other times of the year some furious storm arising the ships are dashed against the Rocks against the rocky Shoares or against those Grounds which extend themselves betwixt the Tuskar and the Bay of Dublin whilst the Steer-men and Pilots by reason of the darkness not being able to discern the land or any of their wonted marks do not know which way to steer to shun those dangerous places and to keep themselves in the open sea Sect. 3. Nature of the ground of the Irish-sea The ground of the Irish-sea as well in the midst as under the land is almost every where clear sand but in some places black and muddy or oasiâ—-earth In very few places rough and sharp and scarce any where else but in the Bay of Wickloe so hard and stifly compacted that the Anchors can take no hold of it Sect. 4. Of the Tides in the Irish-sea What concerneth the Ebbing and Flowing in this sea which invironeth Ireland upon all the West-side it floweth against the land and the Ebbe falleth back from it into the sea the Flood from and the Ebbe towards the West for which reason very great Tides as well of Ebbe as Flood go upon all this coast not onely the open shoares but in the bayes and inlets even those which go a great way into the land as the Haven of Limmerick so as those who have been at Galloway do assure us that it doth so mightily ebbe and flow there that at high-high-water great vessels may sayl over those Rocks the which with the Ebbe come above water Upon the other side of Ireland it ebbeth and floweth along the land for upon the North-side of Ireland the Ebbe and Flood falleth in the same manner as upon the West-side flowing from and ebbing towards the West But upon the East-side from Fair-Foreland unto Carlingford the Flood commeth from and the Ebbe falleth to the North As upon the rest of this East-side to wit from Carlingford to Carnarord it floweth from the South and ebbeth from the North. For although upon all this side the Flood runneth along the land yet doth it not take its beginning from one and the same but two contrary points the which two floods comming the one out of the Main-sea in the North and the other out of the Main-sea in the South do meet and stop one another before the Haven of Carlingford From Tuskar and Carnarord as far as to the Head of Clare being the whole South-Eastcoast of Munster the Flood falleth along the coast East-North-East and the Ebbe West-South-West But upon the rest of the coast of Munster beyond the Head of Clare Westward which coast lyeth West and by South the Flood falleth East-ward and the Ebbe to the West Sect. 5. Strong Tides in the Sounds Strange proprietie of the Bay of Wexford in the matter of Tides That which the Sea-faring men do witness that in the Sound of Blaskes of Dalkee and in that of Lambey as also in some other narrow chanels of this sea there goeth a very strong Tide as well of the Ebbe as Flood is no other than may be observed almost every where else in places of the like nature But it is much to be wondered what the same do relate of the chanel or entrance of the Haven of Wexford to wit that it ebbeth and floweth there three houres sooner than without in the open sea so as when it is high water in the chanel of that Haven and upon the bar of the same the Flood doth still for half a Tide or three hours after strongly run by it to the North whereby it cometh to pass that the end of Hanemans-path a great Sand lying just before the Haven of VVexford is cast up more and more to the North and that the chanel which passeth by the North-side of that Sand being the entrance of the Haven is now more to the North than it hath been formerly And as it floweth three houres longer in the open sea than upon the Bar and in the chanel of this Haven in the like manner also the Ebbe in the sea falleth to the South three houres after that it is low water in the same place but not so strongly as the Flood Sect. 6. Some other strange particulars about the Tides in the iâ—ish-Iâ—ish-sea related by Giraldus but found not to be true More strange it is what Giraldus writeth of the Havens of Wickloe and Arckloe to wit that in VVickloe-haven it ever floweth when in the sea it ebbeth and that it ebbeth there when it floweth in the sea And that in the same River this Haven being nothing else but the mouth of a little River the water is salt as well when the ebbe is at the lowest as at the flowing and high-high-water And that to the contrary in that Riveler which at Arcklo dischargeth it self into the sea the water keepeth its sweetness at all times never receiving the mixture of any saltness as well with the flood and high-water as with the ebbe But experience sheweth these things to be repugnant to the truth as also what he writeth of a Rock not far from Arcklo at the one side wherof he saith that it alwayes ebbeth when it doth flow on the other and to the contrary Also that in Milford-haven situated in the Southernmost part of Wales in a manner over against Waterford and upon the next coasts it ebbeth and floweth at quite contrary times to what it doth at Dublin and the coast thereabouts so that it should begin to ebbe in Milford-haven when in the Bay of Dublin it beginneth to flow and to flow in Milford-haven when it beginneth to ebbe at Dublin Which how untrue it is all those can witnes who having bin in both places have had the curiosity to observe the times and houres at what age of the Moon soever wherein it doth begin to ebbe and to flow there CHAP. VII Of the Springs and Fountains item of the Brooks and Rivelets of Ireland Sect. 1. Of the Springs and Fountains HAving sufficiently spoke of the Sea wherin Ireland lyeth and of whatsoever belongeth thereunto we shall now before we come to treat of the Land it self speak of the Waters within the Land first of the Springs and Brooks afterwards of the Rivers and lastly of the Loughs or Lakes As for the first to wit Fountains and Springs Ireland is very full of them every where not only in the mountainous and hilly parts but even in the flat and Champain countries Which Springs for the most part are all of one and the same fashion being like unto a small pit full of water up to the brim at the lower â—ide whereof the water doth run forth without making any noise or bubling For that kind of Fountains which forcibly burst out of the side of a Rock or spout their water on high are very rarely to be found in this Kingdom The water of these Well-springs is for the most part cool clear and pure free from all strange smell and
so in a manner doe meet the Sure who falleth into the other arm For which consideration these three Rivers were wont to be called the three Sisters as Giraldus witnesseth Both the Oure and the Barrow are portable many miles into the country the Oure onely with little Boats and with Cots they call in Ireland Cots things like Boats but very unshapely being nothing but square peeces of timber made hollow but the Barrow with good big Boats The Slane falleth into the Haven of VVexford being like unto the Oure for length and bigness Sect. 3. Of the Liffie and the Boine The Liffie is the Princess of the Irish-Rivers not for her bigness for not only the Shanon but the Boine Barrow and severall others do far surpass her therein but because Dublin the chief City of all Ireland is seated upon her banks a mile below which City at a place called Rings-end she loseth her self in a Bay of the Sea which is called Dublin-haven With the help of the Flood ships of fifty and threescore tuns can make a shift to come up to the Key of Dublin but when the Tide is out and at the lowest the smallest boats find hardly water enough to go between Dublin and Rings-end because the chanel being very broad there the water spreadeth it self too much and by reason thereof groweth very shallow But in the City it self where she is inclosed betwixt the Keys on both sides and from the bridge of Dublin untill the bridge of Kilmanan and a little further being somewhat more than a mile in which space she runneth between