625 SEPT. 5th, 1808. FERMANAGH. CASTLE COOLE.-Turf is delivered at Enniskillen barracks by contract, at the rate of Is. 4d. per barrack kish. At Ballyshannon, which is thirty miles distant, coals cost only 31s. 6d. per ton. SEPT. 8th. DONEGAL. BALLYSHANNON.-Went into a cabin belonging to a widow woman, who takes in two lodgers; these lodgers join with her in purchasing fuel, of which they burn two horse loads per week in summer, and three in winter. The expense in the former season is eight-pence each, and in the latter from thirteenpence to eighteen-pence per week, making the whole annual expenditure for that article upwards of five pounds. Coals, at Ballyshannon, sell for a guinea and a half per ton. The family of a labourer in England can obtain fuel at a much cheaper rate, as a ton of coals will last them a year. DEG. 20th. LIMERICK. GRANGE.-Mr. Grady, and the Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald agree in opinion, that even at the bog side, turf costs each cabin 40s. per annum. CHAPTER X. HARBOURS. NOTHING tends more to promote the flourishing state of a country than harbours; but it is not sufficient that they are numerous, they must be safe as well as convenient, and so connected with the interior,* that a ready communication can be established between them and the populous districts, where the national productions and manufactures are most abundant. Ireland, on account of its insular situation, enjoys in this respect a very great advantage. Every part almost of its coast contains cious, well sheltered, and commodious bays and harbours; but this is the case' in spaparticular on the western side, from Waterford to Lough Foyle, where they are more numerous than in the same extent of coast, perhaps, in any other part of the world. On the eastern side, nature has been less favourable, as it exhibits no har bours entitled to the same commendation. On this side, however, they are not so necessary as on the western, where the storms are more violent, and rage with a fury which can scarcely be conceived, but by those who have seen them. Some faint idea may be formed of the force with which the waves are impelled by the western winds from the Atlantic, when it is known, that blocks of limestone, ten or twelve feet in diameter, are thrown up on ledges of rock * Weld, in his American tour, vol. i. p. 55, says, that sea-port towns do not flourish, which are not well situated for carrying on inland trade. Newport, the best harbour in America, is falling into decay for want of this communication. Again, p. 53, he describes the advantageous spot on which the new city of Washington is built, 280 miles inland, but still possessing an access to the ocean. VOL. I. several feet high, near Doolen, in the county of Clare; and at the same place there is a barrier of water-worn stones, some of them many tons in weight, raised above twenty feet high, across a small bay, into which fishermen used to land from. their boats, and where their former quay, surrounded with huts, remains many yards from the sea. This has occurred in the memory of persons still living. Where the coast is rocky, the sea is daily gaining on the land; but where fine sand forms the barrier, the land is increasing. This effect is produced in a very rapid degree at a small distance beyond the Pigeon-house, and on the North Bull, near Dublin: in a few years there will be pastures, or at least rabbit warrens, on the sands, aud if a little pains were taken, this effect might be accelerated.* Proceeding from Lough Foyle to the eastward, the first place which may be called a port, is Coleraine; but it is merely a bar harbour, capable of admitting only vessels of small burden at the time of high water, and upon sums of money have been expended to very little purpose. which considerable From Ballycastle to Carrickfergus there is no harbour whatever, unless a sort of stone pound at Portrush be entitled to that appellation. Belfast stands at the extremity of an extensive bay, and has the advantage of a large and commodious harbour, capable of affording excellent shelter to ves sels which may be beating to the westward, and which here have to contend with a most impetuous tide, flowing along a rocky coast, bordered with high cliffs. Beyond Belfast, Newry, Drogheda, Dublin, Wicklow, Arklow, and Wexford, have all been converted into ports; but through necessity, as they are merely har bours; and more dangerous shifting sands than those which here present themselves can hardly be any where found. Such places can never be kept clear for navigation without a sufficiency of back water to sweep away the sand deposited b the tide, and unfortunately those here mentioned are extremely deficient in this respect. Various schemes have been proposed for improving the harbour of Dublin, and immense sums have been expended for that purpose, but hitherto without success. A pier has been run out from Ringsend to the distance of three miles, in order, no doubt, to prevent the sand from being accumulated at the mouth of the harbour by the tide, and thus to secure a safe port; but it has been found, that no bulwark of this kind, however far it may be carried, will obviate the evil. The sand still settles at its extremity, and presents no less danger at an increased distance, than it did at a less. Many of the plans adopted have been formed on principles directly contrary to those pursued by nature, in depositing the sand brought up by the tide, and therefore the attempts founded upon them have always miscarried. If any thing effectual can be done, it must be by assisting an agent too powerful to be com trolled by the strength or ingenuity of man. As the water of the Liffey is now * Dutton's Survey of Clare, p. 4-5. wasted by being mingled with the tide, or divided into small streams, which run into lesser channels and empty themselves into the bay, why not collect them together, and shut up the water till the tide is down? Were the whole then let loose into its natural bed, its force would drive the sand before it, and form a free passage, which would enable ships and vessels to enter the harbour in safety. In this scheme there is nothing contrary to the order of nature; and though, where such obstructions occur, a perfect harbour is not to be expected, a much better one might be formed, or at any rate, the difficulties of the present might be lessened.