Robert E. Gross 
 Collection 
 
 A Memorial to the Founder 
 of the 
 
 Business Admnilstration Library 
 Los Angeles
 
 BUSH,.D — ) Hibernia Curiosa. A Letter from a Ge 
 lis Friend at Dover in Kent. Giving a general View 
 'ispositions, etc, of the Inhabitants of Ireland, 
 .tions on the State of Trade and Agriculture in th 
 uriosities, such as Salmon-Leaps. . .Water-falls, . . 
 n the Year 176^. ..With Plans.. .from Drawings. Lo 
 1767) • 
 
 vo.., calf, folding frontispiece map of Dublin and 
 lates, one a little torn with no loss.
 
 ^,f0^m 
 
 ji^-j 1 
 
 
 
 -i^^w^^is"^ J. 
 
 'M^i^ 
 
 P'^i^ 
 
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 3). D
 
 HIBERNIA CURIOS A 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM A 
 
 Gentleman in DubLin, 
 
 T O H I S 
 
 Friend at Dover in Kent* 
 
 Giving a general View of the 
 
 Manners, Customs, Dispositions, &Ci 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 Inhabitants of IRELAND. 
 
 With occafional Obfervations on the State 
 of Trade and Agriculture in that 
 Kingdom. 
 
 And including an Account of fome of its moil 
 remarkable Natural Curiosities, fuch as 
 Salmon-Leaps, Water-falls, Cascades, 
 G LYNNS, Lakes, &c. 
 
 With a more particular Description of 
 the Gi A nt's-C A u s E WA Y in the North; and of 
 the celebrated LAKEofKiLARNY in tue South of 
 Ireland; taken from an attentive Survey and 
 Examination of the ORIGINALS. 
 
 Colle6ted in a Touft. through the Kingdom in the 
 Year 1764 : And ornamented with Plans of the principal 
 Originals, engraved from Drawings taken on thie 
 Spot. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for W. Flexney, oppofite Gray's-Inn-Gate, 
 Holboum*
 
 TO THE 
 Right Honourable the Lady 
 
 LOUISA CONOLLY, 
 
 The following 
 
 STRICTURES of a Civil and Natural 
 Hiftory of IRELAND, 
 
 Arc moft humbly infcribed. 
 By 
 Her Ladyfhip's 
 
 Moft refpedlful. 
 
 And moft obedient. 
 Humble fervant, 
 
 J. B U S Ht
 
 ^^c;f^*^«f?^*^«^"^c^*^c;^'^:^*^ 
 
 ^he Reader is dejired to cor re B the following Errata. 
 
 Page Line Of the Editor to the Reader, 
 
 6, I o, /or copy, rW copies. 
 
 21, 12, ysr alderman, rtW aldermen. ^ 
 Of the Letter, &c. 
 
 5, I, /orButhign, reaiRuthign. 
 
 II, 29, /or adjoining, rf(3^ adjacent. 
 
 ^3> ^^> /"'' ^^^" ^^'^^ ''^^^ '■^^" ^'^ '^^'^^ 
 
 Ibid, 25-6, for channel, read kennel. 
 
 2c, 14, yor canicles, r^^^ curricles. 
 
 49> 5, /or curiofity, rea</ curiofides. 
 
 53, 2, /or pentagonal, rW pentagonal, 
 
 eg, 32, for long, re<si/ large. 
 
 60, J 7, /"' Druid temple, read monumental pile, 
 
 63, 3^j fi^ butment, read abutment. 
 
 66* 6, /or tails almoft, r^ai tails round almoft. 
 
 Ibid, 16, /or in, r^a^ of , 
 
 n'y 21, /or the beauty, read the ideas of beauty.' 
 
 Ibid* 26, D^/e aftonilhing. 
 
 76, 24, /or five to fifteen or twenty, read from five to ten or fifteen* 
 
 V^j 13, for mouldered, read moulder'd. 
 
 Ibid, 32, read it is very apparent. 
 
 85, 14, /or verdent, r^ji verdant. 
 
 Ibid, 18, /or in, read oti. 
 
 Ibid, 24, for Neck, read Neagh, 
 
 88, 21, for fertile were, they, read fertile, were theya 
 
 qj;, y, /or perfpedlive, rfdii profpedl. 
 
 9^, 3, /"" vanity, rf^ri variety, 
 
 lo-i, IT, /or thofe, rfiZif thefe. 
 
 104, ^, /or canaons, read cannon. 
 
 Ibid, 6, for fituation, read fituation5» 
 
 J09, 15, for grow, read grows. 
 
 I JO, 6, /or one, r^^i out. 
 
 112, 28-9, for a gentle, rf^ian eafy. 
 
 513* 32, /or that, r^<?i what. 
 
 J c6, 18,/or mountains above the water, read mountains above, the waters. 
 
 117, 26, /or Mongarton, rfj</ Mangarton, 
 
 189* 18, for vegetable, read vegetative. 
 
 Ibid, 29, /or quadruped, r^a^ quadrupeds^ 
 
 320, 3, fit- as, read that. 
 
 128, 28, /or thefe, rf^i thofe. 
 
 131, 22, /or truly, r^ai moft» • . 
 
 133, 28, /or laft, read late. 
 
 135, I o, /or thefe, ;w</ the. 
 
 *kfe«<^'^'^^^'kfe-^'^»^^<^'^'<^
 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 READER. 
 
 F^^'^^^^'miE following JJjeels are 
 ^^^^ i^i^ndedto give him a ge- 
 
 S^^^ ^sS^ natural and civil Jlate of 
 
 ^^mt !tf' '"'"'''J'Ti^ fit 
 
 k.^^^%3 ^^^.y^ ^^ ^ condudt^ to the 
 ^ curious traveller^ to feme of 
 
 the mofl remarkable natural curiojities of that 
 kingdom. The writer has not introduced 
 many of them^ indeed^ for the ijland he writer 
 on is fertile of voluminous natural hi/iory ; 
 but fuch as he has taken notice of are fome of 
 the principal in their kind, of thofe that 
 occurred to him in his journies through the 
 
 country \ and bis intentions ^ at prefenty 
 
 A 3 are
 
 ( vi ) 
 
 are not fo much to write a natural hijlory of 
 the kingdom^ as to exhibit a 'view of what 
 may be expected from one. 
 
 Natural hiflory^ fo long as the defer tptive 
 is employed on fubjcEls worthy the notice of 
 the curious^ ajid carefully taken from na- 
 ture itfelf injiead of fpurious^ unnatural 
 pictures of it^_. c.olledied into a fifth ftory 
 for the fedentary\ domefic traveller to 
 draw his copy from^ is a fcience^ perhaps^ 
 of all others^ the moft generally pleafing^ and 
 
 fertile of entertainment, ~ Nor is there 
 
 a country in the worlds perhaps^ of equal 
 extent^ where the curious naturalifl will 
 find a greater fcope, or variety of fubjeclsy 
 for his entertainment than in this fertile^ 
 Hibernian ifle ; yet it feems to have been 
 almofi totally negleBcd by the natural hif 
 torians^ and tour-writers^ of our own 
 times and country^ from hence ^ as it fhould 
 feem^ that they had no materials to com- 
 pile from. 
 
 Excepting Mr. Smith" s hi (lory of one or 
 two counties in the fouth of Ireland^ wrote 
 within thefe twenty years^ and in which fome 
 of the natural hiflory of tbofe counties is in^ 
 eluded^ there have been but one or two wri^^ 
 ters^ and thofe of the laft century or the be^ 
 ginning of this^ who have attempted to give 
 
 any
 
 •any thing like a natural hijlory of Ireland^ 
 and the great ejl part of thefe appear to have 
 been wrote implicitly from tradition or the 
 hear -fay of other people :^ for no perfon would 
 imagine^ on a comparifon of their accotmfs 
 with the originahy that they had ever feen 
 them : and the blunders of thefe have been re- 
 tailed out by the writers of our own times^ 
 who have^ occafoiially^ dip'd their pens into 
 Irijh hifiory ; for to fee the originals^ either 
 of this or their own country ^ is quite out of 
 the way of our natural hifiorians^ tour- wri- 
 terSy and illuftrators ; which is the reafon, I 
 prefume^ why their produBions are now treat- 
 ed with fo much negligence and contempt. 
 And hoWy indeed^ can the writers^ or rather 
 their employer s^ exptB it fjould be otherwife^ 
 when every gentleman that has ever bee?i 
 through his country kiiows that one half nearly 
 ofivhat they palm upon us for natural hift or y^ 
 has no exifience but in their own^ or the i^na- 
 ginations of others ^ from whom they have col- 
 le9ed or compiled their accounts and defcrip-^ 
 tions ; and which even oj fuch fubjetls as have 
 fome exijience in nature, are as much like the 
 originals, indeed, as a fixpenny piBure of 
 KING-GEORGE & ^EEN-SHARLOT, 
 Jiuck up with a cat's head in a pottage-pot 
 againji the walls of a cottage in Lancafhire. 
 
 T'hey are domeftic travellers, or rather^ 
 
 if you pleafe^ garret-riders, employed^ and 
 
 A A '' their
 
 ( viii ) 
 their expences borne ^ by our hijloriographlcal 
 dealers, And^ indeed^ whoever Jhall have 
 had opportunity of comparing the originals 
 with the reprejentations given of them by our 
 tour-writers aiid illuftrators, will have fuf- 
 ficient reafon to believe^ that from Homer 's- 
 Head to the 7ieareft chop-houfe was one of 
 the longefl journeys the traveller had taken, — 
 Toil gentlemen^ in the paper and calf-fkin 
 trade, have a little patience^ and you pall 
 have an original natural hijlory^ or tour, to 
 work upon, to pick out, flick in, curtail^ 
 tranfpofe, digeft, methodize, or however you 
 pleafe, according to the art and myflery of 
 your profejfwn. We a [fare you. Sirs, by This 
 is not meant the follo%m?ig produBion, for 
 though 'tis perfeBly original, and therefore 
 fjould be one of the befl JubjeBs in your fiops to 
 work upon, yet is it beyond your profoundejl 
 art to methodize. 
 
 If it were allowable to judge of the opinion^ 
 of others from 07ie's own, I fiould, without 
 any hefitation, take it for granted, that the 
 reafons why the generality of our tour- writers 
 and illuftrators are Jo dull and unentertaining, 
 are, in the firfi place, from their foolifh at- 
 tachment to what is called order and method 
 in the clajfing the fever al fubjeBs that are 
 taken into their account. But which metho-_ 
 dical procefs, indeed, is far from being natu-- 
 
 rally
 
 (ix) 
 
 fally adapted to^ or by any means necejfarily 
 conneBed with the piirpojes of entertaining the 
 reader^ on the contrary is, for the mojl party 
 
 fubverfive of them, But the fecond, and 
 
 more general reafon is, from their ftitffing us 
 with a heavy, fckening load of dull infig7iifica7it 
 defcriptions, which whether true orfalfe are, 
 at beji infipid, and canferve only to naufeate 
 the appetite againji every thing that is taji- 
 ful and digejlible. 
 
 Suppofcy for once, we Jhould have a tour 
 hiforical, in order to realize it, in a manner ^ 
 to the imaginations of the reader, wrote a lit- 
 tle more conformable to the general plan of a 
 tour itinerant. Why^ for infiajice, mufl a 
 gentleman whofe tafle and inclination for tra- 
 velling fhall carry him through the kingdoyn^ 
 to gratify his curioftty with a view of the ge- 
 neral face of the country, and of what is real- 
 ly curious and deferving his notice, either in 
 the artificial or natural pro du5i ions of it, why 
 mufl he, againfl allfenfe and tafle, be confined 
 to the dull, flupid, and unnatural method of 
 circulating and zig-zagging through all the 
 infignificant towns of every county he gets in- 
 to, before he can leave it ; or why mufi he 
 wafle as much time and patience in -one coun- 
 ty, as would carry him with pleafure through 
 half a fcore, Tou, grave Sirs, that are 
 dealers in method and margin^ and imagine it 
 
 is
 
 (X) 
 
 is mahng the moji of your tours and illuftratiom 
 ' — may call this travelling methodically ',~but 
 the devil's iiit if it is travelling with pleafure^ 
 or maki?ig the moft of the journey, — And 'tis 
 to be prefumed, indeed^ there are but few gen- 
 tlemen who would not foon be tired of their 
 journey^ were this to be the prefcribed plan of 
 their entertaijiment^ that by fuch tedious ad- 
 vances wears out their time and patience^ 
 within the circuit of fifty miles ^ perhaps^ 
 while they might be going on for five hwidred^ 
 through a confiant diverfity ofprofpe^s^ and 
 variety of entertainment , 
 
 One would imagine^ indeed^ that the wri^ 
 ter of a natural hiftory^ or a tour through his 
 own or any other country^ would be apt to 
 confider his reader as a traveller through the 
 country^ and himfelfas his guide or condudi to 
 fuch objeBs or curiofity^ whether of art or 
 nature^ that fhould be fuppofed naturally to 
 engage his notice and attention^ and that the 
 moft promifing^ or the ?nofi natural method for 
 keeping up the entertainment of his reader^ 
 fhould be the fa?72e with the moft eligible plan 
 
 of a journey^ that is to fay, That which 
 
 ajforded the greateft mixture and dive?fity of 
 entertainment ; and^ therefore^ that in the 
 execution of his office he fijould have no right ^ 
 like mofi of our public undertakers^ and com- 
 mijjion gentlemen^ to protraB as long as pofii- 
 
 ble^
 
 (xi ) 
 
 He, the pojfejjiojt of his office^ in order to make 
 the mofi of it, by flopping him at every mar- 
 ket town hejimdd go thro\ to examine into 
 the antiquities of it, for the uf clefs acqiiifition 
 of knowing who built the fir ft houfe, or laid 
 the firfi fione of the parijh church,^ whe- 
 ther the markets were kept on Wednefdays or 
 
 Saturdays, if more fheep than bullocks 
 
 were brought to the fair, -or if?nore 
 
 Farnham than Canterbury hops were generally 
 fold there \ — • — and whether the town were 
 gover?ied by a Mayor and Aldeiman, or by a 
 fet of old women in long-riding-hoods. 
 
 Such pompous illuftrations as on this plan 
 may be compiled, whether copies of or the 
 errors and blunders of prccedmg illuftrators 
 methodized, may be calculated indeed, from 
 their figure and price to fupport the vanity 
 and felfimportajice of a fiarclfd pedantic 
 prig of a book feller, who may be fuppofcd, for 
 his own emolument, to fet the compiler to work, 
 but it muft be at the exfence of the time, pa- 
 tience and pocket of the reader. 
 
 Much a- kin to thefe are thofe other claffes 
 of hireling authors of various deportments, 
 who are employed for the emolument of thefe 
 dealers in paper and calve' s fkin, to ret ale ye 
 out^ nun^.erically, at a fmall and infenfibie 
 expence^ a hifiory^ a didlionary^ or a biblcy 
 
 (and
 
 ( xii ) 
 (and to cheat the poor devils at Cambridge 
 and Oxford) with iiotes explanatory^ 6Cc. &cc. 
 But before their numeric produBiom are 
 Jinified, take care to extract a mojl exorbi- 
 tant expence of eveiitually^ three times the 
 mercantile value. 
 
 But Jim nearer a- kin is that clafs of hire-- 
 ling pedagogal priggs^ the abridgers^ or ra^ 
 iher mutilators of our civil hijlory^ who^ for 
 their own and their majier's intereji, engage 
 to furnijh you^ at a very eafy expence, with 
 the niedullani of your civil hijlory^ or any 
 
 thing elfey but injlead of entertaining 
 
 you with the marrow only^ will cram ye 
 with the very fkin^ hair and offal, and for 
 the pretended moderate expence of fourteen or 
 fifteen number Sy will, by an infamous fpecies 
 of extortion, put ye to the mojl immoderate 
 expence of fifty or threefcore^ before what you 
 have already taken, can become of any valuCy 
 
 and like true, ajid well-bred knights of 
 
 the poft, who while they beg your honor y<?r 
 two-pence, W//pick your honor's pocket of 
 forty fliillings. Damn the whole fra- 
 ternity of 'em. ' Sir, I mean of 
 
 knights of the poft, • from PalUmall to^ 
 
 Pater'72ofter. 
 
 In the drawing up the following loofe and 
 curjbry hints^ for the writer himfelf thinks 
 
 them
 
 ( xiii ) 
 
 th€?7i no better y he has been careful to intro- 
 duce 710 thing to the reader^ but what he fup^ 
 pofes would naturally engage his notice as a 
 Jiranger^ were he travelling through the 
 country. They include the fubjlance of a cor- 
 refpondence during his travels through the 
 kingdom^ but are intended^ indeed^ to give 
 the reader no more than the gerieral out-lines 
 of the appearance of things^ fuch as they -u^ill 
 offer themfelves to the tranfient fpeBator^ in^ 
 eluding a fketcb of fome^ among fl many^ of 
 the fpecies of natural entertainment he may 
 expett to find in the country. 
 
 He has this farther recommendatioti to 
 offer on the merits of the contents oj the follow- 
 ing fpecimen^ they are wrote with candour 
 and ingenuity^ untinBured with prejudice or 
 partiality ; fuch as the originals appeared to 
 him, with an hojiefi freedom^ und without 
 refpeB of perfons^ he has^ in every cafe ^ en* 
 deavoured to depicture them to his readers. 
 
 If any clafs of gentlemen of the kingdom he 
 writes from, whether civil or clerical, fmll 
 think themfelves too freely or too fever cly dealt 
 withy he takes this opportunity of declaring^ 
 that to none, but thofe who deferve it, has he 
 the leaf defire, or ifitention, that any degree 
 of ceiifure jhould derive ; and, in perfeU con- 
 fidence of this^ likewife^ that none hut thoje^ 
 
 whoje
 
 ( xiv ) 
 
 ivhoje infuperahk confcioiifaefs floall point the 
 appUcatmt^ will fuggejl to themfelves any 
 
 offence. 
 
 Who claims the pidture knows his right. 
 
 Gay. 
 
 The federal plam exhibit a natural re- 
 prefentation of the originals as far as they 
 extend. 
 
 In the defcriptive, he has copied immediate- 
 ly from nature^ without the leaf implicit re^ 
 liance on any accounts whatever : from this^ 
 at leaft^ he hopes fome merit will be allowed to 
 the attempt^ that it is perfectly original^ and 
 for the truth of which ^ the reader has this 
 general fecurity^ that there were no materials 
 to be founds within the bills of mortality ,yrc/?z 
 which to pahn upon him the domeftic travels 
 cfthe writer, 
 
 The univerfal abfence^ indeedy in the ware- 
 houfes of literary commerce of any thing modern 
 of this kind^ relative to Irelarid, added to the ad- 
 vice of fome few gentlemen of both kingdoms ^ on 
 whofe judgment of the merits he could with 
 more fafety rely than his own^ was an encou- 
 ragement to offer this novel fketch of civil and 
 natural hifory to the publicL Such as it 
 is, the performance is fubmitted to the candid 
 
 cenfure
 
 ( XV ) 
 
 cenfure of the reader, The curious vota- 
 
 riji oj nature^ he prefumes, will derive fo7?je 
 
 €ntertain7nent from it, T^he incurious^ 
 
 from a ?2arrow and felfifi cojifinement of his 
 tafe and purfuits^ will think^ perhaps^ neither 
 the fubjeil 7ior the country worth his notice. 
 To the all-fufficient gefitlemen of this clafs he 
 makes no appeal^ nor expels from them any 
 
 encouragement. 
 
 Should the folhwiiig fpecimen of Hibernian 
 entertainment be foujid acceptable^ the writer 
 propofes in fome future opportunity ^ ?2ot very 
 far of\ perhaps^ to offer a more extenfive na-- 
 tural hifiory of this ^ in the natural view of it^ 
 particularly^ entertaining country^ on the 
 plan he has above hinted at, on one that will 
 be new, arid he hopes e?2tertai fling to the rea^ 
 der, on a plan that JJjall^ at leajl^ have this 
 merit in it^ that if ever the reader goes 
 through the country, he may have the fat is^ 
 faction of finding the natural appearances of 
 thi?igs correfpond to his hifiory and defcription 
 of them. 
 
 He has only to add, that to have contri^ 
 buted, even by the prefent fijort a?id imperfeSi 
 out 'lines ^ towards the removal and obliteration 
 of any national and illiberal prcjudiceSy 
 and to the promoting a greater intercourfe of 
 our gentlemen of fortune aijd curiofity^ 
 
 ' with
 
 ( xvi ) 
 
 <ivith a country that, in a natural vieis. of 
 if^ efpecially, deferves more attention than is 
 generally given to it, will be the fource of 
 the mojl agreeable rejieSliom to 
 
 The Editor. 
 
 H I B E R N I A
 
 
 HIBERNIA CURIOSA. 
 
 eio=Joc^c$DoJo=j3oS=cg3c^c^c3iocJoc$3cJoc$:d5:<^cJjci!ictS!S3c«8j 
 
 To Mr. W. A—D— N. 
 
 Dear Sii; 
 
 ^■^^^^"^G REE ABLE to promife in 
 m^^^^¥ our laft from Dublin, I will, 
 ^^ A Z^ now, that I have finiflied my 
 ^l^'^$)skh ^our through the greater part of 
 k-^^^-^"^ Ireland, give you fome account 
 of the country, its inhabitants, and, what 
 you more particularly deiired from me, a 
 defcription of fome of its greateft natural 
 curiofities. Indeed I never was fo happily 
 fituatcd for providing materials for the enter- 
 tainment of a tafte like yours, for the curious 
 and romantic fubjefts of nature, cultivated 
 by a life for many years converfant with 
 fcenes of this kind,* as I have been while 
 traverfing through Hibernia. 
 
 B Perhaps 
 
 * Tunbridge Wells.
 
 (2 ) 
 
 Perhaps it may not be altogether unenter- 
 taining to you, by way of introdudion, to 
 have a little feetch of our journey and palTage 
 thither. — From London our firft courfe was 
 to Weft Chefter, diftant from Ireland about 
 150 miles, and from London 190. From 
 Chefter there are tw^o paflages to Dublin, 
 either of which may be taken as fliall beft 
 fuit the convenience of the traveller. 
 
 The one from Park-Gate, a little fea- 
 port for packets and traders, about 12 miles 
 below Chefter. — The other over- land, for 
 80 or 90 miles, to Holy-Head, the moft 
 weftern point of North Wales, in the ifle of 
 Anglefey, and diftant from Lxland about 
 23 Leagues. 
 
 The paftage is likewife frequently made 
 from Briftol by thofe who are not apprehen- 
 iive ol danger from the fea. And this is 
 generally taken, 1 believe, by the quality 
 and gentry from Ireland that vifit Bath. — - 
 The diftance from Briftol to the neareft 
 port in Ireland is about 200 miles. 
 
 The fliorteft paftage that can be made 
 from Great- Britain to Ireland is from Port 
 Patrick in Galloway county, Scotland, from 
 whence to Donaghadee in the county of 
 Down, is about kven or eight leagues, or 
 nearly the fame diftance as from Dover to 
 Calais. But it is hardly worth while to go 
 at leaft 200 miles by land extraordinary 
 to fave 40 by fea from Holy Head, and 
 
 there-
 
 • ( 3 ) 
 
 therefore very few, except thofe whofe bii- 
 fmeis calls them to the north of Ireland, will 
 go to Port Patrick for a paffage. 
 
 There is, however, but little danger in 
 croffing the Irifli fea from any of thefe places, 
 except at the vernal and autumnal feafons of 
 the year, at which times, efpecially in the 
 autumnal, the winds are frequently very high 
 and tempefluous, and the channel confe- 
 quently extremely rough and dangerous. 
 
 Thofe who iliall take the Chefter road, 
 if they have much baggage to carry and are 
 not fearful of the fea, will find the pafllige 
 from Park-Gate much the ealieft and the 
 mod convenient, as it is very troublefome 
 and expenfive getting heavy luggage for 90 
 miles over the mountainous country, wide 
 and rapid ferry ways of North Wales. — ^ 
 However, the paffage over land is, of late 
 years, made much fafer and more convenient, 
 by the making a turn-pike road through the 
 country, and by the running of a coach or 
 two from Chefter to the Head, which they 
 perform in two days very well; or otherwife 
 you may be accommodated with horfes 
 and a guide from Chefter quite on to the 
 Head ; the road to which lays through Flint, 
 Denbigh, and Carnarvon counties; and the va- 
 riety of land and fea profpeds in fine w^eather, 
 makes a ride over the mountainous country 
 of North Wales extremelv entertaining. 
 
 B z St.
 
 (4) 
 
 St. Vinifred's well, at Holy-well in Flint- 
 111 ire, and the firft ftage from Cheder, is 
 well worthy the notice of the traveller, from 
 the fingularity of the place, and the venera- 
 tion that is paid to it by great numbers of 
 religious devotees, foreign as well as domef- 
 tic, that annually viiic the well ; many from 
 devotion to the fair faint that is fuppofed to 
 prefide here, but more loaded with faith and 
 infirmities, with expectations of a cure from 
 its pretended miraculous fanative virtues. 
 
 'Tis a very remarkable fpring of fine v^a- 
 ter, in fuch quantity that at the diilance of 
 20 yards it keeps a water-mill continually 
 going. The place where it rifes is inclofed 
 in the form of a bath, about 1 2 feet long 
 by fix or feven wide, over which has been 
 built, by the monks of former ages, a mod 
 curious and venerable Gothic firu6lure, in 
 honour to St. Vinifred, who firll beftowed 
 her benedidion on the fpring. 'Tis an ex- 
 cellent cold bath, and when it proves fervice- 
 able as fuch, the fi tuation it is in, under fuch 
 a venerable fuperftrudure, are circum fiances 
 fufficient to pofl^efs the minds of fuperfiicious 
 credulity with imaginations of a fupernatural 
 cure. 
 
 1 he vale of Cloid, a very extenfive and 
 beautiful vale, through which you pafs be- 
 tween Holy-well and Conway, which runs 
 through this north part of Wales for a great 
 many miles, from the borders of Shropfiiire 
 
 on
 
 ( s) 
 
 <5n to Wrexham, Bathign, Denbigh, and 
 St. Afeph, northward to the fea, is judged to 
 be ibme of the moft fertile land and produc- 
 tive of the richeft pafturage in Great-Britain. 
 
 The firfl day's journey is generally fini(h« 
 ed at Aberconway in Carnarvonfiiire, the 
 capital or refidence of the ancient princes of 
 Wales; into which you defcend from the 
 moll enormous mountains, fomeofthem, in 
 Great- Britain, properly enough called Snow- 
 down hills, for the fnow may be found on 
 them for eight or nine months of the year. 
 From the top of fome of thcfe mountains, 
 in clear weather, may be feen the hills about 
 Dublin, particularly the promontory of Hoath 
 at the extremity of the bay, to the feaward, 
 and diftant at leaft Bo or 90 miles. — And in 
 a very clear day, in tlie morning, I have ken 
 the tops of thefe Welch mountains from the 
 hill of Hoath and the mountains of Wick- 
 low, on the oppofite fide of the Irifli fea. 
 
 At Aberconway there is an old cadle, as 
 magnitScent in its ruins cis perhaps any in 
 Great-Britain, and that is well Wvorthy the 
 notice of the curious traveller. 
 
 1 was much pleafed with an old cnflom 
 that ftiil prevails in lome parts of this North 
 Welch country, that of enterrainini^ the 
 company at the feveral ilages with (he Welch 
 harp, during their ftay at their inns. From 
 the novelty of the cuflom, and fome of them 
 perform very well, I affure you we were 
 B 3 very
 
 (6) 
 
 very much entertained. It has the appearance 
 of a chearfiil and hofpitable welcome, and 
 relieves the mind as well as body from the 
 lieavincfs and torpidity oft<^n acquired from 
 the noife and joftling in a long confinem.ent 
 to a flage coach ; efpecially when the part- 
 ners in the journey hi^ppen not to be the 
 niofl: fociablv humoured. 
 