her own banks great boates may goe upon her at any time She would be navigable with boats some three or four miles further but the Weres made in her a little way above the bridge of Kilmanan doe hinder that This River taketh her beginning in the mountaines lying to the South of Dublin not above ten miles from it but fetcheth such a compass bending her coast first to the West afterwards to the North and lastly for seven or eight miles Eastward that from her originall to her mouth is the space of no less than forty or fifty miles The Boine the River where-on Tredagh is seated hath her beginning in Kings County close by the originall of the Barrow although the place where the Barrow falleth into the haven of Waterford is above fourscore miles distant from the mouth of the Boine This River is almost of an equall bigness in farre the greatest part of her course and would be portable of good bigg boates very many miles into the land if that were not hindred by the Weres Sect. 4. Of the Band and Blackwater The principall River in Vlster of those that fall directly into the Sea is the Band the which as in her mouth she is incumbred with severall inconvenients as wee have declared above in the third chapter so she is portable but a few miles from the Sea because of a certain Rock the which running across the chanel from the one bank to the other stoppeth all manner of passage not only of bigger vessels and barks but of the smallest boates which dare not come neer the same Rock because it being somewhat high and the water from it falling downwards with great violence it goeth for some space with a mighty current This Rock or Cataract called vulgarly the Salmon-leap for a reason hereafter to be declared and the Fall because of the falling down of the water is not above four miles from the Sea hindring all manner of communication between the same and Lough Neaugh from the which this Cataract is distant about three miles whereas otherwise if the passage of this River from the sea to the Lough were open ships might by that meanes goe a great way into the land not only the whole length and breadth of Lough Neaugh which every where is very deep and navigable even for great ships but even a good many miles farther with good big boates by meanes of some Rivers that fall into it especially the Black-water which is the principallest of them all For the Band although she giveth the name to the River going out of the Lough is not comparable to the Black-water for breadth nor depth beeing rather a brook than a River the which being very shallow at other times doth rise so excessively upon the falling of much rain that it is one of the most dangerous and terrible brookes of all Ireland in the which therefore from time to time many men and horses have been drowned at the passing of it Sect. 5. Of the Lagon and nury-Nury-water tide-rivers Besides the Band and the Black-water there is scarce any other River in Vlster but that which passing by Strebane and London-derrie dischargeth it self into Lough-foile For the Lagon heretoâ—ore mentioned by us which by Belfast falleth into the Sea the nury-Nury-water whereof wee have spoken in the description of Carlingford-haven and some others of that nature are properly brooks and not portable by reason of their own water but of that which out of the Sea floweth into them as appeareth clearly when the tide is out For then they are as small and as little portable in those places where the boates and bigger vessels doe pass at high water as are they at all times in those places unto which the tide doth never reach which kind of Tide-rivers or brooks which only by the comming in of the tide are made navigable for a little way are to be found in all the Provinces of Ireland Sect. 6. Of the Cataracts in the Irish Rivers Besides that the navigable Rivers are but rare in Ireland and that the most part of them are only portable of very small vessels and boats not of any bigger ships or barks as appeareth by the former relation there be very few rivers who have not some impediment or other in them whereby it commeth that they are not portable so farre as otherwise they would be These impediments are chiefly three in number Cataracts Weres and Foards whereof the last two doe only concern the lesser Rivers The first to wit the Cataracts are incident to the greatest Rivers as well as to others as may appear by what wee have said concerning them in the description of the Shanon and the Band whereby also fully may be conceived the manner and nature of the said Cataracts so as it is needless here again to delineate them Such a Cataract or Fall there is found in the Liffie seven miles from Dublin and about a quarter of a mile above the village and Castle of Leslip the description of which as holding it not improper for this place wee shall here set down as it came to our hands from those who have observed it very exactly The said River running there abouts along a narrow and deep valley being hemmed in at both sides with high hils of a long continuance hath a very Rockie chanel and besides that the bottom is overspread in severall parts with
great massie stones there is in two or three places at no great distance a continâ—all Rocky bulk reaching from one side to the other leaving but one or two narrow passages through which the stream runneth with a very strong current and a mighty noise but the third and last bulk like a Cataract hath the chanel close to it a great deal lower by far more than the other at least by seven or eight feet which is the cause that the stream doth not so much run swift here or passeth with a current through narrow channels as in the two first bulks but as soon as it is got over the Rock it falleth steep down with great violence the space of three or four paces in breadth where as the remainder of the main chanel is altogether stopped by the said Rock In winter and other very rainy seasons when the water doth increase much it passeth over all the said Rockes smoothly and without noise where the same is exceding great those times when the Liffie runneth with a small streame There is also a Cataract in a small tide River in the County of Cork in Munster the which falleth into the innermost corner of the great bay Bantrie and one in the Haven of Balle-shanon which haven being in effect nothing els but the mouth of Lough-Earne commonly is counted for a River and called by the name of Trowis Sect. 7. Of the Foards in the Rivers of Ireland a second impediment of their navigableness Concerning the Foardes it is to be observed that not every where where the high-wayes meet with great brooks or small Rivers bridges are found for to pass them but that in very many places one is constrained to ride through the water it self the which could not be done if the Rivers kept themselves every where inclosed between their bancks wherefore they are not only suffered in such places to spread themselves abroad but men help there to as much as they can to make the water so much the shallower and consequently the easier to be passed whereby it commeth many times to pass that a River which above and below the foard is deep enough to be portable of great boates through the shallowness of the foards lying between will bear none but of the very smallest or where otherwise the same would carry small boats is not portable at all this in most places might easily be remedied in raising of dikes or artificiall banks where the naturall ones failing doe minister opportunitie unto the Rivers foâ— to spread themselves and making bridges to pass over Some Foards do not greatly impair the chanel of the Rivers but leave the same almost in her full depth especially in the midst but the same as they are more incommodious for the traveller so they are not very frequent but in far less number than the others Sect. 8. Of the Weres a third impediment of the Navigableness of the Rivers in Ireland The Weres a third â—et of the Navigation of the Irish Rivers are thus ordered