyrone1 and set off for
 ,dublin4  ,the expenses  of this       
passage are higher than those from      
,dublin to ,holyhead3 ,i paid--         
l4  s4 d4  ,a four-wheel chaise         
#c  #c  #j  ,three horses               
#c  #c  #j  ,self                       
#a  #a  #j  ,two servants               
#a  #a  #j  ,custom-house at ,waterford1
 hay1 oats1 etc4             #b  #a  #g 
,ditto at ,pembroke and ,hubberston     
#c  #j  #j  ,sailors1 boats1 and sundry 
small charges               #a #ae  #e  
#ae  #e  #j                             
99 99 99 99 99    #aggg4  ,upon a second
 journey to ,ireland this year1 ,i took 
the opportunity  of going from ,dublin  
to ,mitchelstown1 by a route through the
 central part  of the kingdom1 which ,i 
had not before sufficiently viewed4     
,left ,dublin the #bdth of ,september1  
and taking the road to ,naas1 ,i was    
again struck with the great population  
of the country1 the cabins being  so    

much poorer in the vicinity of the      
capital than in the more distant  parts 
of the kingdom4    ,to ,kildare1        
crossing the ,curragh1 so famous for its
 turf4  ,it is a  sheep-walk of above   
four thousand ,english acres1 forming a 
more beautiful  lawn than the hand of   
art ever made4  ,nothing can exceed the 
extreme  softness of the turf1 which is 
of a verdure that charms the eye1 and   
highly set off by the gentle inequality 
of surface4  ,the soil is a fine  dry   
loam on a stony bottom2 it is fed by    
many large flocks1 turned on it  by the 
occupiers of the adjacent farms1 who    
alone have the right1 and pay  very     
great rents on that account4  ,it is the
 only considerable common in  the       
kingdom4  ,the sheep yield very little  
wool1 not more than #clb4 per  fleece1  
but of a very fine quality4    ,from    
,furness to ,shaen ,castle1 in the      
,queen's ,county1 ,dean ,coote's2 but as
  the husbandry1 etc41 of this          
neighbourhood is already registered1 ,i 

have  only to observe that ,mr4 ,coote  
was so kind as to show me the improved  
grounds of ,dawson's ,court1 the seat of
 ,lord ,carlow1 which ,i had not seen   
before4  ,the principal beauties of the 
place are the well-grown and  extensive 
plantations1 which form a shade not     
often met with in ,ireland4  ,there is  
in the backgrounds a lake well          
accompanied with wood1 broken by        
several islands that are covered with   
underwood1 and an ornamented walk       
passing on the banks which leads from   
the house4  ,this lake is in the  season
 perfectly alive with wild-fowl4  ,near 
it is a very beautiful spot1  which     
commands a view of both woods and water2
 a situation either for a  house or a   
temple4  ,mr4 ,dawson is adding to the  
plantations1 an  employment of all      
others the most meritorious in ,ireland4
  ,another work1  scarcely less so1 was 
the erecting a large handsome inn1      
wherein the same  gentleman intends     
establishing a person who shall be able 

to supply  travellers post with either  
chaises or horses4    ,from ,shaen      
,castle to ,gloster1 in the ,king's     
,county1 the seat of ,john  ,lloyd1     
,esq41 member for that county1 to whose 
attention ,i owe the  following         
particulars1 in which he took every     
means to have me well and  accurately   
informed4  ,but first let me observe    
that ,i was much pleased to  remark1 all
 the way from ,naas quite to ,rosscrea1 
that the country was  amongst the finest
 ,i had seen in ,ireland1 and           
consequently that ,i was  fortunate in  
having an opportunity of seeing it after
 the involuntary  omission of last year4
  ,the cabins1 though many of them are  
very bad1 yet  are better than in some  
other counties1 and chimneys generally a
 part of  them4  ,the people1 too1 have 
no very miserable appearance2 the breed 
of  cattle and sheep good1 and the hogs 
much the best ,i have anywhere seen in  
,ireland4  ,turf is everywhere at hand1 
and in plenty2 yet are the bogs not  so 

general as to affect the beauty of the  
country1 which is very great in  many   
tracts1 with a scattering of wood1 which
 makes it pleasing4  ,shaen  ,castle    
stands in the midst of a very fine      
tract4  ,from ,mountrath to  ,gloster1  
,mr4 ,lloyd's1 ,i could have imagined   
myself in a very pleasing  part of      
,england4  ,the country breaks into a   
variety of inequalities of  hill and    
dale2 it is all well inclosed with fine 
hedges2 there is a  plenty of wood1 not 
so monopolised as in many parts of the  
kingdom by  here and there a solitary   
seat1 but spread over the whole face of 
the  prospect3 look which way you will1 
it is cultivated and cheerful4    ,the  
,shannon adds not a little to the       
convenience and agreeableness of a      
residence so near it4  ,besides         
affording these sorts of wild-fowl1 the 
quantity and size of its fish are       
amazing3 pikes swarm in it1 and rise in 
weight to fifty pounds4  ,in the little 
flat spaces on its banks are small  but 

deep lochs1 which are covered in winter 
and in floods4  ,when the  river        
withdraws1 it leaves plenty of fish in  
them1 which are caught to  put into     
stews4  ,mr4 ,holmes has a small one    
before his door at ,johnstown1  with a  
little stream which feeds it4  ,a       
trowling-rod here gets you a bite  in a 
moment1 of a pike from twenty to forty  
pounds4  ,i ate of one of  twenty-seven 
pounds so taken4  ,i had also the       
pleasure of seeing a  fisherman bring   
three trout1 weighing fourteen pounds1  
and sell them for  sixpence-halfpenny a 
piece4  ,a couple of boats lying at     
anchor1 with  lines extended from one to
 the other1 and hooks in plenty from    
them1 have  been known to catch an      
incredible quantity of trout4  ,colonel 
,prittie1 in  one morning1 caught four  
stone odd pounds1 thirty-two trout4  ,in
 general  they rise from three to nine  
pounds4  ,perch swarm2 they appeared in 
the  ,shannon for the first time about  
ten years ago1 in such plenty that the  

poor lived on them4  ,bream of six      
pounds2 eels very plentiful4  ,there are
  many gillaroos in the river2 one of   
twelve pounds weight was sent to ,mr4   
,jenkinson4  ,upon the whole1 these     
circumstances1 with the pleasure of     
shooting and boating on the river1 added
 to the glorious view it yields1  and   
which is enough at any time to cheer the
 mind1 render this  neighbourhood one of
 the most enviable situations to live in
 that ,i have  seen in ,ireland4  ,the  
face of the country gives every         
circumstance of  beauty4  ,from         
,killodeernan ,hill1 behind the new     
house building by ,mr4  ,holmes1 the    
whole is seen to great advantage4  ,the 
spreading part of the  ,shannon1 called 
,loch ,derg1 is commanded distinctly for
 many miles4  ,it is  in two grand      
divisions of great variety3 that to the 
north is a reach of  five miles leading 
to ,portumna4  ,the whole hither shore a
 scenery of  hills1 checkered by        
enclosures and little woods1 and        

retiring from the  eye into a rich      
distant prospect4  ,the woods of ,doras1
 belonging to ,lord  ,clanricarde1 form 
a part of the opposite shore1 and the   
river itself  presents an island of one 
hundred and twenty acres4  ,inclining to
 the  left1 a vale of rough ground1 with
 an old castle in it1 is backed by a    
bold hill1 which intercepts the river   
there1 and then the great reach of      
fifteen miles1 the bay of ,sheriff1     
spreads to the eye1 with a  magnificence
 not a little added to by the boundary1 
a sharp outline of  the county of ,clare
 mountains1 between which and the       
,duharrow hills the  ,shannon finds its 
way4  ,these hills lead the eye still   
more to the left1  till the ,keeper     
meets it1 presenting a very beautiful   
outline that sinks  into other ranges of
 hill1 uniting with the ,devil's ,bit4  
,the home  scenery of the grounds1      
woods1 hills1 and lake of ,johnstown1 is
  beautiful4    ,dancing is very general
 among the poor people1 almost universal

 in every  cabin4  ,dancing-masters of  
their own rank travel through the       
country from  cabin to cabin1 with a    
piper or blind fiddler1 and the pay is  
sixpence a  quarter4  ,it is an absolute
 system of education4  ,weddings are    
always  celebrated with much dancing1   
and a ,sunday rarely passes without a   
dance4  ,there are very few among them  
who will not1 after a hard day's work1  
gladly walk seven miles to have a dance4
  ,john is not so lively1 but then  a   
hard day's work with him is certainly a 
different affair from what it  is with  
,paddy4  ,other branches of education   
are likewise much attended  to1 every   
child of the poorest family learning to 
read1 write1 and cast  accounts4        
,there is a very ancient custom here1   
for a number of country neighbours      
among the poor people to fix upon some  
young woman that ought1 as they  think1 
to be married4  ,they also agree upon a 
young fellow as a proper  husband for   
her4  ,this determined1 they send to the

