by very bold hills, which rise in a variety of forms and offer to the eve, in rising through the grounds, very noble and striking scenes. These hills are exceedingly varied, so that the detour of the place is very pleasing. In order to see it to advantage, I would advise a traveller to take the ride which lord Tyrone carried me. Passed through the deer-park wood of old oaks, spread over the side of a bold hill, and of such an extent, that the scene is a truly forest one, without any other boundary in view than what the stems of trees offer from mere extent, retiring one behind another till they thicken so much to the eye, under the shade of their spreading tops, as to form a distant wall of wood. This is a sort of scene not common in Ireland, it is a great extent alone that will give it. From this hill enter an ever-green plantation, a scene which winds up the deer-park hill, and opens on to the brow of it, which commands a most noble view indeed. The lawns round the house appear at one's feet, at the bottom of a great declivity of wood, almost every where surrounded by plantations. The hills on the opposite side of the vale against the house, consist of a large lawn in the center of the two woods, that to the right of an immense extent, which waves over a mountain side in the finest manner imaginable, and lead the eye to the scenery on the left, which is a beautiful vale of rich inclosures, of several miles extent, with the Sure making one great reach through it, and a bold bend just before it enters a gap in the hills towards Waterford, and winds behind them; to the right you look over a large plain backed by the great Cummeragh mountains. For a distinct extent of view, the parts of which are all of a commanding magnitude, and a variety equal to the number, very few prospects are finer than this.

From hence the boundary plantation extends some miles to the west and north-west of the domain, forming a margin to the whole of different growths, having been planted, by degrees, from three to sixteen years. It is in general well grown, and the trees thriven exceedingly, particularly the oak, beech, larch, and firs. It is very well sketched, with much variety given to it.

Pass by the garden across the river which murmurs over a rocky bed, and follow the riding up a steep hill, covered with wood from some breaks, in which the house appears perfectly buried in a deep wood, and come out, after a considerable extent of ride, into the higher lawn, which commands a view of the scenery about the house; and from the brow of the hill the water which is made to imitate a river, has a good effect, and throws a great air of cheerfulness over the scene, for from hence the declivity below it is hid; but the view which is the most pleasing from hence, the finest at Curraghmoor, and indeed one of the most striking that is any where to be seen, is that of the hanging wood to the right of the house, rising in so noble a sweep as perfectly to fill the eye, and leave the fancy scarce any thing to wish: at the bottom is a small semicircular lawn around which flows the river, under the immediate shade of very noble oaks; the whole wood rises boldly from the bottom, tree above tree, to a vast height, of large oak, the masses of shade are but tints of one colour, it is not chequered with a variety, there is a majestic simplicity, a unity in the whole, which is attended with an uncommon impression, and such as none but the most magnificent scenes can raise.

Descending from hence through the roads, the riding crosses the river, passes through the meadow, which has such an effect in the preceding scene, from which also the view is very fine, and leads home through a continued and an extensive range of fine oak, partly on a declivity, at the bottom of which the river murmurs its broken course.

Besides this noble riding, there is a very agreeable walk runs immediately on the banks of the river, which is perfect in its stile; it is a sequestered line of wood, so high on the declivities in some places, and so thick on the very edge in others, overspreading the river, that the character of the scene is gloom and melancholy, heightened by the noise of the water falling from stone to stone; there is a considerable variety in the banks of it, and in the figures and growth of the wood, but none that hurts the impression, which is well preserved throughout.