 After jumbling up and down thefe North 
 Welch mountains for 80 or 90 miles, you 
 at length reach the Head, the Ne plus ult, 
 of T^erra firma, from whence to Dublin, 
 about 60 or 70 miles, you m,ufl:, if you pro- 
 ceed on your journey, trufl your life and 
 body to the chance of fea-room. 
 
 The timorous traveller, unufed to the fea, 
 here flops, and, with apprehenfions not un- 
 mixed with fear, furveys the fluid intradable 
 road before him, furveys his floating carriage 
 that is to convey him over this yawning, 
 unfubftantial elemxnt, with but a few in- 
 ches between his life and death. Doubtful 
 and precarious tenure. Jf the wind blows 
 and the waves run high, his refolutions ftag- 
 ger. Bat intereft, curiofity or fliame at 
 length get the better of his timidity. The 
 gulph mull be paffed j and he refolves to ha- 
 zard it. 
 
 To quiet his anxiety, however, and for 
 his imiagined greater fecurity, he carefully 
 
 confults his pilot. Is there no danger, 
 
 captain, in this fame paffage to Dublin ? — 
 ^ Why
 
 . ^7> 
 
 Why, 'faith, Sir, I will not pofitively aflure 
 you there is none, for fear you (hould be dif- 
 appointed. The failor, to be fure, is never 
 out of danger on his element : however, I 
 never went a-crofs yet but I came fafe to the 
 other fide, and / hope I fliall do fo now. — 
 Aye, captain, but the ftory of the pitcher — 
 This fame hope is but a weak fecurity when 
 a man has but three inches between his cab- 
 bin and a bed of fait water. — Have you ne- 
 ver a fellow among your crew with d, gallows- 
 mark upon his face? 1 hope not, Sir. 
 
 But is there no infurance of a man's 
 
 life for 60 miles only? Oh, yes, the 
 
 beft in the world, my noble mafter, a bottle 
 of claret, to put the want of it out of your 
 head. 
 
 From a little town and harbour juft at the 
 Head, there are feveral veffels, or packets, 
 in the fervice of the government, that pafs 
 every week to and from Dublin ; in any one 
 of thefe, for half a guinea, you are accom- 
 modated with the ufe of the cabbin and bed ; 
 into which if you get yourfelf laid before 
 the (hip is under way, and there lay faft to 
 the end of your paffage, you may, if you 
 are fortunate, efcape being fea-fick, if you 
 are not fo, you mud take, and will proba- 
 bly have the chance of a good flomatic 
 fcowering:. 
 
 o 
 
 This is but a trivial remark, indeed, but 
 
 it is confirmed by common experience in 
 
 B 4 thefe
 
 (8) 
 
 thefe lliort palTages, that the befi: chance you 
 can have for efcaping that moft fickly of all 
 fickneffes is to continue in the pofition yoa 
 are in when the (hip firft begins her motion, 
 and the rechned poiition is the heft, as the 
 body, in that podure, is put into the leaft 
 motion by the toffing of the veffel ; not to 
 mention that in the cabbin you are nearer the 
 bottom of the fliip, where the motion is not 
 fo great by one half as on the deck. 
 
 The extent of the kingdom of Ireland, 
 from the bed obfervations that I could make, 
 is about equal to that of England with an 
 exception of Wales and the four northern 
 counties of Durham, V/eftmoreland, Cum- 
 berland, and Northumberland. With thefe 
 redudions, I believe, that England will not 
 be found to exceed the limits of Ireland ; 
 though the difference is generally fuppofed 
 much greater than it really is. 
 
 The tirll: object in Ireland that naturally 
 engages the notice of a flranger {lom England, 
 by the way of Holy- Head, is the city of 
 Dublin, the capital of the kingdom, fituated 
 on the river LifFy, near two miles above the 
 bottom of a beautiful bay, into which it dif- 
 charges itfelf about fcvm or eight miles from 
 the fea. 
 
 After 40 hours rolling and traverfing the 
 boifterous Irifh fea, for 20 leagues only, with 
 the wind, as the failors fay, r/.g/jt in our 
 teeth, there was fomething peculiarly pleaf-
 
 ^9) 
 
 ing on entering the beautiful bay of Dublin, 
 which is about three or four miles wide at its 
 entrance, and feven or eight deep, with the 
 hills and promontories on either hand, that 
 promifed us a fmooth and fafe paiTage up to 
 the city, in profped: before us at the bottom 
 of the bay. 
 
 With a fair wind, however, the paflage 
 from the Head is frequently made in lo or 
 12 hours. 
 
 ' Dublin is a large, populous, and, for the 
 greater part of it, well built' city; not much 
 ornamented, indeed, with grand or magni- 
 ficent buildings, a few, however, there are, 
 of which the college or univerfity, the only 
 one they have in the kingdom — the parlia- 
 ment houfes — the king's and the lying-in 
 hofpital, and Swift's for lunatics — with the 
 marquis of Kildare's houfe are the principal. 
 Their churches in general make but a very 
 indifferent figure as to their architedlure ; 
 and, what I was very much furprifed at, are 
 amazingly deftitute of monumental orna- 
 ments. 
 
 The two houfes of parliament are infinitely 
 fuperior, in point of grandeur and magnifi- 
 cence, to thofe of Weftminfler. The houfe 
 of lords is, perhaps, as elegant a room as 
 any in Great- Britain or Ireland. 
 
 The college library, from the number of 
 volumes it contains, the magnificence and 
 neatnefs of the room, and the convenient 
 
 difpo-
 
 ( lo ) . 
 
 difpofition of the books and defks for the ufe 
 of the ftudentSj is well deferving the notice 
 of the traveller. 
 
 The Caftle, as it is called from its having 
 been the lituation of one, I fuppofe, of 
 which at prefeht there are very few^ remains, 
 is the refidence of the lord lieutenant when 
 in Ireland, but has very little of grandeur in 
 its external appearance befides the large iquare 
 court-yard, which it enclofes. But the rooms, 
 fome of them, are large and elegant. 
 
 The whole extent of the city of Dublin 
 may be about one-third of London, includ- 
 ing Weftminfter and South wark, and one- 
 fourth, at leaft, of the whole, from the ac- 
 counts we received, has been built with- 
 in thefe 40 years, Thofe parts of the town 
 which have been added fince that time are 
 well built, and the ftreets in general well 
 laid out, efpecially on the north fide of the 
 river ; where the moft confiderable additions 
 have been made within the term above men- 
 tioned. There are on this fide many fpa- 
 cious and regular ftreets: one in particular in 
 the north- eaft part of the town. Sackville- 
 Jlreet, about 70 feet wide or nearly, with a 
 mall enclofed with a low wall, which, but 
 for the execrable ftupidity of the builder, 
 would have been one of the moft noble ftreets 
 in the three kingdoms, had it been carried, 
 as it might have been, and was propofed to 
 him at the time of laying it out, diredlly up 
 
 to
 
 ( II ) 
 
 to the front of the lying-in hofpital, the 
 rnoft elegant and the beft finillied piece of 
 architedlure in Dablin, and I believe in Ire- 
 land : and if, bcfides this, the projedted ad- 
 dition of a (lixet from the bottom of it, on 
 the fame plan, diredly on to the LifFy, to 
 which the prefent ftreet direds, had been ex- 
 ecuted, and terminated, as was intended, 
 on the oppofite fide of the river by a view of 
 fome public building that was there to have 
 been ereded in front of the ftreer, it would 
 have been one of the grandefl and mod beau- 
 tiful ftreets perhaps in Europe. But as the 
 firft abfurdity of carrying up the prefent ftreet 
 juft by the end of the hofpital has taken 
 place, this projeded improvement will hard- 
 ly ever be carried into execution, and the 
 obftinate fool of a builder will defervedly be 
 damned by every flranger, of common fenfe 
 and tafte, that ihall ever walk up Sackville- 
 ftreet. 
 
 The view of Dublin from the top of any 
 of their towers is the moft beautiful, per- 
 haps, of any large city in the king's domi- 
 nions, in a fimilar point of view, from the 
 neatnefs of the blue flating with which the 
 houfes of this city are univerfally covered. 
 The bay below the city to the eaft, with 
 the country adjoining round, will afford a 
 very entertaining profped. 
 
 The river Liffy, which runs through al- 
 moft the center from weft to eaft, and con- 
 tributes.
 
 ( 12 ) 
 
 tributes, as much as the Thames to that of 
 London, to the heahh of this city, is but a 
 fmall river, about one-fifth as wide in Dub- 
 lin as the Thames in London, confequently 
 can bring up no fliips of great burden. I 
 believe that ijo or 200 tons is quite as much 
 as can be navigated up to the city. 
 
 Over this river there are five bridges, one 
 only of which deferves any notice, Effex- 
 bridge, the lowed of all, which is really 
 a well built, fpacious and elegant bridge, 
 with raifed foot-paths, alcoves, and balluftra- 
 ding, on the plan of Weftminiler- bridge, and 
 about the fame widdi, but not above one-fifth 
 part fo long. The fouth-end of this bridge 
 fronts to a new ftreet called Parliament-ftreet, 
 about the length of Bridge-ftreet over Weft- 
 minfter- bridge, which, when the intended 
 improvements are made, by continuing it on 
 in a line up to the caflle with an area, in 
 which is to be built an exchange, much 
 wanted in this city, will be one of the mofi: 
 beautiful trading ftreets in the three kingdoms. 
 
 There are two elegant theatres opened in 
 this city, the old and the new, as they are 
 commonly diftinguiflied ; the former in 
 Smock-alley, the latter in Crow-flreet; be- 
 lides a third in Aungier-ftreet, more magni- 
 ficent they tell ye than either of the others, 
 which for feveral years has been fl:iut up. 
 But indeed the two that are opened are one 
 too many to be well fupported. If the t\yo 
 
 kings
 
 ( 13 ) 
 
 kings of Brentford, that are the managers, 
 and are fighting, toth mafiibus, againfi: each 
 other, were to unite in the largeft houfe, 
 and the fame zeal and induftry that is em- 
 ployed for the deftrudlion of each other were 
 exerted for their united intereft and the en- 
 tertainment of the public, with a good com- 
 pany of comedians, which out of the two 
 houfes might be collected, they might un- 
 doubtedly make great advantages, and theatric 
 entertainments might be exhibited in Dublin 
 in as great perfection as in any town in the 
 king's dominions ; for o?2e houfe might be 
 able to ^?iy Jbme of the befl: adlors that could 
 be found, equal to their merit, which two 
 can neither procure a fufficient number of, 
 nor pay them if they had them. 
 
 The old houfe of Smock-alley, though 
 not fo large as the new, which is about equal 
 to that of Drury-lane, is one of the moft ele- 
 2:ant and bed: conftruded theatres for the ad- 
 vantage of both the audience and adors of 
 any that I ever went into. 
 
 They have their fummer entertainments 
 too, in imitation of thofe in London. Ad- 
 joining to the Lying-in hofpital above men- 
 tioned, and belonging to it, is a large fquare 
 piece of ground enclofed, and three fides out 
 of four very prettily laid out in walks and 
 plantations of groves, flirubs, trees, &c, 
 on the fourth ftands the hofpital. In the 
 middle, nearly, of this garden^ is a fpacious 
 
 and
 
 ( H ) 
 
 and beautiful bowling green. On the fide of 
 the green oppofite the hofpital, the ground 
 being much higher, is formed into a fine 
 hanging bank of near 30 feet flope, on the 
 top of which is laid out a grand terrace waik, 
 commanding a fine view of the hofpital ; on 
 the upper fide of this terrace, and nearly 
 encompafl^ed with the groves and fhrubberies, 
 is built a very pretty orcheftra. 
 
 This, the moft agreeeble garden about 
 Dublin, is their Vaux-hall in the fummer 
 feafon, and is much frequented in the fine 
 fummer evenings by the genteel company of 
 the city. And though the whole garden is 
 not fo generally calculated for a mufical en- 
 tertainment as the garden of Vaux-hall near 
 London, yet there are fome walks in it where 
 the mufic has a finer eff^ed: than in any that I 
 ever found in the London Vaux-hall. 
 
 The inhabitants of this city, and indeed 
 throughout the kingdom, thofe of them that 
 are people of any fortune, are genteel, 
 fprightly, fenfible, and fociable, and, in ge- 
 neral, well affeded to the Englifh. Their 
 drefs, fafhions and diverfions are taken from 
 them ; and whoever fhall carry over any fpe- 
 cies of popular entertainment from London,, 
 will be fure to meet with encouragement, 
 if he has but the good fortune to be fingular 
 "in his profeflion. 
 
 They pique themfelves much on their 
 hofpitality from all parts of the kingdom. I 
 
 have
 
 ( li ) 
 
 have no objedion at all to allowing them all 
 the merit and importance that is due to this 
 commendable virtue. But Ihould there be 
 any appearances of this Hibernian hofpitality, 
 that to a candid fpedator fliould feem to be 
 mifcalled, and rather to deferve the name of 
 oftentation, from all of this kind I muft beg 
 leave to objecSl to every degree of their pre- 
 fumed merit : and I am afraid, indeed, that 
 too much of their boafled hofpitality in every 
 province has a much greater right to be de- 
 nominated oftentation. — If, inflead oi killing 
 twenty [keep tofurniJJj out a dijlo of kidneys 
 to an epicurean vifiter^ a few of thofe hof- 
 pitable gentlemen, of the firft rank and for- 
 tune in the kingdom, would concur for the 
 fetting on foot fome generous and humane 
 eftablifhment for the relief of thoufands of 
 their miferable poor, whom oppreffion, po- 
 verty, and want of employment, drives al- 
 moft to defperation, their names would de- 
 ferve to be engraved in characflers indelible 
 in the temple of hofpitality. I will take 
 upon me to fay, that the fenglifliman that 
 can drink will find them as hofpitable as any 
 people in Europe; for if he will but drink 
 like an Irijhman^ he is welcome to eat like 
 an Englipjnan. 
 
 I remember to have heard a very hofpita- 
 ble gentleman of this clafs exprefs himfelf in 
 favour of a ftranger from England, that was 
 juft introduced into the company, after a 
 
 little
 
 . ( J6 ) 
 
 little converfation had removed the fllfFnefs 
 
 and referve of a liril interview Weli^ 
 
 Sir, as you are come over quite a ft ranger to 
 the cou?itr)\ it behoves us to make it as agree- 
 able as we can, — ^here is a company of us 
 to meet at the Black Rock on a jolly party o?i 
 Sunday 7iext^ and, by Jefus^ there is to be 
 five or fix dozen of claret to be emptied, will 
 
 you give us the honour of your company ? 
 
 5/>, you'll exciife ?ne — I fiall be engaged. — 
 'Twas very hofpitable, though. 
 
 To be ferious, — for you may think, per- 
 haps, that I have too freely given into the fa- 
 tyric flrain, and at the expcnce of my hof- 
 pitable friends. I am very willing to believe, 
 that in their own acceptation of the term, as 
 taken from the too frequent exhibition of it 
 amongft them, they have as much hofpi- 
 tality as any people in the world. But as 
 in this view of them, as well as in every 
 other, I would write with an honed frank' 
 nefs; and without refpe<ft of perfons, or fal- 
 lacious colouring, reprefent things juft as I 
 found them, I am very free to fay, that 
 their hofpitality feems to partake fo much of 
 intemperance, is attended frequently with fo 
 much inconvenience to the party entertained, 
 as to have given me, from a few trials of it, 
 almofi: a difgufl: againft every of their preten- 
 lions to it. The fum and quintelTence of hofpi- 
 tality is exprefled in that lingle line of Pope, 
 
 «' Welcome
 
 ( 17 ) 
 
 ** Welcome the coming, fpeed the going 
 
 friend :'* 
 By which is implied, an abfence of every 
 fpecies of compulfion or reftraint, and, which 
 is the true fterhng hofpitality, the making 
 the choice of your gueft the meafure of your 
 friendfhip and entertainment. But to at- 
 tempt to fend him away drunk is furely felt- 
 ing him off with but very ill fpeed. If a 
 temperate man accepts of an invitation from 
 one of thefe hofpitable gentlemen, he caa 
 very feldom efcape, but by being abfolutely, 
 and even to a degree of ill manners, peremp- 
 tory, without having five times as much li- 
 quor poured down his throat as he would 
 chufe. To do juftice to their generofity, 
 however, he is free and right welcome to eat 
 juft as much as he pleafes ; and why he (hould 
 not have the fame liberty with refpedl to his 
 drink^ however hofpitable the reflriction, 
 or rather forced profufion, may be thought 
 by thefe gentlem-en, I own is to me a pa- 
 radox in urbanity. But, fo far as there is 
 any intention of trying the depth or found- 
 nefs of the conftitution, or the bottom, 
 as the expreffion is, of their unfufpeding 
 friend over the bottle, their hofpitality is 
 fuperlatively contemptible ; and to raife a 
 merit to themfelves from having made their 
 gued mod nobly drunk, is betraying, at befl:, 
 
 but a fottidi and groveling tade. You 
 
 C would
 
 C i8 ) 
 
 would hardly think that from the fimple 
 didates of hofpitality, a gentleman fliould 
 have his horfe and boots locked up for two 
 or three days, and himfelf, by that means, 
 in a manner forcibly detained for eight-and- 
 forty hours, when he only intended, and his 
 bufinefs, perhaps, would only admit of his 
 taking a dinner and a chearful bottle. Yet, 
 in (lances of this I have known, I allure you, 
 in this tiofpitable country ; to fuch ridiculous 
 extravagancies may the moil commendable 
 virtues of humanity be perverted by a falfe 
 notion of things fupported by the authority 
 of example. Among the fenfible part of 
 the natives, however, the abfurdity of deri- 
 ving fuch a practice or inclination from the 
 didates of hofpitality is too glaring to efcape 
 detection, or to meet with any countenance; 
 with thefe therefore, in every country it will 
 defervedly be exploded. 
 
 What I have wrote on this fubjecfl has 
 been with the utraofl impartiality, and on 
 w^hich I have been more particular becaufe it 
 is a favourite topic among them. It is a point 
 of view in which the natives of every province 
 appear to affume a diftinguifliing merit. In 
 any mixed company of different provincials, 
 you will feldom fail of having this for one of 
 the fubjedts of your entertainment. In fuch 
 a fituation the flranger has a natural right to 
 examine into the merits of it. 
 
 But
 
 ( 19 ) 
 
 But after all, however doubtful he may 
 be from experience of the jailice of their 
 claim, yet, if a requilite degree of candour 
 enters into his examination, he rnuft allow 
 there is a native fprightlinefs and fociability, 
 a fpirit of generofity and franknefs in their 
 general manner, that is confpicuous and 
 engaging, and that cannot fail to recom- 
 mend them to llrangers. And whatever 
 apprehenfions he may have of the even- 
 tual inconvenience, can hardly refufe to 
 accept of an invitation given with fuch 
 appearances of friend (hip and urbanity. 
 
 It is very extraordinary that in this large 
 and populous city there fliould be fuch an al- 
 moPc total want of good inns for the ac-;- 
 commodation of Grangers and travellers. 
 There is abfolutely not one good inn in the 
 town, not one, upon my honour, in which 
 an Englidiman of any fenfe of decency would 
 be fatisfied with liis quarters, and not above 
 two or three in the whole city that he could 
 bear to be in ; and every body that is ac- 
 quainted with the place gets into private lodg- 
 ings as foon as they come to town. But this 
 is a circumfliance that the ftranger from 
 England, or elfewhere, is often unacquainted 
 with, and confequently frequently meets with 
 difficulties at his firfl landing that will make 
 it appear to him an inhofpitable country. It 
 C 2 may
 
 ( 20 ) 
 
 may happen, indeed, that he may be in dif- 
 trefs even for a night's lodging, if the very 
 few tolerable inns fliould be full. Nor is 
 there above one bagnio that I could find in 
 the whole city, where a gentleman that had 
 any regard for his reputation orfafety, would 
 venture to lodge himfelf, this is in Eflex- 
 ftreet; and here it is more than an equal 
 chance that he is obliged to pay a fliilling for 
 a bed about two feet v/ide, in a room not 
 much above four, perhaps. This has been 
 mv own cafe. 'Tis true, you are generally 
 lodged clean and quiet: and a perfon not 
 more delicate than wife, will compound with 
 thefe inconveniencies for the want of room 
 and elegance. 1 do not know a town in the 
 three kingdoms where a large houfe well 
 fitted up with as many neat apartments as 
 poffible, could be more likely to anfwer the 
 wiihes or expectations of the owner than in 
 this city. Every ftranger, therefore, that 
 propofes making any ftay in Dublin, if it be 
 but for a fortnight, I would advife to have 
 immediate recourfe to the public coffee- 
 houfes, of which he will find feveral in Ef- 
 fex-ftr^et by the Cuflom-houfe, and there 
 get diredions to the private inhabitants of the 
 town who furnifli lodgings 5 and almoft every 
 one in the public-ftreets that can fpare an 
 apartment lets it for this ufe: and in an 
 hour's time, perhaps, he may meet with one 
 
 for
 
 [ 21 ] 
 
 for any time that will be convenient for 
 his ufe; but, if his room is neat, will feldom 
 get it under half a guinea per week. 
 
 The chief magiftrate in Dublin, as well as 
 in London, has the dignity of lord mayor 
 annexed to his office for the time being. 
 
 The provifions of this city are generally 
 good and at a reafonable expence • — Their 
 liquors efpecially; — you have the beft of 
 fpirits at half the price they generally go at 
 in London : for three pence per quartern, or 
 naggin as it is called there, you have the befl 
 that can be drank. 
 
 Their wine is chiefly claret, the beft of 
 which, that the town produces, may be had 
 at 2S. 6d. the bottle — the common price is 
 two fliillings — and to thofe who are unac- 
 cuftomed to a claret of a greater body, it 
 will foon become very pleafant, and the 
 moft agreeably palated wine he will meet 
 with in Ireland. 'Tis light, wholefome, 
 and eafy of digeftion. You will think it 
 rather of the marvellous, but it is no lefs 
 true, that a middling drinker here will carry 
 off his four bottles without being in the leaft 
 apparently difordered. A man is looked up- 
 on, indeed, as nothing with his bottle here, 
 that can't take off his gallon coolly. 1 be- 
 lieve it .may be faid with a great deal of 
 truth, that the Irifli drink the moft of any of 
 his majefty's fubjeds with the leaft injury, 
 C 3 ''Tis
 
 ( 22) 
 
 'Tis hardly poflible, indeed, to make an 
 Irifhmaii, that can in any fenfe be called a 
 drinker, thoroughly drunk with his claret: 
 by that time he has difcharged his five or 
 fix bottles, he will get a little flafliy, per- 
 haps, and you may drink him to eternity 
 he'll not be much more. One vtvy favour- 
 able circumftance for the drinker, cuftom has 
 here eftabliflied, their glaffes are very fmall : 
 the largeft of thefe in common ufe will not 
 hold more, I believe, than about one- third 
 of a gill, or quartern. 
 
 This IS an excellent cuftom in favour of 
 the moderate drinker; for many a one of 
 this clafs, I make no doubt, would be more 
 intoxicated with three half pint glaffes, than 
 he would be by three times three half pints 
 drank in very fmall quantities at a time. 
 But let my countryman be cautious of mak- 
 ing compafifons relative to his wine; be 
 careful not to call your claret, at any private 
 gentleman's houfe, what yet it generally very 
 juftly deferves to be called, a pretty wine, or 
 even a very pretty wine. For though a very 
 common expreflion in England for good 
 wines, yet the terms are not fufficiently ex- 
 prefiive or emphatical for an Irifliman, who, 
 before you are aware of it, or apprehenfivc 
 of having given any offence, will, very pro- 
 bably defcant away and explain upon the 
 meaning of your expreflion, in a manner 
 
 that
 
 (23 ) 
 
 that will, perhaps, difconcert you, or, at 
 beft, give you but a very unfavourable opi- 
 nion of the temper and underflanding of 
 your hoft. For confcious of the inferiority 
 of his claret to that of London, if he has 
 ever known the difference, he will be jealous 
 of every expreffion that has but even a dif- 
 
 tant appearance of being comparative. . 
 
 The above caution is the refult of my own 
 experience in the country ; and as it may 
 eventually be a very ufeful one, I have intro- 
 duced it. 
 
 The rates of hackney-coaches, and fedans, 
 are eftabliflied here as in London, for the 
 dijfferent dijftances, or fet-'downs^ as they are 
 called. But they have an odd kind of hack- 
 nies here, that is called the Noddy, which is 
 nothing more than old caft off one horfe chaife 
 or chair, with a kind of flool fixed upon the 
 fhafts juft before the feat, on which the 
 driver fits, jufl over the rump of his horfe, 
 and drives you from one part of the town to 
 another at ftated rates for a fet-down ; and a 
 damned fet-dovvn it is fometimes^ for you 
 are well off if you are not fet down in a chan- 
 nel by the breaking of the wheels, or an 
 overfet-down, nor can you fee any thing be- 
 fore you but your nod — nod — -nodding cha- 
 rioteer, whofe fituation on the fliafts obliges 
 his motion to be conformed to that of the 
 horfe, from wltence, I fuppofed, they have 
 C A obtained
 
 C 24 ) ' 
 
 obtained the name of the Noddy. I afTure 
 you, the eafe of the fare is not much con- 
 fulted in the conftrudion of thefe nodding 
 vehicles. However, they are convenient for 
 iingle perfons, the fare being not more than 
 half that of a coach, and are taken to any 
 part of the kingdom on terms as you can 
 agree. 
 
 But the drollefl: and moft diverting kind 
 of conveyance for your genteel and nngen^ 
 teel parties of pieafure is what they call here 
 the Cbaife-marine^ which is nothing lefs or 
 more than any common carr with one horfe. 
 A fimple kind of carriage, conftruded with 
 a pair of wheels, or thin round blocks, of 
 about 20 inches in diameter, an axle, and 
 two {hafts, Vv'hich, over the axle, are fpiead 
 out a little wider than by the iides of the 
 horfe, and fratned together with crofs pieces, 
 in fuch manner as to be nearly in a level po- 
 fition for three or four feet acrofs the ?xle. 
 Thefe fimple conftrudlons are almoft the 
 only kind of carts, in common ufe, for the 
 carrying ^or moving of goods, merchandize 
 of every kind, hay, ftraw, corn, dung, 
 turf, &c. throughout the kingdom. 
 
 A fketch of the figure and conftrudion of 
 one of thefe carrs I have here given. 
 
 and
 
 (25) 
 
 and, when ufed for parties of pleafure, on 
 the level part L L is laid a mat, for the com- 
 monalty, and for the genteeler fort of people 
 a bed is put on this ; and half a dozen gets 
 on, two behind and two on each fide, and 
 away they drive, with their feet not above 
 fix inches from the ground as they fit, on 
 little pleafurable jaunts of three or four or 
 half a dozen miles out of town ; and are the 
 m.oft fociable carriages in ufe, for ten or a 
 dozen' will take one of thefe chaife-marines, 
 and ride it by turns, the rate being feldom, 
 in fuch cafes, more than foot-pace. I aflure 
 you they are the drolleft, merrieft carricles 
 you ever faw. We were infinitely diverted 
 at meeting many of thefe feather-bed chaife- 
 
 marine
 
 ( 26) 
 
 marine parties, on the Sunday that we land- 
 ed, coniing out of town, as we went up to 
 it from Dunlary. 
 
 Upon my word, Sir, the inhabitants, in 
 general, of this kingdom are very far from 
 being what they have too often and unjuflly 
 been reprefented by thofe of our country 
 who never faw them, a nation of wild Irifli : 
 iince 1 have been in Ireland, I have traverfed 
 from north to fouth and from weft to call the 
 three provinces of Ulfter, Leinfter and Mun- 
 fter, and generally found them civil and 
 obliging, even amongft the very lowell: clafs 
 of the natives. Miferable and oppreffed, as 
 by far too many of them are, an Englifhman 
 wiil find as much civility, in general, as 
 amongft the fame clafs in his own country ; 
 and, for a fmall pecuniary con fide rat ion, will 
 exert themfelves to pkafe you as much as any 
 people, perhaps, in the king's dominions. 
 Poverty and oppreflion will naturally make 
 mankind four, rude and unfociable, and era- 
 dicate, or, at leaft, fupprefs all the more 
 amiable principles and paflions of humanity. 
 But it fhould feem unfair and ungenerous to 
 judge of, or decide againfl the natural difpofi- 
 tion of a man reduced by indigence and op- 
 preflion almoft to defperation. For a peafant 
 of Ireland to be civil and obliging is a work 
 of fupererogation. 
 