 fair one's cabin to  inform her that on
 the ,sunday following she is to be     
horsed1 that is1  carried on men's      
backs4  ,she must then provide whisky   
and cider for a  treat1 as all will pay 
her a visit after mass for a hurling    
match4  ,as  soon as she is horsed1 the 
hurling begins1 in which the young      
fellow  appointed for her husband has   
the eyes of all the company fixed on    
him4  ,if he comes off conqueror1 he is 
certainly married to the girl2 but if   
another is victorious1 he as certainly  
loses her1 for she is the prize of  the 
victor4  ,these trials are not always   
finished in one ,sunday2 they  take     
sometimes two or three1 and the common  
expression when they are over  is1 that 
such a girl was goaled4  ,sometimes one 
barony hurls against  another1 but a    
marriageable girl is always the prize4  
,hurling is a sort  of cricket1 but     
instead of throwing the ball in order to
 knock down a  wicket1 the aim is to    
pass it through a bent stick1 the end   

stuck in the  ground4  ,in these matches
 they perform such feats of activity as 
ought to  evidence the food they live on
 to be far from deficient in            
nourishment4    ,in the hills above     
,derry are some very fine slate         
quarries1 that employ  sixty men4  ,the 
quarrymen are paid #cs4 a thousand for  
the slates1 and the  labourers #e;d4 a  
day4  ,they are very fine1 and sent by  
the ,shannon to  distant parts of the   
kingdom2 the price at the quarry #fs4 a 
thousand1 and  at the shore #fs4 #h;d4  
,four hundred thousand slates are raised
 to pay the  rent only1 from which some 
estimate may be made of the quantity4   
,mr4 ,head has a practice in his fences 
which deserves universal imitation2  it 
is planting trees for gate-posts4       
,stone piers are expensive1 and  always 
tumbling down2 trees are beautiful1 and 
never want repairing4  ,within fifteen  
years this gentleman has improved ,derry
 so much1 that  those who had only seen 
it before would find it almost a new    

creation4  ,he has built a handsome     
stone house1 on the slope of a hill     
rising from  the ,shannon1 and backed by
 some fine woods1 which unite with many 
old  hedges well planted to form a      
woodland scene beautiful in the contrast
 to  the bright expanse of the noble    
river below4  ,the declivity on which   
these woods are finishes in a mountain1 
which rises above the whole4  ,the      
,shannon gives a bend around the        
adjoining lands1 so as to be seen from  
the house both to the west and north1   
the lawn falling gradually to a  margin 
of wood on the shore1 which varies the  
outline4  ,the river is two  miles      
broad1 and on the opposite shore        
cultivated inclosures rise in some      
places almost to the mountain top1 which
 is very bold4    ,it is a very singular
 demesne2 a stripe of very beautiful    
ground1  reaching two miles along the   
banks of the river1 which forms his     
fence on  one side1 with a wall on the  
other4  ,there is so much wood as to    

render  it very pleasing2 adding to     
every day by planting all the fences    
made or  repaired4  ,from several little
 hills1 which rise in different parts of
  it1 extensive views of the river are  
commanded quite to ,portumna2 but  these
 are much eclipsed by that from the top 
of the hill above the slate  quarry4    
,from thence you see the river for at   
least forty miles1 from  ,portumna to   
twenty miles beyond ,limerick4  ,it has 
the appearance of a  fine basin1 two    
miles over1 into which three great      
rivers lead1 being the  north and south 
course and the ,bay of ,sheriff4  ,the  
reaches of it one  beyond another to    
,portumna are fine4  ,at the foot of the
 mountain ,mr4  ,head's demesne extends 
in a shore of rich woodland4    ,october
 #g4  ,took my leave of ,mr4 ,head1     
after passing four days very  agreeably4
  ,through ,killaloe1 over the ,shannon1
 a very long bridge of  many arches2    
went out of the road to see a fall of   
that river at ,castle  ,connel1 where   

there is such an accompaniment of wood  
as to form a very  pleasing scenery4    
,the river takes a very rapid rocky     
course around a  projecting rock1 on    
which a gentleman has built a           
summer-house1 and  formed a terrace3 it 
is a striking spot4  ,to ,limerick4     
,laid at ,bennis's1  the first inn we   
had slept in from ,dublin4  ,god        
preserve us this journey  from another6 
,it is not uncommon1 especially in      
mountainous countries1 to find objects  
that much deserve the attention of      
travellers entirely neglected by them4  
,there are a few instances of this upon 
,lord ,kingsborough's estate1 in the    
neighbourhood of ,mitchelstown4  ,the   
first ,i shall mention is a cave at     
,skeheenrinky1 on the road between      
,cahir and that place4  ,the opening to 
it is a cleft of rock in a limestone    
hill1 so narrow as to be difficult  to  
get into it4  ,i descended by a ladder  
of about twenty steps1 and then  found  
myself in a vault of a hundred feet     

long1 and fifty or sixty high4  ,a small
 hole on the left leads from this a     
winding course of ,i believe  not less  
than half an ,irish mile1 exhibiting a  
variety that struck me  much4  ,in some 
places the cavity in the rock is so     
large that when well  lighted up by     
candles 7not flambeaux2 ,lord           
,kingsborough once showed it me  with   
them1 and we found their smoke          
troublesome7 it takes the appearance  of
 a vaulted cathedral1 supported by massy
 columns4  ,the walls1 ceiling1  floor1 
and pillars1 are by turns composed of   
every fantastic form2 and  often of very
 beautiful incrustations of spar1 some  
of which glitters so  much that it seems
 powdered with diamonds2 and in others  
the ceiling is  formed of that sort     
which has so near a resemblance to a    
cauliflower4  ,the spar formed into     
columns by the dropping of water has    
taken some very  regular forms2 but     
others are different1 folded in plaits  
of light  drapery1 which hang from their

 support in a very pleasing manner4     
,the  angles of the walls seem fringed  
with icicles4  ,one very long branch of 
the cave1 which turns to the north1 is  
in some places so narrow and low1  that 
one crawls into it1 when it suddenly    
breaks into large vaulted  spaces1 in a 
thousand forms4  ,the spar in all this  
cave is very  brilliant1 and almost     
equal to ,bristol stone4  ,for several  
hundred yards  in the larger branch     
there is a deep water at the bottom of  
the declivity  to the right1 which the  
common people call the river4  ,a part  
of the way  is over a sort of potter's  
clay1 which moulds into any form1 and is
 of a  brown colour2 a very different   
soil from any in the neighbouring       
country4  ,i have seen the famous cave  
in the ,peak1 but think it very much    
inferior  to this2 and ,lord            
,kingsborough1 who has viewed the ,grot 
d',aucel in  ,burgundy1 says that it is 
not to be compared with it4    ,but the 
commanding region of the ,galtees       

deserves more attention4  ,those  who   
are fond of scenes in which ,nature     
reigns in all her wild  magnificence    
should visit this stupendous chain4  ,it
 consists of many  vast mountains1      
thrown together in an assemblage of the 
most interesting  features1 from the    
boldness and height of the declivities1 
freedom of  outline1 and variety of     
parts1 filling a space of about six     
miles by  three or four4  ,galtymore is 
the highest point1 and rises like the   
lord  and father of the surrounding     
progeny4  ,from the top you look down   
upon a  great extent of mountain1 which 
shelves away from him to the south1     
east1  and west2 but to the north the   
ridge is almost a perpendicular         
declivity4  ,on that side the famous    
golden vale of ,limerick and ,tipperary 
spreads a  rich level to the eye1       
bounded by the mountains of ,clare1     
,king's and  ,queen's ,counties1 with   
the course of the ,shannon1 for many    
miles below  ,limerick4  ,to the south  

you look over alternate ridges of       
mountains1  which rise one beyond       
another1 till in a clear day the eye    
meets the  ocean near ,dungarvan4  ,the 
mountains of ,waterford and             
,knockmealdown fill  up the space to the
 south-east4  ,the western is the most  
extensive view2  for nothing stops the  
eye till ,mangerton and ,macgillicuddy  
,reeks point  out the spot where        
,killarney's lake calls for a farther   
excursion4  ,the  prospect extends into 
eight counties--,cork1 ,kerry1          
,waterford1 ,limerick1  ,clare1         
,queen's1 ,tipperary1 ,king's4    ,a    
little to the west of this proud summit1
 below it in a very  extraordinary      
hollow1 is a circular lake of two acres1
 reported to be  unfathomable4  ,the    
descriptions which ,i have read of the  
craters of  exhausted volcanoes leave   
very little doubt of this being one2 and
 the  conical regularity of the summit  
of ,galtymore speaks the same language4 
,east of this respectable hill1 to use  

,sir ,william ,hamilton's language1 is  
a declivity of about one-quarter of a   
mile1 and there ,galtybeg rises in a    
yet more regular cone2 and between the  
two hills is another lake1 which  from  
its position seems to have been once the
 crater which threw up  ,galtybeg1 as   
the first mentioned was the origin of   
,galtymore4  ,beyond the  former hill is
 a third lake1 and east of that another 
hill2 ,i was told of  a fourth1 with    
another corresponding mountain4  ,it is 
only the mere  summits of these         
mountains which rise above the lakes4   
,speaking of them  below1 they may be   
said to be on the tops of the hills4    
,they are all of  them at the bottom of 
an almost regularly circular hollow4    
,on the side  next the mountain-top are 
walls of perpendicular rocks1 in regular
  strata1 and some of them piled on each
 other1 with an appearance of art       
rather than nature4  ,in these rocks the
 eagles1 which are seen in numbers  on  
the ,galtees1 have their nests4         