October 17, accompanied lord Tyrone to Waterford; made some inquiries into the state of their trade, but found it difficult, from the method in which the custom-house books are kept, to get the details I wished; but in the year following having the pleasure of a long visit at Ballycanvan, the seat of Cornelius Bolton, esq. his son, the member for the city, procured me every information I could wish, and that in so liberal and polite a manner, that it would not be easy to express the obligations I am under to both. In general, I was informed, that the trade of the place had increased considerably in ten years, both the exports and imports. The exports of the products of pasturage, full one-third in twelve years. That the staple trade of the place is the Newfoundland trade; this is very much increased; there is more of it here than any where. The number of people who go passengers in the Newfoundland ships is amazing: from sixty to eighty ships, and from three thousand to five thousand annually. They come from most parts of Ireland, from Corke, Kerry, &c. Experienced men will get 181. to 251. for the season, from March to November; a man who never went will have five to seven pounds, and his passage, and others rise to 201. the passage out they get, but pay home two pounds. An industrious man in a year will bring home twelve to sixteen pounds with him, and some more. A great point for them is to be able to carry out all their slops, for every thing there is exceedingly dear, one or two hundred per cent. dearer than they can get them at home. They are not allowed to take out any woollen goods but for their own use. The ships go loaded with pork, beef, butter, and some salt; and bring home passengers, or get freights where they can : sometimes rum. The Waterford pork comes principally from the barony of Iverk in Kilkenny, where they fatten great numbers of large hogs; for many weeks together they kill here three to four thousand a weck, the price fifty shillings to four pounds each; goes chiefly to Newfoundland. One was killed in Mr. Penrose's cellar that weighed five hundred weight and a quarter, and measured from the nose to the end of the tail, nine feet four inches.

There is a foundery at Waterford for pots, kettles, weights and all common utensils ; and a manufactory by Messeurs King and Tegent, of anvils to anchors, twenty hundred weight, &c. which employs forty hands. Smiths earn from 6s. to 24s. a week. Nailers from 10s. to 12s. And another less considerable. There are two sugar-houses, and many salt-houses. The salt is boiled over lime-kilns.

There is a fishery upon the coast of Waterford, for a great variety of fish, herrings particularly in the mouth of Waterford harbour, and two years ago in such quantities there, that the tides left the ditches full of them. There are some premium boats both here and at Dungarvon, but the quantity of herrings barrelled is not considerable.

The butter trade of Waterford has increased greatly for seven years past; it comes from Waterford principally, but much from Cariow; for it comes from twenty miles beyond Carlow, for sixpence per hundred. From the first of January 1774 to the first of January 1775, there were exported faty-nine thousand eight hundred and fifty-six casks of butter, each, on an average, one hundred weight, at the mean price of 50s. Revenue of Waterford, in 1751, 17,000i.; in 1776, 52,000l. The slaughter trade has increased, but not so much as the butter. Price of butter now at Waterford 58s.; twenty years' average, 42s. Beef now to 25s. average, twenty years, 10s. to 18s. Pork now 30s. average, twenty years, 16s. to 22s. Eighty sail of ships now belonging to the port, twenty years ago not thirty. They pay to the captains of ship of two hundred tons 51. a month; the mate 31. 10s. Ten men at 40s. five years ago only 27s. Building ships, 10l. a ton. Wear and tear of such a ship 201. a month. Ship provisions 20s. a month.

The new church in this city is a very beautiful one; the body of it is in the same stile exactly as that of Belfast already described: the total length one hundred and seventy feet, the breadth fifty-eight. The length of the body of the church ninety-two, the height forty; breadth between the pillars twenty-six. The aisle (which I do not remember at Belfast) is fifty-eight by forty-five. A room on one side the steeple, space for the bishop's court, twenty-four by eighteen; on the other side, a room of the same size for the vestry; and twenty-eight feet square left for a steeple when their funds will permit. The whole is light and beautiful: it was built by subscription, and there is a fine organ bespoke at London. But the finest object in this city is the quay, which is unrivalled by any I have seen; it is an English mile long; the buildings on it are only common houses, but the river is near a mile over, flows up to the town in one noble reach, and the opposite shore a bold hill, which rises immediately from the water to a height that renders the whole magnificent. This is scattered with some wood, and divided into pastures of a beautiful verdure, by hedges. I crossed the water, in order to walk up the rocks on the top of this hill; in one place over against Bilberry quarry, you look immediately down on the river, which flows in noble reaches from Granny castle on the right past Cromwell's rock, the shores on both sides quite steep, especially the rock of Bilberry. You look over the whole town, which here appears in a triangular form; besides the city the Cummeragh mountains, Slein-a-man, &c. come in view. Kilmacow river falls into the Sure, after flowing through a large extent of well planted country; this is the finest view about the city.