They set up very big stones in the River close together from the one side of the River to the other leaving only one hole either in the midst or near one of the sides before which hole a Basket being layd they take therein a great quantity of fish for comming to the Weres and finding their way stopt by the stones they take their course to that place where they find an opening These rows of stones doe not directly cross the River from the one side to the other but doe go very much floaping that the stream with less force may beat against them and the same also doe stand but very little above the water to the end that when the flouds come the water may find a ready passage over them without which they would not be able to subsist against the force thereof but easily be thrown down and scattered Some Weres are set up not so much for the taking of fish as for Mils and that the course of the water thereby being in part stopped in the main chanel may be made to go into some little by-chanel cut expresly for to conveigh the water to the Mill many Weres serving for both these uses jointly Some Rivers have onely one of these impediments as the Shanon and the Band each a Fall or Cataract The Boine Weres having onely Foards many miles from the sea The greaâ—â—st number have Weres and Foards and commonly each of them in severall places Some have all three as the Liffie by name which hath not only Weres and Foards in severall places but also a Cataract or Salmon-leap as hath been mentioned above CHAP. IX Of the Lakes or Loughs in Ireland Sect. 1. Of the little Loughs LOughs there is a very great number in Ireland especially in the Provinces of Ulster and Connaught we may distinguish them into three severall sorts Great Middle-sort and the Least Under this last we comprehend all such whose parts discover it self to the eye all over at one time This sort of Loughs are found in severall places of the other Provinces but nothing near so many as in Ulster Every one of these commonly sends forth a Brook and some more than one being all of them very deep the very least not excepted and well-stored with Fish So as they are not only delightfull especially such as are situated in some Dale or Valley or environed round about or on some sides with pleasant little Hils as it falleth out in the greatest part of them but also commodious and profitable affording good opportunity to build houses and Castles upon their borders which was done in â—any places by the English and Scotch who had made severall fair Plantations and would have done more if it had not been hindered by that horrible Rebellion of the bloody Irish in the beginning of which many of them which were already built have been destroyed by those Barbarians Many of these little Loughs have a little lland in the midst which is both commodious and pleasant Some wherein little llands doe float not keeping long any certain place but removing to and fro as the force of the wind doth drive them Sect. 2. Of the Middle-sort of Loughs The Middle-sort of Loughs we understand to be such as far exceeding the fore-mentioned in bigness nevertheless are not to be compared with the biggest sort of which we shall speak presently Of this kind are Lough-Fin and Lough-Dirg in the County of Donegal in Ulster Lough-Mugkney in the County of Monaghan and Lough Sillon in the County of Cavan both in the same Province Lough-Ranmore in Eastmeath besides several others in other Counties of Leinster especially in Queens-county Longford and Westmeath having little or nothing worthy of observation Sect. 3. Of the Great Loughs and first of those of salt-Salt-water The great Loughs are of two sorts either of sweet-Sweet-water as all the former and some of salt-Salt-water these last being such through the mixture of the sea the which
IRELANDS NATURALL HISTORY Being a true and ample Description of its Situation Greatness Shape and Nature Of its Hills Woods Heaths Bogs Of its Fruitfull Parts and profitable Grounds with the severall ways of Manuring and Improving the same With its Heads or Promontories Harbours Roads and Bays Of its Springs and Fountains Brooks Rivers Loghs Of its Metalls Mineralls Free-stone Marble Sea-coal Turf and other things that are taken out of the ground And lastly of the Nature and temperature of its Air and Season and what diseases it is free from or subject unto Conducing to the Advancement of Navigation Husbandry and other profitable Arts and Professions Written by Gerard Boate late Doctor of Physick to the State in Ireland And now Published by SAMUELL HARTLIB Esq For the Common Good of Ireland and more especially for the benefit of the Adventurers and Planters therein Imprinted at London for Iohn Wright at the Kings Head in the Old Baily 1657. To His Excellency OLIVER CROMWEL Captain Generall of the Common-wealths Army in England Scotland and Ireland and Chancellor of the University of OXFORD AND To the Right Honorable CHARLES FLEETWOOD Commander in Chief under the Lord Generall Cromwell of all the Forces in IRELAND Right Honorable IT is a very great and signal Truth that all the works of God are both wonderfull and precious much sought out by all those that love him and it is the guilt of the wicked that as they regard not the Lord so they consider not the Operation of his hands for the Lord hath revealed his Truth even his Godhead and his Eternall Power by his Workes that such as respect him not in the Creation of the World and in the wayes of his Providence may be without excuse Now it seâ—ms to mee that the end for which God hath not left himself without a Testimony in Nature is not onely that we should in our spirit glorifie him as God and be thankfull but that also our Outward Man should bee made sensible of his goodness and partake of that supply of life which by his appointment the Creature can yeeld unto us if happily wee may feel after him and find him therein So that such as respect him not in his wayes of Nature being careless to seek them out do make themselves also incapable of the blessings of Nature through their ignorance and neglect of the good things which God hath provided for them thereby for all things are Ours things present and things to come and Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is aswell as of that which is to come for as by the act of Faith we are made capable of the good things of the life to come because by the truth of God as it is the Object of our Faith they have a spirituall being and Subsistence in us so by the act of Reason rightly ordered we are made partakers of the benefit of this life because by the effect of Gods Wisedom and Power in Nature as they are the Objects of our Reasonable facultie they have a bodily being and subsistence in us and as the Wisdom of God doth many wayes manifest it self not only in Spirituall but also in Outward and Bodily things so there are many parts of Humane Learning some wherof are subservient to the Private life of a single man some to the comforts and Publick Use of a Societie and amongst all these parts of Learning which relate to a Society I can conceive none more profitable in Nature than that of Husbandry For whether we reflect upon the first settlement of a Plantation to prosper it or upon the wealth of a NatioÌ„ that is planted to increase it this is the Head spring of al the native Commerce Trading which may bee set afoot therein by any way whatsoever Now to advance Husbandry either in the production and perfectioÌ„ of earthly benefits or in the management thereof by way of Trading I know nothing more usefull than to have the knowledg of the Natural History of each Nation advanced perfected For as it is evident that except the benefits which God by Nature hath bestowed upon each Country bee known there can be no Industrie used towards the improvement and Husbandry thereof so except Husbandry be improved the industrie of Trading whereof a Nation is capable can neither be advanced or profitably upheld There is a twofold body and