,supposing the mountains to be of       
volcanic origin1 and these lakes the    
craters1 of which ,i have not a  doubt1 
they are objects of the greatest        
curiosity1 for there is an  unusual     
regularity in every considerable summit 
having its corresponding  crater4  ,but 
without this circumstance1 the scenery  
is interesting in a  very great degree4 
,the mountain summits1 which are often  
wrapped in the  clouds1 at other times  
exhibit the freest outline2 the immense 
scooped  hollows which sink at your     
feet1 declivities of so vast a depth as 
to  give one terror to look down2 with  
the unusual forms of the lower region   
of hills1 particularly ,bull ,hill1 and 
,round ,hill1 each a mile over1 yet     
rising out of circular vales1 with the  
regularity of semi-globes1 unite  upon  
the whole to exhibit a scenery to the   
eye in which the parts are of  a        
magnitude so commanding1 a character so 
interesting1 and a variety so  striking1
 that they well deserve to be examined  

by every curious  traveller4    ,nor are
 these immense outlines the whole of    
what is to be seen in this  great range 
of mountains4  ,every glen has its      
beauties3 there is a  considerable      
mountain river1 or rather torrent1 in   
every one of them2 but  the greatest are
 the ,funcheon1 between ,sefang and     
,galtymore2 the  ,limestone river1      
between ,galtymore and ,round ,hill1 and
 the ,grouse river1  between            
,coolegarranroe and ,mr4 ,o',callaghan's
 mountain2 these present to  the eye1   
for a tract of about three miles1 every 
variety that rock1  water1 and mountain 
can give1 thrown into all the fantastic 
forms which  art may attempt in         
ornamented grounds1 but always fails in4
  ,nothing can  exceed the beauty of the
 water1 when not discoloured by rain2   
its lucid  transparency shows1 at       
considerable depths1 every pebble no    
bigger than a  pin1 every rocky basin   
alive with trout and eels1 that play and
 dash  among the rocks as if endowed    

with that native vigour which animates1 
in  a superior degree1 every inhabitant 
of the mountains1 from the bounding  red
 deer and the soaring eagle down even to
 the fishes of the brook4  ,every five  
minutes you have a water-fall in these  
glens1 which in any  other region would 
stop every traveller to admire it4      
,sometimes the vale  takes a gentle     
declivity1 and presents to the eye at   
one stroke twenty or  thirty falls1     
which render the scenery all alive with 
motion2 the rocks  are tossed about in  
the wildest confusion1 and the torrent  
bursts by  turns from above1 beneath1   
and under them2 while the background is 
always  filled up with the mountains    
which stretch around4    ,in the western
 glen is the finest cascade in all the  
,galtees4  ,there are  two falls1 with a
 basin in the rock between1 but from    
some points of view  they appear one3   
the rock over which the water tumbles is
 about sixty  feet high4  ,a good line  
in which to view these objects is either

 to take  the ,killarney and ,mallow    
road to ,mitchelstown and from thence by
 ,lord  ,kingsborough's new one to      
,skeheenrinky1 there to take one of the 
glens to  ,galtybeg and ,galtymore1 and 
return to ,mitchelstown by the ,wolf's  
,track1  ,temple ,hill1 and the         
,waterfall2 or1 if the ,cork road is    
travelling1 to  make ,dobbin's inn1 at  
,ballyporeen1 the head-quarters1 and    
view them from  thence4                 
99 99 99 99 99    ,having heard much of 
the beauties of a part of the ,queen's  
,county ,i had  not before seen1 ,i took
 that line of country in my way on a    
journey to  ,dublin4    ,from           
,mitchelstown to ,cashel1 the road leads
 as far as ,galbally in the  route      
already travelled from ,cullen4         
,towards ,cashel the country is         
various4  ,the only objects deserving   
attention are the plantations of        
,thomastown1 the seat of ,francis       
,mathew1 ,esq42 they consist chiefly of 
hedgerow trees in double and treble     

rows1 are well grown1 and of such       
extent as to form an uncommon woodland  
scene in ,ireland4  ,found the widow    
,holland's inn1 at ,cashel1 clean and   
very civil4  ,take the road to          
,urlingford4  ,the rich sheep pastures1 
part of the famous golden vale1  reach  
between three and four miles from       
,cashel to the great bog by ,botany     
,hill1 noted for producing a greater    
variety of plants than common4  ,that   
bog is separated by only small tracts of
 land from the string of bogs  which    
extend through the ,queen's ,county1    
from the great bog of ,allen2 it  is    
here of considerable extent1 and        
exceedingly improvable4  ,then enter a  
low marshy bad country1 which grows     
worse after passing the sixty-sixth     
milestone1 and successive bogs in it4   
,breakfast at ,johnstown1 a regular     
village on a slight eminence1 built by  
,mr4 ,hayley4  ,it is near the spa of   
,ballyspellin4    ,rows of trees are    
planted1 but their heads all cut off1 ,i

 suppose from  their not thriving1 being
 planted too old4  ,immediately on      
leaving these  planted avenues1 enter a 
row of eight or ten new cabins1 at a    
distance  from each other1 which appear 
to be a new undertaking1 the land about 
them all pared and burnt1 and the ashes 
in heaps4    ,enter a fine planted      
country1 with much corn and good        
thriving quick  hedges for many miles4  
,the road leads through a large wood1   
which joins  ,lord ,ashbrook's          
plantations1 whose house is situated in 
the midst of more  wood than almost any 
one ,i have seen in ,ireland4  ,pass    
,durrow2 the  country for two or three  
miles continues all inclosed with fine  
quick  hedges1 is beautiful1 and has    
some resemblance to the best parts of   
,essex4  ,sir ,robert ,staple's         
improvements join this fine tract4      
,they are  completed in a most perfect  
manner1 the hedges well grown1 cut1 and 
in  such excellent order that ,i can    
scarcely believe myself to be in        

,ireland4  ,his gates are all of iron4  
,these sylvan scenes continue through   
other  seats1 beautifully situated      
amidst gentle declivities of the finest 
verdure1 full-grown woods1 excellent    
hedges1 and a pretty river winding  by  
the house4  ,the whole environs of      
several would be admired in the best    
parts of ,england4    ,cross a great    
bog1 within sight of ,lord de ,vesci's  
plantations4  ,the road  leads over it1 
being drained for that purpose by deep  
cuts on either  side4  ,i should        
apprehend this bog to be among the most 
improvable in the  country4  ,slept at  
,ballyroan1 at an inn kept by three     
animals who call  themselves women2 met 
with more impertinence than at any other
 in  ,ireland4  ,it is an execrable     
hole4  ,in three or four miles pass ,sir
 ,john  ,parnel's1 prettily situated in 
a neatly dressed lawn1 with much wood   
about it1 and a lake quite alive with   
wild fowl4    ,pass ,monstereven1 and   
cross directly a large bog1 drained and 

partly  improved2 but all of it bearing 
grass1 and seems in a state that might  
easily be reduced to rich meadow1 with  
only a dressing of lime4  ,here ,i  got 
again into the road ,i had travelled    
before4    ,i must in general remark1   
that from near ,urlingford to ,dawson   
,court1 near  ,monstereven1 which is    
completely across the ,queen's ,county1 
is a line of  above thirty ,english     
miles1 and is for that extent by much   
the most  improved of any ,i have seen  
in ,ireland4  ,it is generally well     
planted1  has many woods1 and not       
consisting of patches of plantation just
 by  gentlemen's houses1 but spreading  
over the whole face of the country1 so  
as to give it the richness of an        
,english woodland scene4  ,what a       
country  would ,ireland be had the      
inhabitants of the rest of it improved  
the whole  like this6          ,,part   
,,ii4      ,,section ,i4--,soil1 ,face  
of the ,country1 and ,climate4      ,to 
judge of ,ireland by the conversation   

one sometimes hears in ,england1  it    
would be supposed that one-half of it   
was covered with bogs1 and the  other   
with mountains filled with ,irish ready 
to fly at the sight of a  civilised     
being4  ,there are people who will smile
 when they hear that1 in  proportion to 
the size of the two countries1 ,ireland 
is more cultivated  than ,england1      
having much less waste land of all      
sorts4  ,of uncultivated  mountains     
there are no such tracts as are found in
 our four northern  counties1 and the   
,north ,riding of ,yorkshire1 with the  
eastern line of  ,lancaster1 nearly down
 to the ,peak of ,derby1 which form an  
extent of  above a hundred miles of     
waste4  ,the most considerable of this  
sort in  ,ireland are in ,kerry1        
,galway1 and ,mayo1 and some in ,sligo  
and ,donegal4  ,but all these together  
will not make the quantity we have in   
the four  northern counties2 the valleys
 in the ,irish mountains are also more  
inhabited1 ,i think1 than those of      