From Waterford to Passage, and got my chaise and horses on board the Countess of Tyrone packet, in full expectation of sailing immediately, as the wind was fair, but I soon found the difference of these private vessels and the post-office packets at Holyhead and Dublin. When the wind was fair the tide was foul; and when the tide was with them the wind would not do; in English, there was not a complement of passengers, and so I had the agreeableness of waiting with my horses in the hold, by way of rest, after a journey of above one thousand five hundred miles.

October 18, after a beastly night passed on ship board, and finding no signs of departure, walked to Ballycanvan, the seat of Cornelius Bolton, Esq. rode with Mr. Bolton, jun. to Faithleghill, which commands one of the finest views I have seen in Ireland. There is a rock on the top of a hill, which has a very bold view on every side down on a great extent of country, much of which is grass inclosures of a good verdure. This hill is the center of a circle of about ten miles diameter, beyond which higher lands rise, which, after spreading to a great extent, have on every side a back ground of mountain: in a northerly direction mount Leinster, between Wexford and Wicklow, twenty-six miles off, rises in several heads far above the clouds. A little to the right of this, Sliakeiltha (i. e. the woody mountain) at a less distance, is a fine object. To the left, Tory hill, only fivemiles, in a regular form varies the outline. To the east, there is the long mountain, eighteen miles distant, and several lesser Wexford hills. To the south-east, the Saltees. To the south, the ocean, and the colines about the bay of Tramore. To the west, Monavollagh rises two thousand one hundred and sixty feet above the level of the sea, eighteen miles off, being part of the great range of the Cummaragh mountains; and to the north-west Slinaman, at the distance of twenty-four miles; so that the outline is every where bold and distinct, though distant. These circumstances would alone form a great view, but the water part of it, which fills up the canvas, is in a much superior stile. The great river Sure takes a winding course from the city of Waterford, through a rich country, hanging on the sides of hills to its banks, and dividing into a double channel, forms the lesser island, both of which courses you command distinctly; united, it makes a bold reach under the hill on which you stand, and there receives the noble tribute of the united waters of the barrow and Nore, in two great channels, which form the larger island; enlarged by such an accession of water, it winds round the hill in a bending course, of the freest and most graceful outline, every where from one to three miles across, with bold shores, that give a sharp outline to its course to the ocean; twenty sail of ships at Passage gave animation to the scene; upon the whole, the boldness of the mountain outline, the variety of the grounds, the vast extent of river, with the declivity to it from the point of view, altogether form so unrivalled a scenery, every object so commanding, that the general want of wood is almost forgotten.

Two years after this account was written I again visited this enchanting hill, and walked to it, day after day, from Ballycanvan, and with increasing pleasure. Mr. Bolton, jun. has, since I was there before, inclosed forty acres on the top and steep slope to the water, and began to plant them. This will be a prodigious addition; for the slope forming the bold shore for a considerable space, and having projections from which the wood will all be seen in the gentle hollows of the hill, the effect will be amazingly fine. Walks and a riding are tracing out, which will command fresh beauties at every step; the spots from which a variety of beautiful views are seen are numerous. All the way from Ballycanvan to Faithleg, the whole to the amount of one thousand two hundred acres, is the property of Mr. Bolton.

Farms about Ballycanvan, Waterford, &c. are generally small, from twenty and thirty to five hundred acres, generally about two hundred and fifty, all above two hundred acres are in general dairies; some of the dairy ones rise very high. The soil is a reddish stony, or slaty gravel, dry, except low lands, which are clay or turf. Rents vary much, about the town very high, from 51. 5s, to 91. but at the distance of a few miles towards Passage, &c. they are from 20s. to 40s. and some higher, but the country in general does not rise so high, usually 10s. to 20s. for dairying land.

The poor people spin their own flax, but not more, and a few of them wool for themselves. Their food is potatoes and milk; but they have a considerable assistance from fish, particularly herrings; part of the year they have also barley, oaten, and rye bread. They are incomparably better off in every respect than twenty years ago. Their increase about Ballycanvan is very great, and tillage all over this neighbourhood is increased. The rent of a cabin 10s. an acre with it, 20s. The grass of a cow a few years ago, 20s. now 25s. or 30s.