 Need
 
 ( 27) 
 
 Need and opprefftoji ftare withm their eyes. 
 Contempt and beggary hang upon their bach ; 
 ^he world is not their friend^ nor the world's 
 
 law. 
 
 What refpedl for law or government, 
 what dread of jaftice or punifliment, can be 
 expedled from an Irifli peafant in a ftate of 
 wretched nefs and extreme penury ? in which, 
 if the firfl: man that (hould meet him were 
 to knock him at head and give him an ever- 
 lafting relief from his diftreffed, penurious 
 life, he might have reafon to think it a friend- 
 ly and meritorious action. And that fo ma- 
 ny of them bear their diftrefled, abjedl: ftate 
 with patience, is, to me, a fufficient proof 
 of the natural civility of their difpoiition. 
 
 The province of Connaught, the moft 
 weftern province of Ireland, and in form and 
 fituation, not much unlike Wales in England, 
 is the leaft inviting to a traveller of any part 
 of the kingdom. Our curiolity carried us 
 only through the eaftern counties of Rofcom- 
 mon, Sligoe, Gall way, and Clare, that bor- 
 der on the Shannon, which are the beft and 
 moft civilized parts, and as far on as to Gall- 
 way, the capital of the province. 
 
 The province of Connaught is the thinned 
 of inhabitants of any part of Ireland. Their 
 agriculture is chiefly grazing. There are im- 
 menfe numbers of fheep and bullocks bred in 
 this province 3 particularly in the counties of 
 
 Clare
 
 ( 28) 
 Clare and Gall way. We were at one of the 
 largefl: ftock fairs, at Ballynafloe, a fmall 
 town in the eaftern part of the province, that 
 perhaps is to befeen in the king's dominions, 
 which continues for a week. The toll of 
 the llock brought to this fair, which is kept 
 twice in the year, in the Spring and at Mi- 
 chaelmas, is worth, to the pofltffor, on an 
 average, 600/. per annum. — I think it is a 
 penny a head for bullocks, and fix- pence per 
 I'core for (lieep, for all that are brought. — • 
 The mod: difiant parts of the kingdom are 
 fuDplied in general from this fair. 
 
 The Shannon is the greateft river in the 
 kingdom, and confiderably larger than any 
 river in England, running from north to fouth 
 upwards of 300 Engliih miles; and, in its 
 courfe, fpreads out into many large and beau- 
 tiful lakes of different extent, from five to 
 ten and fifteen miles, ornamented, fome of 
 them, with fertile and beautiful iilands. 
 There are feveral confiderable towns fituated 
 upon this river, the principal of which are 
 Limerick and Athlone. 
 
 The river abounds, alfo, with falmon and 
 pike, &c. of a very large fize. But the na- 
 vigation is flopped at about 60 or 70 miles 
 up the river by a cataradl, or fall of the water 
 over a ridge of rocks that extends acrofs the 
 
 river about 20 m.iles above Limerick.—— 
 If in any part of the kingdom there are any 
 wild Irifli to be found, it is in the weftern 
 
 parts
 
 ( 29) 
 
 parts of this province, for they have the leall 
 {^nk of law and government of any people 
 in Ireland, I believe, except that of their 
 haughty and tyrannic landlords, vi^ho, in a 
 literal fenfe, indeed, are abfolute fovereigns 
 over their refpedive towns and clans, which 
 the weftern part of this province may not 
 improperly be faid to be divided into. Their 
 imperious and oppreffive meafures, indeed, 
 have almofl: depopulated this province of Ire- 
 land. The will and pleafure (Sff thefe chiefs 
 is abfolute law to the p9or inhabitants that are 
 connected with them, and under whom the 
 miferable wretches live in the vileft and moft 
 abjcdl ftate of dependance. 
 
 This account, however unfavourable, is 
 not exaggerated, I affure you, for it is taken 
 from fome of the more fenfible people of the 
 very province. Too much, indeed, of this 
 is feen throughout the kingdom to be pleaf- 
 ing to an Englilh traveller. I never met with 
 fuch fcenes of mifery and opprefiion as this 
 country, in too many parts of it, really 
 exhibits. What with the fevere exadions 
 of rent, even before the corn is houfed, a 
 pradice that too much prevails here among 
 the petty and defpicable landlords, third, 
 fourth and fifth from the firft proprietor (of 
 which inferior and worft kind of landlords 
 this kingdom abounds infinitely too much for 
 the reputation of the real proprietors, or the 
 profperity of agriculture j) of the parifli prieft, 
 
 in
 
 ( 3o) 
 In the next place, for tythes, who not con- 
 tent with the tythe of grain, even the very 
 tenth of half a dozen or half a fcore perches 
 of potatoes, upon which a whole family, 
 perhaps, fubfifts for the year, is exaded by 
 the rapacious, infatiable prieft. I am forry, 
 to tell you the truth, that too many of them 
 
 are Enorlifh oarfons. For the love of God 
 
 and charity, fend no more of this fort over, 
 for here they become a fcandal to their coun- 
 try and to hutaanity. — — Add to thefe, the 
 exactions of, if pollible, the ftill more abfo- 
 lute catholic prieft, who, though he preaches 
 charity by the hour on Sunday, comes armed 
 with the terrors of damnation and demands 
 his full quota of unremitted offerings. For, 
 unhappily for them, the loweft clafs of inha- 
 bitants in the fouth and weft parts of the 
 kingdom are generally catholics, and by that 
 time they are all fatisfied, the poor, reduced 
 wretches have hardly the ilcin of a potatoe 
 left them to fubfift on. I make no doubt, 
 this has been the principal fource of the ma- 
 ny infurredions of the White- boys, as they 
 are called, in the fouth, from my own obfer- 
 vations and enquiries in the midft of them, 
 and likewife drives them, in fwarms, to the 
 high roads, which, throughout the fouthern 
 and weltern parts, are lined with beggars ; 
 who live in huts, or cabbins as they are called, 
 of fuch (hocking materials and conftrudion, 
 that through hundreds of them you may fee 
 
 ' th^
 
 (31) 
 
 the fmoak afcending from every inch of the 
 roof, for fcarce one in twenty of them have 
 any chimney, and through every inch of which 
 defencelefs coverings, the rain, of courfe, 
 will make its way to drip upon the half na- 
 ked, fliivering, and almoft half ftarved inha- 
 bitants within. 
 
 This is no exaggeration of the whole truth, 
 upon my honour, and it is the mod difagree- 
 able fcene that prefents itfelf to an Enghfli 
 travelkr in this kingdom. Happy would it 
 be for the lowefl clafs of people (whom op- 
 preffion and want of employment too often 
 and unjuftly fubjeds to the imputation of be- 
 ing idle) if the method of parochial provi- 
 fion in England were introduced into this 
 country, efpecially the fouthern parts of it, 
 where the poor really are infamoufly neglect- 
 ed. And the cafe of the lower clafs of far- 
 mers, indeed, which is the greateft number, 
 is little better than a flate of llavery, while 
 the pried and fubordinate landlords, in eafe 
 and affluence, live in haughty contempt of 
 their poverty and opprefiion, of which the 
 firft proprietors are but too feldom, indeed, 
 for the intereft of this kingdom, fpedlators. 
 
 The natural confeqiiences of this 
 
 fcene of things among the inhabitants, is vi- 
 fible even upon the lands in this country in 
 •general; which, though by nature, a very 
 coniiderable part of them, rich and fertile, 
 yet they almoft univerfally wear the face of 
 
 poverty.
 
 ( 32 ) 
 
 poverty, for want of good cultivation, which 
 the miferable occupiers really are not able to 
 give it, and very few of them know how if 
 they were : and this, indeed, mufi: be the 
 cafe while the lands are canted (fet to the 
 higheft bidder, not openly, but by private 
 propofals, which throws every advantage in- 
 to the hands of the landlord) in fmali par- 
 cels of 20 or 30/, a year, at third, fourth, 
 
 and fifth hand from the firfl: proprietor. 
 
 From the mod attentive, and minute enqui- 
 ries at many places, I am confident, that the 
 produce of this kingdom, either of corn or 
 cattle, is not above two-thirds, at mioft, of 
 what, by good cultivation, it might yield. 
 Yet the gentlemen, I believe, make as much 
 or more of their eftates than any in the three 
 kingdoms, while the lands, for equal good- 
 nefs, produce the leait. The confequences 
 of this, with refped to the different claffes, 
 are obvious, — the landlords,, firft and fubor- 
 dinate, get ^// that is made of the land, and 
 the tenants, for their labour, get poverty and 
 potatoes. 
 
 With refpe6l to grazing, which is, at pre- 
 fent, the mod profitable kind of agriculture, 
 and which annually extends in this kingdom 
 (and is an inexhauftible fupply of Iriili chair- 
 men in London,) that infatiable avarice of 
 moft of the flock farmers, as they are called 
 here, after black cattle (bullocks,) Vv'ill, in 
 time, fpoil much of the beft paiiurage in 
 
 Ireland.
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 Ireland. The advantages of grazing, I {hould 
 imagine, would be much greater if iheep- 
 grazing, which is almoft confined to the 
 province of Connaught, and two or three 
 counties befide, were more extenfively intro- 
 duced and underdood. 
 
 Ireland would, indeed, be a rich country 
 if made the moil of, if its trade were not re- 
 duced by unnatural reflridions and an Egyp- 
 tian kind of policies from without, and its 
 agriculture vv^ere not depreffed by hard mafters 
 from within itfelf. 
 
 Indeed, how the encreafing wealth of this 
 kingdom, from whatever fource, (hould be 
 injurious to England, with which it is fo 
 clofely coneded, or that the putting ic into 
 the power of the former to derive fuch im- 
 menfe additional fums to the public wealth, 
 in which both kingdoms mud participate, 
 fliould be injurious to the general welfare of 
 either, I own is intirely beyond my compre- 
 henfion. 
 
 To prohibit the importation of fuch com- 
 modities as our own country (liall be already 
 fufficiently provided with, muft, even to an 
 Irilhman, appear juft and reafonable, but 
 that they fhould be excluded from, or re- 
 ftridled in their trade to almoft all the reft 
 of the world, is a fpecies of policy, the wif- 
 dom of which, with deference to our ad- 
 miniftrators of the Hibernian department, I 
 
 o//n, is to me, not eafily intelligible. 
 
 D How-
 
 (34 ) 
 However, this is a fubjedl I by no means pro- 
 fefs to be a competent judge of, and have 
 only thrown together a few obfervations on 
 the fubjedt, as they were fuggcRed to me 
 from a general view of the ftate of things in 
 the country. 
 
 And thus much for trade, agriculture, and 
 poverty, which, in this kingdom, appear to 
 have too great a connexion, either for its 
 own intereft or that of any country it is con- 
 neded with. 
 
 As to the cufloms, and dialed of the inha- 
 bitants in general of this kingdom, there is 
 fuch an univerfal famenefs ahnofl: from north 
 to fouth, that Ireland affords the lead enter- 
 tainment in this view of it, perhaps, of any 
 country, of like extent, in the king's domi- 
 nions. I have met with greater variety in 
 fome two or three counties in England, in 
 thefe refpeds, than in all the three eaftern 
 provinces of Ireland. 
 
 Englifh is the univerM language of the 
 country among people of any fortune, and 
 very few of the lowed clafs are met with that 
 cannot fpeak it. In regard to language, in- 
 deed, they exceed the higheft fort of people, 
 who, in general, are too genteely bred to 
 underftand any thing of the language of their 
 native country, which feems to be the near- 
 eft to the Welch of any language upon earth; 
 whereas you'll meet with thoufands *of the 
 loweft rank, who fpeak both Englifli and 
 
 Irifli
 
 ( 35 ) 
 
 f rifli with equal eafe -, anc), what you will 
 hardly credit, perhaps, they really Ipcak bet- 
 ter Englifh than the lame clafs in England, 
 The reafon is obvious, here, the loweft clafs 
 have, many of them, learned it from fchools, 
 in which there may be fuppofcd a general 
 famcnefs throughout the kingdom. 
 
 But this fuperiority is, in my opinion, flu* 
 from being difcoverable among the people of 
 higher rank any where. Tho' the inhabitants 
 of Dublin, indeed, have the ridiculous vanity of 
 pretending to fpeak better Englidi than thofe 
 of London. From the mod attentive and 
 frequent obfervation, however, on the lan- 
 guage of the coffee- houfes, and places of 
 public bufincfs, in Dublin, compared to that of 
 fimilar places in London, I can fee not the 
 lead reafon for this vain prelumption : as lit- 
 tle does it appear from a comparifon of the 
 language of the pulpit or of the courts of 
 judicature in both cities. The language of 
 the theatres I exclude from the comparifon, 
 for that is all prefcription in both. And if 
 their Engliflh be even as good, their pronun- 
 ciation, I am fure, is much worfe, even 
 amongft the genteeleft of them. I fhould 
 not have taken fuch particular notice of this 
 circumilance, but from hence, that an En- 
 glifhman can hardly pafs a day in Dublin, if 
 he much frequents the coffee- houfes, with- 
 out finding this the topic of converfation 
 fomewbere, in one or other of them, the 
 D 2 fuperiority
 
 (36) 
 fuperiority of the Dublin Englifh to that of 
 London. 
 
 Nor is this the only preheminence which 
 the citizens of Dublin, in particular, arro- 
 gate to ihemfelves to thofe of London. If 
 you will believe them, their gentility as 
 much exceeds that of London as their lan- 
 guage. F'or invariably, almofi:, w^henever 
 the fubjed is introduced, if the gentility of 
 Dublin is fpoken of, with any view to a 
 comparifon with that of London, it is with 
 an air and manner that plainly befpeaks a pre- 
 fumed fuperiority on the fide of Dublin. 
 Indeed, 1 have often thought there was fome- 
 thing charadteriftic in this Hibernian impor- 
 tance^ as I would chufe to call it, or, in the 
 language of orator Henley, this Dublin affu- 
 rance^ that, if any thing among them can be 
 thought fo, is really original. But how the 
 Devil the inhabitants of this metropohs, 
 whofe drefs, faflnons, language, and diver- 
 fions are all imported from London, fliould 
 come at a fuperiority in either, unlefs from a 
 natural genius or capacity to improve upon 
 their originals, is beyond my comprehenfion. 
 That Hibernian importance, which I have 
 taken notice of, I make no doubt includes 
 in it a prefumption of fuch a capacity. But 
 here, likewife, as well as in the matter of 
 fad:, that they really have made fuch im- 
 provements, they muft forgive me if I take the 
 liberty of diffenting ; nor will I pay fuch a 
 
 compli-
 
 ,( 37 ) 
 compliment to their vanity at the expence of 
 my own country, as to fuppofe that their ta- 
 lents or genius for improvement upon any 
 originals v/hatever are in any degree fuperior 
 to thofe of the Englifli. 
 
 You will readily conceive that the obfer- 
 vations from which I have made the preced- 
 ing remarks, were taken of, and entirely re- 
 fer to the middling clafs of gentry, and the 
 people in trade. For it muft be between the 
 claflcs of thefe ranks that, in the prefent 
 queftion, any comparifon can be made. 
 The nobility, and people of quality, in, or 
 rather of this kingdom, are to all intents and 
 purpofes, almoft, very Londoners. — - This is 
 too well known in Ireland. 
 
 The part of the kingdom whofe inhabi- 
 tants, in their manners and dialed:, are the 
 moft like thofe of the English, is the province 
 of Ulfter; which including within itfelf al- 
 moft the whole, or by far the greater part, 
 of the linen manufadory, the bed branch of 
 trade in the kingdom, they haveconfequently 
 the greateft intercourfe with England: an 
 Englifhman in fome parts of it, indeed, will 
 imagine himfelf in his own country, frona 
 the fimilarity of their language and man- 
 ners. 
 
 The roads of this kingdom are generally 
 tolerably good for riding, but by no means 
 equal to the Englifli for a carriage. Turn- 
 pikes are eftablilhed on all the principal roads 
 
 D 3 in
 
 ( 38 ) 
 
 in the kingdom; and at the inns, though 
 they are very far from making the appearance 
 of thcfe in England, yet the Englilh travel- 
 ler will univerfally, almoft, meet with civil 
 ufa2;e, good provifions in general, and, for 
 himfelf, clean decent lodging. But an En- 
 glifh horfe. could he fpeakas well as Balaam's 
 afs, would curfe the country, for moft of 
 thefe articles. ■ — — Their oats, indeed, are, 
 for the moft part, tokrably good ; but their 
 hay and litter are the worft I ever met with ; 
 for excepting two or three counties in the 
 eaft of Leinfter, and one or two in Ulfter, 
 almoft every handful of ftraw the earth pro- 
 duces, goes on upon their houfes and cab- 
 bins. - Their litter is generally the bot- 
 toms of their hay-ftacks, and the fpoiled hay 
 from the rack, which the greater part of it 
 often is before it comes there, from their in- 
 judicious method of harvefling it, the pro- 
 vifion of the rack is feldom much better than 
 what goes under their feet, and thither one 
 half of it, at laft, generally goes. 
 
 I abfolutely did not get above one bed of 
 clean dry flraw for my horfe in the three 
 eaftern provinces ; and that was at a farmer's 
 who kept an inn at Lurgan, near Lough 
 Neah in the county of Armagh, one of the 
 prettieft little market towns in the north, 
 and the moft like fome of our fpacious tho- 
 roughfare towns on the high roads near the 
 capital of apy that I met with in all the coun- 
 try.
 
 ( 39 ) 
 try. His men happening to be thrafhing of 
 barley and throwing the ftraw out plentifully 
 juft by the ftable door, I was determined 
 that once in the kingdom my horfe fhould 
 have a clean and warm bed. I don't exas;- 
 gerate, laffureyou, nor depart in the leaft 
 from truth, when I tell you, that exxepting 
 at my landlord's, at, if I miftake not, the 
 Crown and Wheat-fheaf, at Lurgan, I did 
 not once get any thing like a good bed of 
 ftraw for my horfe in the kingdom. It may 
 feem a little remarkable this, but it is no lefs 
 true, nor do I intend by it a refledion upon 
 the reft. In general, they have not the re- 
 quifite provifions for a horfe upon the road. 
 
 They are very far from having a fuffi- 
 
 ciency of ftraw, and their hay is almoft uni- 
 verfally badly harvefted. But they might 
 have plenty of both very good ; and *tis an 
 infamy to the proprietors of this fertile coun^ 
 try that they have not, who fuffer fome of 
 the beft land in the king's dominions to be 
 torn to pieces, and cultivated in the vileft 
 manner by a fet of abjedl, miferable occu- 
 piers, that are abfolutely no better than flaves 
 to the defpicably lazy fubordinate landlords. 
 
 We are generally apt to think every tiling 
 favourable of a place where we have been 
 agreeably entertained. Not only thofe of 
 our horfes, but our own accommodations 
 likewife, at the Wlfeat-ftieaf were fo remark- 
 ably decent, comfortable, and friendly, the 
 D 4 difpo-
 
 (4o) 
 
 fjifpoiition to oblige us in our agricultural 
 hoft and hoftefs, was (o confpicuous, that I 
 cannot help williing to perpetuate the me- 
 mory of a place where we fpent two or three 
 days with as much pleafure as in any town in 
 the kingdom. They leemed indeed to exert 
 themfelves to fupport the reputation of their 
 town, which, fron\ the fimilarity of iis ge- 
 neral figure, of the lanp-'jaeie, manners, and 
 difpofitions oi its inhabitants to thofe of the 
 Englifli, had for many years acquired the 
 name of Liftk E77gJand'^ and an Englilhman 
 at Lurgan, indeed, will think him.felf in his 
 own country. 
 
 Its iituation is extremely pleafant, in a 
 fine fertile and populous country, and in the 
 midft of the linen manufactory. It flands on 
 a gentle eminence, about two miles from, 
 and commanding a fine profpedl of. Lough 
 Neah^ the largeft lake in the kingdom. 
 
 The inhabitants are genteel, fenfible, and 
 friendly; and though the town is not very 
 confiderable, yet, from a general concunence 
 in the fame fociable difpofition, they have 
 eftablifhed a very fociable and entertaining 
 affcmbly, to which, throwing afide all the 
 ridiculous difiindions and exclufions on the 
 circumftances of birth and fortune, the ofF- 
 fpring of pride, upon vanity and ignorance, 
 every perfon is welcome, who is qualified to 
 appear with decency and to behave with 
 good planners. 
 
 The
 
 (41 ) 
 
 The country, from hence to the eaftward, 
 by Lifburn, on to Belfaft and Antrim, is 
 rich, fertile, and as well cultivated and en- 
 ciofed, as any in the north part of Ireland. 
 But the greater part of the north of Ulfter, 
 as well as of th^mofl: fouthern parts of Mun- 
 fter, and almoft the whole of the province 
 of Connaught, are open and mountainous. 
 
 The province of Leinfter, and the middle 
 parts of the kingdom in general, are the beft 
 cultivated, and the mod generally enclofed. 
 Over fome of thefe open countries the turn- 
 pike roads are laid out, for lo or 15 miles 
 together, as flrait as a line. Woods you 
 meet with but very few of in this country, 
 though a foil, by nature, capable of produc- 
 ing very fine. 1 make no doubt there is 
 
 as much wood and timber growing in the 
 county of Kent as in the whole kingdom of 
 Ireland. 
 
 There are but few large, populous, or 
 
 well-built towns in this country. The 
 
 fecond city in Ireland is Corke, in the fouth- 
 weft part of the kingdom, in the county of 
 the fame name, which is by much the largeft 
 and moft populous, next to Dublin, in the 
 kingdom ; and, next to the capital, has by 
 far the greateft trade of any, and, indeed, is 
 in the beft fituation for commerce of any 
 town in Ireland. Its exports, which are the 
 principal parts of its trade, of beef and but- 
 ter, are greater, I believe, than thofe of any 
 
 town
 
 ( 42 ) 
 
 town in the king's dominions. 'Tis amaz- 
 ing the quantity of beef that is killed here 
 from Michaelmas to Chriftmas. — For three 
 or four months at this time of the year a 
 ftranger would imagine it was the flaughter- 
 houfe of Ireland. 
 
 Corke is very nearly, or altogether, as 
 large as BriRol in the weft of England, but 
 infinitely better fituated as to its navigation, 
 at the bottom of a large, capacious and well 
 iheltered bay or cove. A very confiderable 
 part of the city, and the principal mercantile 
 part of it, is really fituated on a flat, that 
 was originally a moras or under water, which 
 by the induftry of the inhabitants has been 
 raifed feveral feet; many fpacious ftreers have 
 been built on this new made land, to which 
 they are annually making additions, and ex- 
 tending the town farther over the flat by the 
 fides of the navigation. 
 
 But what contributes greatly to the beauty, 
 as well as convenience, of this part of the 
 town and its trade, is the channels that are 
 carried through mod of the principal ftreets -, 
 fo that the merchandize of every kind can be 
 brought bv water to, or {hipped from the 
 very ware-houfes of the merchants, who re- 
 fide* chiefly in this lower, and modern part 
 of the city, in houfes really magnificent and 
 fuperb, that at the fame time exhibit the 
 w^ealth of their owners, and are an ornament 
 to the city.— A large and elegant threatre has 
 
 been
 
 (43 ) 
 
 been lately built here, for the entertainment 
 of the citizens, with dramatic performances, 
 which have hitherto been under the manage- 
 ment of Mr. Barry, from the theatre royal in 
 Crow-flreet, Dublin, who, with his com- 
 pany, exhibits here during the fummer va- 
 cation at the capital. 
 
 Cork, indeed, may very juftly be efteem- 
 ed the moft flourifliing city in Ireland, The 
 houfes, in general, are well built, but the 
 flreets are many of them too narrow. Its 
 churches are unexceptionably the neateft and 
 the mod elegantly finifhed, of any in the 
 kingdom, for the number it contains. But 
 excepting this city, and the metropolis, there 
 are few towns in Ireland that are larger than 
 the town you live in , though there are many 
 indeed, that are nearly of that extent ; amongft 
 which, the cities of Kilkenny, Waterford, 
 and Limerick, in the fouth, and Galloway, 
 Athlone, Siigoe, Innifkillen, Belfaft, and 
 Derry in the weft and north, are fome of 
 the principal. 
 
 The city of Kilkenny, in the fouth, is 
 very pleafantly iituated on the river Neor, a 
 navigable river, that difcharges itfelf into the 
 Haven of Waterford. 'Tis, indeed, one of the 
 moft confiderable and populous inland towns, 
 
 in Ireland. You have heard, I make no 
 
 doubt, of the four peculiarities, as they are 
 deemed, that are remarked of this city ; two 
 of which, are founded in truth, the other 
 
 two
 
 . ( 44 ) , 
 
 two in imagination. That its air is without 
 fog ; its water without mud ; its fire without 
 fmoke ; and its ftreets paved with marble. 
 
 The two latter, are, indeed, matter of 
 fad. They have in the neighbourhood a 
 kind of coal, that really burns from firft to 
 laft, without fmoke, and is not much unlike 
 our Welch coal. And their flreets are adtu- 
 ally paved wMth marble, almoffc throughout 
 the city, and with a very good fort of black 
 marble, of which ihey have large quarries 
 near the town, that takes a fine poliih, and 
 is beautifully intermixed with white granites. 
 But, the two former peculiarities, appeared to 
 me to be fuch only in imagination. The air, 
 indeed, is certainly good and healthy ; but 
 I fa w no reafon to think it very remarkably 
 clearer than in many other parts of the 
 kingdom. Here is the ancient feat of the 
 Ormond Family, and is an ornament to the 
 city. The country, in general, about it for 
 fome miles, appear very fertile, and their 
 agriculture fom^e of the beft, I met with, in 
 the kingdom. 
 
 The cilies of Waterford, and Limerick, 
 are large and populous, and well fituated for 
 trade and navigation. The former, on the 
 river &;t, about 15, and the latter, on the 
 Shannon^ about 60 miles, from the fea. 
 
 But what fpoils the figure and appearance 
 of the m.uch greater number of even their 
 largeft towns in Ireland, is the generality 
 
 dirty
 
 ( 45 ) 
 
 dirty entrances into them, and the long 
 firings of defpicable huts, or cabbins, that 
 nioft of them are prefaced with. The in- 
 land towns efpecially, into which you are 
 generally introduced through a line of (^o or 
 loo of thefe habitations of poverty and op- 
 preffion, on either hand ; a whole ftreet of 
 which, might be built for 1 50I. for abfolute- 
 ly the materials and workmanfliip together, 
 of many of them, are not worth 20 fiiillings. 
 Even the metropolis itfelf, on feveral of its 
 moft publick entrances, is not without this 
 difgraceful deformity, that at one view exhi- 
 bits the poverty and wretchednefs of the 
 tenants, and the mean-fpiritednefs of the 
 landlord, who, too generally, for their own 
 or the reputation of their country, impofe the 
 building the houfes on their lands, upon a 
 fet of people, whofe abilities will not ena- 
 ble them to build with better materials, than 
 clay or ftraw, and to the infamy of the pro- 
 prietors may it be faid, that moft of the 
 farm Houfes in Ireland, are conftrucfted of 
 no better material?. The towns in the pro- 
 vince of Ulfter, have, in general, much the 
 leaft of this Ruftic deformity : there are ma- 
 ny, indeed, in this province, that have hard- 
 ly any, and that are neat and well built. 
 