,england1 except where there are mines1 
and consequently some sort of           
cultivation creeping up the sides4      
,natural  fertility1 acre for acre over 
the two kingdoms1 is certainly in favour
 of  ,ireland2 of this ,i believe there 
can scarcely be a doubt entertained1    
when it is considered that some of the  
more beautiful1 and even best           
cultivated counties in ,england1 owe    
almost everything to the capital1  art1 
and industry of the inhabitants4    ,the
 circumstance which strikes me as the   
greatest singularity of ,ireland  is the
 rockiness of the soil1 which should    
seem at first sight against  that degree
 of fertility2 but the contrary is the  
fact4  ,stone is so  general1 that ,i   
have great reason to believe the whole  
island is one vast  rock of different   
strata and kinds rising out of the sea4 
,i have rarely  heard of any great      
depths being sunk without meeting with  
it4  ,in general  it appears on the     
surface in every part of the kingdom2   

the flattest and  most fertile parts1 as
 ,limerick1 ,tipperary1 and ,meath1 have
 it at no  great depth1 almost as much  
as the more barren ones4  ,may we not   
recognise in this the hand of bounteous 
,providence1 which has given  perhaps   
the most stony soil in ,europe to the   
moistest climate in it8  ,if  as much   
rain fell upon the clays of ,england 7a 
soil very rarely met with  in ,ireland1 
and never without much stone7 as falls  
upon the rocks of her  sister island1   
those lands could not be cultivated4    
,but the rocks are  here clothed with   
verdure2 those of limestone1 with only a
 thin covering  of mould1 have the      
softest and most beautiful turf         
imaginable4    ,of the great advantages 
resulting from the general plenty of    
limestone  and limestone gravel1 and the
 nature of the bogs1 ,i shall have      
occasion  to speak more particularly    
hereafter4    ,the rockiness of the soil
 in ,ireland is so universal that it    
predominates  in every sort4  ,one      

cannot use with propriety the terms     
clay1 loam1 sand1  etc42 it must be a   
stony clay1 a stony loam1 a gravelly    
sand4  ,clay1  especially the yellow1 is
 much talked of in ,ireland1 but it is  
for want  of proper discrimination4  ,i 
have once or twice seen almost a pure   
clay  upon the surface1 but it is       
extremely rare4  ,the true yellow clay  
is  usually found in a thin stratum     
under the surface mould1 and over a     
rock2  harsh1 tenacious1 stony1 strong  
loams1 difficult to work1 are not       
uncommon3 but they are quite different  
from ,english clays4    ,friable1 sandy 
loams1 dry but fertile1 are very common1
 and they form the  best soils in the   
kingdom for tillage and sheep4          
,tipperary and ,roscommon  abound       
particularly in them4  ,the most fertile
 of all are the bullock  pastures of    
,limerick1 and the banks of the ,shannon
 in ,clare1 called the  ,corcasses4     
,these are a mellow1 putrid1 friable    
loam4    ,sand which is so common in    

,england1 and yet more common through   
,spain1  ,france1 ,germany1 and ,poland1
 quite from ,gibraltar to ,petersburg1  
is  nowhere met with in ,ireland1 except
 for narrow slips of hillocks1 upon  the
 sea coast4  ,nor did ,i ever meet with 
or hear of a chalky soil4    ,the bogs1 
of which foreigners have heard so much1 
are very extensive in  ,ireland2 that of
 ,allen extends eighty miles1 and is    
computed to contain  three hundred      
thousand acres4  ,there are others also1
 very extensive1 and  smaller ones      
scattered over the whole kingdom2 but   
these are not in  general more than are 
wanted for fuel4  ,when ,i come to speak
 of the  improvement of waste lands1 ,i 
shall describe them particularly4       
,besides the great fertility of the     
soil1 there are other circumstances     
which come within my sphere to mention4 
,few countries can be better  watered by
 large and beautiful rivers2 and it is  
remarkable that by much  the finest     
parts of the kingdom are on the banks of

 these rivers4  ,witness the ,suir1     
,blackwater1 the ,liffey1 the ,boyne1   
the ,nore1 the  ,barrow1 and part of the
 ,shannon1 they wash a scenery that can 
hardly be  exceeded4  ,from the         
rockiness of the country1 however1 there
 are few of  them that have not         
obstructions1 which are great           
impediments to inland  navigation4      
,the mountains of ,ireland give to      
travelling that interesting variety     
which a flat country can never abound   
with4  ,and1 at the same time1 they  are
 not in such number as to confer the    
usual character of poverty which        
attends them4  ,i was either upon or    
very near the most considerable in  the 
kingdom4  ,mangerton1 and the ,reeks1 in
 ,kerry2 the ,galties in ,cork2  those  
of ,mourne in ,down2 ,crow ,patrick1 and
 ,nephin in ,mayo1 these are the        
principal in ,ireland1 and they are of a
 character1 in height and  sublimity1   
which should render them the objects of 
every traveller's  attention4           

,relative to the climate of ,ireland1 a 
short residence cannot enable a man  to 
speak much from his own experience2 the 
observations ,i have made  myself       
confirm the idea of its being vastly    
wetter than ,england2 from the  #bjth of
 ,june to the #bjth of ,october ,i kept 
a register1 and there were1 in  one     
hundred and twenty-two days1            
seventy-five of rain1 and very many of  
them incessant and heavy4  ,i have      
examined similar registers ,i kept in   
,england1 and can find no year that even
 approaches to such a moisture as  this4
  ,but there is a register of an        
accurate diary published which  compares
 ,london and ,cork4  ,the result is1    
that the quantity at the latter  place  
was double to that at ,london4  ,see    
,smith's ,history of ,cork4    ,from the
 information ,i received1 ,i have reason
 to believe that the rainy  season sets 
in usually about the first of ,july and 
continues very wet  till ,september or  
,october1 when there is usually a dry   

fine season of a  month or six weeks4   
,i resided in the county of ,cork1 etc41
 from ,october  till ,march1 and found  
the winter much more soft and mild than 
ever ,i  experienced one in ,england4   
,i was also a whole summer there        
7#aggh71 and  it is fair to mention that
 it was as fine a one as ever ,i knew in
  ,england1 though by no means so hot4  
,i think hardly so wet as very many ,i  
have known in ,england4  ,the tops of   
the ,galty mountains exhibited the  only
 snow we saw2 and as to frosts1 they    
were so slight and rare that ,i  believe
 myrtles1 and yet tenderer plants1 would
 have survived without any  covering4   
,but when ,i say that the winter was not
 remarkable for being  wet1 ,i do not   
mean that we had a dry atmosphere4  ,the
 inches of rain  which fell in the      
winter ,i speak of would not mark the   
moisture of the  climate4  ,as many     
inches will fall in a single tropical   
shower as in a  whole year in ,england4 
,see ,mitchel's ,present ,state of      

,great ,britain and  ,north ,america4   
,but if the clouds presently disperse1  
and a bright sun  shines1 the air may   
soon be dry4  ,the worst circumstance of
 the climate  of ,ireland is the        
constant moisture without rain4  ,wet a 
piece of  leather1 and lay it in a room 
where there is neither sun nor fire1 and
 it  will not in summer even be dry in a
 month4  ,i have known gentlemen in     
,ireland deny their climate being       
moister than ,england1 but if they have 
eyes let them open them1 and see the    
verdure that clothes their rocks1  and  
compare it with ours in ,england--where 
rocky soils are of a russet  brown      
however sweet the food for sheep4  ,does
 not their island lie more  exposed to  
the great ,atlantic2 and does not the   
west wind blow  three-fourths of a year8
  ,if there was another island yet more 
westward1  would not the climate of     
,ireland be improved8  ,such persons    
speak equally  against fact1 reason1 and
 philosophy4  ,that the moisture of a   

climate  does not depend on the quantity
 of rain that falls1 but on the powers  
of  aerial evaporation1 ,dr4 ,dobson has
 clearly proved4  ,phil4 ,trans4 vol4   
lxvii41 part i41 p4 #bdd4               
,oppression4      ,before ,i conclude   
this article of the common labouring    
poor in ,ireland1 ,i  must observe1 that
 their happiness depends not merely upon
 the payment of  their labour1 their    
clothes1 or their food2 the             
subordination of the  lower classes1    
degenerating into oppression1 is not to 
be overlooked4  ,the poor in all        
countries1 and under all governments1   
are both paid and  fed1 yet there is an 
infinite difference between them in     
different ones4  ,this inquiry will by  
no means turn out so favourable as the  
preceding  articles4  ,it must be very  
apparent to every traveller through that
  country1 that the labouring poor are  
treated with harshness1 and are in  all 
respects so little considered that their
 want of importance seems a  perfect    

contrast to their situation in ,england1
 of which country1  comparatively       
speaking1 they reign the sovereigns4    
,the age has improved  so much in       
humanity1 that even the poor ,irish have
 experienced its  influence1 and are    
every day treated better and better2 but
 still the  remnant of the old manners1 
the abominable distinction of religion1 
united with the oppressive conduct of   
the little country gentlemen1 or  rather
 vermin of the kingdom1 who never were  
out of it1 altogether bear  still very  
heavy on the poor people1 and subject   
them to situations more  mortifying than
 we ever behold in ,england4  ,the      
landlord of an ,irish  estate1 inhabited
 by ,roman ,catholics1 is a sort of     
despot who yields  obedience1 in        
whatever concerns the poor1 to no law   
but that of his will4  ,to discover what
 the liberty of the people is1 we must  
live among them1  and not look for it in
 the statutes of the realm3 the language
 of written  law may be that of liberty1