a twofold life in man which God hath created the one is Naturall the other Spiritual the Apostle tells us that the Spirituall is not first but the Naturall and afterward that which is Spirituall as the Bodies and lives of men are ordered by God so we must conceive of the frames of their Societies that the Naturall is before that which is Spirituall that in Gods aime it is a preparatory thereunto although in the use which men make thereof this aime is not obtained for seeing in the wisdom of God the world by wisdome hath not known God therefore God is pleased by another way which to the World doth seem foolishness to manifest his Power and his Wisdome unto salvation namely by the Preaching of the Gospel in the name of Iesus Christ and him crucified and although hitherto since the death of Christ the dispensation of wisdome hath not yet opened the conduit pipes of Natural Knowledge to cause the souls of men flow forth partake of the life of God therein by reason of the prevalencie of Sensuall inclinations of the want of due reflection upon Christ in whom alone the perfect use of Nature is brought home to the glory of the Father by the Spirit yet when the time of the Restauration of all things shall come from the presence of him who will come shortly and will not tarry then the works of the Devill whereby he hath brought us the whole Creation under the bondage of Corruption shall be destroied when the Nature right use of the Creature by his meanes obscured shall be revealed then also the properties and application of the Creature in the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God shall be subjected unto Grace These great and mighty Changes which God is making in the Earth do tend to break the yokes of Vanity and to weaken the Power which hath wreathed the same upon the necks of the Nations these Changes seem to me to presage the neer approaches of this Liberty and the advancement of the ways of Learning whereby the Intellectuall Cabinets of Nature are opened and the effects therof discovered more fully to us than to former Ages seem in like manner to prepare a plainer Address unto the right use thereof for us than our forefathers have had which will be effectuall to the manifestation of Gods Wisdome Power and Goodness when the great promises shall be accomplished that the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea that we shall be taught
it selfe beeing great and populous what into the country for in the time of peace almost all Leinster and and Vlster were wont to furnish themselves from Dublin of all kinds of provisions and necessaries such as were brought in out of forrein Countries Next to Dublin is Galloway the head-citie of the Province of Connaught to bee reckoned as well for bigness and faireness as for riches for the streets are wide and handsomely ordered the houses for the most part built of free stone and the inhabitants much addicted to trafick doe greatly trade into other countries especially into Spain from whence they used to fetch great store of wines and other waâ—es every year In the third place commeth Waterford situated in the province of Munster and in the fourth Limmerick the head-city of the said Province both towns of trafick situated on goodly havens and of reasonable bigness and handsomness Cork in the Province of Munster and London-derrie in the Province of Vlster are less than any of the formentioned but otherwise handsome places well built very fitly situated for trafick and navigation as standing upon very good Havens As for the rest of the Townes Drogheda Kilkenny and Bandonbridge are passable and worthy of some regard both for bigness and handsomeness But Colrain Knockfergus Belfast Dundalk Wexford Youghall and Kinsale are of small moment the best of all these being hardly comparable to any of those fair Market-townes which are to be found in almost all parts of England And as for Cassel Rosse Lismore Clonmell and Kilmallock in Munster Sleigo and Atlone in Connaught Molingar Trimme Kels Navan Aboy Nace Carlo Arklo and Wicklo in Leinster Carlingford Ardee and Down in Vlster all of them walled Townes they are scarce worth the mentioning because there are few Market Townes in England even of the meanest which are not as good or better than the best of them all We could give a more perfect relation of this particular but because this serveth little to our purpose and properly doth not concern the Naturall History wee have thought it best to touch it but briefly CHAP. II. Of the principall Havens of Ireland Sect. 1. Waterford Haven THe Havens of Ireland are so many in number and for the most part so fair and large that in this particular hardly any land in the whole World may be compared with this as will easily appear by the particular rehearsall thereof which we are now to make first of the best and chiefest in this Chapter and of the others in the next We shall begin with Waterford Haven the which being situated on the confines of Leinster and Munster runneth some seven or eight miles into the land not winding or crooked nor with any great nookes or inlets but almost in a straight line extending in it self North and North by West and in most parts of an equall breadth all the way deep and clear having no roks or sands but onely two or three little ones which lying not across nor in the midst but by the sides may be shunned very easily Without the Harbour it is eleven and twelve fathoms deep in the mouth seven and more inwards six fathoms Within the Easterly corner is a good road in four or five fathoms and on the other or Westerly side five or six miles from the mouth is another good road very commodious as well for them who goe forth as those that will sail upward to Waterford Upon the East-side about halfe-way the length lyeth a very strong Castle called Duncannon which so commandeth this Harbour as no ships can go up or down against the will of those in the Fort without running extreme hazard This Haven in the end divideth it self into two armes both a great deal inferiour to the principall harbour in breath and depth but yet such as are capable of ships of a good big port especially the left which runneth Westward to the City of Waterford whereof this whole Haven beareth the Name being situated some four or five miles from that division and a little below the place where the river Shure falleth into this Harbour The right arm being the mouth of the river Barrow and extending it self straight along goeth up to Ross a Town in former times famous for trade the which is much about the same distance from this division as the division is from the mouth of the Harbour Sect. 2. Carlingford Haven On the whole coast of Leinster there is not one fair large Harbour so as the next good Haven from Waterford Northwards is that of Carlingford which two Harbours in sayling straight along the coast are above an hundred mils distant This Haven is some three or four miles long and nigh of the same breath being every where very deep so as the biggest ships may come there to an anchor and so environed with high land and mountaines on all sides that the ships doe lie defended off all winds so that this would bee one of the best havens of the world if it were not for the difficultie and the danger of the entrance the mouth being full of rocks both blind ones and others betwixt which the passages are very narrow whereby it commeth that this Harbour is very little frequented by any great ships the rather because there is no trafick at all nor any good Town seated on this Haven For the Town of Carlingford whose name it beareth is a very poor place hardly worth the speaking of About eight miles from the mouth of the Harbour is the Nurie a fine little Town untill in this late bloody rebellion it was for the greatest part destroyed by the Irish by which Town passeth a little river called the nurie-Nurie-water which discharging it self into the Harbour some four or five miles below the Nurie is not portable but of very little barkes and boats and that onely when the Tide is in Sect. 3. Strangford-haven and that of Knockfergus About thirtie miles Northwards from Carlingford-haven is the Haven of Strang-ford the which in its entrance is almost as much encumbred with rocks of both kinds as that of Carlingford It is some five or six miles long and beareth North-westward being the mouth of a great Lough called Loch Cone the which being but two or three miles broad in the most places but some fifteen or sixteen long doth ebb flow untill the utmost ends of it so that there goeth a very strong tide in this Harbour which makes the same the unsafer especially in great stormes and high winds for which there is no great defence here On this Haven and on the neighbouring Lough there lyeth never a good Town Strangford beeing more inconsiderable yet than Carlingford The next great Harbour upon this coast and about twenty miles more to the North is that of Knocfergus being a great wide Bay the which in its mouth betwixt the Southern the Northern point is no less than ten or twelve miles broad growing narrower by degrees the farther it goeth