 The city of Derry^ in particular, is per- 
 haps, unexceptionably the cleaned, beft 
 built, and moft beautifully fituated of any 
 town in Ireland^ and, excepting Cork, as 
 
 con-
 
 (46 ) 
 conveniently as any for commerce, foreign^ 
 or domeftic; and, but for the reftridions 
 on the trade of Ireland, would, in a few 
 years, become a flourilliing and wealthy city. 
 It is fuuated on a gende eminence, of an 
 oval form, and almoft a pcninfuia at the 
 bottom, and in a narrow part of Lough, or 
 Lake Foyle, which furrounds, for a quarter 
 of a mile broad, two thirds or more of the 
 eminence, and might eafily be brought en- 
 tirely round the city. Through this Lough, 
 it comimunicates wiih the fea, on the very 
 north of Ireland. 
 
 The whole grounded plot of this city, 
 and its liberties, belongs to the twelve trades 
 of London -, from which circumftance, it 
 has obtained in our maps, the name oi Lon- 
 don-Derry^ but by the natives in, and about 
 it, it is commonly called by its original name 
 of Derry, 
 
 It is memorable, and for ever memorable 
 it ought to be, for the fevere fiege it nobly 
 fuftained for thirteen weeks, in the reign of 
 king William, in defence of the glorious 
 caufe of Liberty. Indeed, I make no doubt, 
 that from its natural fituation, it is capable of 
 being made one of the moft tenable and de- 
 fenfible cities in the kingdom. 
 
 In this fevere fiege was exhibited one of 
 the moft infamous fpecimens of French po- 
 licy and catholic humanity, that the hiftory 
 of their own, or any other the moft gothick 
 
 and
 
 ( 47 ) _ 
 
 and favage nation can furnilh. — . Not 
 
 content with ftarving the natives and gallant 
 defenders of the city, the French general, 
 under James, colleded together the inhabi- 
 tants of half a dozen counties round, and 
 drove them, men, women, and children, 
 old and young, Hke flheep to the flaughter, 
 before the walls of the city, there to be 
 ftarved with the befieged. 
 
 Happily for the citizens, in this alarming 
 and defperate Situation, they had juft before 
 this event, taken, in a fally from the town, 
 feveral noblemen and gentlemen of the firft 
 diftindion belonging to the army of James, 
 For thefe a lofty triple gallows v/as conflru di- 
 ed, and, by order of the governor, erected 
 on an eminent part of the city, confpicuous 
 to the army in their camp, and a melTenger 
 was difpatched to the French general to cer- 
 tify the governor's determination, that if 
 thofe miferable wretches were not immedi- 
 ately fufFered to return, he would, the next 
 day, in fight of the army, hang up every 
 gendeman among the prifoners, of what rank 
 or diftindion foever. 'thh meflage had its 
 defired effedl. The army mutinied in favour 
 of their feveral friends and relations who were 
 among the captives, and the general was 
 obliged to permit that miferable multitude, 
 to pafs from whence they came to their re- 
 fpedlive homes. This enabled the befieged 
 
 to
 
 (.4B ) 
 to fubfift 'till relief arrived from England ; 
 immediately upon which the fiege was raifed. 
 
 From this general account of the country, 
 its inhabitants, &c. in which I have been as 
 comprehenfive and concife as I could, con- 
 fidently, with giving you a general view of 
 Ireland in thefe rcfpeds ; nor have I, in any 
 inftance knowingly, departed from truth ; I 
 will now proceed to the greateft fource of 
 entertainment to an Englilh traveller in this 
 kingdom, its natural curiolities, of wh'ch 
 this ifland has the greateft number, I believe, 
 of any country of equal extent in the king's 
 dominions, and fome, perhaps, fuperior, in 
 their kind, to any in the known world ; and 
 as it is from this part of my account of Ire- 
 land that I know your expedlations of enter- 
 tainment will be raifed the higheft, I will 
 give you a particular defcription of fome of 
 the greateft of every kind, as they have oc- 
 curred to me. 
 
 And having juft made a tranfition to the 
 north, before we leave the neighbourhood 
 of Derry, our firft defcription ftall be of a 
 natural curiofity on the moft northern point 
 of Ireland, in the county of Antrim, of which 
 it would be unpardonable in me not to give 
 you the moft particular account that 1 am 
 capable of, as we made it our bufinefs twice 
 to vific and examine it while we were, in the 
 neighbourhood, at a little town called Bufh^ 
 fituated on a river of the fame name about 
 
 two
 
 t norrnem exrremicy or ine luaiia, aiia 
 E clofe
 
 m 
 
 ^: 
 
 P 
 
 ■.*' 
 
 \^ 
 
 n 
 
 

 
 [ 49 1 
 
 two miles from it, I mean that mod fuper- 
 latively curious and aftoniflKiig work of na- 
 ture, the Gicmt\ Caiifcway ; which is per- 
 haps unexceptionably one oi the greatefl: and 
 mod Angular of natural curiofity in the 
 known world, for it is, indeed, the only 
 exhibition of the kind that was yet ever met 
 with in the known world. 
 
 A fketch of the out- lines and general fi- 
 gure of the component parts of the caufe- 
 way is given in the annexed plates. 
 
 The firft reprefents the two bays, &c. 
 between which the caufeway runs out to the 
 fea; GG the grand caufeway; A the point 
 of the cliff from whence the caufeway pro- 
 jedls ; G H the giant's chair ; W the way 
 leading down to the caufeway; O the or- 
 gans ; R a rock at the foot of the caufe- 
 way, vifible at low water ; P a promontory, 
 cut off at I from the cliff*; H a houfe built 
 by lord Antrim on the ftrand, and intended 
 for an inn, but never inhabited ; B the town 
 of Bt/Jh ; R a river of the fame name ; C 
 the road from Bally-caftle to Bufli, and 
 thence to Derry. 
 
 The other plate exhibits a view of the mix- 
 ture of concavities and convexities on the top 
 of the caufeway, as well as the general figure 
 and infertion of the pillars. 
 
 The fituation in which this mod extra- 
 ordinary phenomenon is difcovered, is in the 
 mofl northern extremity of the illand, and 
 E clofe
 
 ( 5° ) 
 
 clofe by the fea, into which it runs out, for 
 200 yards, in a •dire6lion very nearly north 
 from the foot of a lofty cliff, that projeds to 
 an angular point between two fmall bays, 
 which are about half a mile wide, and about 
 half that diftance deep. The fituation of 
 the caufeway between thefe two bays or 
 rocky lofty amphitheatres, on either hand, 
 has fomething peculiarly flriking, and adds 
 greatly to the natural curiofity of the caufe- 
 way itfelf. 
 
 I have fent you a rude fketch of the gene- 
 ral form and fituation of this really mofl cu- 
 rious and Angular phenomenon, of which it 
 isimpoflible to give a jufl reprefentation by any 
 draught whatfoever, for fome of the mofl curi- 
 ous appearances will efcape the pencil. How- 
 ever, I will give you the mofl perfed idea that 
 I can by a defcription of the feveral parts. 
 
 The principal or grand caufeway, for there 
 are feveral lefs confiderableand fcattered frag- 
 ments of fimilar workmanfliip, confifls of a 
 mofl irregular arrangement of many hundred 
 thoufands of columns of a black kind of 
 rock, hard as marble, almofl all of them are 
 of a pentagonal figure, but fo clofely and 
 compadtly fituated on their fides, though per- 
 fectly diflind: from top to bottom, that fcarce 
 any thing can be introduced between them. 
 The columns are of an unequal height and 
 breadth, fome of the higheff, vifible above 
 the fiyrface of the ftrand, and at the foot of 
 
 the
 
 (51) 
 
 the impending angular precipice, may be 
 about 2 feet, they do not exceed this height, 
 I believe, at lead none of the principal ar- 
 rangement. How deep they are fixed in 
 the (Irand was never yet difcovered. This 
 grand arrangement, I beheve, extends nearly 
 200 yards, vifible at low water, how far be- 
 yond is uncertain, from its declining appear- 
 ance, however, at low water, it is probable, 
 it does not extend under water to a diftance 
 any thing equal to v/hat is feen above. 
 
 The breadth of the principal caufeway, 
 which runs out in one continued range of co- 
 lumns, is, in general, from twenty to thirty 
 feet, at one place or two it may be nearly 
 forty for a few yards. 1 exclude^ in this ac- 
 count, the broken and fcattered pieces of the 
 fame kind of conftrudion, that are detached 
 from the fides of the grand caufeway, as they 
 did not appear to me to have ever been conti- 
 guous to the principal arrangement, though 
 they have frequently been taken into the 
 width ; which has been the caufe of fuch 
 wild and ditinnilar reprefentations of this 
 caufeway, which different drawings have ex- 
 hibited. 
 
 The highefl: part of this caufeway, is the 
 narroweft at the very foot of the impending 
 cliff, from whence the whole projedls, where 
 for four or five yards, it is not above 10 or 
 J 5 feet wide. The columns of this narrow 
 part, incline from a perpendicular a little to 
 E 2 the
 
 ( 52 ) 
 
 the weftward, and form a flope on their 
 tops, by the very unequal height of the co- 
 lumns on the two fides, by which an afcent 
 is made at the foot of the cliff, from the head 
 of one column to the next above, gradatim, 
 to the top of the great caufeway, which, at 
 the dillance of half a dozen yards from the 
 cliff, obtains a perpendicular pofiiion, and 
 lowering in its general height, widens to 
 about 2 or between 20 and 30 feet, and 
 for 100 yards nearly is always above water. 
 
 The tops of the Columns for this length 
 being nearly of an equal height, they form a 
 grand and very fingular parade, that m/ay be 
 eafily walked on, rather inclining to the 
 Vv^ater's edge. But from high water mark, 
 as it is perpetually waflied by the beating 
 fur2;es on every return of the tide, the plat- 
 form lowers confiderably, and becomes more 
 and more uneven, fo as not to be walked 
 on, but with the greateft care. At the dif- 
 tance of j jo Yards from the cliff, it turns 
 a little to the eaft for 20 or 30 yards, and 
 then finks into the fea. Thus far we have 
 traced the general figure and outlines only of 
 this mofl: fingular phaenomenon, 1 will now 
 point out the circumftances that are particu- 
 larly curious and extraordinary in this caufe- 
 way, which are, the figure of the Columns, 
 their Conftrudion, and, clofe combination 
 with each other ; together with the general 
 difpofition of the feveral phoenomena of this 
 
 kind
 
 Ci3 ) 
 
 kind about the place. The figure of thefe 
 columns is almofl: unexceptionably pontagonal, 
 or conipofed of five fides, there are but ve- 
 ry few of any other figure introduced ; fome 
 few there are of three, four, and fix fides, 
 but the generality of them are five fidcd, 
 and the fpedtator muft look very nicely to 
 find any of a difil^ent confiruftion : yet what 
 is very extraordinary, and particularly curi- 
 ous, there are not two columns in ten thou- 
 fand to be found, that either have their fides 
 equal among themfelvcs, or whole figures 
 are alike. Nor is the compofition of thefe 
 columns or pillars lefs deferving the attention 
 of the curious fpeftator. They are not of 
 one folid fi:one in an upright pofition, but 
 compofed of fevcral fliort lengths, curioufly 
 joined, not with flat furfaces, but articulated 
 into each other, like ball and focket, or like 
 the joints in the vertebra of fome of the 
 larger kind of filL, the one end at the joint 
 having a cavity, into which the convex end 
 of the oppofite is exadly fitted. This is not 
 vifible, but by disjoining the two ftones. 
 
 The depth of the concavity, or convexity, 
 is generally about three or four inches. And 
 what is fliill farther remarkable of the joint, 
 the convexity, and the correfpondent conca- 
 vity, is not conformed to the external angular 
 figure of the column, but exadtly round, and 
 as large as the fize or diameter of the co- 
 lumn will admit 3 and, confequently, a? the 
 E 3 angles
 
 ( 54 ) _ 
 singles of thefe columns are, in general, ex- 
 tremely unequal, the circular edge of the 
 joint is feldom coincident with more than 
 two or three fides of the pentagonal, and 
 from the edge of the circular part of the joint 
 to the exterior fides and angles they are quite 
 plain. 
 
 It is ftill farther very remarkable, likewife, 
 that the articulations of thefe joints are fre- 
 quently inverted ; in fome the concavity is 
 upwards, in others the reverfe. This occa- 
 lions that variety and mixture of concavities 
 and convexities on the tops of the columns^, 
 v/hich is obfervable throughout the platform 
 of this caufeway, yet without any difcover- 
 able defign or regularity vvith refped: to the 
 number of either. 
 
 The length, alfo, of thefe particular 
 ftones, from joint to joint, is various; in ge- 
 neral they are from i8 to 24 inches long, 
 and, for the mofi: part, longer toward the 
 bottom of the columns than nearer the top, 
 and the articulation of the joints fomething 
 deeper. — The fize, or diameter, likewife, 
 of the columns is as different as their length 
 and figure; in general, they are from i j to 
 20 inches in diameter. 
 
 There are really no traces of uniformity or 
 defign difcovered throughout the whole com- 
 bination, except in the form of the joint, 
 which is invariably by an articulation of the 
 convex into the concave of the piece next 
 
 above
 
 (S3) 
 
 above or below it 5 nor are there any traces 
 of a finifliing in any part, either in height, 
 length, or breadth of this curious caufeway. 
 
 If there is here and there a fmooth top to 
 any of the columns above v^ater, there are 
 others juft by, of equal height, that are more 
 or lefs convex or concave, v^^hich fhew them 
 to have been joined to pieces that have been 
 wa(hed, or by other means taken off. And 
 undoubtedly thofe parts that are always above 
 water have, from time to time, been made 
 as even as might be ; and the remaining fur- 
 faces of the joints muft naturally have been 
 worn fmoother by the conftant fridion of 
 weather and walking, than where the fea, 
 at every tide, is beating upon it and conti- 
 nually removing fome of the upper ftones and 
 
 expofing fre(h joints. And, farther, 
 
 as thefe columns preferve their diameters, 
 from top to bottom, in all the exterior ones, 
 which have two or three fides expofed to 
 view, the fame may, with reafon, be inferred 
 of the interior columns, whofe tops only are 
 vifible. 
 
 Yet what is very extraordinary, and equal- 
 ly curious in this phenomenon, is, that not- 
 withftanding the univerfil diffimilitude of 
 the columns, both as to their figure and dia- 
 meter, and though perfectly diftindt from 
 top to bottom, yet is the whole arrangement 
 fo clofely combined at all points, that hardly 
 a knife can be introduced between them 
 E 4 either
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 cither on the fides or angles. And it is really 
 a moft curious piece of entertainment to exa- 
 mine the dole contexture and nice infertion 
 of fuch an infinite variety of angular figures 
 as are exhibited on the furface of this grand 
 parade. From the infinite diffimilarity of 
 the figure of thefe columns, this will appear 
 a moil furprizing circumllance to the curious 
 fpedator, and would incline him to believe 
 it a w^ork of human art, were it not, on the 
 other hand, inconceivable that the wit or in- 
 vention of man fliould conftiud and combine 
 fuch an infinite number of columns, which 
 (liould have a general apparent likenefs, and 
 yet be fo univerfally dilfimilar in their figure 
 as that, from the minuted examination, not 
 two in ten or twenty thoufand fhould be 
 found, v/hofe angles and fides are equal 
 among themfelves, or of the one column to 
 thofe of the other. 
 
 That it is the work of nature there can be 
 no doubt to an attentive fpedator, who care- 
 fully furveys the general form and fituation, 
 with the infinitely various figuration of the 
 feveral parts of this caufeway. There are no 
 traces of regularity or defign in the out- lines 
 of this curious phaenomenon ; which, includ- 
 ing the broken and detached pieces of the 
 fam.e kind of workmanfliip, are extremely 
 fcattered and confufed, and, whatever they 
 might originally, do not, at prefent, appear 
 to "have any connection with the grand or 
 
 prir>«
 
 /.ipppar oil rii e Trjp o f die (Jaii^ejT).
 
 ( 57 ) 
 
 principal caufeway, as to any fuppofeable de- 
 lign or ufe in its firft conflrudion, and as lit- 
 tle defign can be inferred from the figure or 
 lituation of the feveral conftituent parts. 
 The whole exhibition is, indeed, extremely 
 confufed, difuniform, and dellitute of everv 
 appearance of ufe or deiign in its original 
 conftiudion. 
 
 But what, beyond difpute, determines its 
 original to have been from nature, is, that 
 the very cliffs, at a great diftance from the 
 caufeway, efpecially in the bay to the eaft- 
 v/ard, exhibit, at many places, the fame 
 kind of columns, figured and jointed in all 
 refpeds like thofe of the grand caufeway ; 
 fome of them are feen near to the top of the 
 cliff, which in general, in thefe Bays to the 
 eaft and weft of the caufeway, is near 300 
 feet hight, others again are feen about mid- 
 way, and at different elevations from the 
 ftrand. A very confiderable expofure of 
 them is fctn in the very bottom of the bay 
 to the eartward, near a hundred rods from 
 the caufeway, where the earth has evidently 
 fallen away from them upon the firand, 
 and exhibits a mofl curious arrangement of 
 many of thefe pentagonal columns, in a per- 
 pendicular pofition, fupporting, in appear- 
 ance, a cliff of different flrata of earth, clay, 
 rock, &c. to the height of 1 50 feet or more, 
 above. Soine of thefe columns are between 
 30 and 40 feet high, from the top of the 
 
 Hoping
 
 ( 5B ) 
 
 floping bank below them j and, being longeft 
 in the middle of the arrangement, fliortening 
 on either hand in view, they have obtained 
 the appellation of organs, from a rude like- 
 nefs, indeed, in this particular to the exte- 
 rior or frontal tubes of that inftrument ; and 
 as there are very few broken pieces on the 
 flrand near it, 'tis probable that the outfide 
 range of columns that nov/ appears, is really 
 the original exterior line, to the feaward, of 
 this colledion. But how far they extend 
 internally into the bovv^els of the encumbent 
 cliff, may be worthy the examination of any 
 curious gentleman in the neighbourhood, by 
 running an arch or cavern on one or both 
 fides, to trace the internal fcope of this par- 
 ticular arrangement, which may be about 50 
 feet wide, and is compofed of the loftieft 
 columns of any that are found in, or about, 
 the caufeway. 
 
 The very fubftance, indeed, of that part 
 of the cliff which projefts to a point, between 
 the two bays on the eaft and weft of the 
 caufeway, feems compofed of this kind of 
 materials, for befides the many pieces that 
 are fcen on the fides of the cliff that circu- 
 late to the bottom of the bays, particularly 
 the eaftern fide, there is, at the very point 
 of the cliff, and juft above the narrow and 
 higheft part of the caufeway, a long collec- 
 tion of them feen, whofe heads or tops juft 
 appearing without the floping bank, plainly 
 
 iTievr
 
 (59) 
 
 fhew them to be in an oblique pofition, and 
 about halfway between the perpendicular, 
 ?.nd the horizontal. The heads of thefe, 
 likewife, are of mixt furfaces, convex and 
 concave, and the columns evidently appear to 
 have been removed from their original upright, 
 to their prefent inclining or oblique pofition^ 
 by the finking or falling of the cliff; nor do 
 I make any doubt, that the whole caufeway, 
 that runs out from thence to the fea, was, 
 originally, concealed in the very bowels of a 
 fuperencumbent cliff, that, by degrees, has 
 fallen off it ; and the loofer earth being wafh- 
 ed away, has left this more fixed and mofl: 
 curious columnal combination expofed to 
 view, and which will probably remain for 
 ages a monument of the fuperior and exqui- 
 fite workmanfhip of nature. 
 
 The circumftance of its being the only 
 phaenomenon of the kind that has yet been 
 difcovered is no difproof of its 72a f ztral onginy 
 or it is an equal prefumption againft its being 
 the work of human art. For neither art or 
 nature, perhaps, in any part of the known 
 world has exhibited a conftruftion like it. — 
 That there is nothing of the fame kind to be 
 met withj makes this, indeed, the more ex^ 
 traordinary, and the more juftly deferving 
 the notice and admiration of the carious ; 
 but nothing can be inferred from thence alone 
 as to its origin. 
 
 The
 
 ( 6o ) 
 
 The roinaiitic fuppofition of its having 
 been a caulevvay from Ireland to Scotland is 
 ridiculoiis and abfurd at firft view. The 
 neaieft coaft of Scotland to this place is at 
 leail 30 miles; if a^ny ufe or defign of this 
 kind can be imagined ever to have taken 
 place, it mutl: have been to fome ifland not 
 far from the fhore, which the fea has fwal- 
 lowed up. Bat the general form and con- 
 ilrudion of the feveral parts is at the utmoft 
 difiance from favouring fuch a fuppofirion. 
 
 Nor is the ridiculous opinion that is met 
 with in fome of the old natural hiftories of this 
 kingdom lefs abfurd, on a comparifon that is 
 made of this to Stonehenge on Salifbury-plain, 
 that this, as well as that, may have been 
 originally a Druid temple, or fome ancient 
 place of vvorfhip, for there is no more like-r 
 nefs in the comparifon than would be found 
 between two of the mofi: dilTimilar produc-r 
 tions of art or nature. Into fuch ridi- 
 culous fancies will men fuffer themfelves to 
 be led, who have never feen the originals, 
 of which they • retend to give a defcription ; 
 but implicitly write from the authority of 
 others, equally with themfelves, unacquaint- 
 ed with them. 
 
 The truth is, that from the mofl exadt 
 furvey, and the minuteft examination, of 
 this mofi; fingular and curious phenomenon, 
 the total abfence of every appearance of der 
 fign or ufe that can be difcovered, it may jufHy 
 
 bs
 
 ( 6i ) 
 
 be looked upon as a lufus natiirce ; if there 
 are aiw exhibitions in nature that may be 
 called iuch, this is fupereminently one of 
 them. With refpedt to the manner of its 
 original production, it iliould feem to be a 
 rocky concreffence or vegetation, of a fimi- 
 lar natural procefs with many fparry or lapidar 
 produdtions that are found in fome parts of 
 both England and Ireland. This, however, 
 I fpeak with diffidence, and fubmit to the 
 judgment of more curious naturalilis. That 
 itones of many (and perhaps of all) kinds do 
 really grow from a lelTer to a larger fize, is, 
 at this time a well known truth. Whether 
 thefe have encreafed in their magnitude fince- 
 the memory of man, there have been no ob- 
 fervations made, that I could find, by any 
 gentleman in the country : though fuch eafily 
 might have been made, with refpect to any 
 particular pillar or column, a little detached 
 from the reft. 
 
 But, indeed, whether they grew to this 
 furprizing and mod lingular form and con- 
 nexion with each other, by any natural ve* 
 getative procefs, or were originally brought^ 
 into it at once by the omnipotent hiat of na- 
 ture, is, at this time, and probably ever will 
 be, an abfolutely indifcoverable fecret. The 
 iingularity, however, as well as figure of the 
 phicnomenon, is very extraordinary, that 
 there Ihould never, in any part of the world, 
 be anv prcdudtion^of a fimilar kind to this 
 
 yet
 
 (62) 
 
 yet difcovered, not even in Ireland itfelf, is :i 
 circumftance, indeed, amazing, and that 
 very juftly places this at the head of natural 
 curioiities. 
 
 Nor is this the only deviation of nature, 
 in this ifland, from her common methods of 
 working; it feems, indeed, to have been 
 her favourite fpot for exhibidng a fportive 
 and extravagant tancy in the finifliing her 
 operations of many kinds. 
 
 There is hardly a river in the kingdom but 
 vi^hat is ornamented, more or lefs, in its 
 courfe, with beautiful cafcades, water-falls, 
 or falmon-leaps, as they are ufually called, 
 from the infinite number of falmon that, at 
 the feafon of the year for Ipawning, are ken 
 leaping up the falls, many of them to the 
 height of 15 or 20 feet. There are many of 
 thefe falls in this kingdom, which are very 
 curious and entertaining to a firanger, and 
 the falmon fifhery of fome of them is worth 
 prodigious fums ; there are two or three in 
 the province of Ulfter, that rent for 15 or 
 \6ool. per a?2?i, and at which confequently 
 immenfe quantities of fifli are annually 
 caught; and yet they arefeldom fold at more 
 than the moderate prices of three half pence 
 or two pence per pound, prodigious quanti- 
 ties of which are falted and barrelled for 
 North America from Derry. There is one 
 of thefe fiflieries at Colerain, in the county 
 of Antrim, that belongs to the city of Lon- 
 don,
 
 1 
 
 
 Mf */!&*'> 
 
 
 iKstete^Uwiti-' ' 
 
 
 3
 
 (63 ) 
 
 don, and rents for 1500/. a year; and ano- 
 ther at Ballyfhannon, the property, I believe, 
 of lord Donnegal, that rents for 1600/. per 
 ann. 
 
 At fome of the deeper catarads of this 
 kind, in flood times, after heavy rains in the 
 country and mountains above, the noife and 
 impetuous fall of the water is aftonifljing, 
 and poffeiTes the mind of the curious fpe(fla- 
 tor, unufed to fcenes of this kind, with a 
 degree of terror mixt with admiration. 
 
 There is a very beautiful one at Leifilp, 
 about feven miles from Dublin, in the river 
 LifFy, juft by the feat of the archbifhop 
 of Armagh, the primate of Ireland, one of 
 the pleafanteft villages in Ireland. There are 
 feveral feats of the firft families in the king- 
 dom fituated in the neighbourhood of this 
 village; and, in the fummer feafon, it is 
 much reforted to. by genteel company from 
 Dublin, and many parts of Ireland, to drink 
 of a fulphurous fpaw that fprings clofe to 
 the edge of the LifFy, a httle below the vil- 
 lage. 
 
 A general plan of the village and view of 
 the foil is fketched out in the annexed plate, 
 in which, B is the billiop's houfe ; F the 
 grand fall, near 20 feet ; \., L feveral lefTcr 
 falls above it ; at A is an arch on the top of 
 the fill, one butment of which is on the 
 rocks over which the water falls, the other 
 2gainfl the bank in the bifhop's garden ; D is 
 
 a dara
 
 (64) 
 
 a dam acrofs the river, to raife the water for 
 the mill at M ; C the church ; T the town 
 of Leillip ; J the joftice's houfe; R the road 
 to Athlone and Connaught ; S a fummer- 
 houfe on a delightful eminence above the 
 town; G R road to Caftletown, the feat of 
 the right hon. Mr. Conolly ; R D road to 
 Dublin ; R S a very pleafant road to Salbridge 
 and Caftletown, by the fall. The primate's 
 gardens here are extremely pleafing, on an 
 eminence along the fide of the river, very 
 fleep to the edge of the water, and fl^irted 
 from top to bottom with trees of various 
 kinds, through which the roaring of the fall 
 at the height of about 60 or 70 feet above it, 
 has a very pleafing eflfed:, wMth here and 
 there a break through the v/ood to get a peep 
 down upon the river and the fall. 
 
 To a traveller, unuled to fcenes of this 
 kind, it is really a moft diverting kind of en- 
 tertainment to fee the many un(uccefsful ef- 
 forts of thefe large and beautiful fifii to gain 
 the top of the fall before they fucceed. I 
 have often been highly diverted for an hour 
 or two, in the middle of the day, at this fal- 
 
 mon-leap at Leiflip. When they come 
 
 up to the foot of the fall, you will frequent- 
 ly obferve them to leap up juft above water, 
 as if to make an obfervation of the height 
 and diftance, for by fixing your eye on the 
 fpot, you willj generally, foon fee the fifli 
 leap up again, with an attempt to gain the 
 
 top.
 
 - (^5) 
 
 t6p, and rife perhaps to near the fummit, but 
 the falling water drives them forcibly down 
 again ; you will prelently obferve the fame 
 iiih fpring up again, and rife even above the 
 fall ; — this is as unfuccefsful as the not riling 
 high enough, for dropping with their broad 
 fides on the rapid curvature of the waters, 
 they are thrown back again headlong before 
 they can enter ihe fluid. The only method 
 of fucceeding in their attempts is to dart their 
 heads into the water in its firft curvature 
 over the rocks, by this means they firft make 
 a lodgment on the top of the rock for a few 
 moments, and then feud up the flream and 
 
 are prefently out of fight. One would 
 
 imagine there was fomething inftindlive in 
 this inclination of the falmon to get up the 
 fall , for this is the point they are obferved, 
 by the diredlion of their motion j generally to 
 aim at ; and the force of the ftream, on the 
 top of the precipice, is undoubtedly lefs at 
 the bottom of the water, and clofe to the 
 rock, than it is on the /ur face of the rapid 
 
 curvature. *Tis almoH; incredible, to a 
 
 ftranger, the height to which thefe fifli will 
 leap: I affure you, I have often fecn them, 
 at this very fall, leap near 20 feet: you may 
 think, perhaps, that I fhall want more cre- 
 dit for this than the generality of my readers 
 will believe 1 have a right to ; but, upon my 
 honour, 'tis no lefs than matter of fadl ; and 
 if the opinion that prevails here in general is 
 F true.
 