An exceeding good practice here in making their fences is, they plant the quick on the side of the bank in the common manner, and then, instead of the dead hedge we use in England on the top of the bank, they plant a row of old thorns, two or three feet high, which readily grow, and form at once a most excellent fence. Their way also of taking in sand-banks from the river deserves notice: they stake down a row of furzes at low water, laying stones on them to the height of one or two feet; these retain the mud, which every tide brings in, so as to fill up all within the furze as high as their tops. I remarked on the strand, that a few boat loads of stones laid carelessly had had this effect, for within them I measured twelve inches deep of rich blue mud left behind them, the same as they use in manuring, full of shells and effervesced strongly with vinegar.

Among the poor people, the fishermen are in much the best circumstances; the fishery is considerable; Waterford and its harbour have fifty boats each, from eight to twelve tons, six men on an average to each, but to one of six tons, five men go. A boat of eight tons costs 401. one of twelve, 60l. To each boat there is a train of nets of six pair, which costs from 41. 4s. to 61. 6s. tan them with bark. Their only net fishery is that of herrings, which is commonly carried on by shares. The division of the fish is, first, one-fourth for the boat; and then the men and nets divide the rest, the latter reckoned as three men. They reckon ten maze of herrings an indifferent night's work; when there is a good take, forty maze have been taken, twenty a good night; the price per maze from 1s. to 7s. average 5s. Their take in 1775, the greatest they have known, when they had more than they could dispose of, and the whole town and country stunk of them, they retailed them thirty-two for a penny; 1773 and 1774 good years. They barrelled many; but in general there is an import of Swedish. Besides the common articles I have registered, the following are, pigeons, 1s. a couple; a hare, Is. partridges, 9d. turbots, fine ones, 4s. to 10s. soals a pair, large, 1s. 6d. to 1s. lobsters, 3d. each; oysters, 6s. per hundred; rabbits, Is. to 1s. 4d. a couple; cod, 1s. each, large; salmon, 11⁄2d. to 2d.

A very extraordinary circumstance I was told, that within five or six years there has been much hay carried from Waterford to Norway, in the Norway ships that bring deals; as hay is dear here, it proves a most backward state of husbandry in that northerly region, since the neighbourhood of sea-ports to which this hay can alone go, is generally the best improved in all countries.

October 19, the wind being fair, took my leave of Mr. Bolton, and went back to the ship; met with a fresh scene of provoking delays, so that it was the next morning, October 20, at eight o'clock, before we sailed, and then it was not wind, but a cargo of passengers that spread our sails. Twelve or fourteen hours are not an uncommon passage; but such was our luck, that after being in sight of the lights on the Smalls, we were by contrary winds blown opposite to Arklow sands: a violent gale arose, which presently blew a storm that lasted thirty-six hours, in which, under a reefed mainsail, the ship drifted up and down wearing, in order to keep clear of the coasts.

No wonder this appeared to me, a fresh-water sailor, as a storm, when the oldest men on board reckoned it a violent one; the wind blew in furious gusts; the waves ran very high; the cabin windows burst open, and the sea pouring in set every thing afloat, and among the rest a poor lady, who had spread her bed on the floor. We had however the satisfaction to find, by trying the pumps every watch, that the ship made little water. I had more time to attend these circumstances than the rest of the passengers, being the only one in seven who escaped without being sick. It pleased God to preserve us, but we did not cast anchor in Milford Haven till Tuesday morning the 22d, at one o'clock.

It is much to be wished that there were some means of being secure of packets sailing regularly, instead of waiting till there is such a number of passengers as satisfies the owner and captain; with the post-office packets there is this satisfaction, and a great one it is; the contrary conduct is so perfectly detestable, that I should suppose the scheme of Waterford ones can never succeed.

Two years after, having been assured this conveyance was put on a new footing, I ventured to try it again; but was mortified to find that the Tyrone, the only one that could take a chaise or horses (the Countess being laid up) was repairing, but would sail in five days; I waited, and received assurance after assurance that she would be ready on such a day, and then on another; in a word, I waited twenty-four days before I sailed; moderately speaking, I could by Dublin have reached Turin or Milan as soon