a great way at the end of which sand and in the innermost part of the Bay lyeth a litle Iland called in English Mutton-Iland and by the Irish Enis Kerrigh which hath the same signification at the East side whereof one may anchor in five or six fathomes of water but from thence Northwards untill the citty of Galloway which is the space of two or three miles none but litle vessels and barks can goe the Citie standing not on the Bay itself but on a broad water like a river the which not farre above Galloway comming out of a great Lake called Lough Corbes dischargeth it self into the Bay a litle above Mutton I le Sect. 7. The Havens of Limmerick Smerwick Dingle-bay Ventrie and Dingle-Icoush The next great Haven on the West side of Ireland to the South of Galloway is that of Limmerick which Haven divideth the Province of Connaught from Munster beeing of a huge length no less than fifty miles for so far it is from the mouth of the haven untill the Citty of Limmerick to whose walls great vessels may goe up without meeting with any thing els in all that way save a many little Iles but not any fâ—ul places Rocks or Sands This Harbour is nothing els but a great Lough halfe way its length growing somewhat narrow but immediatly enlarging it self again into a great breadth whereinto the River Shanon upon whose bank Limmerick is situated dischargeth it self a litle way below the said City although the English and the Irish both call it the Shanon all the way untill the Sea as it were not a Lough into which the River falleth but the River it self thus enlarged Comming out of this Harbour the Land on the left hand shooteth a huge way Westwards into the Sea on the side of which Fore-land ten oâ— twelve miles at this side of the uttermost point betwixt which and the Iles of Blaskes passeth the Sound of the same name is the Haven of Smerwick not very great deep but clean and well inclosed At the other side of this Fore-land and to the North-east from the Blaskes is a fair and very large Bay called Dingle-bay the which goeth very many miles into the land having in it divers good Havens one whereof called Ventry is four or five miles from the Sound of Blaskes Eastwards and three or four miles further is Dingle-Icoush before the mouth of which Harbour and at the West-side of it lyeth a rock called the Crow round about the which one may sail without danger it being alwayes above water but at spring tides at which time the Sea doth overflow it Sect. 8. Maire Bantrie and Beer-haven Against the South-east corner of Dingle-bay lyeth a great Iland called Valentia betwixt which and the Main is a very fair and safe Road. And a litle way beyond that Iland goeth in another huge Bay called Maire which shooteth into the Land a great deal further than Dingle-bay and somewhat further is a third Bay called Bantrie which equalleth Maire both in breadth and length in both which as well as in Dingle-bay there be severall good Harbours and Roads Maire hath in the mouth some fifty or five-and-forty fathomes of water entring in further there be six and twenty twenty and eighteen afterwards you come to ten and to six and in the innermost parts to three and two fathomes beeing throughout very clean and free from all kind of Rocks and Sands except in very few places As you enter into Bantrie side-ward upon the left hand lyeth a reasonable big I le called the Iland of Beer-haven betwixt which and the Main there goeth in a fair Sound being a great musket shot broad the which in its whole length from where it beginneth untill the place where it endeth at the further part of the Iland being the space of some miles seâ—veth for a very good and safe port wherefore also it beareth the name of a Havâ—n being called Beer-haven A good way within the mouthâ—ly some Rocks in the midst of the chanel the which at high water are overflown you may sail of either side of them at the other side of this Sound where the same commeth out into the Bantrie there ly two great Rocks just in the mouth betwixt which the ships may pass as also betwixt the same and the land of either side All the rest of this Harbour or Sound is every where very clean and clear and very good anchor-ground ten twelve and thirteen fathoms deep Sect. 9. Whiddie-haven and Langerf In the innermost of the Bantrie lyeth an Iland about three miles long called Whiddie betwixt which and the Main is a very fair wide Bay being the uttermost end of the great Bay Bantrie where you may every where come to an anchor in three four five or six fathomes in as much or as litle water as you will according as you have a mind to ride neer the shore or further from it being every where clean ground Ships may enter into this Bay or Sound in two severall places at both ends of the Iland But the entrance at the South-end is very dangerous because that there betwixt the Iland Whiddie and the Main land it is in most places foul and Rockie But in the other entrance at the Northern end of the Iland is both room and depth enough it being much broader than that at the South-end and eight and nine fathomes deep and there is nothing that can doe hurt except only a row of Rocks a litle musket shot from the shoar the which being covered at high water doe not begin to appear but at half â—bb Right against this Iland at the other side of Bantrie is a Haven called Langerf in which is every where good anchoring and good ground only at the one side on the right hand close to the mouth ly some foul grounds the which fall dry at the ebb of a springtide From Beerhaven to the Northern corner of the Iland Whiddie the Bantrie tendeth East-North-East and North-East eighteen or twenty miles in length Over against Beerhaven in the midst of the fair water it is deep forty six and thirty and thirty fathoms beyond the Iland fifteen and sixteen but further in approaching the I le of Whiddie it is again twenty and five and twenty fathoms deep Sect. 10. Downams bay Baltimore-bay and Baltimore-haven Next to the Bantrie and only by a narrow neck of land divided from it is Downams bay being great and wide although no wayes comparable to any of those three already described a very commodious Road to save ships in and good anchor ground every where The land to the East of this Bay shooteth out very far to the Sea-ward the uttermost point thereof called Messan-head being the Southermost Cape of all Ireland For Cape de Clare being about twenty miles further to the East and somewhat more Southerly is not on the Main but in an Iland Beyond Messan-head is another Bay far greater than any of those