 ( 66 ) 
 
 true, that they fpring from the bottom of 
 the river, they muft rife often 30 or 40 feet. 
 But this is certainly erroneous, their fpring is 
 undoubtly from the furface. The manner 
 of giving themfelves this furprizing leap, is 
 by bending their tails almoft to their heads, 
 and by the lirong re-adlion of their tails againft 
 the water it is that they fpring fo much 
 above it; which, when the fifh are large, 
 muft be with very great force to carry them 
 to fuch prodigious heights as they are fome- 
 times feen to rife. 
 
 From this general defcription of the fal- 
 mon-leap at Leiflep, you may form an idea 
 of the reft of this kind, of which there are 
 many in the rivers in this kingdom, I will 
 now conduft you to one of the greateft 
 beauties, of its kind, perhaps, in the world, 
 the water- fall in the demefne of lord Powerf- 
 court, in the county of Wicklow, about 14 
 miles from Dublin ; which, from the pecu- 
 liarity of its (ituation, its prodigious height, 
 and Angular beauty, deferves the moft parti- 
 cular defcription. 
 
 It is found at the very bottom of a lofty 
 femi-circular hill, into which, after a moft 
 agreeable ride through a park well planted 
 with wood, you enter, by a fudden turn 
 round the extremity of one of the curvatures, 
 and at once, unexpeftedly get into the midft 
 of a moft entertaining fcenery of lofty flopes 
 
 on
 
 ( 67 5 
 
 on either hand, verdant from top to bottom^ 
 tvith trees of every Kind. 
 
 The diftant view of this water-fall^ at firft 
 entering within the fcope of the furrounding 
 verdant hills, is inexpreffibly fine. A iketch 
 of this moft beautiful fcene, is given in the 
 annexed plate. 
 
 At the very bottom of this fylvan amphi- 
 theatre, and in view from your firft entrance 
 into it, is feen one of the moft beautiful 
 water- falls in Great-Britain, or Ireland, andj 
 perhaps, in the world. It is produced by a 
 fmall river that rifes on the plains or j[hal- 
 low vallies, on the top of an adjacent range 
 of mountains above, which have no other 
 out-let for the waters, that, from the fprings 
 and rains, are colleded in thefe little vallies^ 
 but by a defcent to the edge of this precipice. 
 Where in the horizontal diftance of 50 or 60 
 feet, it falls at leaft, three hundred ; up- 
 wards of two hundred feet of it is vifible on 
 the plain below, and is nearly perpendicular, 
 or not above nine or ten feet from the direct. 
 The eflFedl of this fmall degree of obliquity 
 is extremely fine, for befides the greater 
 quantity of the water that from one fmall 
 break, or projedion, to another, is thrown 
 off the rock in beautiful curves, it produces 
 an infinite number of frothy ftreaks behind 
 the larger j[l:ieets of water, which, through 
 the divifions of thefe more confiderable and 
 F 2 impetuous
 
 ( 68 ) 
 
 impetuous falls, are feen running down the 
 rock, in a thoufand different and broken 
 directions, at a flower rate, from their 
 adhefion to the rocks. The general form 
 and compofition of this precipice contri- 
 butes infinitely to the variety and beauty 
 of the fall ; for it is compofed, not of ho- 
 rizontal ftrata, but all in a pofition ob- 
 lique, and the degrees of this obliquity be- 
 ing various in the different ftrata, produce an 
 infinite variety of arching curvatures in the 
 fall, by the dafhing of the water againft thefe 
 little projedlions of the rocks, and occafions 
 thofe breaks or divifions of the more in>petu- 
 ous falling flieets of water, through which 
 are difcovered the flower trickling itreams 
 running in ten thoufand various and mingled 
 diredlions down the very fides of the preci- 
 pice. Thefe little frothy ftreams trickling 
 down the fides or front of the rocks, have a 
 moft pleafing and entertaining effect, and de- 
 lightfully diverfify the fcene. 
 
 The only time to fee this mofl: beautiful 
 and aftonifhing water-fall in its higheft per- 
 feftion, is immediately after heavy rains on 
 the mountains above, which add greatly to 
 the confluent fprings that rife on the plains or 
 fhallows on the top of thefe mountains : on 
 fuch increafe of the waters, nothing of 
 the kind can exceed the beauty, the al- 
 mofl: terri^c grandeur of the fall ^ add to this 
 
 account
 
 ( 69) 
 
 account the enormous pieces of rock that lay 
 at the bottom, juft under the fall, upon 
 which the torrent or cataract moft impetu- 
 oufly dafhes, and fly off in a thoufand diffe- 
 rent directions, exhibiting, likewife, in the 
 morning, with the fun in the eafi: fliining full 
 on it, moft curious and beautiful reprefenta-r 
 tions of the rainbow, on the fpray that rifes 
 in the air, from the dafhing of the water 
 againft the rocks at bottom, and the whole 
 together prefents fuch a fcene, as at once 
 poffcffes the mind of the curious fpcdator 
 with aftonifhment, mixt with the higheft 
 admiration. I affure you there is no height- 
 ening or exaggeration in this defcription ; for 
 the fubjedt will not admit of it. The higheft 
 defcription muft fall fliort of the beauty of 
 the original, and of the conceptions of the 
 delighted fpedtator on the fpot, if it is vifi- 
 ted under the advantages I have recommend- 
 ed from my own obferyation, viz. in a very 
 wet time, or juft after heavy rains on the 
 mountains abov.e, though there is a conti- 
 nual fall fupplied from the fprings. 
 
 The trees which grow frpm the bottom to 
 the top of the hill, on the fides of this pro- 
 digious ]water-fall, are an inexpreffible addi- 
 tion to the beauty of the fcene, efpecially at 
 the diftance of an hundred yards from the 
 fall, and whoever will undertake the moft 
 laborious talk, indeed, of climbing the hill, 
 
 F 3 from
 
 f 70) 
 
 from tree to tree, to view the river at the 
 top, before it comes to the precipice, will 
 have their curiofity amply rewarded, by 
 viewing the many breaks and little falls of 
 feveral feet, that it makes from the place 
 where its defcent firft becomes fleep, to- 
 wards the edge of the precipice. Its wind- 
 ing, hollow, and intricate paflage througl^ 
 the rocks, in fome places open, in others al- 
 moft concealed from the projed'ng ftrata of 
 the Rocks on either fide its broken channel. 
 The beautiful profpe6l likewife from the top 
 of the fall of the lawns below, and the fur- 
 rounding verdant flope of the hills, on either 
 hand ; (the reverfed profped; of this beauti- 
 ful fylvan amphitheatre as taken from be- 
 low) the contraded area of the bottom of 
 which, now feen as in perfpedive, will, 
 altogether, furnifli fuch entertainment for 
 their curiofity, as will amply reward them 
 for their no fmall toil and labour, I alTurq 
 you, in the acquifition. 
 
 The whole fcenery, indeed, above and 
 below, is the mod extraordinary, and enter- 
 taining, in its kind, I have ever met with, 
 infinitely fiiperior, indeed, to adequate de^ 
 fcription, and juftly deferving the notice of 
 every admirer of natural curiofities. 
 
 I cannot omit the ipentioning an unexpec- 
 ted piece of entertainment in our way tp 
 this grand water-fall, as it aleviated an inci- 
 dental
 
 ( 70 
 
 dental inconvenience in our ride to it, and to 
 which inconvenience, indeed, we' were in- 
 debted for it. Though the weather was 
 tolerably good on our leaving Dublin, yet by 
 that time we had rode a mile or two, it be- 
 gan to rain, and continued till we came 
 within half an hour's ride to the fall, when 
 it cleared up, and prefented to our view, 
 one of the moft aftonifliing cafcades that na- 
 ture ever exhibited, from, nearly, the top 
 to the bottom, of one of the higheft range 
 of mountains in Ireland. From the height 
 of its defcent, it could not be lefs than fix 
 or feven hundred yards in view, occafioned 
 by a fudden torrent of rain on the mountains, 
 what in the country they call, and very pro- 
 perly, a mountain flood ; which, as it fud- 
 denly falls, it foon runs away, for the next 
 day we faw nothing but the channel down 
 which it had defcended. 
 
 There was fomething inexprefTibly grand 
 and ftriking in the profped: of this cafcade, 
 at the diftance of about a mile, which was 
 the neareft view we had of it, and we 
 thought ourfelves fufficiently recompenced for 
 the inconvenience of riding a few miles with 
 
 a wet coat. This is perfedlly agreeable 
 
 to the common courfe of events in human 
 life, in which the higheft enjoyments are 
 generally attended with more or lefs of diffi- 
 culty or inconvenience in the acquifition. To 
 F 4 apply
 
 ( 70 
 
 apply this remark, it js certain that thofe who 
 prefer a dry coat, to the gratifying their cu^ 
 riofity, will have but Httle chance for feeing 
 one of the greatell beauties in the world of 
 its kind, in the higheft perfedion, the fall of 
 Powerfcourt, 
 
 The glyns, or dark vallies, another fpe- 
 cies of natural curiolities, of this country, are 
 many of then:i ren^arkably beautiful. There 
 is one particularly {q, not far from Powerf- 
 courf, which is much vifited in the fummer 
 time, by the gentry from Dublin, and moft 
 of the people of fortune that come to this 
 cMy, It is equal, if not fuperior, to any of 
 the kind in the kingdom, one of the deepeft, 
 and at the fame time the narroweft, and 
 moil irriguous vallies, I remember to have 
 feen. The fides of the hills which fkirt it, 
 are moft beautifully ornamented with trees 
 even to the very tops, and intermixed, as 
 they are, with rocky precipices, added to the 
 murmuring of a little river at the bottom, 
 that winds its way through this intricate val- 
 ley, over numberlefs little breaks and falls, 
 that greatly beautify the fcene j altogether it 
 affords a moft pleafing fummer recreation. 
 
 The clofenefs of the lofty fhading hills on 
 the fides, at the fame time thai it affords a 
 moft delightful cool retreat from the heat of 
 the fun, throws a kind of gloomy folemnity 
 pr| the bottom of this deep valley, and frorn 
 
 this
 
 ( 73 ) 
 
 this circum (lance it is very properly called 
 
 the DarkGlyn, It is rather a deepchafm, 
 
 indeed, than a valley, through a lofty range 
 of hills, which, at this place, are contraded 
 to about an Englifh mile, the length nearly 
 
 of this glyn or chafm through the hills. 1 
 
 At the very bot':om of this glyn is a way cut 
 out by the fide of the ftream, in a tafte adapt- 
 ed to the gloomy retirement of the place, 
 where the lover, the poet, or philofopher, 
 may wander with every circumftance, every 
 fcene, about him calculated to warm his 
 imagination, or produce the moft ferious re- 
 .fleftions. 
 
 There is another of much greater extent 
 than this in the neighbourhood, called the 
 Glyn of the Mountains, which defei ves our 
 notice, and a mountainous glyn it is, indeed ; 
 the bottom of which is juft wide enough for 
 
 a road and a river that run through it. 
 
 It is impofiible to exprefs the beauty and 
 grandeur which the curious fpedlator is im- 
 prefTed with in a ride thro* this immenfly deep, 
 but more open and fpacious valley, which is 
 fkirted on either hand with the moft enor- 
 mous aftonifhing mountains, that flope im- 
 mediately down upon his road for about two 
 Englifh miles that it may be through it, and 
 for the moft part covered with trees f om 
 their bottoms to the very tops, or prefenting 
 a profpeft of the moft horrible impending 
 
 preci-
 
 ( 74 ) 
 
 precipices, that from their terrifying height, 
 and broken ruins at the bottoni, appear to 
 
 threaten him with deftrudion. There is 
 
 fomething really inexprefiibly ftriking in this 
 fcene, even at firft entrance. I never rode 
 through a valley where there was fuch a 
 mixture of beauty, of grandeur, of fubli- 
 mity^ if you will allow me the ufe of the 
 expreffion here, and of fomething really aw- 
 ful, as is exhibited in this moft enormous 
 Glyn of the Mountains. 
 
 A river, like wife, as obferved above, runs 
 through this valley clofe to the road at the 
 foot of the mountains ; and from the num- 
 ber of breaks and falls in it, occafioned by 
 the ftones and rocks that are frequently roll- 
 ing from the mountains down into it, adds 
 extremely to the pleafure of a ride through 
 this moft ftriking and entertaining fcene. 
 
 From thefe lofty and fublime curiofities of 
 nature, you muft now make a defcent with 
 me into the dreggs of Ireland, down into 
 the very bogs, with which this ifland abounds, 
 and fome of them to an extent of many miles. 
 However unpromifing the profpedl, yet, per- 
 haps, it may not be altogether infertile of en- 
 tertainment : it may ferve, at leaft, as a con- 
 traft to, and give a higher relifti for, the 
 more pleafing fubjedls which will afterwards 
 occur. However, I will carry you over 
 them as fafe and with as much expedition as I 
 can i ftaying no longer on them than juft to 
 
 let
 
 ( 75) 
 
 let you know what ground you are upon, and 
 will condud: you again to profpefts more in- 
 viting and fertile of entertainment. 
 
 Though the bogs have generally been 
 clafled among the natural difadvantages of 
 this kingdom, I (hall, notwithftanding, take 
 them into the number of its natural curio- 
 fities, at leaft they will appear fuch to an 
 Englifh traveller, both as to their origin and 
 produce. But prepare yourfelf to travel as 
 lightly as poffible, throw off every unneceC- 
 fary weight, for the furface you have now to 
 tread on is very infirm and dangerous ; and 
 (liould you once break through, you have 
 but little chance for flopping, in your de- 
 scent, 'till you reach the ante-deluvian world, 
 for that will probably be the firft firm foot- 
 ing that your feet will find ; fuch, however, 
 feems to be the moft generally prevailing 
 opinion here concerning thefe bogs — that 
 the timber and trees of every kind, which are 
 frequently found at the bottom of them at 
 very different depths, were originally thrown 
 down by the univerfal deluge in the life of 
 Noah. There may be truth in this opinion, 
 but 'tis certain, at beft, that 'tis altogether 
 conjectural, though not altogether improba- 
 ble. -^ — —I juft now recoiled a par^^cu ar 
 circumftance in a fimilar view of this kind in 
 England. When the new harbour at Rye, 
 in Suffex, was firft opened, at the bottom, 
 they came upon a layer pf timber of various 
 
 kinds.
 
 ( 76 ) ^ 
 
 kinds, at the depth of 15 or near 20 feet 
 under the ftrand ; on turning over one of 
 the bodies of thefe trees, there was found the 
 fkeleton of a man compleat, and of a gigan- 
 tic fize, in a poficion as if he had been at- 
 tempting to climb the tree, and it had fallen 
 on him. The conjedtures were various up- 
 on the phasnomenon ; but it was the more 
 prevailing opinion of the many gentlemen 
 who were prefent, that he was one of thofe 
 ill-fated inhabitants of the antedeluvian world 
 who was endeavouring to fave himfelf from 
 the approaching deluge, by climbing the 
 
 tree. Whatever truth there may be in 
 
 the conjedlure with refpe6t tc5 the original of 
 this fallen timber, of which there are many 
 inftances in both kingdoms, the bogs above 
 it, in Ireland, produce a fweet and very 
 wholefome kind of firing in great plenty. In 
 this refped: nature feems to have been favour- 
 able to the inhabitants, in raifing a very ufe- 
 ful kind of firing even upon the ruins of the 
 original fuel, in fome of them to a very con- 
 fiderable depth, from five to fifteen or twen- 
 ty feet. By the natives it is called turf, 
 which conftitutes the entire fubftance of thefe 
 bogs, and from thence they arc ufually called 
 turf bogs. That of the bog of Allen, 
 which extends almoft acrofs the province of 
 Leinfler, from eaft to weft, is univerfally 
 efteemed the beft in the kingdom for burn- 
 ing. It is dug out with inftrumentsmadeon 
 
 purpofe
 
 (77) 
 
 purpofe for that ufe, in little Ipits, in fhape 
 and fize not much unlike our common bricks; 
 and, when thoroughly dried for burning, ap- 
 pears to be a very mafs of roots, fo fine and 
 matted together, that, in its natural and 
 moift fituation in the bog, it cuts clofe and 
 fmooth like drained mud. The clofeft and 
 mod combined in its natural ftate in the bog 
 is the beft and moft lading firing when dried, 
 as the turf of this kind has the leafl mixture 
 of earth, and confequently is of the moft lig- 
 nous compofition. 
 
 The account that is generally given by the 
 natives for the produdion of this vegetative 
 kind of foil is erroneous, I believe, viz. that 
 it is a mafs of ftuflf that has grown from the 
 fallen wood that originally grew here, thrown 
 down by Noah's flood, or the Lord knows 
 when ; and by others, that they derive from 
 fome peculiar boggy property of the waters 
 that lodge amongft them. 
 
 That fome of thefe boggy flats were once 
 covered with woods is highly probable, from 
 the vaft quantities of timber and roots of all 
 kinds and fizes, particularly of fir, oak, and 
 yew, that are found at the bottom of many 
 of them, where the turf is taken away. But 
 this is not univerfal, on the contrary, the 
 moft extenfive bogs have the leaft of this 
 timber at the bottom. It is univerfally ob- 
 fervable, that the furface of thefe bogs is 
 covered with a (hort, thick, and matted 
 
 kind
 
 (78) 
 
 kind of heath, which undoubtedly as t( 
 grows and thickens at the top, vegetates al 
 the bottom into a clofe and extremely radicous 
 texture, and which, from its low fituation, in 
 general, being replete with moifture, naturally 
 throws out fucceflive annual grov¥ths of thisex- 
 ceedingly ramified heath, a great part of which 
 dies and il:iatters upon every return of the 
 winter, and moulders at the bottom, where 
 it clofes, and forms another ftrata of moul- 
 dered heath, from which, in the fpring, a 
 new and fucceffive fhoot of heath Is pro- 
 duced 3 and thus as thefe ftrata of mouldered 
 heath are annually repeated, the inferior 
 and internal vegetation of the roots increafes 
 and becomes extended higher, and at the 
 bottom more confolidated ; and this account 
 feems confirmed by the appearance of the turf 
 on the fides of the channel, where it has 
 been dug, which is ever found of a clofer 
 and firmer texture, as they defcend to the 
 bottom of the bog. 
 
 I am the more confirmed in this theory of 
 their derivation, from a circumftance uni- 
 verfally obfervable, that the channels which 
 are cut through thefe bogs, either for getting 
 the turf, or for draining them, will in a few 
 years, fill up again, and by a vegetative pro- 
 cefs, like what I have described above, for 
 their original Prodn(5tion. The turf itfelf, 
 is very apparent, from a clofe infpedion, is 
 nothing but a clofely concreted and extreme-
 
 ly fibrous combination of the roots of this 
 heath, which univerfally grows on the fur- 
 face of thefe bogs ; and, fo far from being 
 the produce of the fallen woods, which are 
 frequently, indeed, but not always found at 
 the bottom, I do not at all fuppofe that even 
 the very iirfl and original growth of this 
 heath, at the bottom of the prefent bog, in 
 any fenfe fprang from the fallen wood, its 
 neighbouring fubftratum. 
 
 Wherever thefe woods were thrown down, 
 by an inundation, which probably was the 
 cafe, or otherwife, there was undoubtedly 
 fome quantity of earth wafhed down upon 
 them from the adjacent hills, and declivi- 
 ties, the uncultivated furface of which, every 
 where produces this kind of heath. This 
 firft covering of earth would naturally throw 
 out the fame kind of vegetable in the bottom, 
 as in its former fituation on the hills, and 
 having by this defcent into the flats, obtain- 
 ed a richer foundation, and, being fupplied 
 with conftant moifture, which before it of- 
 ten wanted, and, no doubt greatly fertilized 
 by the very trees and their mouldering leaves, 
 and fmaller branches, intermixed with this 
 adventitious covering of earth, it would na- 
 turally throw out an extraordinary and more 
 plentiful growth of this heath, and very 
 probably a thicker, and, of courfe, a finer, 
 mat of it than any of the fucceflive and fupe- 
 rior growths would run into, and this the 
 
 gene-
 
 [ «o ] 
 
 generally clofer and finer texture of the turf 
 at the bottom feems to confirm ; not to men- 
 tion that the very roots, from the conftant 
 moifture of their fituation and their fibrous 
 texture muft be continually vegetating and 
 thickening into a clofer mafs under the fur- 
 face. 
 
 The fame caufes, in general, take place 
 for producing thefe turf bogs even upon the 
 tops, and on lome of the very declivities of 
 the hills, where they are frequently found : 
 But it is ever in very moift, land-fpringy 
 grounds, or in fiats on the hills where the 
 water fettles and fupplies them with moifl:ure. 
 There feems, indeed, to be, in fome degree, 
 a kind of fpongy quality in this heath, which 
 prevents the moifiure from finking away 
 from it, by an attradion of the fluids from 
 the infinite number of capillary fibres, which 
 are of the very component fubfl:ance of this 
 vegetative mafs. — In this fenfe, and only in 
 this fenfe, it is that the waters can be faid to 
 produce them, and not from any boggy qua- 
 lity in the water itfelf, as is pretended by 
 fome writers on this fubjed. 
 
 I can fee no reafon in the world for fup- 
 pofing any other natural tendency in them to 
 produce thefe bogs of turf, or any other con- 
 nedion v^'hatever with the efifed, but the 
 natural and univerfal property of fluids to 
 encourage and fupport vegetation of every 
 kind, 
 
 Tis
 
 ( 8i ) 
 
 *Tis obfervable, that very little, if any, 
 timber, is ever found at the bottom of thefe 
 hills, or mountainous bogs; for they are 
 frequently found in moift flats, on the tops 
 of their very mountains ^ yet the turf is of 
 the fame kind ; and only differs in goodnefs 
 for fuel, from the different Degrees of moif- 
 ture with which it is fupplied in different 
 iituations, the beft turf being ever found 
 where it has the moft conflant fupply of 
 moifture. In the larger and more extenfive 
 bogs, as in the bog of Allen, which extends 
 almoft acrofs the province of Leinfter, there 
 is very little Timber found at the bottom, 
 unlefs it be on the outfides, under the neigh- 
 bouring hills. 
 
 It is very evident, therefore, that the tim- 
 ber, frequently found ajt the bottom of bogs 
 in narrow vallies, much furrounded with 
 hills and eminencies, is by no means the ori- 
 ginal of the fuperincumbent bog, or turf, 
 though, from the caufes above mentioned. 
 it might help at firfl to fertilize the foil, and 
 produce a more luxuriant growth of the 
 heath. The capillary, fibrous roots of vi^hich, 
 feem to conftitute the very body and fub- 
 ftance of the turf. From the preceding 
 obfervations, I prefume, it will be very na- 
 tural and rational to conclude, that the turf, 
 from top to bottom, is entirely the produce 
 of a vegetation from itfelf, in the manner, 
 and by a vegetative procefs above defcribed. 
 
 G And
 
 ( S2 ) 
 
 And the reafon why this kingdom in particu- 
 lar, fhould exhibit fuch an extraordinary 
 quantity of thefe turf bogs, is very evidently 
 this, that the foil, by nature, is replete with 
 the feeds of this bog heath, and, indeed, it 
 is found almofl all over the kingdom, high 
 and low, where the lands are in their rude, 
 uncultivated flate, and it feems by nature, 
 a vegetable inclined to flourifli and increafe 
 where it has a conftant fupply of moifture, 
 and its roots being extremely thick and fi- 
 brous, naturally attract and retain the moif- 
 ture that by w^hatever caufes gets among 
 them. 
 
 'Tis well known that the bogs in many 
 places have rifen feveral feet within the me- 
 mory of man, and the filling or rather grow- 
 ing up again of the channels cut to drain the 
 water from fome of them, is a proof that 
 the whole is nothing but a vegetative produce 
 of the heath, which, by a confliant fuccef- 
 fion, or repletion of moifture, grows luxu- 
 rioufly, thickens into a mat above ground, 
 fliatters a very great part of it every winter, 
 and a returning fpring throws out a fre(h crop 
 from the mouldered fubftratum of the laft ,« 
 year's growth, and by fuch an annually re- I 
 peated procefs, together with the very confi- 1 
 derable, likewife, internal vegetation, and 
 thickening of the fine roots amongft one ano- 
 ther, the furface muft neceflarily become 
 more and more elevated. 
 
 From 
 
 I
 
 C83) 
 
 From the whole, it appears very evident^ 
 that notwithilanding all the pretences and 
 fanciful conjediires of the natives, of its de- 
 rivation from the trees at the bottom, of 
 from fome boggy property in the waters^ 
 that the turf bogs which are found in fuch 
 uncommon quantity in this kingdom, are no- 
 thing but the natural produce of the heathy 
 with which the uncultivated parts of heland 
 almoft univerfally abound, by being con- 
 ftantly replete with moifture, fliattciing and 
 fpringing up again fucceflively for many years 
 from its mouldered ruins. And a turf bos: 
 of the fame kind, I make no doubr, might 
 be produced in any moift flat in England, by 
 fowing the feeds of this fpecies of bog heath. 
 
 The air of thefe bogs, which, by fome 
 writers, has been reprefented as extremely 
 unwholefome and unhealthy, I do not think 
 by any means fo bad, as what is found in 
 many of our marfh-lands. 1 have been riding 
 over the bog of Allen, the moft extenfive of 
 any in the kingdom, for many miles in the 
 weft of Leinfter, at nine and ten o'clock in 
 the evening, and in a perfed calm, and 
 though the air was cool and moift, yet I 
 perceived no unwholefome or ofFenfive va- 
 pours, nothing but the natural fmell of the 
 turf, in which there is nothing very difagree- 
 able, nor by any means equally noxious with 
 the {linking exhalations from many of our 
 moory and marlhy grounds. 
 
 G 2 This
 
 ( 84 ) 
 
 This is the beft account I can give you of 
 thefe turf bogs of Ireland, and of their ori- 
 ginal derivation. 
 
 I do not remember to have feen any of the 
 fame kind in any part of England, though they 
 are found in great plenty, and really engrofs 
 no inconfiderable fliare of the furface of this 
 kingdom, and naturally engage the notice of 
 a ftranger to them, from the peculiarity of 
 their internal texture, and the excellent firing 
 they produce, a fpecimen of which I have 
 fent you, to give you a jufter idea than my 
 defcription might do, of the moil common 
 burning in Ireland. 
 
 We have, indeed, a kind of fpongy earth 
 in fome few counties in England, that has, 
 by fome, been compared to them, but it is 
 far from being of an equally radicous or lignous 
 compofition with the turf of Ireland, nor con- 
 fequently by any means fo good firing. In- 
 deed we have none of this particular fpecies 
 of heath that produces it in Ireland, fo far 
 as my obfervation has extended. 
 