 but the situation of the poor may speak
 no  language but that of slavery4      
,there is too much of this contradiction
 in  ,ireland2 a long series of         
oppressions1 aided by many very         
ill-judged  laws1 have brought landlords
 into a habit of exerting a very lofty  
superiority1 and their vassals into that
 of an almost unlimited  submission3    
speaking a language that is despised1   
professing a religion  that is abhorred 
and being disarmed1 the poor find       
themselves in many  cases slaves even in
 the bosom of written liberty4          
,landlords that have  resided much      
abroad are usually humane in their      
ideas1 but the habit of  tyranny        
naturally contracts the mind1 so that   
even in this polished age  there are    
instances of a severe carriage towards  
the poor1 which is quite  unknown in    
,england4    ,a landlord in ,ireland can
 scarcely invent an order which a       
servant1  labourer1 or cottar dares to  
refuse to execute4  ,nothing satisfies  

him  but an unlimited submission4       
,disrespect1 or anything tending towards
  sauciness1 he may punish with his cane
 or his horsewhip with the most  perfect
 security2 a poor man would have his    
bones broke if he offered to  lift his  
hands in his own defence4               
,knocking-down is spoken of in the      
country in a manner that makes an       
,englishman stare4  ,landlords of       
consequence have assured me that many of
 their cottars would think  themselves  
honoured by having their wives and      
daughters sent for to the  bed of their 
master2 a mark of slavery that proves   
the oppression under  which such people 
must live4  ,nay1 ,i have heard         
anecdotes of the lives of  people being 
made free with without any apprehension 
of the justice of a  jury4  ,but let it 
not be imagined that this is common2    
formerly it  happened every day1 but law
 gains ground4  ,it must strike the most
  careless traveller to see whole       
strings of cars whipped into a ditch by 

a  gentleman's footman to make way for  
his carriage2 if they are overturned  or
 broken in pieces1 no matter1 it is     
taken in patience2 were they to         
complain they would perhaps be          
horsewhipped4  ,the execution of the    
laws  lies very much in the hands of    
justices of the peace1 many of whom are 
drawn from the most illiberal class in  
the kingdom4  ,if a poor man lodges  a  
complaint against a gentleman1 or any   
animal that chooses to call  itself a   
gentleman1 and the justice issues out a 
summons for his  appearance1 it is a    
fixed affront1 and he will infallibly be
 called out4  ,where manners are in     
conspiracy against law1 to whom are the 
oppressed  people to have recourse8  ,it
 is a fact1 that a poor man having a    
contest  with a gentleman1 must--but ,i 
am talking nonsense1 they know their    
situation too well to think of it2 they 
can have no defence1 but by means  of   
protection from one gentleman against   
another1 who probably protects  his     

vassal as he would the sheep he intends 
to eat4    ,the colours of this picture 
are not charged4  ,to assert that all   
these  cases are common would be an     
exaggeration1 but to say that an        
unfeeling  landlord will do all this    
with impunity1 is to keep strictly to   
truth3  and what is liberty but a farce 
and a jest1 if its blessings are        
received  as the favour of kindness and 
humanity1 instead of being the          
inheritance  of right8    ,consequences 
have flowed from these oppressions which
 ought long ago to  have put a stop to  
them4  ,in ,england we have heard much  
of ,white-boys1  ,steel-boys1 ,oak-boys1
 ,peep-of-day-boys1 etc4  ,but these    
various  insurgents are not to be       
confounded1 for they are very different4
  ,the  proper distinction in the       
discontents of the people is into       
,protestant  and ,catholic4  ,all but   
the ,white-boys were among the          
manufacturing  ,protestants in the      
north3 the ,white-boys ,catholic        

labourers in the south4  ,from the best 
intelligence ,i could gain1 the riots of
 the manufacturers  had no other        
foundation but such variations in the   
manufacture as all  fabrics experience1 
and which they had themselves known and 
submitted to  before4  ,the case1       
however1 was different with the         
,white-boys1 who being  labouring       
,catholics met with all those           
oppressions ,i have described1 and      
would probably have continued in full   
submission had not very severe          
treatment in respect of tithes1 united  
with a great speculative rise of  rent  
about the same time1 blown up the flame 
of resistance2 the atrocious  acts they 
were guilty of made them the object of  
general indignation2  acts were passed  
for their punishment1 which seemed      
calculated for the  meridian of         
,barbary4  ,this arose to such a height 
that by one they were  to be hanged     
under circumstances without the common  
formalities of a  trial1 which1 though  

repealed the following session1 marks   
the spirit of  punishment2 while others 
remain yet the law of the land1 that    
would if  executed tend more to raise   
than quell an insurrection4  ,from all  
which  it is manifest that the gentlemen
 of ,ireland never thought of a radical 
cure from overlooking the real cause of 
the disease1 which in fact lay in       
themselves1 and not in the wretches they
 doomed to the gallows4  ,let them      
change their own conduct entirely1 and  
the poor will not long riot4  ,treat    
them like men who ought to be as free as
 yourselves4  ,put an end to  that      
system of religious persecution which   
for seventy years has divided  the      
kingdom against itself2 in these two    
circumstances lies the cure of          
insurrection2 perform them completely1  
and you will have an affectionate  poor1
 instead of oppressed and discontented  
vassals4    ,a better treatment of the  
poor in ,ireland is a very material     
point of the  welfare of the whole      

,british ,empire4  ,events may happen   
which may  convince us fatally of this  
truth2 if not1 oppression must have     
broken  all the spirit and resentment of
 men4  ,by what policy the ,government  
of  ,england can for so many years have 
permitted such an absurd system to be   
matured in ,ireland is beyond the power 
of plain sense to discover4             
,emigrations4      ,before the ,american
 war broke out1 the ,irish and ,scotch  
emigrations were  a constant subject of 
conversation in ,england1 and occasioned
 much  discourse even in parliament4    
,the common observation was1 that if    
they  were not stopped1 those countries 
would be ruined1 and they were          
generally attributed to a great rise of 
rents4  ,upon going over to  ,ireland ,i
 determined to omit no opportunities of 
discovering the cause  and extent of    
this emigration1 and my information1 as 
may be seen in the  minutes of the      
journey1 was very regular4  ,i have only
 a few general  remarks to make on it   

here4    ,the spirit of emigration in   
,ireland appeared to be confined to two 
circumstances1 the ,presbyterian        
religion1 and the linen manufacture4  ,i
  heard of very few emigrants except    
among manufacturers of that  persuasion4
  ,the ,catholics never went2 they seem 
not only tied to the  country1 but      
almost to the parish in which their     
ancestors lived4  ,as to  the emigration
 in the north it was an error in        
,england to suppose it a  novelty which 
arose with the increase in rents4  ,the 
contrary was the  fact2 it had subsisted
 perhaps forty years1 insomuch that at  
the ports of  ,belfast1 ,derry1 etc41   
the passenger trade1 as they called it1 
had long  been a regular branch of      
commerce1 which employed several ships1 
and  consisted in carrying people to    
,america4  ,the increasing population of
  the country made it an increasing     
trade1 but when the linen trade was     
low1 the passenger trade was always     
high4  ,at the time of ,lord ,donegan   

letting his estate in the north1 the    
linen business suffered a temporary     
decline1 which sent great numbers to    
,america1 and gave rise to the error    
that it was occasioned by the increase  
of his rents4  ,the fact1 however1  was 
otherwise1 for great numbers of those   
who went from his lands  actually sold  
those leases for considerable sums1 the 
hardship of which  was supposed to have 
driven them to ,america4  ,some         
emigration1 therefore1  always existed1 
and its increase depended on the        
fluctuations of linen2  but as to the   
effect there was as much error in the   
conclusions drawn in  ,england as before
 in the cause4    ,it is the misfortune 
of all manufactures worked for a foreign
 market to  be upon an insecure footing2
 periods of declension will come1 and   
when in  consequence of them great      
numbers of people are out of employment1
 the  best circumstance is their        
enlisting in the army or navy1 and it is
 the  common result2 but unfortunately  

the manufacture in ,ireland 7of which ,i
  shall have occasion to speak more     
hereafter7 is not confined as it ought  
to be to towns1 but spreads into all    
cabins of the country4  ,being half     
farmers1 half manufacturers1 they have  
too much property in cattle1 etc41  to  
enlist when idle2 if they convert it    
into cash it will enable them to  pay   
their passage to ,america1 an           
alternative always chosen in preference 
to the military life4  ,the consequence 
is1 that they must live without  work   
till their substance is quite consumed  
before they will enlist4  ,men  who are 
in such a situation that from various   
causes they cannot work1  and won't     
enlist1 should emigrate2 if they stay at
 home they must remain  a burthen upon  
the community4  ,emigration should not1 
therefore1 be  condemned in states so   
ill-governed as to possess many people  
willing to  work1 but without           
employment4        ,,section            
,,ii4--,roads1 ,cars4      ,for a       

country1 so very far behind us as       
,ireland1 to have got suddenly so  much 
the start of us in the article of roads1
 is a spectacle that cannot  fail to    
strike the ,english traveller           
exceedingly4  ,but from this            
commendation the turnpikes in general   
must be excluded2 they are as bad  as   
the bye-roads are admirable4  ,it is a  
common complaint that the tolls  of the 
turnpikes are so many jobs1 and the     
roads left in a state that  disgrace the
 kingdom4    ,the following is the      
system on which the cross-roads are     
made4  ,any  person wishing to make or  
mend a road has it measured by two      
persons1 who  swear to the measurement  
before a justice of the peace4  ,it is  
described  as leading from one          
market-town to another 7it matters not  
in what  direction71 that it will be a  
public good1 and that it will require   
such  a sum per perch of twenty-one     
feet1 to make or repair the same4  ,a   
certificate to this purpose 7of which   