three forenamed but nothing like the same in shape nor in the same manner running with a long arm a huge way into the land but rather approaching to the figure of a half moon In this Bay is Crook-haven School-haven and severall other great Havens not only on the main land but also in some of the Ilands whereof there is a great number in this Bay The most Easterly of all these Ilands is Baltimore the which surpassing all the others in bigness giveth its name unto the Bay That part of the Bay which lyeth betwixt this Iland and the Main having a narrow entrance but within of a great largenes is a marvellous good Road where ships may come to an anchor on either side lye defended off all winds It is five and six fathoms deep on the sides six and 7. in the midst In the mouth of the Harbour next to the East-side lyeth a blind Rock in the midst of it another Rock which appeareth at low water There is nothing els that can do hurt This Haven being far the principallest of all this Bay hath its name as wel as the Bay it self of the Iland being called Baltimore-haven To the North of that Iland lieth another â—land called Spain-Iland where one may pass betwixt these two Ilands to the West and so out of Baltimore-haven goe into the Sea But onely with smaller vessells because half flood there is not aboue 12. or thiteen feet of water in all that channell Sect. 11 Castle-haven Rosse-haven Clandore Haven with the Havens of Kinsale and Cork Some miles beyond Baltimore-bay is Castle-haven where ships may come to an anchor in twelve fathoms of water being of a reasonable bigness and very clear and clean as well in the entrance as within Between Castle-haven and Kinsale are two other good Havens to wit that of Rosse and of Clandore in which there is water enough and very clean ground The Haven of Kinsale is one of the famousest of all Ireland ships may sail into it keeping in the midst of the channell without any danger either without or in the mouth of the Harbour except a blind Rock close to the East point Within the haven on the West-side lyeth a great shelf which shooteth a great way off from the land but leaving a very large passage along by the side of it in which as in all the rest of the Harbour it is many fathomes deep This Haven for some miles goeth in North-North-East but afterwards turneth West-ward untill the Kay of Kinsale where ships may ride in eight or nine fathoms of water being defended off all Winds Ten or twelve miles to the East of Kinsale is Cork-haven the which goeth in North-North-East being within large and wide running a great way into the land for the town of Cork untill whose Kay this Haven is very clean and deep is seated many miles from the Sea and from the mouth of the Harbour CHAP. III. Of the lesser Havens and the barred Havens of Ireland also of the Roads and Anchor-places upon the coast and in the little Ilands near the coast Sect. 1. Wexford-haven AFter the description of the principal Havens of Ireland we shall come to them of less moment in which number we put all those which either in their entrance or within have not water enough for the bigher sort of vessels as likewise those the which being deep enough are but very little and of a small pourprise and in this description we shall observe the same order as in the former beginning with Wexford and so going North-ward then West afterwards South-ward and lastly East and North-Eastward untill wee have gone about the whole Iland The Haven of Wexford runneth in West and by North and with her innermost part altogether Northward Just before this Haven lye two great shelves of Sands by the side one of the other of which that on the South-side is called Hanemans-path and the other North-grounds There goeth a chanel betwixt Hanemans-path and the land on the South-side of the Haven and another betwixt the North-side and the North-grounds but this last hath but six feet of water at full flood and in the other eight feet with the flood of ordinary tides and ten at spring-tides The chief chanel is that which goeth in betwixt the two Sands being four and five fathom deep Besides these Sands there is another Shelf in the mouth of the Harbour it self which kind of sandy-banks lying across in the mouth of Harbours and Rivers are usually called Bars and the Havens which have them Bared-havens With a high flood there is about sixteen feet of water Being past the Bar you have for some way three fathoms of water three and a half and four but afterwards for a great way but ten feet and ten a half with a high flood although under the Castle where the Ships come to an Anchor you have four fathoms and before the Town three but because of the forementioned shallows no vessels can go to Wexford that draw more than ten feet of water but must unlade and lade in a Creek near the mouth of the Haven on the South-side about three miles from the Town where is water enough but no shelter for the South-west winds the which do come over the land to this place Sect. 2. Dublin-haven Dublin Haven hath a Bar in the mouth upon which at high-flood and spring-tide there is fifteen and eighteen feet of water but at the ebbe and nepâ—-tide but six With an ordinary tide you cannot go to the Key of Dublin with a Ship that draws five feet of water but with a spring-tide you may go up with Ships that draw seven and eight feet Those that go deeper cannot go nearer Dublin than the Rings-end a place three miles distant from the Bar and one from Dublin This Haven almost all over falleth dry with the ebbe as well below Rings-end as above it so as you may go dry-foot round about the Ships which lye at an Anchor there except in two places one at the North-side half way betwixt Dublin and the Bar and the other at the South-side not far from it In these two little Creeks whereof the one is called the Pool of Clantarf and the other Poolebeg it never falleth dry but the Ships which ride at an Anchor remain ever afloat because at low water you have nine or ten feet of water there This Haven besides its shallownes hath yet another great incommodity that the Ships have hardly any shelter there for any winds not only such as come out of the sea but also those which come off from the land especially out of the South-west so as with a great South-west storm the Ships run great hazard to be carried away from their Anchors and driven into the sea which more than once hath come to pass and particularly in the beginning of November Anno 1637 when in one night ten or twelve Barks had that misfortune befaln them of the most
part whereof never no news hath been heard since Sect. 3. The Havens of Drogheda and Dundalk The Haven of Drogheda or as the word is pronounced in common use Tredagh is very troublesom to be got into as having not only a Bar lying across before its mouth over the which vessels cannot pass but at high water but also very narrow in the mouth This Haven not being an Arm or Bay of the sea but onely a River which keepeth her own bigness untill the end without receiving any notable enlargement of the sea about her mouth as other Rivers use to do Upon this Bar is as much water as upon that of Dublin and the Ships which can pass the Bar may go up to the Key of Tredagh which Town is seated about two miles from the month of this River which is called the Boine Sixteen miles to the North of Tredagh standeth Dundalk where a wide open Bay made by the giving back and retiring of the coast growing narrow and receiving a little River which above Dundalk is but a small Brook maketh a kind of Haven where never is much water and with the ebbe may be passed over a foot wherefore and because there is not any shelter for the windes comming from the sea nor any usuall Trafique this Road is very little frâ—quented Sect. 4. The Havens oâ— Dondrom Arglas Oldfleet Belletree and the Band. A few miles on this side of Strongford are the Havens of Dondrom and Arglas the one not far from the other both little and not very deep but safe And a little way beyond the Northern point of the Bay of Knockfergus is Oldfleet-haven a Harbour of the same sort as those two last mentioned Port Belletree six or seven miles to the West of Fair-foreland the North-Easterliest point of Ireland is as little as any of those three less defended of the winds and the ground sharp and foul Some miles