* Wicklow and Arklow scarcely deserve the name of harbours, and therefore any description of them is useless. Wexford stands at the mouth of a stream which flows over shifting sand, and therefore the passages into the harbour are continually changing their place, so that no certain rules can be laid down for entering it. From Waterford, proceeding westward, the coast abounds with noble harbours, which may be put in competition with any in the world; of these Cork and Bantry Bay are particularly worthy of notice. The latter I visited in the month of October, 1808. It is surrounded by high mountains, and its whole shore is indented with small creeks and inlets, in all of which the anchorage ground is good. Glangarriff is highly distinguished on account of its beauty, and it is entitled to no less praise. for its safety and the shelter it affords from the winds. In coasting along the eastern shore, I had a distant prospect of Bere Island, between which and the main land, formed by the Hungra mountains, there is a sheltered roadsted called Berehaven ; it is nine miles long and three broad, and has forty fathoms water. Blacksod harbour, Killybegs, and Lough Swilly, are said to be equal to any in the world. The entrance to Lough Swilly is between two high cliffs, within which there is a spacious bason where the whole navy of Great Britain might remain in perfect security at single anchor. When the entrance is viewed at a distance, it appears so narrow that one might imagine it capable of being shut by a pair of flood-gates. Cork harbour, the roadsted between the island of Bere and the main land, called Bere-haven, and a roadsted near the promontory of Tabart, in the Shannon, are the parts generally used by the King's ships which are stationed or cruising on the coast of Ireland. They occasionally also run into Dublin harbour and Belfast Lough. * In a paper inserted in the Philosophical Transactions, by W. Molineux, Esq. R.S.S. it is stated, that at the bar of Dublin, on the new and full moon, a south-south-east moon makes high water; that is, at half an hour after ten; at Rings End at three quarters after ten; at the Custom House at Dublin, at eleven.— On the quarter days: high water on the bar at five o'clock; at Rings End at a quarter past five, and at the Custom House at a quarter past five. A southerly wind, between S.S.E. and S.S.W. blowing fresh, makes it flow near half an hour longer than its usual course. Vol. xvi. no. 184. The following are the commercial ports frequented by vessels, connected with foreign trade: Besides these there are others, used chiefly by the vessels engaged in the trade with England and Scotland, such as: Small coasting vessels are not so numerous in Ireland as might be expected, in a country so much intersected by rivers and estuaries, which afford an easy communication with the interior parts of the island. To give a full account of all these different harbours, and of the advantages they possess in a commercial point of view, would require a complete treatise. But as it is necessary to say a few words on the subject, I shall confine my observations to the following: BELFAST. The whole neighbourhood of this lough and port, was formerly oc cupied by persons engaged in the linen manufactory; but that of cotton having been lately introduced, a considerable quantity of the raw material is imported from the West Indies, and manufactured into calicoes and muslins, which give employment to many weavers. This circumstance, and the linen trade, will render Belfast the great commercial port of Ireland. CARLINGFORD, or NEWRY.-Large quantities of butter brought from the adjoining districts by the canal which comes from the county of Tyrone, are shipped at this port; and it has its share also in exporting the linen manufactured in the neigh bourhood. CORK.-The city of Cork stands at the distance of seven or eight miles from the bay and harbour, in the latter of which is an island of considerable extent, called Great Island, containing the town and quay of Cove. The town of Cove, a few years ago, was only a collection of mud cabins on the south side of the island. The shore was the property of Mr. Smith Barry, and Lord Middleton, the former of whom at his death, left £36,000. to be expended in the improvement of his estate. A quay was therefore constructed at an enormous expense, and a market-house has also been built, but unfortunately these improvements are at the west extremity of the shore, and the best anchorage ground lies more to the east, opposite to the property of Lord Middleton. About three years ago, his lordship promised to his tenants leases of sixty-one years, and in consequence of this advantage, they were induced to lay out money in building, so that in the course of two summers, a town consisting of stone edifices was erected. But the leases were not arrived when I was at Cove, in November 1808, and the progress of the building was suspended. Trading vessels of any size are stopped by a bar in the river, at a place called Passage, and as they cannot proceed further, they are obliged here to load and unload. Cork being situated to the south of the great grazing counties of Ireland, this port is the staple for salted provisions, of which it exports large quantities. DUBLIN is connected with the interior parts of the country by the Liffey, and the Grand and Royal Canals, the former of which has two branches; one of these proceeds to the Shannon, and the other by joining the Nore at Carlow, extends the communication to Waterford. This city, in addition to its being the largest in the country, and the seat of government, derives great benefit from its various manufactures, as well as from those in the neighbourhood, and from the agricultural produce of many counties sent hither by the canal to be shipped. LONDONDERRY is a city and port, situated on the borders of Lough Foyle, at the distance of some miles from the sea; the entrance of the port is narrow. Its chief trade arises from the connexion which subsists between it and America, and it is the principal channel for those numerous emigrations of the northern presbyterians, which so often take place. LIMERICK stands in the interior of the country, at the distance of sixty miles up the Shannon; and on this account possesses superior advantages, being adjacent to some of the richest grazing and corn districts of Ireland. It enjoys, therefore, a larger share of the corn trade than any other port; but it will derive far greater benefit from its situation, when more branches of communication are opened by means of canals. SLIGO is a small port with the linen manufactory in its neighbourhood, and besides the advantage of exporting butter and corn, has in its vicinity a considerable fishery; but its importance is much lessened by the want of communication, as it is not connected with the interior of the country either by a river or canal. The harbour of WATERFORD is connected with three rivers, the Barrow, the Nore, and the Suir, which there discharge themselves. The city stands at the distance of about eight miles from the sea, and the harbour extends almost twelve miles up the country, all the way deep and clear; common tides rise here to the height of fifteen feet; spring tides to eighteen or twenty. The Barrow is navigable to Thomastown in the county of Kilkenny; the Nore, by means of the canal, establishes a communication with Dublin and the Suir, and affords a passage through the |