 I affure you, a good beef fteak broiled on 
 Irifli turf, and ferved up with a difli of roaft- 
 ed potatoes, is excellent food for an Englifh 
 ftomach, and were it poflible to tranfpofe 
 them, I fhould be very glad to exchange 
 one of my beft acres of corn land in Kent, 
 for two acres of the bog of Allen, 
 
 And, having thus got fafely over the bogs, 
 which, in general, are hardly firm enough to 
 
 carry
 
 ( 85 ) 
 
 carry a man over without finking into the 
 furface, we will now enter upon a furvey of 
 another and much more pleafing fpecies of 
 natural curiofity in this kindom, which will 
 particularly engage the attention, and afford 
 fcope for the higheft entertainment to the 
 Englifh traveller, I mean the beautiful lakes 
 that are met with in great numbers in this 
 ifland, particularly in the north and weftern 
 provinces. Some of them in the north are 
 very exrenfive. Indeed you meet with them 
 of all lizes, from one mile, to twenty, and 
 many of them beautifully ornamented with 
 fertile and verdent iflands, amongft which, 
 in the fummer time, are made the mod 
 agreeable parties of rural pleafure, either for 
 vifiting the iflands, or fifhing, which is a 
 diverfion that in thefe lakes may be enjoyed 
 in the higheft perfedion, for moft of them 
 are plentifully ftocked with fifli of various 
 kinds, and almoft all of them with falmon, 
 in the greateft perfecflion. Some of thefe 
 fakes have their medicinal virtues, likewife, 
 particularly that of Lough Neck, the largeft 
 lake in the kingdom, and famous for curing 
 ulcerous diforders, and for its petrifying qua- 
 lity. There is only one ifland on this exten- 
 five lake, which is the largeft in Ireland, 
 near 30 Englifli miles long, by 10 or 15 
 wide, and entirely frefti water, as, indeed, 
 are all the inland lakes in the kingdom. Buc 
 on many of the lakes the iflands are extreme- 
 
 G3 ly
 
 ( 86 ) 
 j>umerGi5S5 in Lough 'Earne^ particularly, in 
 the county of Farmanigh, of the province of 
 Ulftefj the natives tell yoa there are 365, or 
 as many iflands as there ?.re davs in the year. 
 But this, from fevera! profoedts I had of the 
 lake, I rather doubt tiie truth of. Indeed 
 they are fo thickly planted on. fome parts of 
 this lake, of fuch various magnitud<es, and 
 fo intermixed vs^ith each other, as to be al- 
 moft innumerable. They are an infinite 
 beauty to the lakes in profpeftive, and very 
 few of them are met wich that have not 
 more or lefs of thefe ornaments. There are 
 many gentlemen's feats moft delightfully 
 iituated in the neighbourhood, and on the 
 verge of thefe lakes. The whole town of 
 Inniitillen, famous for producing that brave 
 and gallant Regiment of its name, in the 
 wars of king William, againft James in Ire- 
 land, is the mofl rurally fituated of any in- 
 land town in the kingdom, and, perhaps, of 
 any inland tov^n in the king's dominions, 
 upon an ifland of Lough Earne, and at the 
 fame time extremely well fituated for trade, 
 by means of the lake, which extends \o the 
 fouth-eafl: and north-weft of the town for 20 
 xniles, nearly, either way, and communicates 
 with feveral counties, and with the fea on 
 the north-wefl by a river that might be made 
 navigable j but at many places the lake is but 
 narrow, and its greatefl width not more 
 than feven or eight mileSo This lake would 
 
 be;
 
 .( 87 ) ^ 
 
 be of infinite fervice to the inland trade of 
 this part of the kingdom, were there any 
 eftabliflied, at Innilkillen or elfewhere on 
 the borders of it, if a navigation were made 
 for about four or five miles, from a little 
 above Belleek, at the lower end of the lake, 
 to the fea, at Ballyfhannon, in the north-weft, 
 where the waters of Lough Earne difcharge 
 themfelves into the fea, through a river, that, 
 from Belleek to Ballyftiannon, is one continued 
 feries of cafcades and water-falls, many of 
 them extremely beautiful. The defcent of 
 the river in this diftance of about three or four 
 Englifh miles, from the lake to the fea be- 
 low the fall, has been found, by obfervation, 
 to be about 700 feet. 
 
 The falmon-leap or water-fall, juft at the 
 very mouth of the river, is one of the moft 
 confiderable in the kingdom. The height 
 of the fall, is about 20 feet, and from the 
 vaft quantity of water defcending from the 
 extenfive lake above, the noife and roaring 
 of the fall is prodigious. 
 
 Innifkillen is one of the moft confiderable 
 inland towns in the kingdom, and if a prof- 
 pedl is taken of it in the fummer feafon, 
 its fituation is delightful, on one of the 
 iflands in the narrow part between the up- 
 per and lower lake, and which you cannot 
 enter but by a bridge, at either end of the 
 town. 
 
 Q 4 L^^^gh
 
 _( 8S ) . 
 Lough ^ which is the native Irifli for lake, 
 Earne is almoft every way furrounded by 
 mountains or lofty eminenceSj from many 
 of which a general profped of the lake, with 
 its verdant iflands, is extremely fine. — The 
 profned:, like wife, from the town, or from 
 the ifland on which it ftands, is inconceiva- 
 bly rural and beautiful : for the iflands are 
 planted fo thick, efpecially on the upper, 
 and fo intermixed on the furface of the lake, 
 that look which way you Vv^iil, the vifible 
 and broken parts of the furface appear like fo 
 many pieces of water irregularly laid out 
 among the rifing woodsy for every ifland, 
 unexceptionably almoft, is fertile of wood 
 of various kinds. The ihade of thefe woods, 
 and the coolnefs of -the water, the diveriion 
 of fifliing, and the infinite variety of figures 
 delineated by the iflands of this extenfive 
 lake, many of which are extremely rich and 
 fertile were, they well cultivated by the inha- 
 bitants who live on them, though you hardly 
 fee a houfe in paffing the length of the lake, 
 they are fuch low inconfiderable cabbins, 
 that are concealed by the furrounding woods. 
 ' — 'Tis, indeed, a kind of rural Venice, 
 where the v/oods appear to be the habita- 
 tions, and the broken and winding furface 
 of the lake the ftreets that lead from one 
 part of this aqueo-fylvan commonwealth to 
 another. Such an infinitely variegatecj an4 
 niixed profpefl: of water, woods, iflands and 
 
 mountains.
 
 (89 ) 
 
 mountains, as almoft every where on the 
 lake prefents itfelf, makes a voyage on Lough 
 Earne, in the fummer feafon, inexpreffibly 
 pleafing and entertaining to a ftranger unac- 
 quainted with fcenes of this kind. 
 
 To give you a minute defcription of many 
 of thefe lakes would be an endlefs tafk. It 
 is in thefe that nature feems to have difplayed 
 her greatefi: wantonnefs of fancy, in the va- 
 riety of their figures, extent, product and 
 ornanien rs. And to the curious Englifliman, 
 who meets with hardly any thing of the 
 kind in his own country, they afford the 
 higheft entertainment. 
 
 But there is one of thefe lakes in the 
 louth-weft part of the kingdom, in the 
 county of Kerry, which, from the infinite 
 number of its beauties, deferves the minutefl 
 defcription. You will readily imagine that 
 I mean the lake of Kilarny ; the defcription 
 of which, though, I can now affure you, 
 extremely fliort and imperfedl in many ref- 
 peds, have given us much entertainment, 
 and which you particularly defired me to 
 vifit, and fend you the beft defcription that 
 I could; for indeed the higheft that can be 
 given muft be unequal to the original. 
 
 We made an excurfion from Cork on pur- 
 pofe to vifit it, through a moft dreary and 
 almoft uninhabited country, for 30 Englifh 
 miles, that we rode on the firft ftage, with- 
 out meeting with any thing better than a 
 
 little
 
 (9°) 
 
 little bad rum and good water for ourfelves, 
 our horfes were forced to ftand it out. At 
 the end of our fecond ftage we reached Ki- 
 larny, and were amply recompenfed for our 
 uncomfortable ride over bogs, and through 
 clouds on the mountains over which we had 
 to pafs; the road, indeed, was good, but 
 through a country the moll infertile of en- 
 tertainment of any in the fouth of Ireland. 
 Indeed, if it is equally fo in every other di- 
 redtion to the lake, one would imagine that 
 Nature had negleded the country round 
 about it for many miles on purpofe to be 
 lavifh of beauty and fertility on this her fa- 
 vourite fpot, for in both it is really infinitely 
 fuperior to every defcription we have yet 
 feen. 
 
 I have fent you a fketch of the figure of 
 this inimitable lake, which is vifited by the 
 curiour votaries of nature from all parts of 
 Ireland, and many from Britain, But I 
 defpair, indeed, of giving you an adequate 
 defcription of this aqueo-infular paradife ; for 
 it is impoflible for any expreffions to convey 
 the conceptions of the delighted fpedator on 
 the fpot. However, 1 will attempt to draw 
 fome of the out-lines of the beauty, as well 
 as form, of this enchanting lake. 
 
 From the eaft end of the middle lake en- 
 tirely round the upper and lower lakes (for 
 they may not improperly, as you will fee by 
 the draught, be diftinguiflied into three 
 
 lakes)
 
 s 
 
 J^J^kn oflI?eZd/c/' ofJ{iIa?myin 7/je bounty of 
 
 ,-ih^y 
 
 A.An. OU A7,iu,v . 
 
 D. T7te,I>anli FuiuKSml. 
 
 TLZ^Kaaiurd SimM. 
 'L.T^ZiTTver Za^ . 
 'M.TTu-MiliU ZiJx. . 
 'S.ETt^xnux. mie i^ Sirmaftiif. 
 
 mLT7u ILai^-in 
 S ^hdiu. Z>iinu^ 
 
 P
 
 ( 90 
 
 fakes) to the village at the weft end of the 
 lower lake, one narrow valley excepted, in 
 the fouth, through which runs a river into 
 the upper lake, is one continued range of 
 moft enormous mountains, the immenfe de- 
 clivities of which are covered v/ith woods 
 from, nearly, their tops down to the verge 
 of the lakes; and without making ufe of 
 my priviledge, as a traveller, which 1 have 
 an undoubted right to do, but, at prefent, 
 fhall fet afide, becaufe I would give you, in 
 every thing, the jufteft idea that I can of the 
 originals, we have none equal to them in 
 Kent, not even thofe lofty cliffs our friend 
 Shakefpear has celebrated, between Dover 
 and Folkftone. 
 
 The romantic intermixture of horrible im- 
 pending precipices with thefe lofty moun- 
 tains, that are moft beautifully covered down 
 their fides, to the very verge of the lake, 
 with arborage of every of the common forts 
 of wood, mixed with ever-greens of various 
 kinds, all which appear to be the fpontane- 
 ous produce of the foil, and with their diffe- 
 rent and diverfified fliades and tints prefent 
 fuch a grand and beautifully variegated fce- 
 nery on the immenfe flopes of ihefe furround- 
 ing hills as is beyond defcripiion : — add to 
 this the numberlefs rivulets cafcading in rocky 
 channels, fkirted with trees of every kind, 
 down the fides of thefe enormous mountains, 
 fome of them to the height of a hundred 
 
 yards
 
 ( 92 ) 
 
 yards or more at one view 5 while in other 
 places are feen cataradts or water-falls, over 
 rocky precipices, near or more diftant from 
 fliore; and the whole together prefents fuch 
 a grand and ftriking profpedl as pleafes and 
 entertains beyond imagination. 
 
 Thefe are beauties exterior to the lake, to 
 be feen on the furrounding rocks and moun- 
 tains either in a boat or from the iflands, of 
 which there are many and of very different 
 extent, difperfed over the lake, and all of 
 them, ofanyfize, one only excepted, which 
 is inhabited by an innumerable fight of rab- 
 bets, beautifully ornamented with trees of 
 every kind, with a mofl delightful intermix- 
 ture of ever- greens, as box, holly, yew, 
 and, which is the greateft curiofity of this 
 kind, the Arbutus, or ftrawberry tree, the 
 whole of which, here likewife, appear to be 
 a fpontaneous produdion, and fome of them 
 grow to an immenfe fize on thefe iflands. — r 
 We faw, at lord Kenmare's, a table made 
 of one of thefe yews, the leaves of which 
 were above two feet a-crofs without any joint, 
 and holliesof a prodigious magnitude are found 
 here, I have feen many of them equal to, and 
 fome of above two feet in diameter in the 
 body of the tree. On fome of thefe iflands 
 there are found, likewife, (lirubs of various 
 kinds, fuch as I do not remember to have 
 feen, many of which, I make no doubt, 
 have their medicinal virtues, from the re- 
 
 femblance
 
 (93 ) 
 
 femblance they have in fmell to the contents 
 of a Galenic (hop. 
 
 The cooling and refre{l:iing fhade of the 
 woods with which thefe iflands are orna- 
 '•mented, with their divenlfied figures, ex- 
 tent, and different elevations from the furface 
 of the lakes, fome of them with flat ihores, 
 and rifing verdant eminences in their interior 
 receiTes from the water, others fo low and 
 generally flat, that yoa can form but little 
 idea of their extent, without landing or fur- 
 rounding them, while others again are raifed 
 on rocks, with furrounding precipices that 
 muft be clambered if you would make a 
 landing. 
 
 'Tis eafier for the rural and romantic ge- 
 nius to conceive than for me to exprefs the 
 pleafure that, in every profpe6t, derives to 
 the curious traveller from fuch a mixed and 
 diverfified fcene of entertainm.ent. 
 
 A general profpedl of the beautiful fcenery 
 of thefe lakes may be obtained, and will am- 
 ply reward thofe whofe curiofity is ftrong 
 enough to carry them up to the top of fome 
 of the furrounding mountains, particularly 
 from the top of the rough and lliaggy Turc^ 
 a name given to a lofty, rocky mountain, 
 that ftands a little detached from the neigh- 
 bouring mangerton, on the eaft fide of the 
 entrance into the narrow flrait that leads to 
 the upper lake ; a fituation that commands 
 the moft extenfive profpedl of the feveral 
 
 lakes
 
 (94) 
 
 lakes and country adjacent of any that can 
 be found on the furrounding eminencies. 
 
 I have given him his proper name, which 
 he derives from the likenefs of his white 
 chalky top to the Turkifh turban : you will 
 find him on the right of, and not far from 
 the Devil's Punch-bowl. 
 
 From the lofty (haggy top of this rocky 
 mountain is feen a profped the moft fertile 
 of aqueous, rural, and romantic beauties 
 within the extent of half a dozen miles on 
 either hand, that any hill, perhaps, in the 
 world affords, within the fame extent. The 
 extremities of your view, from this eminence, 
 prefent the out-lines of the feveral lakes, 
 with the furrounding verdant mountains, 
 rocks and precipices ; a general view, like- 
 wife, of the deep and moft irriguous valley 
 and ftraight that leads from the upper down 
 to the lower lake, and which, in any other 
 fituation is feen but very partially; including 
 alfo the country acrofs the lower lake to the 
 north and eaftward, which is, in general, a 
 very fertile foil, and not thinly inhabited ; 
 with a view of the town of Kilarny, and the 
 feveral feats and villas in the neighbourhood 
 of the lake j and below^ in a literal fenfe, in- 
 deed, from the lofty eminence it is taken 
 from, you have a profpeft of the lakes, with 
 the verdant, luxuriant iflands that beautifully 
 ornament them, intermixed with numbers of 
 fmaller ifles, that are chiefly bare rocks, ex- 
 
 preffed
 
 ( 95 ) 
 
 prefled by fingle and angular lines in the 
 draught ; lor they are only narrow ridges of 
 rocks, or lingle ones fcattered up and down 
 amongft the large illands that lift up their 
 heads above water, as if to view and envy 
 their more exteniive and fertile neighbours. 
 Taken altogether, the perfpedtive from the 
 Turc is unequaird, in Great Britain or Ire- 
 land, and, perhaps, in the world. 
 
 The moft wandering eye, may here rc-ve 
 for hours, from variety to variety, without 
 difcovering all the beauties that lay within 
 bis view. 
 
 But, indeed, to afcend with exceffive toil and 
 labour this lofty, craggy mountain, tho* the 
 pleafure of the profpecS from it, perhaps, will 
 reward the curious and indefatigable travel- 
 ler, yet it is not the plan, in my opinion, 
 for deriving the mod fatlsfying entertain- 
 ment, that the lakes are calculated to af- 
 ford. 
 
 For as a Turk of the greatefl: fenfibility 
 would have his tafte and choice confounded 
 amidft a feraglio of furrounding beauties, and 
 till he had feparated them, could neither be 
 fo fenfible of their particular charms, nor 
 have that cxquifite joy and fatisfadlion that 
 each, in a more diftindt and lefs interrupted 
 Situation, would be capable of giving ; io 
 here, on the Lake of KilarnVy the be ft plan 
 for obtaining the higheft entertainment, 
 iliould feem to be the failing from one beau- 
 ty
 
 ( 96 ) 
 
 ty to another, from variety to variety. And 
 for fuch a progrefs the general form and iitu- 
 ation of the lakes are by nature moft happily 
 adapted, from the extreme irregularity of the 
 out-lines, and the infinitely diverfified difpofi- 
 tion of the feveral parts v/hich its curvature 
 round the mountains from the v^eil: to the 
 fouth, and the ftreighcs and narrow pafles 
 from one lake to the other naturally pro- 
 duces. 
 
 For fail which way you will, there is 
 continually fome opening profpedt of iflands 
 unfeen, or different views of the mountains, 
 or of the rocks and horrid precipices, a new 
 cafcade or water-fall, before undifcovered, 
 from which mixture and diverfity the fpeda- 
 tor is perpetually getting a variety of enter- 
 tainment, either from new objeds, or from 
 different views of thofe before feen. Nature, 
 indeed, in this moft romantically beautiful 
 of her works, feems to have providently con- 
 fulted the imperfedion of humanity, which 
 is not capable of fuch high enjoyment of her 
 beauties, when confounded in its choice, in 
 one point of view, by too great a multiplici- 
 ty of inviting objeds. 
 
 Therefore, herefhe has been careful to make 
 fuch a diipofition of the feveral parts of her 
 exquifite workmanfhip, as that one beauty 
 fhall, in general, conceal another, and by 
 \,hh good-natured diftribution has given time 
 to her votaries to admire at leifure, and diC- 
 
 tindlvj
 
 ( 97 ) 
 
 tinftly, as they facceflively come under theif 
 obfervation -, but, at the fame time, has gc- 
 neroufly put it into their power, if their re- 
 folutions are equal to the difficulty and la- 
 bour in the acquilition to obtain an extenfive 
 and more general furvey. 
 
 The paffage from the lower to the upper 
 lake, which is one among the principal 
 beauties of the place, affords an inconceiva- 
 ble variety of entertainment, that cannot be 
 had in any perfedion without navigating the 
 ftreight. There is, however, juil at t;he 
 entrance into this narrow pafs from the lower 
 lake, a length of about 30 or 40 yards, that 
 is innavigable. The upper lake ftanding 
 about nine or ten feet higher than the lower, 
 occafions a fhallow defcent of the waters, for 
 the diftance above mentioned, over which 
 the boat muft be drawn by the rowers, the 
 paflengers getting on (hore, and embarking 
 again above the fliallow. For the waters 
 that are colleded into the upper lake, from 
 the mountains, and the river that runs in at 
 the fouth, pafs from thence into the lower 
 and larger lake, and from that, with the 
 rivers that are coUeded into it from eaft and 
 north, with the waters that fall from the 
 mountains on the fouth, are difcharged at 
 the weft end of the lake, by a river, into 
 the fea, below Caftlemain in the weft of 
 Kerry, about 20 miles from the lake. 
 
 H The
 
 ( 98 ) 
 
 The little check or difficulty this rapid 
 defcent of the waters throws in the way in 
 his infatiable purfuit of vanity, if properly 
 improved, is not without its ufes to the half 
 enraptured traveller at the place where he 
 meets with it, who, juft before he comes up 
 to it, has had his mind impreffed with the 
 higheft and moll: delightful conceptions of 
 grandeur and fublimity, perhaps, that can 
 poflefs the human underftanding, from an 
 aqueo-mountanous profpedl, for fuch will 
 be the effedt of the profpedt, from a boat 
 behind the long ifland, of the beautiful 
 bay, he paffes through up to the ftreight, and 
 the lofty mountains that delightfully encom- 
 pafs the greatefl: part of it. The immenfe 
 declivities and hollow bofoms of which, 
 over-fpread with woods of various kinds, 
 from the verge of the lake or bay almoft to 
 their very tops, prefents a profpecfl that af- 
 feds the mind of the fpedlator in a manner 
 unfpeakable, and poflefles the imagination 
 with the higheft conceptions of natural fub- 
 limity. You may laugh at my rhapfody, if 
 you pleafe, but to add to the effedt of fuch 
 a ibpereminent landfcape, what will carry 
 his imaginations to the higheft pitch of fran- 
 tic enthufiafm, the melodious echoing of the 
 horn, refounding with ineffable fweetnefs 
 from the lofty circulating bofom of the 
 mountains. If any fcene in the world can 
 elevate his conceptions to the fublime of na- 
 ture.
 
 ( 99 ) 
 
 ture. It muft be a fnuation like this. But 
 ill prepared is he indeed, to meet with this 
 check in the career of his inflamed curiofity. 
 Yet nature, ever provident for her faithful 
 votaries, has happily thrown it in his way. 
 The debarkation at the fliallow, above men- 
 tioned, and the ruffing through the woods that 
 verge upon the ftreight, at this rapid defcent, 
 gives him time to cool, and by eracing, in 
 fome degree, the impreffions on his mind from 
 the enchanting fcene he has juft paffed 
 through, prepares him for the more perfefl: 
 injoyment of the new and opening variety 
 that prefents itfelf in his navigation above the 
 fliallow* 
 
 Th^Jir eights^ as they may be called be- 
 tween the upper and lower lakes, are three 
 or four miles in length, running through one 
 of the moft irriguous vallies that nature ever 
 formed, occafioned by the croffing and pro- 
 jecting of the rocks and mountains on either 
 hand, upon each other, through which the 
 navigation is continued, but by the moft 
 ferpentine and intricate paffage that can be 
 imagined, and at very unequal breadths. At 
 forne places, contraded for loo yards or 
 more, into a narrow, but generally very 
 deep pafs, of not much more than room 
 enough to work the oars ^ thence opening 
 into little lakes of jo or loo rods wide; 
 from whence it contra(fts again, and winds 
 round a projedling rpck or ifland, that at a 
 
 H2 dif-
 
 ( 100 ) 
 
 diftant view feems to deny a paffage ; and 
 after turning round a mountain, through a 
 narrow infle(fled pafs, the navigation widens 
 again for a quarter of a mile, at the end of 
 which, the eye meets with the fame forbid- 
 ding appearances. 
 
 Through the whole of this intricate paffage 
 you are prefented with the mod diverfified 
 fcenery that imagination can conceive. In 
 the narrow parts, with rocky fliores in vari- 
 ous figures and fhapes, that are affimilated 
 by the boatmen to various fubjecls, one is a 
 horfe, another is a (hip, a church, 8Cc. and 
 in the wider parts, with little iflands, fome 
 of which are bare rocks, while others are 
 adorned with trees, and verdant pafturage. 
 In others, and more diftant profpeds from 
 the fhore, you are prefented with horrible 
 and frightful precipices, verdant declivities of 
 the mountains and glynns covered with trees 
 of every kind common, and ever-green, 
 with a moft delightful mixture of water- falls, 
 cafcades, nearer or more diflant, from the 
 rocks and mountains. 
 
 In ferious truth, the face of nature through 
 this enchanting maze, between the lower 
 and upper lakes, has fuch a mixture of the 
 fublime, of the romantic and rural, as is in- 
 finitely fuperior to adequate defcription, and 
 can be conceived only by an imagination 
 rural and romantic like thy own. 
 
 It
 
 ( lOI ) 
 
 It IS in fome of thefe high, craggy, and 
 inacceflible rocks that furround the lakes, 
 that the eagles are fometimes known to 
 build, but their number is not very confi- 
 derable ; we faw but few of them while 
 we were on the water. There is a nioft 
 ftupendous and frightful rock that ftands on 
 a fudden narrow turning of this watery de- 
 file, which is called the eagles nefl-, from its 
 being feldom without a neft of them on its 
 top. Its front to the water is a moft horrible 
 precipice. Its fides are of a pyramidal figure, 
 •^nd lined with trees from bottom to top, 
 and with many of the ftrawberry kind in 
 particular. At a diftance it has a fine efFedl, 
 but as you approach nearer, and come under 
 the precipice that fronts the water, its fright- 
 ful impending height poflefles the mind of 
 the fpedtator, who is obliged to navigate 
 clofe under it, with equal terror and admira- 
 tion. 
 
 After winding through this ferpentine 
 maze, in which the ftranger will often think 
 himfelf (hut up without any outlet, but by 
 the known backward paffage, to enter at 
 laft through a narrow pafs, of not more than 
 20 feet, between two projecfling rocks, into 
 a fecond lake of two or three miles acrofs^ 
 and three or four in length, beautifully or- 
 namented with fruitful iflands, fome of 
 which feem covered with lively ever-greens, 
 and one in particular, whofe beautiful pro- 
 H 3 duc^
 
 ( 102 ) 
 
 duce is entirely of the arbutus or ftrawberry 
 tree, from one of which, the branch I have 
 fent you is taken. Orhers of them fertile of 
 (lately 6aks, a(h, &cc. mixed with yews, 
 hollies, &c. of an immenfe fize ; the whole 
 furrounded with lofty mountains, rocks, 
 precipices, interfperfed with numberlefs caf- 
 cades, water- falls, will altogether be an 
 opening fcene, that after his clofe and intri- 
 cate paffage through the fireights, for three 
 or four miles, will be exquifitely pleafing and 
 entertaining to the curious fpedator. 
 
 Human nature has a ftrong propenfity af- 
 ter variety in all its pleafures, profpecfls and 
 enjoyments, and, conduded by reafon, it is 
 indifputably a paffion that may be juflly and 
 laudably indulged. The beauties of nature 
 are certainly objeds that may rationally en- 
 gage our attention, and moft extenfive ac- 
 quaintance ; to admire here, is doing honour 
 to the God of nature, and as our friend Pope 
 pioft elegantly expreffes it, 
 
 'T'o enjoy is to obey. 
 
 The lakes I have attempted to defcrlbe, 
 affords an inexhauftible fund of entertain- 
 ment of this kind. To a mind fond of 
 rural and romantic profpeds, nothing can 
 give a greater pleafure, than the face of na- 
 ture, on, and about the lake of Kilarny. 
 *J'he variety, both high apd low, that every 
 
 where
 
 ( I03 ) 
 
 where offers itfelf to our view, on failing 
 among the iflands, and between the rocks 
 and precipices ; the copious and delightful- 
 ly (haded bays found under the floping moun- 
 tains, on the verge of the lakes ; the num- 
 beik^fs bays and coves of lefs extent, but not 
 lefs beautiful, that are found among the 
 iflands, (haded on all fides with groves of 
 trees and ever-greens, growing on peninfulas, 
 which the fportive fancy of nature has deli- 
 neated on thofe fertile ifles; their different 
 extent ; their various and luxuriant, though 
 uicultivated produce; even the bare rocks 
 that peep up above the furface in various 
 fliapes and elevations, that are agreeably 
 interfperfed among the fertile, and are no 
 inconfiderable addition, will, altogether, 
 furnifh the higheft natural entertainment to 
 a tafle fuch as 1 have fuppofed our fpedlators 
 to be. 
 
 Nor is it the eye only that nature has laid 
 herfelf out to pleafe in this aque-infular para- 
 dile, the ear alfo comes in for its (hare of 
 entertainment from the aftonifhing and de- 
 lightful ec^>oes that are found among the hills 
 in the fouthern, and more enclofed parts of 
 the lake, but, more particularly in the wind- 
 ing, deep, and intricate valley leading from 
 the lower to the upper lake. There are ma- 
 ny of them that are inexpreiTibly fine, and 
 infinitely fuperior to any that I have ever be- 
 H 4 fore
 
 C 104 ) 
 
 fore met with, even in that land of echoes, 
 the peak of Derbyfliire. 
 
 The echoed report of a cannon in fome 
 fituations among thefe mountains is really 
 aftonifhing -, for there are cannons placed 
 at the moft advantageous fituation by the 
 lord Kenmare, on purpofe for the entertain- 
 ment of travellers, who generally provide 
 themfelves with ammunition for loading 
 them. The reports, on the difcharge of 
 thefe cannon, are re-echoed from the moun- 
 tains and lofty precipices in the nearefl refem- 
 blance to thunder, of any thing that can be 
 imagined in nature. So near is the refem- 
 blance, that but for the known difcharge of 
 the cannon, you could have no doubt of its 
 being a moft violent peal of thunder rolling 
 among the mountains, decreafing in ftrength 
 with the encreafing diftance of the hills which 
 take the found in fucceffion ; and when, to 
 imagination, it is dying away into filence, 
 you will find it reviving again, and attaching 
 your ears from a different quarter, in a de- 
 gree of ftrength that at once furprizes and 
 aftoniflies. Indeed nothing but the thunder 
 of Heaven itfelf, can equal the echoed report 
 of exploded cannon, in fome fituations in 
 this hollow intricate valley. 
 