further is the Haven of Colrain called Band-haven the which is nothing else but the mouth of the River Band the which here falleth into the sea keeping her own narrowness untill the end in the same manner as we said above of the Haven of Tredagh This River passing through Lough Neaugh the greatest Lake of all Ireland the which receiving severall Rivers hath no other out-let into the sea but the Band carrieth a mighty deal of water the which being inclosed in a narrow chanel powreth it self into the sea with great violence for which reason and because of the narrowness of the mouth this Haven is very hard to enter having also but little depth so as vessels which draw eight feet of water must at least have three quarters of the flood before they can enter Sect. 5. Tellin-haven Mackswins-bay the Havens of Balleshanon Slego Endrigo Moy and Niffadoy Upon the West coast of Ulster about half way between Cape Tellin and Kilbeg is Tellin-haven a round Bay with good sand ground which will contain about thirty Ships West and South-West winds blow directly into it but off all other winds one is there defended Two or three miles Eastwards from Kilbeg is Mackswins Bay where a Ship may ride safe without Cable and Anchor but the entrance being every where beset with Rocks it is dangerous to go into it Some miles to the South-West of Dungal-haven is Balleshanon being the mouth of that short River by which Lough-Earn one of the greatest Lakes of Ireland dischargeth it self into the sea which River runneth just on the borders of the two Provinces of Ulster and Connaught dividing the same this having a Bar before it by reason whereof no bigger vessels than of thirty or forty tuns can enter into it Slego and Endrigo are two little Harbours situated near the one to the other in the North part of Connaught very much encumbred with Rocks and Sands in the entrance but otherwise reasonably deep for a Ship of two hundred Tunnes may come and ride before the Town of Slego About half way between Slego and Broad-haven is Moy being the innermost of a great Bay divided from the rest by a little Iland somewhat long the which lyeth cross in that manner that onely one chanel remaineth whereby to go out of the great Bay into the lesser or the Haven which chanel is twelve feet deep but in the Haven it self being nothing else but two little Creeks divided asunder by some sands lying betwixt them it is about fifteen or sixteen feet deep but in the little channel which passeth into the inmost creek being nearest to the Village Moy there is but nine feet of water at full flood with an ordinary tide Some miles to the South-East of Sline-head a famous Cape in Connaught and situated about half way the length of that Province is Port Niffadoy a reasonable good Harbour but very dangerous to get into the sea there round abouts being full of Rocks both blind ones and others Sect. 6. The Havens of Trailie Youghall and Dungarvan item of Wickloe Arckloe Malahide c. At Trailie half way between Smerwick and the mouth of the Haven of Limmerick is a fair Haven but none of the biggest About the middle way between Cork and Waterford is the Haven of Youghall before the which lyeth a Bar not to be passed but at high water Twelve miles Eastwards from Youghall is Dungarvan being a narrow Tide-haven whose mouth is full of Rocks many of which do not appear and so more dangerous and at low water it falleth dry so as one must go into it at high flood and pass amidst the Rocks As for the Havens of Arckloe where with high water it is but six feet deep of Wickloe where at ful flood you have but ten feet of water Malahide a little to the North of the Bay of Dublin Coldach-haven and Red-haven the first betwixt Loughsoile and Loughsuillie and the other betwixt Loughsuillie and Sheeps-haven Milk-haven not far from Slego Mablin-haven betwixt Waterford and Wexford and some others of the same nature They are so little that they will hardly serve for other than Fisherboates and therefore scarce merit the name of Havens Sect. 7. Roads upon the Coast of Ireland from Waterford to Fair-Foreland Beâ—ides this great number of Havens in Ireland there are many good Roads where ships at need may save themselves and commodiously come to an anchor not only upon the coast of the Main land but also in the most part of the litle Ilands which ly round about Ireland To begin with those on the Main From the point of Waterford to Carnarord being the space of about twenty miles the coast is full of Bayes where one may come to an anchor Under Carnarord ships anchor in six and nine fathomes In St Margarets bay three miles from Carnarord it is good anckoring in five and six fathomes sand ground A litle further is the bay of Grenore where you may anchor as neer the land as you will in six five four or three fathomes Some miles from
Sands or Grounds as any in all the world not alone upon the other sides where the same is wide and open far distant from all other lands but upon the East-side where the same is inclosed betwixt Ireland and Great-Britain in which whole space it hath not any other Sands than those situated along the coast between Dublin and Wexford These indeed are of a huge extent but not turning and winding as most part of the Grounds in other places but in a streight line North-North-East South-South-West being farthest from the land with their North-end and as they go Southward so they do come nearer to the land and near the Tuskar a Rock right against the point of Greenore in which place they end they are not much more than two miles distant from the land whereas the distance betwixt the North-end near the Iland Dalkee which Iland as before we have shewed lyeth at the entrance of Dublin-bay about threescore miles from the Tuskar is above eight miles They are all of a Stoney-ground in some places but one fathom deep and a fathom and a half but in the North-end two fathoms and a half and three fathoms Betwixt these Grounds and the land lye two or three little Sands besides those which lye in and before the mouth of the Bay of Wexford one betwixt the South-end and Greenore another to the South of the Head of Glascarick a good mile from the land called Rush and Ram and a third one mile to the South of Arcklohead called Glaskermen somewhat more than half a mile from the land and about two miles long Sect. 2. Of the Chanel betwixt the Land and the forenamed Grounds The Chanel betwixt the great Grounds and the land is very deep all over so that the biggest vessels may pass through it from Dublin to Wexford and from Wexford to Dublin taking care only that they doe not come too neer the Grounds the which being very steep on the inside as they are also without or on the East-side where ships may not come neerer to them than in 24. and 25. fathoms because that in twenty fathomes one is close by them it is requisite not to goe further off from the land than in seven or eight fathoms in which depth ships may within a cabels length sail all along the coast the which here every where is very clean and free from all danger And even between the land and the forenamed small Grounds Glaskermen and Rush and Ram the Sea is very clean and deep so as most ships doe passe betwixt them and the land and not about by the out side of them These Sands in four severall places are cut thorough with fair broad and deep chanells whereof the one is over against the Bay of Wexford the other against Glascarick beeing no less than fifteen or sixteen fathoms deep the third right against Arckloe in which chanel it is about seven or eight fathoms deep and the fourth is directly against Wickloe Sect. 3. Blind Rocks upon the coast of Ireland from the Saltees unto Wickloe There are some blind Rock in this Sea but lye for the most part close under the land or neer some of the litle Ilands or high Rocks so as they may easily be shunned the rather because most of them doe at low water appear either in part or altogether To speak a litle of these in order the Saltees two litle