gagement in Dublin prevented me from remaining another day for this purpose.

11th. Set out at half-past four, and arrived at Newbury at eight. This being Sunday, the lower classes are dressed in their best clothes; the females appear partial to red ribbons, with which they are decorated in profusion: these ornaments are purchased, one would suppose, at the expence of more comfortable articles of dress; for some girls having their head-dresses thus bedizened, with large bouquets of wild flowers in their bosoms, had not at the same time either stockings or shoes. Beggars here exceedingly numerous and more importunate than usual. At ten continued my journey to Rathcoffey, thence to Leixlip, and arrived in Dublin shortly after nine in the evening.

13th. Rode into the county of Wicklow *, a distance beyond Bray, and returned to town in the afternoon.

15th. Having engaged a place on the Kilkenny coach, yesterday, I left Dublin at six this morning, the day delightfully fine. Breakfasted at Naas, where the coach was surrounded by beggars of the most squalid appearance, many of whom, as already noticed, evinced great humour in their manner of soliciting charity, and as travellers generally dislike sorrowful complaints, their mode of application appeared by far the most successful. We got into Kilkenney about six.

A considerable part of the road over which I travelled to-day lay through the county of Carlow †, in which there

Wicklow stands sixteenth upon the relative scale of the counties, being 781 square miles in extent, and containing 168 persons on each mile. The total population is, therefore, 131,208, and the number of Catholics is 118,087.

+ Carlow is the thirtieth county on the proportional list, containing 346 square miles, and 264 souls to each square mile: total population 91,517, of whom 82,565 are Catholics.

are many delightful situations, and fine houses occupied only by servants or care-keepers. Slaty limestone and clayslate appear to be the prevailing substrata; the houses and cabins are constructed of them with great facility, as their sharp fracture scarcely needs the use of a hammer to give a face, whilst the flatness of the stone makes the pieces lie so even and close, as not to require cement: the fields are enclosed with "dry-walls" built in a similar manner. Near the town of Carlow, there are two quarries, one of granite, and another of black marble: I had not an opportunity of examining either.

Large parties are employed reaping wheat and barley; the crops of which are lighter here than I noticed any where to the northward. Beggars to-day not so numerous as formerly, as the harvest gives temporary employment to a great many men; but women with large families cannot earn sufficient by reaping to relieve their children's cravings; they are therefore compelled to travel the country, trusting to casual charity. From Carlow to Leighlin, the road runs parallel with the river Barrow, which contributes much to the general beauty of the country, and renders the scenery in many places perfectly picturesque.

16th. Spent the whole of this day riding through the country. There is no part of Ireland, nor, perhaps, an equal extent of country in the world, that can afford a livelier interest to the inquirer, than Kilkenny. The naturalist, the politician, the philanthropist, will each find material for

*

* In geographical dimension Kilkenny ranks seventeenth on the scale of counties. Its area embraces 773 square miles, each containing 250 souls. The total population of the county is, therefore, 177,790, and of this number 170,952 are considered as belonging to the class of Catholics. Kilkenny city contains a population of 28,847, of which number 26,628 are Catholics.

.242

NATURAL PRODUCTIONS.

patient investigation. The attention of the mineralogist will be attracted by indications of lead, copper, and silver; beds of sandstone, containing pyrites and oxyde of iron, and frequently glistening with mica and quartzy pebbles, in abundance. Lime in different forms and variously combined, is every where to be met with: marl and calcareous sand have been dug up, and are thought to exist in large quantity. It is much to be regretted that this excellent manure has not more extensively engaged the attention of the farmer.

Marble is found here of every hue, from the jet black to the lightest grey, fantastically tesselated, and often exhibiting organic remains of antediluvian formation. There are also quarries of granite and sandstone flag; but the most useful article of all remains yet to be mentioned coal, which has long been advantageously raised here, and of which many parts of the country present very promising indications.

The corn crop is good, and that of potatoes is excellent; still the state of agriculture is susceptible of very great improvement. Draining, manuring, and grassing, are too little attended to: the finest and most fertile valleys are reserved for pasture, and this perversion of the use of nature's bounties follows chiefly from an intention of avoiding tithe; yet the supply of vegetable produce adequate to the vast increase of population is so necessary, notwithstanding this great drawback on the resources of the country, that cultivation is gradually creeping up the hills to meet the wants of the people. Potatoes, wheat, and oats, are the usual order of crops; a second, and sometimes a third crop of oats is taken, after which the ground is neglected for some years. I noticed here and there a patch of flax not much larger than a good-sized table-cloth.

Education has been decidedly making progress during the last ten years, but still a vast majority of the peasantry is grossly ignorant, whilst under these disadvantages many of the children are used to evince talents of the very first order. It is not unusual for members of the same family to devote themselves to all the grovelling toil of husbandry, without being able to shew even a little reading and writing, whilst another more fortunate in education displays an accurate knowledge of the Greek and Latin classics. Instances have been related to me, on most respectable authority, of youths having made considerable progress in mathematics, astronomy, sculpture, painting, and poetical composition, with scarcely any assistance. What a pity that such genius should not have an opportunity of being developed! Had a Newton been born here, the lamp of science might be still unlighted!

17th. Rose early this morning, and took a long ride before breakfast, in a different direction from that which I had taken yesterday. At ten I waited on Mr. Hutchinson, local inspector of the city gaol, who politely accompanied me thither. This prison is built in a narrow street in the middle of the city; the floor six feet below the present level of the street: over it stands the court-house. Only four classes of prisoners can be accommodated here, there being only four wards for their reception; one of these is occupied by male debtors, another by felons, a third by petty offenders, and the fourth by females for every description of crime. Thus it is evident, that classification is deficient, and inspection is still more so.

There are only three yards for the prisoners to get air and exercise in; the females and debtors have access to the same yard, but at different hours. There is a fourth yard, of which no use can be made, on account of the

windows of a brewery opening into it. The inconvenience might be obviated by building a wall a sufficient distance from the brewery, and raising it as high as may be found necessary. This has been often represented to the grand jury, who have always treated the subject with neglect. A board of superintendence was appointed some time ago, in which the Earl of Ormond took a distinguished lead. A principal object of this association was to introduce employment: the noble earl supplied spinning-wheels; Mr. Hutchinson, the inspector, provided flax, and many of the females were engaged in spinning. A respectable woman was engaged at a moderate salary to superintend them, and a schoolmaster was also appointed to instruct the males; but the grand jury refused to present the trifling amount of these two valuable and highly necessary servants' wages; consequently the laudable purpose was dropped, and the spirit it was intended to excite of course subsided with it. The country should surely be flourishing and happy where the public purse is guarded with such frugal care, and the public morals protected with such patriotic zeal!

The devoted attention of the local inspector forms a pleasing contrast to the prevailing apathy; the cleanliness of the prison, bad as it is, and the respectful demeanour of the prisoners, prove how faithfully his duty is performed. The dietary is one pint of oatmeal, four pounds and a half of potatoes, and a quart of new milk every day, except Sunday, when two pounds of best bread, and a pint of milk, are allowed.

From this place I proceeded to the cathedral, and was introduced to the Rev. Mr. Phillips, who had just finished reading to an exceedingly small audience; I saw only one, who appeared to be a mechanic, having an apron