 But the moft delightful effedl of thefe 
 echoes is the iniijical^ particularly of the 
 horn and trumpet, which our cockfwain, tQ 
 qblige us, carried with him, and blew for
 
 ( 105 ) 
 
 ©ur entertainment in the moft advantageous 
 fituations, at one in particular, where we 
 fet him on fliore behind a rock, near the 
 Eagles Nell, and crofling over ourfelves to 
 the oppofite fide, we had only the returned 
 
 founds. Bat here the higheft exprefiioii 
 
 muft fall infinitely fhort of the efFedl : 
 
 the re-echoing, fweet and meliorated founds 
 from the bofoms of thefe lofty, winding hills 
 and precipices, adapted to give mufic, which 
 naturally afcends, its moft melodious eifedl, 
 attaching the ears from all fides in fucceffion, 
 as if twenty inftruments were blowing in 
 concert at different diftances and elevations. 
 
 •^ I enter no farther into this defcription, 
 
 for it is as much above me as the hills from 
 whence the harmony defcended. But like 
 the enraptured countryman, on his return 
 from Vauxhall, I may fay with truth, 
 
 The founds Fin ft ill enjoying ; 
 They'll always foot h my ears. 
 
 The hunting of the echoes, with the horn, 
 through this valley, will afford, to a mufical 
 ear, the moft delightful entertainment that 
 imagination can conceive. 
 
 There is one fpecies of diverfion which, 
 on thefe lakes, is enjoyed in the higheft per- 
 fection the nature of the thing will admit ; 
 nothing, to a fportfman, can equal the fpi- 
 rit and elevating joy of a ftag-hunt on the 
 
 lake
 
 ( io6 ) 
 
 lake of Kilarny. Yoa may think this a little 
 Irifhifm, and laugh at me, if you pleafe ; 
 but, in truth, it is plain, good Englifli ; for 
 it is politively a hunt on the water ; the gen- 
 tlemen who attend are generally in boats on 
 the lake during the diverfion. 
 
 The flag is roufed from the woods that 
 fkirt the lake, and generally from thofe that 
 grow along the flraight between the lakes, 
 in which there are many of them that run 
 wild by nature, like deers in an eaftern foreft, 
 and are properly enough called wild fiags. 
 They are often feen feeding among the 
 woods on the declivities of the mountains, 
 that flope on this ferpentine valley. Horfes 
 are here made no ufe of, for they would be 
 ufelefs* The bottoms and fides of the 
 mountains are almoft univerfally covered 
 with woods, and the declivities are fo long 
 and fleep that no horfe could either make 
 his way in the bottom, or rife thefe imprac- 
 ticable hills. And the flag will very rarely 
 attempt to afcend the mountains. It is im- 
 practicable, indeed, to follow the hunt by 
 land, either on foot or on horfeback ; the 
 chace is along the valley in the woods, and 
 over the few fmall, and, from their foftnefs, 
 for the moft part, impaffable lawns that verge 
 upon the lake. The only place, therefore, 
 for the fpedator to enjoy the diverfion, with- 
 out infupportable fatigue, is on the lake, 
 where the cry of the hounds, the harmony 
 
 of
 
 ( IC7 ) 
 
 of the horns, refounding from the hills on 
 every fide, the univerfal fhoats of joy along 
 the valleys and from the fides of the moan- 
 tains, which are often lined with foot peo- 
 ple, who get out in great numbers, and go 
 through almoll infinite labour to partake and 
 affift at the diverfion, re-echoing from hill to 
 hili, from rock to rock, gives the higheft 
 joy and fatisfadlion that imagination fliould 
 conceive can arife from the chace, and, per- 
 haps, can no where be enjoyed with that 
 fpirit and fablime elevation of foul that 
 a thorough- bred fportfman feels at a flag- 
 hunt on the lake of Kilaniy, There is, how- 
 ever, one eminent danger that awaits him, 
 which is, that he may forget where he is 
 and jump out of the boat. 
 
 When hotly purfued, and wearied with the 
 conftant difficulty of making way with his 
 lofty ramified antlets through the woods, 
 that every way oppofe his flight, the terrify- 
 ing cry of his open-mouth purfuers, that 
 thirfi; for his blood, at his heels, and almoft 
 within fight, no wonder, if in the few criti- 
 cal moments he now has to conllilt for his 
 fafety, that he ihould look towards the lake 
 as his only aflTylum, or, if defperate the 
 choice, that he fhould prefer drowning to 
 being torn in pieces by his mercilefs purfuers. 
 ^ — ■ — Once more he looko upwards — but 
 
 the hills are infurmountable, and the 
 
 woods, but lately his favourite friends, now 
 
 refufe
 
 ( io8 ) 
 
 refufe him flielter, and, as if in league with 
 his inveterate enemies, every u^ay oppofe his 
 
 paffage. A moment longer he flops — 
 
 looks back fees his deftruftion inevita- 
 ble the blood-hounds are at his heels, 
 
 their roaring attacks his ears with redoubled 
 fury at the fight of their deftined vidim. — 
 
 The choice muft be immediately made ■ ■ 
 
 with tears of defperation he plunges into the 
 lake. But alas ! his fate is fixed— his thread 
 is cut afunder — he efcapes but for a few mi- 
 nutes from one mercilefs enemy to fall into 
 the hands of another equally uncompafl^ionate 
 and relentlefs. — His antlets are his ruin — the 
 fhouting boatmen furround the unhappy 
 fwimmer in his way to the neareft ifland — 
 
 they halter him dragg him into their 
 
 boat, and to the land with him in tri- 
 umph. He dies — an widejerved death. 
 
 His fpirit flies into the Devil's Piinch-bowl^ 
 and his flefh goes into a party. And thus 
 ends the ftag-hunt. 
 
 On our return from the upper lake, through 
 this moft enchanting maze, we were moft 
 agreeably entertained, by our pilot, with an 
 unexpeded introdu6lion (at P) into a third, 
 and not inconfiderable, lake, which we had 
 yet not feen, and which may not improperly 
 be called the middle lake, extending about 
 two miles eail and wefl:, and about one north 
 and fouth, lying clofe under the Mangerton 
 mountains and behind the peninfula on which 
 
 ftands
 
 ( 109 ) 
 
 ftands counfellor H—t's houfe, as you will 
 fee in the draught, communicating with 
 the ftreight, juft below the (hallow, by a 
 narrow pafs of not more than 20 feet, over- 
 arched with trees, and with the lower lake, 
 by juft fuch another pafs between the long 
 ifland and the peninfula, and though not fo 
 much ornamented with verdant and fertile 
 iflands as the more excenfive neighbouring 
 lakes, yet, from its fituation it has its pecu- 
 liar beauties. For beiides the affording a 
 
 moil entertaining and unexpected excurfioa 
 to the eaftward of a mile or two, it is en- 
 tirely furrounded with beautiful arborage that 
 grow on every fide moH: luxuriantly : on the 
 fouth and eaftward it has the Mongerton, 
 the higheft mountains in Ireland, and, by an 
 experiment with the Barometer, found to be 
 1020 yards perpendicular above the lake, 
 floping down immediately upon the (hore, 
 and, for a great way up their declivities, are 
 ornamented with trees of different kinds; 
 and, at the bottom, delineated into the mofl: 
 delightfully fhaded bays. On the oppofite 
 lide is the fertile peninfula above mentioned, 
 and on the weft the long ifland, as 1 have 
 diftinguiflied it, covered with wood of va- 
 rious kinds, over which is feen the lofty 
 mountains that verdantly flope on the fpaci- 
 ous and mod beautiful bay behind the long 
 ifland, through which we paffed, in our na- 
 vigation to the upper lake. Befides which 
 
 you
 
 ( 1^0 ) 
 you have in profpedt, from many parts of 
 this lake, one of the fined: cafcades in the 
 world, perhaps, vifible to above ijo yards 
 running down into this lake, and formed by 
 the difcharge of the fuperfluous waters from 
 the Devil's Pwtch-bowl, from one of the 
 Mangerton. This lafi: is a piece of nature's 
 workmanfhip, not lefs deferving the atten- 
 tion of the curious traveller than many I 
 have attempted to defcribe. You will find 
 an imperfedl reprefentation of it in the 
 draught. 
 
 It is a fmall round lake, in a mod amaz- 
 ing concavity, found on the very top of the 
 Mangerton, of about a quarter of a mile in 
 diameter a-crofs the top, and, though im- 
 menfe, is not unlike, in its form, to a punch- 
 bowl, from whence it has taken its name of 
 the DeviVs Pimcb-bowL From the furface 
 of the water, to the top of the fides of this 
 vaft concavity or bowl may be about 300 
 yards ; and, when viewed from the circular 
 top, it really has a moft aftonifhing appear- 
 ance. 
 
 The fides are nearly perpendicular, and of 
 an equal degree of declivity, and, indeed, 
 much conformed to the fiiflMon of a bowl ; 
 on the part, however, next to the middle 
 lake there is a chafm, or gap, of equal depth 
 to the height of the circular fides above the 
 lake, through which the fuperfluous increafe 
 of the waters from rains above, and the 
 
 fprings
 
 ( in ) 
 
 fprings which are fuppofed conflantly to fup- 
 ply it at its bottom, are difcharged in a moft 
 beautiful cafcade down into the middle lake; 
 for from its continually running there can be 
 no doubt of its being conftantly fupplied with 
 fprings. You have heard of the bowl of 
 punch that was ingenioufly contrived with a 
 fpring at the bottom, that invifibly recruited 
 the continued decreafe of the liquor within : 
 I make no doubt this of the Devil has one. 
 The depth of this lake, or punch- bowl, is 
 exceffive, though 1 have not faith enough 
 to believe, with the natives about it, that it 
 is unfathomable. However, as I had no 
 materials with me for founding it, I left them 
 in the quiet enjoyment of their credulity in 
 that, as well as in many other cafes, in 
 which I found them poffefTed of no fmall 
 meafure. 
 
 The depth, indeed, of the upper and 
 lower lakes is, in many places, furprizing, 
 from the accounts our pilot gave us, equal to 
 three or fourfcore fathom, and in fome places, 
 clofe under the rocky (liores, fifteen and 
 twenty fathom deep. Even the depth of 
 the middle and leaft extenfive lake, clofe 
 under the Mangerton, he affared us was, in 
 fome places, equal to 70 fathom, though not 
 above two miles in its greateft extent. And 
 whatever may be the depth of the Devil's 
 punch- bowl^ as it is called in our maps, but 
 by the natives in the neighbourhood Fouler 
 
 infrin^
 
 (112) 
 
 infrin^ or the Hole of Hell, it is certainly in 
 a fupeificial view of it from the top of the 
 mountain, a moft aftonifhing produdion. 
 The horrible depth, but, at the fame time, 
 regular form of this immenfe concavity, the 
 narrow chafm found on one fide for the dif- 
 charge of its vv'aters, the exceilive depth, 
 like wife, of the vv^ater Vv'ithin, altogether 
 confidered by the fpeclator, it will be thought 
 one of the mod furprizing produdions of the 
 kind, perhaps, in the world, and well wor- 
 thy the notice of every curious naturalift that 
 fhall vifit the lake of Kilarny. 
 
 The northern and weftern fides, likewife, 
 of thefe lakes, add very confiderably to the 
 variety of entertainment of a voyage on the 
 
 lower lake. From the valley at the 
 
 weft end, through which the whole collec- 
 tion of waters difcharge into the fea, is one 
 continued range of hills, not equal, indeed, 
 to the mountains on the fouthern fide, yet 
 affording much beauty in profpedt from the 
 lake -, and as they are ornamented, from the 
 very fhore, with woods and cultivated en- 
 clofures, with fome few houfes interfper(ed, 
 they make a mofl agreeable addition and di- 
 verfity, to the more immediate beauties of 
 the lake. The ground alfo rifing with a 
 gentle afcent, affords a more ample and par- 
 ticular view from the lake of thefe rural or- 
 naments even to the top of the hills, on the 
 Very fummit of which, and terminating the 
 
 profpeft.
 
 ("3) 
 
 J>rofp£(5i:, ftand the inconfiderable remains of 
 the ancient city of Ahadoe^ very little of 
 which, befides the ruins of the cathedral, is 
 now remaining. 
 
 On the eaftern fide is a rich and fertile 
 plain for two or three miles, through which 
 defcends a river into the lower lake. On 
 the north-eafl: fide (lands the town of Kilar- 
 ny, in a delightful fituation, as every place in 
 the vicinitude of this beautiful lake mud be, 
 and in the fummer time, from the number 
 of vifiters to the lake, is a very chearful, 
 lively town. So great is the refort here in- 
 deed, that the fafhionable cant, at our pub- 
 lick fpaws, of good and bad feafov.s^ of 
 
 providing for the feafon^ — of expectations 
 from the enfuing fecifon, with other expref- 
 fions of the like kind, are here very impor- 
 tantly introduced. We v/ere not a little at 
 a lols at iirft hearing the vjovdfeafon men^ 
 tioned, *till, upon enquiry, we found it was 
 the feajm for vifiting the lake, which is a ve- 
 ry long feafon, indeed, for it may be ken 
 with great pleafure, from May to Novem- 
 ber, in which month, as the fruit of the 
 ftrawberry tree begins more generally to 
 ripen, that beautiful ever-green, which is 
 one of the peculiar beauties of the lake, ap- 
 pears in its greateft perfedion. This cir- 
 cumftance is true, indeed, but that the peo- 
 ple of the place aflirm that the month of 
 
 I No-
 
 (114) 
 
 November is the beft time to fee the lake In 
 its utmoft perfedlion, I do not think fo. 
 
 'Tis true, indeed, the variegated profpedt 
 of fading greens among thofe that are ever 
 living, is peculiarly beautiful in the autumnal 
 profped: ; but I believe in general it would 
 be feen with greater pleafure in the warmer 
 months of fummer. The coolnefs of the 
 water, the delightful fhades found in almoft 
 every bay, delineated by nature on thefe 
 illands, and at the bottom of the mountains, 
 the richnefs of the verdure throughout, not 
 to mention the generally clearer ftate of the 
 air in fummer, that will be in favour of one 
 of the moft delightful entertainments of the 
 place, the echoes, which muft be heard con- 
 fequently in greater perfedion in the midfl: 
 of fummer, than in November; on every of 
 thefe confiderations it fhould feem, that a 
 voyage over thefe lakes in one of the warmer 
 days of fummer, muft afford much higher 
 degrees of rural pleafure and entertainment. 
 
 The extent of the lower lake, from eaft 
 to weft, may be about feven or eight miles, 
 and a-crofs it from north to fouth, about 
 half that diftance. But from the north of 
 the lower lake, near Kilarny, to the fouth 
 of the upper lake, including the winding 
 ftreight between them through the vallies, 
 muft be at leaft ten or twelve, fufficiently 
 extenfive and copious of variety, to furnifti 
 a continued fucceflion of pleafure and pro- 
 
 fpedive
 
 ( "5) 
 
 fpedive entertainment, for the longeft fum^ 
 mer's day, and llores are generally carried on 
 board for regaling on fome of the iilands 
 with which thefe inimitable lakes are orna- 
 mented in great numbers, and variety of ex-* 
 tent and figures, the vifiting of which, from 
 one to another, and examining their various 
 and luxuriant produce, with the almoft infi- 
 nite number of fubjeds of entertainment that 
 may be found on thefe lakes, will be a pro- 
 grefs fo fertile of novelty and diveriion, 
 that the longeft fummer's day will be too 
 fhort for the curious, the feacher of natu- 
 ral beauties. To examine minutely, indeed, 
 the infinite variety of fubjeds of entertain- 
 ment that may be found in and about this 
 lake, would employ the curious traveller for 
 a month. 
 
 The ifland of Ennisfallen is generally the 
 dining place, where there is a kind of hall 
 fitted up by the lord Kenmare, out of one of 
 the ifles belonging to an ancient abbey, the 
 ruins of which are ftill feen on this ifland, 
 fituate on an eminence commanding an ex- 
 tenfive profpecfl of the lower lake. This 
 ifland includes about twenty acres of the 
 moft fertile ground I ever faw, to judge of 
 it by the luxuriant and fpontaneous produce. 
 The trees are intermixed with little plots of 
 fuch rich and lufcious pafturage, that the 
 fat of a beaft in a few weeks feeding on ir, 
 will be converted into a fpecies of very mar- 
 1 2 row
 
 ( "6 ) 
 
 row, even too rich for the chandlers ufe^ 
 without a mixture of a grofler kind. 
 
 Diredly oppofite to this ifland, to the 
 fouth-weft, in a beautiful bay of the lake 
 under the mountains on the fouth, the tra- 
 veller is fliewn a cafcade, which well deferves 
 his notice ^ the lower part of it is viiible to 
 the ifland, but to fee it in its greatefl per- 
 fedion, you muft land at the bottom of the 
 bay. It defcends from the mountains fome 
 hundred yards down a fhallow Glyn that is 
 covered with trees, and conceals the greatefl: 
 part of it. But a fituation may be obtained 
 near the bottom, at which you may fee it 
 cafcading with infinite beauty and grandeur 
 under the arching trees, from an aftonifliing 
 height, and after heavy rains on the nK)un- 
 tains above the water, come roaring down 
 in a torrent, that forms one of the grandefl: 
 and mofl: beautiful cafcades I ever beheld. 
 That celebrated artificial one of Chatf- 
 worth in Derbyfhire, the manfion, or pa- 
 lace rather, of the late noble duke of De- 
 von, is not, I affure you, comparable to it. 
 Uniformity in an artificial cafcade, is the 
 greatefl: abfurdity that can be introduced, 
 becaufe really the farthefl: from a juft imita- 
 tion of nature. We had the good fortune to 
 fee this with the advantage of an extraordi- 
 nary fall, for it rained one whole night, al- 
 moft, during our flay at Kilarny, and the 
 next day morning we puflied off our boat 
 
 again
 
 ( n? ) . 
 
 again, on purpofe to fee this cafcade in its 
 greateft perfedlion. 
 
 At K is a feat of the lord Kenmare, and 
 though it has not the moft of elegance or 
 magnificence of any houfe 1 have ken, yet 
 is it a fituation that is really noble. 
 
 At CH is a houfe belonging to counfellor 
 H — b— t, in a fituation by nature the moft 
 rurally elegant, romantic, and entertaining^ 
 that 1 ever yet found a houfe in either En- 
 gland or Ireland. It lies in a peninfula be- 
 tween two lakes, fo that on the one hand 
 it commands a profpe<ft of the larger lake 
 and its many Iflands covered with, and an ex- 
 teniive country beyond it, and on the other a 
 no lefs beautiful profped of another lake with 
 the long chain of mountains beyond it of fuch 
 ftupendous height and forms, as at once to 
 poflefs the foul with the fublime and beauti- 
 ful. It is not above 30 or 40 miles from 
 one of the beft cities in Ireland, viz, Cork, 
 to which there is a good turnpike road all 
 the way, by which an eafy accefs might be 
 always had to this moft delightful rural and 
 paradifiac recefs, for fuch you will be con- 
 vinced it muft be when you confider its fitua- 
 tion towards the weft end of the peninfula, 
 with the middle lake, and the lofty Mongar- 
 ton on the fouth behind it, the lower Lkc 
 with its infular ornaments before it, with the 
 town of Kilarny and the country acrofs the 
 lake up to the ruins of the ancient city or ca- 
 thedral, for that is almoft all the remains of 
 
 Ahadoe.
 
 (ii8) 
 
 Ahadoe. A narrow pafs at P over whipb 
 might be turned an elegant arch into the 
 long ifland that is coviered with a thick growth 
 of trees of every kind, aniongft which might 
 be laid out the moft beautiful ferpentine walks, 
 as well as noble and entertaining yiftas opening 
 inimitable profpefts to the ]a}^es and circum- 
 jacent mountains, whofe high uplifted verdant 
 heads and fertile declivities, would add an in- 
 expieflible grandeur to the profpe^s below; 
 the whole fcenery aboutjt, indeed, is inimit- 
 able but by nature, for the truth of this re- 
 prefentation, I can give you alfo the teftimo- 
 ny of the celebrated bifliop of Clpyne, who^ 
 in a kind of rapture with the natural beauties 
 and grandeur of the Place, expreffed himfelf, 
 that Lewis of France might build another 
 palace of VerfailleSy but Nature only could 
 produce a lake of Kilarny, There is, in 
 truth, the moft delightful and entertaining 
 fcenery on this peninfula, and in profpetff 
 from it, that imagination can paint, or the 
 moft romantic fancy conceive. Jt is in the 
 very centre of lakes, mountains, woods, 
 lawns, and fertile rocks, for even the rocks 
 appear to vegetate into trees and flirubs. Thi^ 
 laft is a natural curiofity of the place, I have 
 not yet taken any notice of 5 there is really 
 fomething extremely curious and entertaining 
 in the appearances of this rocky vegetation. 
 ^Tis really furprizing to fee the flouri(hin§ 
 growth of trees among fome of thefe rocks 
 where there is hardly an inch of earth vi- 
 
 vifible
 
 (i'9) 
 
 fible to fupport them 5 and the wild extra- 
 vagant manner in which many of them grow, 
 twilling and curling about the rocks, is very 
 diverting. 
 
 The bodies of fome of them are really 
 feated on the folid undivided rocks, with 
 their ramified roots curling like ivy over the 
 furface of the rocks, till they reach the earth 
 down the fides. Even the trunks of many 
 of them are fertile of feveral kinds of woods. 
 You will frequently find old trunks that 
 (hall have three or four trees growing out 
 of their bodies. I have feen an oak, an afli, 
 an hazel, a birch, and a bufli, fo incorpora- 
 ted into the trunk of an old lively holl)', 
 that they appeared to grow out of its very 
 body, and to exift by feeding on its vitals. 
 
 The account that is given for thefe vege- 
 table extra vagations of nature, is not only ve- 
 ry probable, but undoubtedly the truth, that 
 the feeds of the different kinds of woods are 
 carried by birds, and dropped, and fome by 
 the winds are blown into their hollow moul- 
 dering trunks, and there ftrike root. And 
 in a place like this, that, till within a few 
 ages paft, has been unnoticed, and almofl 
 uninhabited, fince the expulfion or difper- 
 fion of the monks, about 6 or 700 years 
 fince, but by the birds and quadruped, 'tis 
 natural to exped prodigies in vegetation, and, 
 indeed, many fuch have been found here. 
 But however eafily accounted for, fuch wild 
 
 I 4 extra-
 
 ( I2Q ) 
 
 extravagant phaenomena in vegetation are 
 very entertaining. The uncommon mix- 
 ture of trees, likewife, as is found among thefe 
 rocks, is very extraordinary and furprizing. 
 In the compafs of fifty or, fixty yards I 
 have found above twenty different kinds of 
 trees growing in a flourifliing manner. The 
 arbutus in particular feems furprifingly 
 luxuriant in fituations of this kind, and, 
 upon my honour, it would cofi: you, or 
 any man, more labour than you would 
 chufe to beflow for one day, to be able to 
 get a cart load of earth together from within 
 the whole compafs. 
 
 Even the very bowels of this peninfula, 
 are fraught wath mines of copper, and filver 
 v/e were told had been extrafted from them. 
 I have fent you fome pieces of the oar that I 
 picked up near the Ihaft (the well where 
 they raife the ore from the mine) that appeared 
 to be the moft like the kind of ore that 
 fliould produce it, from its likenefs to filver 
 ore which I have before feen. 
 
 The mines are prodigiouily deep, and have 
 been worked a great v/ay under the lake. I 
 have marked the fpot on the peninfula, juft 
 by the edge of the middle lake, where is the 
 place of defcent into the mines. Almoft 
 every kind of natural curiofities or beauties 
 that is to be found on thefe lakes, either of 
 vegetables, iflands, rocks, mountains, echoes, 
 and cafcades, in fome degree come within 
 
 yie\Y
 
 ( 121 ) 
 
 view of this delightful peninfula. The beaur 
 tiful cafcade from the devirs punch- bowl, ^ is 
 vifible on almoft every little eminence of it 5 
 Jts fituation, indeed, is in the centre of the 
 whole Icene of entertainnrient that is found in 
 jthe lake of Kilarny. 
 
 The place deferves the higheft^ cultiva- 
 tion, and 1 am informed that fince my 
 excurfion to thefe parts, no expence has 
 been fpared by the owner to do juftce 
 to its merit, in which 1 flatter myfelf that 
 my country-woman has fome fhare, this 
 gentleman being married to an Englini lady, 
 and there is another Englifli lady, the duke 
 pf Richmond's filler, lady Louifa, married 
 to the right hpnourable Thomas Conolly, 
 Eft]; at Caftlc-town, about ten miles out of 
 Publin, who, to her own, and the honour 
 pf her country, has, by the ftrength of her 
 pwn native elegance of tafte and genius for 
 rural defign, improved a fpot, by nature in- 
 fertile of beauty or elegance, into a feat, 
 that, whei) the defigned improvements are 
 compleated, will be one of the moft delight- 
 ful rural fituations about Dublin. But what 
 an inimitably rural and romantic paradife 
 would the peninfula I have been defcribing 
 be made, if to the infinite beauties it has 
 from nature, a little art was introduced by 
 that moft elegantly defigning lady* 
 
 On
 
 ( 122 ) 
 
 On the north fide of the entrance upon 
 this peninfula, are the remains of an old ab- 
 bey, fpacious even in its ruins, and well de* 
 ferving the notice of the traveller. The 
 cloyfters are yet entire, in the centre of the 
 fquare, enclofed by thefe cloyfters grows a 
 yew-tree, as curious almoft as the ruins by 
 which it is encompaffed. The body of it 
 is fix or feven feet in circumference, and of 
 that magnitude runs up a ftrait clean trunk, 
 to the height of between twenty and thirty 
 feet, 'till it rifes above the battlements of the 
 cloifters, and then fpread over them in large 
 and regular branches, like a (lately oak, and 
 really is the mod beautiful yew-tree I ever 
 faw. 
 
 The yew has always been facred to fu* 
 perftition, and none ever was more fo than 
 this, numberlefs are the relations of fu- 
 perftitious credulity here, of deaths, and 
 dire calamities that have, from time to time 
 befel the facrilegious attempts upon this fa- 
 cred tree. 
 
 In a kind of ftone room above in the cloifters, 
 lives at this time, an Englifti pilgrim, much 
 revered by the religious neighbourhood, 
 who fubfifts by the contributions of his be- 
 nevolent chriftian vifiters, and indeed lives 
 himfelf like an honeft good chriftian, that is 
 to fay, though his lodgings, indeed, are not 
 
 the
 
 ( 123 ) 
 
 the mod eligible, yet he eats and drinks the 
 beft the country affords. 
 
 On Rofs iiland ftands an old caftle that makes 
 a very agreeable contrail to the verdant beau- 
 ties in profpedt, at many places, on the lake. 
 
 ■ A rich vein of copper is likewife found 
 
 here in a mine that has been, but now is not 
 v^^orked. 
 
 This is one of the largeft iflands on the 
 lake, and contains about 80 or 100 acres, 
 well v^^oodcd and fertile of rich pafturage. — • 
 We v^ere credibly informed, that pearls of 
 very great value had been found about this 
 lake, and in the channels formed by the caf- 
 cades falling into it, and particularly in the 
 river at the weft end, that difcharges its wa- 
 ters into the fea, 
 
 Salmon are caught in great plenty and per- 
 fedion in thefe lakes, and fold at the mode- 
 rate and ftated price of one penny per pound. 
 The fifhery is the property of the Earl of 
 Kenmare, a catholic nobleman ; to whom 
 alfo belongs the greater part, if not the 
 whole, of the lake, with its beautiful iflands, 
 who very generoufly difpofes of the profits, 
 after defraying the expences of the fifhery, 
 to charitable ufes, paying, himfelf, alfo, as 
 they told us, for all that is confumed in his 
 own family at the ftated price of a penny the 
 pound. An example truly noble and worthy 
 of imitation. 
 