printed forms are sold71 with the       
blanks filled up1 is signed by the      
measurers1 and also by two persons      
called overseers1 one of whom is usually
 the person applying for the  road1 the 
other the labourer he intends to employ 
as an overseer of the  work1 which      
overseer swears also before the justice 
the truth of the  valuation4  ,the      
certificate thus prepared is given by   
any person to some  one of the grand    
jury1 at either of the assizes1 but     
usually in the  spring4  ,when all the  
common business of trials is over1 the  
jury meets  on that of roads2 the       
chairman reads the certificates1 and    
they are all  put to the vote1 whether  
to be granted or not4  ,if rejected1    
they are  torn in pieces and no further 
notice taken2 if granted1 they are put  
on  the file4    ,this vote of          
approbation1 without any further form1  
enables the person  who applied for the 
presentment immediately to construct or 
repair the  road in question1 which he  

must do at his own expense2 he must     
finish it  by the following assizes1    
when he is to send a certificate of his 
having  expended the money pursuant to  
the application2 this certificate is    
signed by the foreman1 who also signs an
 order on the treasurer of the  county  
to pay him1 which is done immediately4  
,in like manner are  bridges1 houses of 
correction1 gaols1 etc4 etc41 built and 
repaired4  ,if  a bridge over a river   
which parts two counties1 half is done  
by one and  the other half by the other 
county4    ,the expense of these works  
is raised by a tax on the lands1 paid by
 the  tenant2 in some counties it is    
acreable1 but in others it is on the    
plough land1 and as no two plough lands 
are of the same size1 is a very  unequal
 tax4  ,in the county of ,meath it is   
acreable1 and amounts to one  shilling  
per acre1 being the highest in ,ireland2
 but in general it is  from threepence  
to sixpence per acre1 and amounts of    
late years through  the whole kingdom to

 one hundred and forty thousand pounds a
 year4    ,the juries will very rarely  
grant a presentment for a road which    
amounts  to above fifty pounds1 or for  
more than six or seven shillings a      
perch1  so that if a person wants more  
to be made than such a sum will do1 he  
divides it into two or three different  
measurements or presentments4  ,by  the 
,act of ,parliament1 all                
presentment-roads must be twenty-one    
feet wide  at least from fence to fence1
 and fourteen feet of it formed with    
stone  or gravel4    ,as the power of   
the grand jury extends in this manner to
 the cutting new  roads where none ever 
were before1 as well as to the repairing
 and  widening old ones1 exclusive1     
however1 of parks1 gardens1 etc41 it was
  necessary to put a restriction against
 the wanton expense of it4  ,any        
presentment may be traversed that is    
opposed1 by denying the allegations  of 
the certificate2 this is sure of        
delaying it until another assizes1  and 

in the meantime persons are appointed to
 view the line of road  demanded1 and   
report on the necessity or hardship of  
the case4  ,the  payment of the money   
may also be traversed after the         
certificate of its  being laid out2 for 
if any person views and finds it a      
manifest  imposition and job1 he has    
that power to delay payment until the   
cause is  cleared up and proved4  ,but  
this traverse is not common4  ,any      
persons are  eligible for asking        
presentments2 but it is usually done    
only by resident  gentlemen1 agents1    
clergy1 or respectable tenantry4  ,it   
follows  necessarily1 that every person 
is desirous of making the roads leading 
to  his own house1 and that private     
interest alone is considered in it1     
which  ,i have heard objected to the    
measure2 but this ,i must own appears to
 me  the great merit of it4  ,whenever  
individuals act for the public alone1   
the public is very badly served2 but    
when the pursuit of their own  interest 

is the way to benefit the public1 then  
is the public good sure  to be promoted2
 such is the case of presentment of     
roads3 for a few years  the good roads  
were all found leading from houses like 
rays from a  centre1 with a surrounding 
space1 without any communication2 but   
every  year brought the remedy1 until in
 a short time1 those rays pointing from 
so many centres met1 and then the       
communication was complete4  ,the       
original ,act passed but seventeen years
 ago1 and the effect of it in all  parts
 of the kingdom is so great1 that ,i    
found it perfectly practicable  to      
travel upon wheels by a map2 ,i will go 
here2 ,i will go there2 ,i could  trace 
a route upon paper as wild as fancy     
could dictate1 and everywhere ,i  found 
beautiful roads without break or        
hindrance1 to enable me to realise  my  
design4  ,what a figure would a person  
make in ,england1 who should  attempt to
 move in that manner1 where the roads1  
as ,dr4 ,burn has well  observed1 are   

almost in as bad a state as in the time 
of ,philip and ,mary4  ,in a few years  
there will not be a piece of bad road   
except turnpikes in  all ,ireland4  ,the
 money raised for this first and most   
important of all  national purposes1 is 
expended among the people who pay it1   
employs  themselves and their teams1    
encourages their agriculture1 and       
facilitates  so greatly the improvement 
of waste lands1 that it ought always to 
be  considered as the first step to any 
undertaking of that sort4    ,at first1 
roads1 in common with bridges1 were paid
 out of the general  treasure of the    
county1 but by a subsequent act the road
 tax is now on  baronies2 each barony   
pays for its own roads4  ,by another act
 juries were  enabled to grant          
presentments of narrow mountain roads1  
at two shillings  and sixpence a perch4 
,by another1 they were empowered to     
grant  presentments of footpaths1 by the
 side of roads1 at one shilling a perch4
  ,by a very late act1 they are also    

enabled to contract at three-halfpence  
per perch per annum from the first      
making of a road1 for keeping it in     
repair1 which before could not be done  
without a fresh presentment4  ,arthur   
,king1 ,esq4 of ,moniva1 whose          
agriculture is described in the         
preceding minutes1 and who at that time 
represented the county of ,galway1  was 
the worthy citizen who first brought    
this excellent measure into  parliament3
 ,ireland1 and every traveller that ever
 visits it ought1 to  the latest time1  
to revere the memory of such a          
distinguished benefactor  to the public4
  ,before that time the roads1 like     
those of ,england1  remained impassable1
 under the miserable police of the six  
days' labour4  ,similar good effects    
would here flow from adopting the       
measure1 which  would ease the kingdom  
of a great burthen in its public effects
  absolutely contemptible2 and the tax  
here1 as in ,ireland1 ought to be so    
laid1 as to be borne by the tenant whose

 business it is at present to  repair4  
,upon the imperfections of the ,irish   
system ,i have only to remark1 that     
juries should1 in some cases1 be more   
ready than they are to grant these      
presentments4  ,in general1 they are    
extremely liberal1 but sometimes they   
take silly freaks of giving none1 or    
very few4  ,experience having proved1   
from the general goodness of the roads1 
that abuses cannot be very great1  they 
should go on with spirit to perfect the 
great work throughout the  kingdom2 and 
as a check upon those who lay out the   
money1 it might  perhaps be advisable to
 print county maps of the presentment   
roads1 with  corresponding lists and    
tables of the names of all persons who  
have  obtained presentments1 the sums   
they received1 and for what roads4      
,these  should be given freely by the   
jurymen1 to all their acquaintance1 that
  every man might know1 to whose        
carelessness or jobbing the public was  
indebted for bad roads1 when they had   

paid for good ones4  ,such a  practice  
would certainly deter many4    ,at      
#aa1jdb1fdb acres in the kingdom1       
#adj1jjj pounds a year amounts to just  
threepence an acre for the whole        
territory3 a very trifling tax for such 
an improvement1 and which almost ranks  
in public ease and benefit with  that of
 the post-office4        ,,section      
,,iii4--,manners and ,customs4          
,quid leges sine moribus1      ,vana    
proficiunt6    ,it is but an illiberal  
business for a traveller1 who designs to
 publish  remarks upon a country to sit 
down coolly in his closet and write a   
satire on the inhabitants4  ,severity of
 that sort must be enlivened with  an   
uncommon share of wit and ridicule1 to  
please4  ,where very gross  absurdities 
are found1 it is fair and manly to note 
them2 but to enter  into character and  
disposition is generally uncandid1 since
 there are no  people but might be      
better than they are found1 and none but
 have virtues  which deserve attention1 

at least as much as their failings2 for 
these  reasons this section would not   
have found a place in my observations1  
had  not some persons1 of much more     
flippancy than wisdom1 given very gross 
misrepresentations of the ,irish nation4
  ,it is with pleasure1 therefore1  that
 ,i take up the pen on the present      
occasion2 as a much longer  residence   
there enables me to exhibit a very      
different picture2 in doing  this1 ,i   
shall be free to remark1 wherein ,i     
think the conduct of certain  classes   
may have given rise to general and      
consequently injurious  condemnation4   
,there are three races of people in     
,ireland1 so distinct as to strike the  
least attentive traveller3 these are the
 ,spanish which are found in  ,kerry1   
and a part of ,limerick and ,cork1 tall 
and thin1 but well made1 a  long visage1
 dark eyes1 and long black lank hair4   
,the time is not remote  when the       
,spaniards had a kind of settlement on  
the coast of ,kerry1 which  seemed to be

