are encouraged to cultivate their ground, and bring the produce of it to market. The taxes raised upon the people of Ireland, have (as I have been informed by a gentleman in a public station, who has had the opportunities, and made it his business to be truly informed) been rifing for many years laft paft, and that now it exceeds the fum of 150,000l. yearly.

Natural productions of the county of Dublin. There are in the county of Dublin great quantities of barberries, which are esteemed a good pickle and a fweetmeat.

On the mountains between Rathfarnham' and Kilgobbin, are birch trees, the bark of which makes the faireft and beft coloured leather for bookfellers, by tanning sheep fkins dipt in an infufion of the fame liquor, and alfo tans fail-cloth and makes it firm like leather. And afh trees are alfo very common in this county, the bark of which tans calf-fkins. On the banks near Powerfcourt is found a mofs called corker, which dyes wool of a dull crimson colour.

Golden oziers, which are of a peculiar good quality, are in great numbers on the banks of the Liffey near Chapelizod, planted by William Conolly, Efq; these are of fingular flexibility, and are not common in any other county!

Alder trees, which grow alfo in that county, the bark of which, with a little copperas, will dye woollens, linen, and cot

ton

ton, black. The common heath will dye woollens, if boiled in alum, of an orange colour. Ladies bed ftraw, the roots of which are used in common in dying red. Woad, a dye ftuff of great importance in dving filk and wool of a fine blue, when ufed with indigo, and is also useful in dying black. Yellow water flower de luce, is alfo found in this county, and ufed in dying black.

The malt of Ireland is reckoned to be inferior to that of England, it being computed that two barrels of English malt will yield as much ale (and better in quality) as three of the Irish, the grain here being not properly malted. The Dublin Society have encouraged an emulation to improve in this article.

Within these few years porter, ale, and table beer have been brewed in Dublin, which have met with great encouragement, there having an act lately paffed for establishing porter, ale and table beer breweries.

In most parts of Ireland are distilleries where brandy, geneva and whiskey are dif tilled the latter of which articles is, on account of its being free from any adulteration and the produce of this kingdom, defervedly esteemed and drank at the tables of the public of every rank, principally with a view to give encouragement to every effort to encrease the profperity of Ireland.

Shamrock (Hibernice), It is very not

rishing,

rifhing, and was eaten by the antient Irish, before potatoes were commonly known. It is at prefent eaten by cattle and fheep, but not by fwine. On the 17th of March, the Shamrock is worn in honour of St. Patrick by all Irishmen.

Hazel crottles, ufed in dying woollen cloth, of a durable orange colour, is found in the county of Dublin; where horehound, which gives a deep black colour to wool or filk, is alfo to be met with. As alío cup mofs, which will dye a purple. Burnet rofe to dye muflin and filk of a peach colour.

Madder, which with alum gives a durable red to linen and cottons, is cultivated in the county of Dublin. Elder the juice of the berries dyes filk of a peach colour. Common wormwood dyes white woollen of a brown colour. Sheep's forrel with copperas dyes an olive colour. Blackberry alder dyes yellow. Bark of barberry bush, a beautiful yellow.

CURIOSITIES.

Among the many curiofities which abound in Ireland are the number of beautiful lakes and inlets of the fea, which produce great quantities of fish: they are for the most part interfperfed with islands embellished with a great variety of fhrubs and trees. The glyns, or deep narrow vallies, among the mountains, whofe fides are adorned with woods, and the bottoms wa

tered

tered with chrystal streams, the moft remarkable of which is the juftly celebrated Glyn of the Downes in the county of Wicklow, which for beauty exceeds the moft florid description that can poffibly be given of it, and is the admiration of ftrangers, who refort in great numbers to view it. There also are many wonderful cataracts, falls or falmon leaps, as they are generally called, from the falmon which, in the season of the year for fpawning, are continually leaping over them. The Giants Causeway, in the county of Antrim, is reckoned the moft curious as well as the most surprising curiofity in Europe. A total exemption from ferpents, or other venomous creatures, may with great propriety be reckoned a curiofity. The Irish wolf dogs, and falcons, are at prefent almost extinct. The celebrated cave of Dunmore, near Kilkenny, is also justly to be reckoned a great curiofity.

NATURAL CURIOSITIES.

There are fome amazing large ftones, which are found in many parts of the county of Louth, particularly near Ballymafcandan, about two miles from Dundalk, where there is one of an enormous fize incumbent upon three others which are called Cromle ches; these are placed over the graves of fome eminent men in former times; and it evidently appears to be put there, for no

other

other purpose, because the three stones which fuftain the monftrous one at the top, are fo fmall that if in the leaft difturbed, it would crush every thing in its way. This large ftone measured 12 feet one way and 4 the other. Rowland in his Mona Antiqua derives the name Cromlech, from the Hebrew, Cæræm-lech or Cærem-luach, a devoted ftone. See Joshua, ch. viii. ver. 31. Duet. xvii. 7. and Hofea xii. 2.

About two miles from Ballymafcandan, near the two Druids Groves, was another of these kind of monuments, which having the top stone removed, difcovered the skeleton of a human figure, and part of a rod or infignia of the high office of the perfon here interred. And at Ballirichan, near the above, another place of interment was difcovered. Throughout this county there antiquity, are numerous monuments of which would well deferve the attention of the learned to investigate: but the small fize of this hiftory will not permit me to explain them more fully. Near Dundalk is a very antient Well, called Lady's Well, where the Roman Catholics affemble on the 8th of September yearly, being their patron day.

NATURAL HISTORY.

Of quadrupeds there are the following. The Dormouse, which derives its name from

its