t

I remember the number of direct inquiries I have made, the number of conversations I have (to use a vulgarism) "set agoing" among Pilots, and Fishermen, and Seamen, that I might extract their essence-I venture to hope that, whenever improvement shall be carried into execution, the foregoing observations may be found useful as a basis. With the following most practical observation, I conclude what I have to say upon this subject:

In some cases where a work has been commenced, it may be of such a nature (for instance, the Thames Tunnel), that unless it be brought to the point of its actual completion, all the money expended will have been as utterly sunk, to those who advanced it, as if it had uncoined itself and sunk into its native mine. But in what I recommend to have done for the improvement of this Navigation, I could undertake in all cases to point out advantages, in constant and steady proportion to any sums which might be named, from 50s. to 50,000l. For example:

How might 50s. be laid out in an useful improvement?-Send a painter with a brush and a pot of white paint, to graduate the tower of the Scarlets, and paint figures, that the depth of water may be always known.

How 10%. ?-Put down a buoy, with a ring in it, to check vessels by, in the heavy current on the tail of the Whelps.

How 201.?-Put down another, of the same kind, on the tail of the Scarlets.

How 100%. ?-Diminish the danger of the north channel.

How 2007. ?-Remove the Kippen.

How 2000l. 3000/. 4000l. 5000l.?-Widen the channel at the Cock rock.

How 20,000/. 30,0007. 40,0007. 50,000l.?—Make the canal, &c. &c. &c.

NOTE.

FOR a general account of the Navigation between the lowest point I have described, viz. the Herring rock near Ahenish island and the mouth of the Shannon, I refer the reader to the following extract, from "Piloting Directions for the South, "West, and North Coasts of Ireland, from Carn

sore Point to Rachlin Island; intended to accom

pany a Chart of those Coasts: compiled from the Surveys taken by order of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, by "Murdoch Mackenzie, sen. and from those of "Captain Joseph Huddart and others, by J. W.

Norie, Hydrographer; in which are described "the Harbours, Anchorages, Rocks, Shoals, Light"houses, Tides, &c." Printed in London in 1825, for J. W. Norie and Co. Chartsellers to the Admi

ralty and the East-India Company, and Agents to the Admiralty for the sale of their Office Charts; at the Navigation Warehouse and Naval Academy, Leadenhall-street.

"The river Shannon is of easy access, in which fleets of the largest ships may ride in safety. Ships, when a great distance off at sea, may know how to steer for it by the Brandon mountains, which may be seen fifteen leagues off. As they approach nearer to the coast, they will discover the Blasket islands, and the light-house on Loop Head. This light may be seen, in clear weather, at the distance of four leagues, and exhibits a fixed steady light.

"The entrance to the Shannon is formed by Kerry Head on the south side, and Loop Head on the north side; the latter bears from the former N. N. E. E. distant nearly eight miles; between them are from fourteen to twenty-seven fathoms. Fifteen miles E. by N. from Kerry Head, and twelve miles E. S. E. from Loop Head, is Beal Point. Beal Bar is a sandy shoal, or flat, which extends about half a mile northward from the Point. In spring tides, part of it dries about a quarter of a mile from the shore; on its outer edge, or end, are three fathoms, and near to the outer edge are from fourteen to eighteen fathoms; and this part of the deep channel will, unless when the tide is slack, be always distinguishable by a ripple. To avoid this shoal, keep Ray Hill shut in a little by Kilkadrane Cliff. Above Kilkadrane Point, on which stands a light-house, is Carrigahoult Bay, a good place for anchoring: the marks for this road are, Carrigahoult Castle, bearing N. and Kilkadrane Point, S. S. W. ¿ W. in from three to eight fathoms, the ground holding

well. In this bay, the stream of tide runs always southward, about one mile and a half an hour, when strongest, In the channel off Kilkadrane Point, the spring tides run about three miles and a half an hour, and the neap tides run one and a half. The tide flows here until three quarters past three o'clock..

"About four miles E. S. E. E. from Beal Bar, and S. S. W. from the south end of Scattery Island, lies the rocky shoal called Rinanna; on the shoalest part of which, near the north end, are two fathoms and a half; on the other parts are three fathoms and a half at low water. The north end of the shoal lies with Scattery Tower on with the west end of the clay cliff, or south end of Scattery, and a north part of the Hummock, which may be seen on Kilkadrane Cliff, on with the top of Ray Hill. The mark for the south end of it is the top of Ray Hill, just open of Kilkadrane Cliff, To get clear of the south end, keep the top of Ray Hill a little open to the southward of Kilkadrane Cliff, or keep near to Carrigue Island. To go between the shoal and Scattery Island, keep Kilkadrane Cliff on with the south end of Ray Hill; this mark will carry you within a cable's length of the island. None but large ships, when the water is low, need be in fear of this shoal.

"On the east side of Scattery, you may anchor with Beal Point (but not the castle), shut in with the south point of the island, and Scattery Tower bearing N. W. by N.; here you will have six or seven fathoms, on a bottom of strong clay. On this side of Scattery is a spit of sand, which runs out above a cable's length S. S. E. E. from the point near to the old buildings; the least water on it is one fathom. There is also a small rock, about a cable's length from the shore of

Scattery, opposite to Hog Island, which dries. Along the west side of Scattery it is shoal in most parts, about half a cable's length from the shore. On the north end of Scattery is a rock, which lies above a cable's length from the shore, and dries with spring tides: from the east part of this rock is a sand-bank, which extends to the N. E. point of the island. The tide at Scattery island flows until four o'clock. The spring tides, when strongest, run about three miles and a half in an hour, and the neap tides run one mile and a half.

"About six miles S. E. by E. from the south end of Scattery Island, is Tarburt Point. In Tarburt Bay a ship may anchor about a cable's length to the southward of Tarburt Point, in four or five fathoms. This is a better road with the flood tide than with the ebb; the former having very little strength; but the spring ebbs run at the rate of three miles an hour. To the eastward, and about a cable's length from the opposite shore, lies Carrickvilaan rock, nearly in the direction of a straight stone wall that runs to the top of the rising ground above the shore. You will avoid this rock on the south side, by keeping the tower of Scattery Island on, or to the southward of the high water-mark of Tarburt Point. Between the rock and the shore of Kilkerran, is a passage, in which are two fathoms; to go through which, you should be careful to keep about half a cable's length from the shore.

"About four miles and a half from Tarburt Point is Labbasheda Bay, where is good anchoring, about half a mile to the eastward of Red Gap, and nearly half a mile from the north shore, in from three to six fathoms. Here ships lie out of the stream of the tide, and have good ground.