 overlooked by government4  ,there were 
many of them in ,queen  ,elizabeth's    
reign1 nor were they entirely driven out
 till the time of  ,cromwell4  ,there is
 an island of ,valentia on that coast1  
with various  other names1 certainly    
,spanish4  ,the ,scotch race is in the  
north1 where  are to be found the       
feature which are supposed to mark that 
people1 their  accent and many of their 
customs4  ,in a district near ,dublin1  
but more  particularly in the baronies  
of ,bargie and ,forth in the county of  
,wexford1 the ,saxon tongue is spoken   
without any mixture of the ,irish1 and  
the people have a variety of customs    
mentioned in the minutes1 which         
distinguish them from their neighbours4 
,the rest of the kingdom is made  up of 
mongrels4  ,the ,milesian race of       
,irish1 which may be called native1  are
 scattered over the kingdom1 but chiefly
 found in ,connaught and  ,munster2 a   
few considerable families1 whose        
genealogy is undoubted1  remain1 but    

none of them with considerable          
possessions except the  ,o',briens and  
,mr4 ,o',neil2 the former have near     
twenty thousand pounds a  year in the   
family1 the latter half as much1 the    
remnant of a property  once his         
ancestors1 which now forms six or seven 
of the greatest estates  in the kingdom4
  ,o',hara and ,m',dermot are great     
names in ,connaught1 and  ,o',donnohue a
 considerable one in ,kerry2 but ,i     
heard of a family of  ,o',drischal's in 
,cork1 who claim an origin prior in     
,ireland to any of the  ,milesian race4 
,the only divisions which a traveller1  
who passed through the kingdom  without 
making any residence could make1 would  
be into people of  considerable fortune 
and mob4  ,the intermediate division of 
the scale1 so  numerous and respectable 
in ,england1 would hardly attract the   
least  notice in ,ireland4  ,a residence
 in the kingdom convinces one1 however1 
that there is another class in general  
of small fortune--country  gentlemen and

 renters of land4  ,the manners1 habits1
 and customs of  people of considerable 
fortune are much the same everywhere1 at
 least  there is very little difference 
between ,england and ,ireland1 it is    
among  the common people one must look  
for those traits by which we            
discriminate  a national character4     
,the circumstances which struck me most 
in the  common ,irish were1 vivacity and
 a great and eloquent volubility of     
speech2 one would think they could take 
snuff and talk without tiring  till     
doomsday4  ,they are infinitely more    
cheerful and lively than  anything we   
commonly see in ,england1 having nothing
 of that incivility of  sullen silence  
with which so many ,englishmen seem to  
wrap themselves up1  as if retiring     
within their own importance4  ,lazy to  
an excess at work1  but so spiritedly   
active at play1 that at hurling1 which  
is the cricket  of savages1 they shew   
the greatest feats of agility4  ,their  
love of  society is as remarkable as    

their curiosity is insatiable2 and their
  hospitality to all comers1 be their   
own poverty ever so pinching1 has too   
much merit to be forgotten4  ,pleased to
 enjoyment with a joke1 or witty        
repartee1 they will repeat it with such 
expression1 that the laugh will  be     
universal4  ,warm friends and revengeful
 enemies2 they are inviolable  in their 
secrecy1 and inevitable in their        
resentment2 with such a notion  of      
honour1 that neither threat nor reward  
would induce them to betray the  secret 
or person of a man1 though an oppressor1
 whose property they would  plunder     
without ceremony4  ,hard drinkers and   
quarrelsome2 great liars1  but civil1   
submissive1 and obedient4  ,dancing is  
so universal among them1  that there are
 everywhere itinerant dancing-masters1  
to whom the cottars  pay sixpence a     
quarter for teaching their families4    
,besides the ,irish  jig1 which they can
 dance with a most luxuriant expression1
 minuets and  country-dances are taught2

 and ,i even heard some talk of         
cotillions  coming in4    ,some degree  
of education is also general1 hedge     
schools1 as they are  called1 7they     
might as well be termed ditch ones1 for 
,i have seen many a  ditch full of      
scholars17 are everywhere to be met with
 where reading and  writing are taught2 
schools are also common for men2 ,i have
 seen a dozen  great fellows at school1 
and was told they were educating with an
  intention of being priests4  ,many    
strokes in their character are          
evidently to be ascribed to the extreme 
oppression under which they live4  ,if  
they are as great thieves and liars as  
they are reported1 it is  certainly     
owing to this cause4    ,if from the    
lowest class we rise to the highest1 all
 there is gaiety1  pleasure1 luxury1 and
 extravagance2 the town life at ,dublin 
is formed on  the model of that of      
,london4  ,every night in the winter    
there is a ball  or a party1 where the  
polite circle meet1 not to enjoy but to 

sweat each  other2 a great crowd crammed
 into twenty feet square gives a zest to
 the  agrements of small talk and whist4
  ,there are four or five houses large  
enough to receive a company             
commodiously1 but the rest are so small 
as to  make parties detestable4  ,there 
is however an agreeable society in      
,dublin1 in which a man of large fortune
 will not find his time heavy4  ,the    
style of living may be guessed from the 
fortunes of the resident  nobility and  
great commoners2 there are about thirty 
that possess incomes  from seven to     
twenty thousand pounds a year4  ,the    
court has nothing  remarkable or        
splendid in it1 but varies very much1   
according to the  private fortune or    
liberality of disposition in the lord   
lieutenant4    ,in the country their    
life has some circumstances which are   
not commonly  seen in ,england4  ,large 
tracts of land are kept in hand by      
everybody to  supply the deficiencies of
 markets2 this gives such a plenty1     

that1  united with the lowness of taxes 
and prices1 one would suppose it        
difficult for them to spend their       
incomes1 if ,dublin in the winter did   
not lend assistance4  ,let it be        
considered that the prices of meat are  
much lower than in ,england2 poultry    
only a fourth of the price2 wild fowl   
and fish in vastly greater plenty2 rum  
and brandy not half the price2  coffee1 
tea1 and wines far cheaper2 labour not  
above a third2 servants'  wages upon an 
average thirty per cent4 cheaper4  ,that
 taxes are  inconsiderable1 for there is
 no land-tax1 no poor-rates1 no window  
tax1  no candle or soap tax1 only half a
 wheel-tax1 no servants' tax1 and a     
variety of other articles heavily       
burdened in ,england1 but not in        
,ireland4  ,considering all this1 one   
would think they could not spend  their 
incomes2 they do contrive it1 however4  
,in this business they are  assisted by 
two customs that have an admirable      
tendency to it1 great  numbers of horses

 and servants4    ,in ,england such     
extensive demesnes would be parks around
 the seats for  beauty as much as use1  
but it is not so in ,ireland2 the words 
deer-park  and demesne are to be        
distinguished2 there are great demesnes 
without any  parks1 but a want of taste1
 too common in ,ireland1 is having a    
deer-park  at a distance from the house2
 the residence surrounded by walls1 or  
hedges1 or cabins2 and the lawn         
inclosure scattered with animals of     
various sorts1 perhaps three miles off4 
,the small quantity of corn             
proportioned to the total acres1 shows  
how little tillage is attended to  even 
by those who are the best able to carry 
it on2 and the column of  turnips proves
 in the clearest manner what the        
progress of improvement is  in that     
kingdom4  ,the number of horses may     
almost be esteemed a satire  upon common
 sense2 were they well fed enough to be 
useful1 they would not  be so numerous1 
but ,i have found a good hack for a     

common ride scarce in  a house where    
there were a hundred4  ,upon an average1
 the horses in  gentlemen's stables     
throughout the kingdom are not fed half 
so well as  they are in ,england by men 
of equal fortune2 yet the number makes  
the  expense of them very heavy4        
,another circumstance to be remarked in 
the country life is the  miserableness  
of many of their houses2 there are men  
of five thousand a  year in ,ireland1   
who live in habitations that a man of   
seven hundred a  year in ,england would 
disdain2 an air of neatness1 order1     
dress1 and  proprete1 is wanting to a   
surprising degree around the mansion2   
even  new and excellent houses have     
often nothing of this about them4  ,but 
the  badness of the houses is remedying 
every hour throughout the whole         
kingdom1 for the number of new ones just
 built1 or building1 is  prodigiously   
great4  ,i should suppose there were not
 ten dwellings in the  kingdom thirty   
years ago that were fit for an ,english 

pig to live in4  ,gardens were equally  
bad1 but now they are running into the  
contrary  extreme1 and wall in five1    
six1 ten1 and even twenty ,irish acres  
for a  garden1 but generally double or  
treble what is necessary4    ,the tables
 of people of fortune are very          
plentifully spread2 many  elegantly1    
differing in nothing from those of      
,england4  ,i think ,i  remarked that   
venison wants the flavour it has with   
us1 probably for the  same reason1 that 
the produce of rich parks is never equal
 to that of  poor ones2 the moisture of 
the climate1 and the richness of the    
soil1  give fat but not flavour4        
,another reason is the smallness of the 
parks1  a man who has three or four     
thousand acres in his hands1 has not    
perhaps  above three or four hundred in 
his deer-park1 and range is a great     
point  for good venison4  ,nor do ,i    
think that garden vegetables have the   
flavour  found in those of ,england1    
certainly owing to the climate2 green   

