notice of the tourist; for, though not peculiar to Ireland, it is perhaps more interesting here than in any other country, nature presenting it under the most awful forms; sometimes piled up in immense structures of stupendous height and extent, where its columns are arranged in various directions, as if deposited in regular series by the hand of men. It is principally however in the N.E. district that it is so found, extending from Carrickfergus-bay to Lough-Foyle, on the sea coast, and inland even to the southern shores of Lough-Neagh.

Granite forms the great bed of Ireland, and is seen bursting out in all the great ranges of mountains; not only in the central parts of the kingdom, but also in the basaltic district.

Ochres, both red and yellow, are found in considerable quantities in many places. Fuller's-earth has already been mentioned: there are also several other saponaceous earths, particularly near the Old-Head of Kinsale in the county of Cork.

Slates are found in most parts of Ireland; and flag-stones are worked in great quantities in many districts.

The tourist whose time does not admit of much mineralogical research, may yet be amply gratified on that subject whilst in Dublin, by examining the collection at the Society's house.

Before starting on an Irish tour, the traveller will naturally be anxious to know what kind of weather he may expect. To this we shall answer shortly in the words of Mr. Aldworth of Cork, in a communication to Mr. Wakefield, wherein he observes that, as an old agriculturist, he is inclined to think that less rain falls in the interior of Ireland than in any of the other British Isles, and yet perhaps there are more wet days there than in the latter; a circumstance which certainly interferes with travelling in an open carriage. As the showers however, though frequent, are not, generally speaking, of very long duration, this inconvenience may be easily guarded against. To this we may add, that the winds which most usually prevail in Ireland blow from the west: they are mild in their temperature, and moist in their nature; but far from being insalubrious. It has also been well observed by the Rev. Horace Townshend, after a long residence, that along the sea coast the winter is disarmed of its severity by the softness of the southern wind, which mitigates the rigour of the frost, and seldom suffers the heaviest snow to remain many hours undissolved, except on the north sides of the high hills. This observation, however, applies principally to the southern coast; where also the sea breeze tempers the summer's warmth by its refreshing breath; so that the greatest degree of heat, as well as cold, is found in the northern districts of the island. The whole island is remarkably bare of trees, and exhibits a naked appearance; which is more striking to a traveller whose eye has been familiarized to the woody counties of England. Yet the varied aspect arising from the frequency of sea views, combined with the rude but grand scenery of the mountains, and the different tints they assume according to their distance, produces a number of beautiful and diversified prospects.

The Entomologist will also be certain of finding numerous sources of amusement. Mr. Hall, in his Tour, vol. 2. p. 268, asserts that with a tolerable glass, one sees animals grazing, like cattle in a meadow, on the leaves of every vegetable, and these also much larger than in Great Britain.

Some tourists have been deterred from penetrating into the wildest parts of the island, by prejudices founded on misrepresentation and ignorance; but little cause for alarm exists if the tourist chooses to conduct himself with a little civility to the poor ignorant peasantry whom he shall meet, even in the loneliest places. On this subject, Mr. Wakefield records the fact, that when in the county of Mayo, he was advised not to cross a particular district in his way to Roscommon; he, however, experienced no inconvenience, except from the hardness of the roads and his ignorance of the Irish language, there universally spoken. With respect to the conveniences of travelling, we must not lead the tourist astray by inducing him to believe that, except upon the great frequented roads, he will meet with any thing like the accommodations so general in England. But if he can patiently bear with minor difficulties, he may pursue his route over great part of the island by mail and stage-coaches, and in general by post-chaises, if not provided with his own horses or carriages. The Inns, indeed, will often disappoint him, both in accommodation and cleanliness; yet he may always be certain of clean sheets, and his culinary comforts are clean, if he can content himself with plain dishes. Travelling however is so unfrequent, that in many places, when a visitor does arrive at an inn, he appears to be considered as an inexhaustible gold mine, not only by the landlord, but also by the numerous host of retainers, many of whom he never sees until going away. Before we take leave of the tourist, it may be proper to offer him a few hints from Sir R. C. Hoare's Work, which will be extremely useful to him.

If he chooses to go to the expense of his own carriage and horses, he will certainly ensure to himself much independence; especially if he takes care to select a judicious route. For a party also, this would perhaps be as cheap a mode as can well be adopted. But if he is a single traveller, or with one companion, and not averse to pedestrianism, then he may find a general facility by taking the direct and cross coaches from station to station, hiring horses for long excursions, and walking those of a shorter range. Before leaving Dublin, Belfast, or Waterford, the three points from whence an English tourist is likely to start, let him make a fair calculation of time and distance, allow a certain sum per mile and a certain sum per day, and then supply his purse with the paper and coined currency most likely to answer in the district he intends to visit. This he will not find difficult at the places mentioned, or indeed at any of the larger towns; but let him be on his guard against bad money and forged notes; and also, if he has any Irish currency left at the end of his tour, let him change it for English when setting off to return.

It now only remains to add, that every writer, both ancient and modern, on the subject of Ireland, has been consulted; aided by the communications of friends and a general personal knowledge of the Topography of Ireland on the part of the Editor.

The tourist will observe that the distances are given in Irish miles, of which, eleven are equal to fourteen English. The distances of the county towns from the capital are taken on the authority of the latest surveys; whilst the distances in the vicinage of the several stations are from common computation or from the best maps, and may be depended on for every useful purpose to the inquisitive traveller, bearing in mind that bogs and mountains often render roads circuitous, in which cases local inquiry, and also for the best roads, will often be beneficial, and sometimes necessary. Reference to many of the authorities will be found in the work itself; but it may be added that the county surveys have been carefully examined and compared with earlier descriptions, independent of the general notices from Hoare, Hall, Plumptre, Curwen, Drummond, Weld, and all the recent topographical works, together with several recent anonymous tours, whose proved accuracy, in many points, renders them worthy of notice in all.