 The
 
 ( 124 ) 
 
 The arbutus or ftrawberry tree, which 
 grows in great plenty and perfedion on many 
 of thefe iflands, mayjuftlybe efteemedoneof 
 the greateft natural curiofities of the vegeta- 
 ble kind, as they have the appearance of be- 
 ing a fpontaneous production. But, indeed, 
 were very probably planted here by the 
 monks that formerly inhabited thefe iflands, 
 and the environs about the lake. There are 
 even fruit trees on fome of them, that have 
 out-lived the defolation that has feized the 
 cells of thofe monkifli reclufants, and that 
 fometimes bear a rich and fine flavoured fruit. 
 
 When in its perfedion, about November, 
 the ftrawberry tree is one of the moft beau- 
 tiful ever-greens, perhaps, that our climate 
 produces, having, at the fame time, bloom, 
 green and ripe fruit on its branches. But it 
 has not thefe ornaments throughout the year, 
 as, without fufficient foundation, has been 
 aflTerted of it. 
 
 The fruit, by the natives in the neigh- 
 bourhood, is called the Cane-apple; when 
 ripe it is in ftiape much like the wood-ftraw- 
 berry, but nearly as large as the garden- 
 ftrawberry, of a fine fcarlet colour, and hangs 
 in beautiful clufters among the branches. 
 
 From the tempting beauty of its form and 
 colour, 'tis not a little mortifying to find its 
 tafte fo infipid. However, I know of no 
 danger of eating more than one or two at a 
 time, as is aflferted by Mr. Salmon, in his 
 
 account
 
 ( 125 ) 
 
 account of this tree. 'Tis certain, they are 
 eat in great numbers by the people who live 
 about the lake, without any ienfible ill efFedt. 
 
 The fame gentleman has given us mon- 
 
 ftrous accounts of the fize of this tree, that 
 it is equal to 20 inches, or two feet in diame- 
 ter, and high in proportion. But he certain- 
 ly, in this account, as well as in many others, 
 wrote moft implicitly. The largcft to be 
 found on thefe iflands, were they grow in as 
 great perfedion, perhaps, as any where in 
 the king's dominions, does not exceed fix or 
 fiven inches in diameter, and from ten to 
 fifteen feet high in general ; when it (hoots 
 up amongft other trees on the iflands it will 
 fometimes run up to near 20 ie^t. 
 
 It is, really, a mod beautiful ever- green, 
 and mixed with others, as box, yew, holly, 
 and the common kinds of wood, moft agree- 
 ably variegates the profped:. And what adds 
 to the profpedive beauty of the iflands, in 
 general, is, that the ever-greens, and parti- 
 cularly the arbutus, grow in the greateft 
 plenty near the outfides, and in profped from 
 the lake. But unlefs a rocky foil is neccflary, 
 or the moft natural, for on the more rocky 
 iflands it grows in the greateft plenty and 
 perfedion, I cannot fee why the foil of D. 
 ftould not produce it in as great perfedion as 
 the ifles on the lake of Kilarny. 
 
 There are feveral plantations of it in Ire- 
 land. 1 have feen a large grove of them 
 
 at
 
 ( 126 ) 
 
 at Lord Powerfcourt's, but they are not in 
 
 fuch perfedlion as on thefe iilands. And 
 
 'tis very probable, that moft of the planta- 
 tions in Ireland, of this beautiful tree, are 
 tranfplantations from this fertile feminary -, 
 'tis certain that plants of them have been 
 carried from the lake of Kilarny to many 
 parts of Ireland, and probably of England 
 to. 
 
 It is produced from plants or flips, or from 
 the feed that is formed in the fruit when 
 ripe. The former it v/as impoflible for me 
 to fend you, as I was unprovided with pro- 
 per conveyances ; but I broke off a branch, 
 with the ripeft fruit I could find, at the be- 
 ginning of Odober that I was there, in 
 which you will difcover the feed diftindl, and 
 eafily feperable from the pulp. 
 
 If it be poffible for you to produce fomc 
 plants from the fruit I have fent, 1 beg that, 
 to oblige yourfelf as well as me, you will 
 take fome pains for it. ■ — It will certainly be 
 one of the greateft curiofities, of the kind, in 
 the county of Kent, as being produced im- 
 mediately from fruit growing on the lake of 
 Kilarny; from whence, I affure you, they 
 were taken, as well as the few acorns and 
 ailien-keys that I have fent with them, which 
 1 hope you v/ill plant in fome odd corner of 
 your garden, as curiofities from the place and 
 
 diftance they were fent to you. From 
 
 the appearance of the few feeds which I took 
 
 out
 
 ( 127 ) 
 
 out of one or two of the cane-apples that 
 were dried, by carrying in my packet, I have 
 hopes, that by your keeping the reft in a 
 warm dry iituation, as little as poffible expof- 
 ed to a damp air during the winter, you will 
 find the feed fufficiently maturated, by the 
 
 return of fpring, to grow. It will not be 
 
 fafe to attempt to plant till April, or the 
 
 warm weather returns. Let your mould 
 
 be warm, and perfedly fine, that the feed 
 may have every chance in its favour. Drop 
 the feeds about a foot afunder, and about z 
 inches under thefurface. — If they (hould grow, 
 and I doubt not but fome of them will, it 
 will be eafy to remove the plants with fafety. 
 It will give me no fmall pleafure, if I live to 
 revifit my native country, to fee living plants 
 from feeds that I took fo much pains to pro- 
 cure. — A tranfplantation, indeed, from the 
 moft weftern land of Ireland to the eaftern- 
 moft point of England. 
 
 I know you are fond as myfelf of rural 
 and natural curiofities, and therefore I have 
 been the more copious in my defcription of 
 the inimitable beauties of the lake of Kilar- 
 ny, of which we have yet i^tvi no accounts 
 that have not been extremely fhort of the 
 original. 
 
 It is impoffible, in defcriptions of this 
 kind, where the fubjefts of entertainment 
 are fo mixed and various, to obferve any re- 
 gularity in the accounts of them. I have 
 
 paid
 
 ( 128 ) 
 
 paid no attention to this, but only to Intro-* 
 duce, fomewhere or other in the defcription, 
 the principal articles, as near as I could, that 
 were curious and entertaining. The feveral fub- 
 jefts, however, follow in, nearly, the fame or- 
 der that the originals occurred to me, in the fe- 
 veral trips I made over this mofh enchanting 
 lake ; throughout the whole of which 1 have 
 endeavoured to give you the be ft idea that I 
 could, without exaggeration, of the general 
 fcenery, and of the principal and moft re- 
 markable curiofities and entertainments of 
 this inimitable lake. The fubjedl will not 
 admit of any heightening, fo far as the beau- 
 ty and grandeur of the place, indeed, is con- 
 cerned. The higheft defcription will be un- 
 equal to the original, and muft fall, at the 
 fame time, far below the conceptions and 
 impreffions of the curious fpedator on the 
 fpot. There is fuch a natural and artlefs dif- 
 pofition of the feveral beauties, fuch an en- 
 tertaining variety, fuch a grandeur and fub- 
 limity throughout, as will be fuperior to the 
 higheft and moft laboured defcription. The 
 iineft copies in the world for painting and 
 drawing in the rural or romantic tafte, are 
 here exhibited in the higheft perfection from 
 nature, the fovereign miftrefs of thefe inge- 
 nious arts. 
 
 I am charmed with the place, and muft 
 finifti at laft where I firft began ; I hardly 
 think that nature, in any part of this habi- 
 table
 
 ( 129 ) 
 
 table globe has thrown together a finer col^ 
 ledion of materials for improvement, by a 
 little introduction of art, into a fcene the 
 tnoft enchantingly rural and the mod fertile 
 of entertainment to her curious votaries. 
 
 If the enclofed branch, with its withered 
 bloom and half ripened fruit, fhould come 
 fafe to hand, I beg that you will cherifli it as 
 a bloflbm from the garden of Eden, as a 
 fprig from the bower of my beloved, from 
 the ftrawberry ifland in the upper lake of 
 Kilarny, from whence I have began this 
 epiftle defcriptlve, and through the whole of 
 which, I aflure you, I have taken nothing of 
 importance on truft, but the whole is the 
 refult of my own obfervations on the origi- 
 nals, in every cafe in which it was poffible 
 for me to get at them, and to which I have 
 kept as nearly as poflible in the defcriptive. 
 
 And thus, having furnifhed you with a 
 defcription of fome of the principal natural 
 curiofities of the feveral kinds taken into the 
 Account, of which this Hibernian ifle is re- 
 markably fertile, though, in truth, vi^ith but 
 very few of art, I will now give you a little 
 refpite. What 1 have already wrote will be 
 fufficient to give you a general idea of the 
 country, both in a civil and natural view of 
 it. — If the prefent fketch fhould afford you 
 entertainment enough to excite a curiofity 
 for a farther acquaintance with it, I may, 
 perhaps, in fome future packet, enter more 
 K exten-
 
 (no) 
 
 cxteniively into the natural hiftory of Ireland. 
 Indeed, the infinite variety of fubjeds of na- 
 tural hiftory, that are found in this kingdom, 
 very juftly recommends it to the attention of 
 the curious. - ■ 'Tis a country in which 
 nature feems to have exerted herfelf for the 
 entertainment of her curious votaries, and in 
 which, confequently, the gentleman of lei- 
 fure and curiofity, will find the moft ample 
 fcope for the gratifying his tafte for the Am- 
 ple, artlefs, beauties of nature, for here 
 Ihe prefides an uncontrouled fovereign. The 
 greateft: efforts of art, a very few inftances 
 excepted, have, as yet, extended themfelves 
 very little farther than to deface the fimpli- 
 city of nature. 
 
 'Tis a country through which a gentleman 
 may travel at an eafy, or moderate expence, 
 and well deferving of much more notice and 
 attention than has been generally paid to it 
 by the curious, on the eafl:ern fide of St. 
 George's channel. — The inhabitants, even 
 of the loweft clafs^ are generally civil. Need 
 and oppreflion, indeed, have introduced 
 among them a degree of ferocity and unto- 
 wardnefs that is rather againft them at firft 
 view. By nature too, perhaps, they are too 
 fanguine and irafcible , and, when intoxica- 
 ted with liquor, thefe unhappy natural pro- 
 penfities, if indeed they are from nature, 
 will too frequently break out into mifchievous 
 efFefls. Nor is this obfervation to be re- 
 
 ftriaed
 
 ftrifted to any particular clafs of the natives | 
 — duels are more frequent here, I believe, 
 than in any part of the king's dominions. — . 
 If there is any honour in running a man 
 through the body, or perforating his fkuU 
 with a brace of balls, for an accidental, inad- 
 vertent offence, which the aggreffor is often 
 obliged to defend at the hazard of his life, 
 to efcape the imputation of timidity, the 
 gentlemen of this country, of every clafs, 
 from the barber's apprentice up to the colo- 
 riel, whofe hair is dreffed by him, have as 
 great a right to be called gentlemen of ho- 
 nour as any in the king's dominions, or out 
 
 of them. -I have heard, at a coffee- 
 
 houfe, a couple of journeymen, or ihopmen, 
 talk as coolly and familiarly of the conveni- 
 ence df a room in a certain tavern, for thd 
 exercife of a brace of points or piftols, as of 
 
 an alley for a match of nine- pins. And 
 
 the gentlemen of the higher clafs in this 
 country will excufe me, if, in this truly gen- 
 tleman-like point of honour, of deciding 
 every little trivial difpute by the point of the 
 fword, I have given them but an equal fliare 
 with the inferior clafs of Gentlemen at the 
 blocks or behind the counters. — 'Tis a favage 
 point of honour this, that cannot be too 
 
 much ridiculed, or too feverely treated. 
 
 If a gentleman that wears a fword is attacked 
 
 by an affaffin, he has a right from honour 
 
 and humanity, which fliould ever be perfedl- 
 
 K z ly
 
 ( 132 ) 
 
 ly confiftent, to defend himfelf. — But hk 
 honour, if it really has any mixture of hu- 
 manity, does not, i fhould fuppofe, require 
 him to have recourfe to his fword, for the 
 decifion of every trivial difpute, or breach 
 of friendfliip, or good manners, at even the 
 equal hazard of his own, and the life of the 
 aggrefTor, and it is eafy to make it appear, 
 that not one duel in ten, if in fifty, is fought 
 on equals and therefore not on fair terms. — 
 To fpeak frankly and ingenuoufly, I am for- 
 ry to have been fo naturally and juftly lead 
 into this feeming digreffion, or that a coun- 
 try, fo famous for its hofpitality, fliould be fo 
 remarkably tenacious of this gothic, fangui- 
 nous point of honour. But, while fober, 
 and free from the maddening Simulations of 
 whifky, even the loweft clafs are civil and 
 frank ; give them but importance, and to 
 refufe them this is an offence unpardonable 
 with every clafs, and a little of your cafh, 
 ' and you may do any thing with them: and 
 the Englifliman of temper and difcretion 
 will meet with as few difficulties in travelling 
 through this kingdom, as his own 5 efpecial- 
 ly if he has but good nature enough to ride 
 into the dirt himfelf rather than drive a foot 
 pafTenger into it. 
 
 To this general or curfory view of the natural, 
 I will fubjoin another piece of the civil hiftory 
 of this country. You have frequently met 
 with accounts, in the public papers, of the 
 
 infur-
 
 ( 133 ) 
 
 infurreftions of the White- boys, as they are 
 called in this country. From the people of 
 fortune who have been fufferers by them, 
 and who, too generally in this kingdom, 
 look on the miferable and oppreffed poor of 
 their country in the moft contemptible lights 
 the accounts of thefe infurgents have, for the 
 moft part, been too much exaggerated to be 
 
 depended on. 1 have juft hinted in 
 
 the former part of this letter, that the fevere 
 treatment and oppreffion the loweft clafs of 
 the inhabitants, in fome parts of this king- 
 dom, have met with from their priefts and 
 fubordinate landlords, was the principal caufe 
 of thofe difturbances they have met with 
 from them, I have but too much reafon to 
 believe this remark was well grounded, from 
 the obfervations I had an opportunity of 
 making in the midft of the country where 
 thefe infurgents have given the greateft dif- 
 turbance. 
 
 The original of their denomination of 
 White-boys was from the pradice of wear- 
 ing their fhirts withoutfide of their cloaths, 
 the better to diftinguifli each other in the 
 
 night-time. It happened that we were 
 
 at Kilkenny, in our road to Waterford, at 
 the very time of the laft confiderable infur- 
 reftion of thefe unhappy wretches, in the 
 fouth of Kilkenny county, not far from Wa- 
 terford. I was naturally led to enquire into 
 the caufs of thefe infurrecSions, and the pre- 
 K 3 tenfions
 
 f 134) 
 tenfions of the infurgerits themfelves for 
 creating thefe difturbances. From the peo- 
 ple of eafy and affluent circumftances it is na- 
 tural to fuppofe the accounts would be very 
 different from fuch as were given by thofb 
 of the fame clafs \A^ith the delinquents. By 
 comparing thefe^ however, with the obvibiis 
 appearance of things in the country, I foori 
 had fufficient reafon to believe their difquiet 
 arofe, in general, from the fevere treatment 
 they met with from their landlords, and the 
 lords of the manors, and principally from 
 their clergy, ' Our road to Waterford lay 
 through the very midfl cf ihefe unhappy in- 
 furgencs, and we were, confequently, ad- 
 
 vifed to take a different rout. Why, 
 
 whence (hould be the fear ? — we have nei- 
 ther deprived them of their common- rights 
 nor their potatoes They have no quar- 
 rel with us, who have never injured them. 
 Perfuade your infatiable priefts, of every de- 
 nomination, to a<fl themfelves the precepts 
 of charity and humanity they preach, and 
 they will be as fafe in their houfes by night 
 ks we (hall probably be, in the midfl of 
 them, by day. ' ^^ 
 
 ^ We rode through the country, in which 
 they were affembled in great numbers, but 
 the very day before the lafl confiderable 
 engagerrient they had with the troops quar- 
 tered at the towns in the neighbourhood; 
 |)ut met with no moleftation from any of 
 • then^i
 
 ( 135 ) 
 
 them. ■ The very next day after wc 
 
 came to Waterford, the news was brought 
 of this engagement, about four or five miles 
 from the town. The opinions and reprefen- 
 tations of the inhabitants of the town were 
 various on the merits of the affair ; but it 
 was eafy to diftinguifli the fentiments of the 
 humane from the aggravated reprefen tations 
 of thofe whofe inveterate prejudices againft 
 thefe unhappy fufferers, inftigated them to 
 fet thefe difturbers of the peace of their 
 country in the word point of view; and, 
 without any apparent candour in their re- 
 prefentations, to place the rife of them in an 
 idle, turbulent, and rebellious difpofition of 
 
 the infurgents. —The very officers of the 
 
 troops wiflied they would drive the whole 
 fraternity of parfons out of the country; and 
 with good reafon ; for if the parfon cannot 
 }ive here on the great tythes of the corn, and 
 about which they have feldom anydifputes 
 with their parifliioners, how is the unhappy 
 peafant to fubfift on the produce of i o or 
 15 perches of potatoes, the whole provilion, 
 perhaps, for a twelvemonth, for himfelf and 
 family ; yet even the very tenth of thefe is 
 demanded by the infatiable, unrelenting prieft 
 as his due by the law — of v/hat ? — not of 
 charity or humanity, I think. 
 
 On the day after the engagement we left 
 
 Waterford for Cai^rick on Sure, and, in our 
 
 vvay, met with fome of the troops that had 
 
 K 4 been
 
 ( 136 ) 
 
 been engaged with the White-boys, and 
 were afked if we had feen any of them lurk- 
 ing about in companies. But their enquiries 
 were ill direded ; for we would fooner have 
 headed them, and attacked the firft parfon's 
 houfe we had met with, than difcovered 
 their retreat. 
 
 I made it my bufinels to enquire, in the 
 mod friendly manner, of fome of thefe un- 
 happy fufFerers of the loweft clals, as they 
 fell in my way, the reafon of their expofing 
 themlelves to fo much danger, by raifing 
 
 fuch difturbances in their country : To 
 
 which their anfwers were invariably to this 
 effect— That their lives were of little va- 
 lue to them — - that the fevere and hard deal- 
 ing they had met with from their prieils and 
 lords of the manors had made them defpe- 
 rate — that the former wanted to reduce the 
 fmall fubfiftence they had to live on, and the 
 latter deprived them of the very few pri- 
 vileges and common rights they had, for 
 time immemorial, enjoyed -— -^- that againft 
 thefe only were their refentments pointed, 
 and to recover their long ftanding priviledges 
 was the fole caufe of their expofing them- 
 felves, or other people, to any danger, and 
 not from any difpofition to rebel againft their 
 king or the peace of their country, 
 
 1 cannot but acknowledge, in favour of 
 them, that the general civility of the people, 
 with the apparent honefty and candour of
 
 ( ^57) 
 their accounts, gave the greateft credit to 
 their reprefentations. 
 
 There are many little commons, or vacant 
 fpots of ground, adjacent to the road, upon 
 which the inhabitants of the cabbins by the 
 highway fide have been ufed, from time im- 
 memorial, to rare^ as they exprefs it, a pig 
 or a goofe, which they have bought very 
 young, the fale of which has help'd to fur- 
 nidi them with a few neceflaries. Many of 
 thefe have been taken into the fields or en- 
 clofures on the road fide, by the landlords, 
 who have farmed, or purchafed, them of the 
 lords of the manor. 
 
 From an impartial view of their fituation, 
 I could not, from my foul, blame thefe un- 
 happy delinquents. They are attacked and 
 reduced, on all fides, fo hardly, as to have 
 barely their potatoes left them to fubfift on. 
 
 The tything of potatoes has been a conteft 
 of long ftanding between the priefl: and inha- 
 bitants of this country. — 'Tis greatly to be 
 wiflied that the parliament of Ireland would 
 take this fubjedl into their confideration, and 
 decide, at lead the difpute about the right — - 
 was it only fo far as to exempt the penurious 
 cottager from the hard terms of having his 
 fcanty fubfiftence reduced a tenth by unfeel- 
 ing, unrelenting affluence. 
 
 With refpeft to their complaints about 
 lofing their common rights, the merits of the 
 cafe is more queflionable. 
 
 You
 
 ( 138 ) 
 
 You have daily difputes in England, at 
 this time, on the fame fubjedl : On an im- 
 partial and altogether difinterefted view of the 
 .cafe, and favourable as I have appeared to the 
 poor of this, and as I would ever appear to the 
 fame clafs in both kingdoms, were I to decide 
 on the cafe, I (hould give it againft them. 
 
 'Tis certain, on a general reafoning on 
 the fubjed:, that the better the lands of 
 any country are cultivated, the greater 
 plenty will be produced for the inhabitants. 
 'Tis equally certain, that by enclofing of 
 commons, either by the highway-fide or in 
 large and extenfive common fields, they may 
 be much better cultivated than it is pofllble 
 for them to be in their natural or common 
 Hate, where every occupier has a right 
 throughout the whole, and where, confe- 
 quently, no one can make any improvement 
 without finking the advantages of it among 
 the whole ; and a concurrence in any plan of 
 improvement of a great number of occupiers 
 of a common, can never be expeded. 
 
 If the improvements in any country do not 
 encreafe in proportion to the encreafing po- 
 pularity of it, *tis very certain that an increaf- 
 ^d diftrefs of the inhabitants, from want of 
 employment, mull be the natural confe- 
 quence. This obfervation is true, with re- 
 fpeft to agriculture efpecially, and is particu- 
 larly applicable to the country I am writing 
 about 5 which, from want of good cultiva- 
 tion.
 
 < ^39 ) 
 
 gon, univerfally wears the face of poverty, 
 ^ut little work is done upon it, and the pro- 
 duce is in proportion. 
 
 The difficulty that is frequently objeded 
 againft a much greater produce, from the 
 want of a market, muft appear ridiculous to 
 every perfon of fenfe that conliders the con- 
 nedions, and prefent ftate of this country. ^ — 
 If corn, in Ireland, fold even at one half the 
 price it generally goes at, and as much more 
 was produced, and I have fcarce a doubt that 
 as much more might be produced, if but all 
 the lands now in tillage were properly culti- 
 yatedj there requires no great penetration to 
 fee that in this, or in any maritime country 
 Jike this, a double produce, to the prefent, 
 "Would be for the advantage of the inhabitants 
 in general, from the greater quantity of em- 
 ployment in the firfl: place, and of corn, 
 draw, manure, &c. that are all ufeful and 
 heceffary.- Befidesthat, if a greater quan- 
 tity was really produced, than the confump- 
 tion required, and there was no call for it 
 among the neighbouring inhabitants of En- 
 gland, there could arife no objedlion, I (hould 
 fuppofe, to its being exported from Ireland 
 to any foreign market that could be found, 
 which would neceffarily call for a great num- 
 ber of hands that are now unemployed. And 
 'tis the real want of employment, in this 
 country, that is the general fource of the 
 
 diftrefs
 
 ( 140 ) 
 
 diftrefs and poverty among the loweft dafies 
 of the inhabitants. 
 
 In England, the farms, at prefent, are, 
 many of them too large. This is a growing 
 evil, introduced by and for the fecurity of the 
 landlord; but, I make no doubt, will be 
 found by experience to be in its natural con- 
 fequence extremely injurious to the public. 
 
 i I am not at leifure now to give you my 
 
 reafons at large for this obfervation — when 
 
 .1 am, I will. In Ireland, the farms 
 
 are as much too fmall. In the former 
 
 the lands are monopolized — in the latter, 
 too much divided. Though in both coun- 
 tries the difadvantages arifing to the public, 
 and to the loweft claffes of the inhabitants in 
 particular, are not, perhaps, diredly from 
 either of thefe extremes taking place, but 
 from incidental circumftances attending them 
 — ' in England, from the too frequent mo- 
 nopolies of grain, and the confequent partial 
 and temporary Scarcities that will, in many 
 places, be introduced. I fay partial and tem- 
 porary only, for with a plentiful crop, a uni- 
 verfal or lafting fcarcity of grain can never 
 take place, while the confumption is con- 
 fined at home, which, in my humble opinion, 
 it ought to be, as foon, at leaft, as it gets to 
 five fliillings a bufliel Winchefter meafure. 
 In Ireland, the public fufFers from the po^ 
 'verfy of the occupiers, by their being fo much 
 reduced and fo far removed from the firft 
 
 proprietors.
 
 ( HI ) 
 
 proprietors. — A farmer, in Ireland, of 20 or 
 30/. a year, at a 3(3, 4th or 5th remove from the 
 firft proprietor, and by far too many of them 
 are as far removed as this, is little better than 
 a flave to the loweft clafs of landlords, and 
 cannot poffibly cultivate his land in the beft 
 manner ; and the publick fuffers for want of 
 the produce the land might yield. 
 
 The following obfervation will be tliought 
 very juft by every perfon who is extenfively 
 acquainted with either England or Ireland, 
 — That where the lands are beft cultiva- 
 ted there is the greateft number of people 
 employed, that is to fay, in the arable way ; 
 and confequently, in general, thofe parts, in 
 either kingdom, will be found the moft popu- 
 lous, where agriculture is in the greateft per- 
 fection. The particular cafes of manufafturing 
 counties are, without doubt, excepted here. 
 
 If any one of thefe fubaltern landlords in 
 Ireland, of fome property, were to take half 
 a dozen of thefe portions of llavery into his 
 own hands, inftead of fetting down fupinely 
 in the midft of a village of flaves, upon 30 or 
 40/. a year, the whole income, perhaps, 
 that he makes by firming them out under 
 his next fuperior, — ► if he underftood his bu- 
 finefs, he might make double the prefent 
 produce, and employ to advantage three 
 times the hands that now work upon the 
 lands, which would naturally call in many of 
 the diftrefled mendicants by the high roads, 
 
 whofe
 
 \ 
 
 ( 142 ) 
 
 whofe employment would produce them' 3 
 much better fubfiftence than the fortuitous 
 benevolence of travellers, or than the profits 
 of bringing up either pigs or geefe upon the 
 commons. 
 
 The fame conteft, about the tything of 
 potatoes, gave rile to a much more confide- 
 rable infurredion a few years fince, in the 
 province of tJlfter, in the north of Ireland; 
 under the denomination of Oak- boys, from 
 a pradice of diftinguilbing themfelves by 
 
 wearing a branch of oak in their hats. 
 
 But in this cafe, from the much greater po- 
 pularity and fpirit of liberty in this province^ 
 the vaft numbers of the inhabitants engaged 
 in the conteft, carried the point in favour of 
 the planter ; for in this northern conteft there 
 were many thoufands afiembled in defence of 
 their potatoes -, and though they were fup- 
 preffed, and many of them taken prifoners,* 
 yet the vaft numbers of the defendants made 
 it unfafe to punifti them. And the tything 
 of potatoes, in the north, has been relin- 
 quifhed ever fince. 
 
 From my heart I wifli they could as eafily 
 carry their point in the fouth ; for the prieft, 
 if he has any of that charity he preaches, 
 may very well be contented with the tythe o^ 
 what grows above ground. 
 
 And with this unclerical, though, 1 hope, 
 not uncharitable obfervation, I will clofe my 
 Hibernian packet. 
 
 If
 
 ( 143 ) 
 
 If the contents fhould furnifh you with a 
 little agreeable amufement for a leifure hour, 
 I have my wi(h, and (hall think myfelf 
 amply compenfated, by that circumftance, 
 for the trouble I have been at in coUedling 
 the materials for your entertainment. 
 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 
 With great efteem. 
 
 Your affeftionate. 
 
 Humble fervant, 
 
 J. B. 
 
 Lucas's Coffee-houfe, Dublin, 
 30th Novemb, 1764,