peas ,i  found everywhere perfectly     
insipid1 and lettuce1 etc41 not good4   
,claret  is the common wine of all      
tables1 and so much inferior to what is 
drunk  in ,england1 that it does not    
appear to be the same wine2 but their   
port  is incomparable1 so much better   
than the ,english1 as to prove1 if proof
  was wanting1 the abominable           
adulterations it must undergo with us4  
,drinking and duelling are two charges  
which have long been alleged  against   
the gentlemen of ,ireland1 but the      
change of manners which has  taken place
 in that kingdom is not generally known 
in ,england4  ,drunkenness ought no     
longer to be a reproach1 for at every   
table ,i was at  in ,ireland ,i saw a   
perfect freedom reign1 every person     
drank just as  little as they pleased1  
nor have ,i ever been asked to drink a  
single  glass more than ,i had an       
inclination for2 ,i may go farther and  
assert  that hard drinking is very rare 
among people of fortune2 yet it is      

certain that they sit much longer at    
table than in ,england4  ,i was much    
surprised at first going over to find no
 summons to coffee1 the company  often  
sitting till eight1 nine1 or ten o'clock
 before they went to the  ladies4  ,if a
 gentleman likes tea or coffee1 he      
retires without saying  anything2 a     
stranger of rank may propose it to the  
master of the house1  who from custom   
contrary to that of ,england1 will not  
stir till he  receives such a hint1 as  
they think it would imply a desire to   
save their  wine4  ,if the gentlemen    
were generally desirous of tea1 ,i take 
it for  granted they would have it1 but 
their slighting is one inconvenience to 
such as desire it1 not knowing when it  
is provided1 conversation may  carry    
them beyond the time1 and then if they  
do trifle over the coffee it  will      
certainly be cold4  ,there is a want of 
attention in this1 which the  ladies    
should remedy1 if they will not break   
the old custom and send to  the         

gentlemen1 which is what they ought to  
do1 they certainly should have  a salver
 fresh4  ,i must1 however1 remark1 that 
at the politest tables1  which are those
 of people who have resided much out of 
,ireland1 this  point is conducted      
exactly as it is in ,england4           
,duelling was once carried to an excess1
 which was a real reproach and  scandal 
to the kingdom2 it of course proceeded  
from excessive drinking2  as the cause  
has disappeared1 the effect has nearly  
followed2 not  however1 entirely1 for it
 is yet far more common among people of 
fashion  than in ,england4  ,of all     
practices1 a man who felt for the honour
 of his  country would wish soonest to  
banish this1 for there is not one       
favourable conclusion to be drawn from  
it3 as to courage1 nobody can  question 
that of a polite and enlightened nation1
 entitled to a share of  the reputation 
of the age2 but it implies uncivilised  
manners1 an  ignorance of those forms   
which govern polite societies1 or else a

 brutal  drunkenness2 the latter is no  
longer the cause or the pretence4  ,as  
to  the former1 they would place the    
national character so backward1 would   
take from it so much of its pretence to 
civilisation1 elegance and  politeness  
of manners1 that no true ,irishman would
 be pleased with the  imputation4       
,certain it is1 that none are so        
captious as those who think  themselves 
neglected or despised2 and none are so  
ready to believe  themselves either one 
or the other as persons unused to good  
company4  ,captious people1 therefore1  
who are ready to take an affront1 must  
inevitably have been accustomed to ill  
company1 unless there should be         
something uncommonly crooked in their   
natural dispositions1 which is not  to  
be supposed4  ,let every man that fights
 his one1 two1 three1 or  half-a-dozen  
duels1 receive it as a maxim1 that every
 one he adds to the  number is but an   
additional proof of his being           
ill-educated1 and having  vitiated his  

manners by the contagion of bad company2
 who is it that can  reckon the most    
numerous rencontres8 who but the bucks1 
bloods1  landjobbers1 and little drunken
 country gentlemen8  ,ought not people  
of  fashion to blush at a practice which
 will very soon be the distinction  only
 of the most contemptible of the people8
 the point of honour will and  must     
remain for the decision of certain      
affronts1 but it will rarely be  had    
recourse to in polite1 sensible1 and    
well-bred company4  ,the practice  among
 real gentlemen in ,ireland every day   
declining is a strong proof  that a     
knowledge of the world corrects the old 
manners1 and consequently  its having   
ever been prevalent was owing to the    
causes to which ,i have  attributed it4 
,there is another point of manners      
somewhat connected with the present     
subject1 which partly induced me to     
place a motto at the head of this       
section4  ,it is the conduct of juries2 
the criminal law of ,ireland is the     

same as that of ,england1 but in the    
execution it is so different as         
scarcely to be known4  ,i believe it is 
a fact1 at least ,i have been  assured  
so1 that no man was ever hanged in      
,ireland for killing another in  a duel3
 the security is such that nobody ever  
thought of removing out of  the way of  
justice1 yet there have been deaths of  
that sort1 which had no  more to do with
 honour than stabbing in the dark4  ,i  
believe ,ireland is  the only country in
 ,europe1 ,i am sure it is the only part
 of the ,british  dominions1 where      
associations among men of fortune are   
necessary for  apprehending ravishers4  
,it is scarcely credible how many young 
women  have even of late years been     
ravished1 and carried off in order 7as  
they  generally have fortunes7 to gain  
to appearance a voluntary marriage4     
,these actions1 it is true1 are not     
committed by the class ,i am            
considering at present2 but they are    
tried by them1 and acquitted4  ,i  think

 there has been only one man executed   
for that crime1 which is so  common as  
to occasion the associations ,i         
mentioned2 it is to this supine         
execution of the law that such          
enormities are owing4  ,another         
circumstance which has the effect of    
screening all sorts of offenders1 is    
men of fortune protecting them1 and     
making interest for their acquittal1    
which is attended with a variety of evil
 consequences4  ,i heard it  boasted in 
the county of ,fermanagh1 that there had
 not been a man hanged  in it for       
two-and-twenty years2 all ,i concluded  
from this was1 that there  had been many
 a jury who deserved it richly4    ,let 
me1 however1 conclude what ,i have to   
observe on the conduct of the  principal
 people residing in ,ireland1 that there
 are great numbers among  them who are  
as liberal in all their ideas as any    
people in ,europe2 that  they have seen 
the errors which have given an ill      
character to the  manners of their      

country1 and done everything that       
example could effect  to produce a      
change3 that that happy change has been 
partly effected1 and  is effecting every
 hour1 insomuch that a man may go into a
 vast variety  of families which he will
 find actuated by no other principles   
than those  of the most cultivated      
politeness1 and the most liberal        
urbanity4    ,but ,i must now come to   
another class of people1 to whose       
conduct it is  almost entirely owing    
that the character of the nation has not
 that  lustre abroad1 which ,i dare     
assert it will soon very generally      
merit3  this is the class of little     
country gentlemen2 tenants1 who drink   
their  claret by means of profit rents2 
jobbers in farms2 bucks2 your fellows   
with round hats1 edged with gold1 who   
hunt in the day1 get drunk in the       
evening1 and fight the next morning4  ,i
 shall not dwell on a subject so        
perfectly disagreeable1 but remark that 
these are the men among whom  drinking1 

wrangling1 quarrelling1 fighting1       
ravishing1 etc4 etc4 are  found as in   
their native soil2 once to a degree that
 made them a pest of  society2 they are 
growing better1 but even now1 one or two
 of them got by  accident 7where they   
have no business7 into better company   
are sufficient  very much to derange the
 pleasures that result from a liberal   
conversation4  ,a new spirit2 new       
fashions2 new modes of politeness       
exhibited by the higher ranks are       
imitated by the lower1 which will1 it   
is to be hoped1 put an end to this race 
of beings2 and either drive their  sons 
and cousins into the army or navy1 or   
sink them into plain farmers  like those
 we have in ,england1 where it is common
 to see men with much  greater property 
without pretending to be gentlemen4  ,i 
repeat it from  the intelligence ,i     
received1 that even this class are very 
different from  what they were twenty   
years ago1 and improve so fast that the 
time will  soon come when the national  

character will not be degraded by any   
set4    ,that character is upon the     
whole respectable3 it would be unfair to
  attribute to the nation at large the  
vices and follies of only one class  of 
individuals4  ,those persons from whom  
it is candid to take a general  estimate
 do credit to their country4  ,that they
 are a people learned1  lively1 and     
ingenious1 the admirable authors they   
have produced will be  an eternal       
monument2 witness their ,swift1 ,sterne1
 ,congreve1 ,boyle1  ,berkeley1 ,steele1
 ,farquhar1 ,southerne1 and ,goldsmith4 
,their talent for  eloquence is felt1   
and acknowledged in the parliaments of  
both the  kingdoms4  ,our own service   
both by sea and land1 as well as that   
7unfortunately for us7 of the principal 
monarchies of ,europe1 speak their      
steady and determined courage4  ,every  
unprejudiced traveller who visits  them 
will be as much pleased with their      
cheerfulness1 as obliged by their       
hospitality2 and will find them a brave1

 polite1 and liberal people4