Ilands situated half way between the Haven of Waterford and and the head of Carnarord of the which hath been spoken heretofore have both at the North-side some blind Rocks whereof those which ly neer the bigger and Southermost Iland fall dry at low water About three miles to the South of the same bigger Iland lyeth a blind Rock called Kinmore of the bignes of a ship at half ebbe it cometh above water and is so steep that with the side of a ship one may ly close against it and have fourteen fathomes of water so as without any danger one may sail very close by it To the South-East of the fore named bigger Iland doe also lye some blind Rocks called the Frailes the which may be seen at low water and ships may passe through the midst of them About half a mile from Blackrock a noted Rock whereof shall be spoken anon lyeth a blind Rock called the Barrell of the which one must take heed very carefully A little to the West of Carnarord lyeth a small Rocky foul close under the land Betwixt Carnarord and St Margarets Bay it is foul and Rocky but the foul grounds doe not reach far into the Sea South-South-East from St Margarets Bay lyeth a blind Rock called Caliogh the which at low water falleth dry From the point of Greenore a riffe of blind Rocks and Stones runneth almost the length of a mile into the Sea the which at low water falleth dry a good way from the land At the North-side of the Head of Arcklo lyeth a litle Stony row the which is shunned very carefully by the ships not daring to come neerer to it than in five fathoms of water Sect. 4. The rest of the blind Rocks upon the coast of Ireland Iust to the South of the head of Wickloe a little way from the land lyeth a Rocky sand called Horse-shoe betwixt which and the land ships may sail thorough if need be but that being full of danger it is done very seldome and a little further to the South lyeth a little blind Rock close by the land called the Wolfe the which at half ebb cometh above water betwixt which and the land fishers boats doe passe The like blind Rocks Rockie sands lye upon the coast betwixt Tredagh and Dundalk as also betwixt Dundalk and Carlingford in both places close under the land at both the points of the Havens of Carlingford Strangford under St Iohns point situated half way between those two Havens on both sides of those two great Rocks a litle way beyond Strangford Haven called Southrock and Northrock between the Ilands of Copland Iles and the land at the South-point of the bay of Knockfergus round about those great Rocks over against Oldfleet called the nine maids to the West of the little Iland called Sheeps-Iland betwixt Port Belletree and Skires Portrush which Rocks are called the Chickens half-way betwixt Lough-Suillie and Sheeps-Haven a mile or two from the land which Rocks the flood doth cover but at ebbe they come above water in severall other places upon the West-coast the South-coast the which it would be tedious all to particularise wherfore we will conclude this rehearsall of the Blind Rocks with that which to the West of St Iohns point a point situated three or four mile Southwards from Kilbeg-haven doth lye somwhat more than a mile off from the land upon which the Sea breaketh with great noise and nevertheless one may freely and without any danger sail between the same and the land Sect. 5. Rocks in the Irish Sea upon the
tast in which properties nevertheless and in the wholsomness of the water the same differences are found and for the same causes as in other countries For those which spring out of a gravelly or sandy ground are purer than those that spring out of earth or clay those that rise out of a stony or Rocky ground cooler than any of the former those that are exposed to the Sun and freely receive the Beaâ—â— thereof especially of the morning sun have lighter and wholsomer water although less cool than those which are contrarily seated and so for the rest Sect. 2. Spaes and Holy-wels in Ireland A few yeares since some Fountains have been discovered in Ireland some of them not far from Dublin and others in other parts whose veines running through certain Minerals and washing off the vertue of the same yeeld a Medicinall water apt to open the obstructions of mans body and to cure other accidents thereof which kind of Fountains are commonly called Spaes a name borrowed of a certain village in the country of Liege in which there is a Spring of that sort absolutely the principallest and the most effectuall of all those of the same kind and therefore of very great renown in near and in far countries Besides these Spaes there are also a great number of other Fountains throughout all the Land called Holy-wels by the inhabitants whose water not differing from that of other Wels in smell tast or in any other sensible quality neverthelese is beleeved to be effectuall for the curing of severall diseases But experience doth shew that those vertues are not found in the Springs themselves but onely in the vain imagination of the superstitious people the which also having dedicated every one of those to some particular Saint do expect the supposed vertue rather from the power of them than from any naturall efficaciousness inherent in the water it self Sect. 3. Of the fabulous Fountains of Giraldus Cambrensis As for those wonderfull Springs mentioned by Giraldus Cambrensis One in Munster whose water presently maketh them gray that wash their head or beard therewith One in Ulster of quite contrary vertue so that the persons washed therewith never come to be gray One in Connaught whose water good and commodious for the drinking and other uses of men is hurtfull yea deadly to cattle sheep horses and all other sorts of beasts And yet another in the same Province the which being on the top of a high hill far from the sea side ebbeth and floweth twice a day in the same manner as the sea I could not hitherto come to the speech of any who in our times had seen those Fountains or observed any such thing in them Which maketh mee doubt that that good man hath been deceived herein by his credulity as in innumerable other things the which being evidently untrue and fictitious are by him related for certain truths As in this matter who seeth not the idleness of that fiction concerning a certain Fountain in Munster whereof he writeth that as soon as any body doth touch it or but look at it it beginneth presently to rain most heavily over all the Province and continueth so to do untill a certain Priest appointed for that purpose and who hath never lost his Maiden-head do appease the Fountain in singing a Mass in a Chappel standing not far from thence and built expresly for that end and in be sprinkling the same Fountain with Holy-water and with the Milk of a Cow of one colour Sect. 4. Of the Brooks in Ireland No country in the world is fuller of Brooks than Ireland where the same be numberless water all the parts of the land on all sides They take their beginning three severall manner of waies Some have their source of Fountains the which for the most part are very small not only those who carry the water but of one spring most of which are rather like unto a gutter than a brook but even those into which the water of severall fountains doth flow together Others rise out of Bogs the which besides their own universall wetness being full of springs and by reason thereof gathering in them more water than they are able to drink in or contain doe necessarily send out the same in convenient places and so give a beginning unto Rivelets and Brooks The third sort take their beginning out of certain small Loughs which brooks ordinarily are of a reasonable bignes and farre surpasse the other two sorts although there doe not want some even of this kind which are very little And there is very few of any of these kinds who come to any notable bignes as long as they continue to be solitary and untill having received the water of severall other Brooks doe thereby grow more considerable than they were in their first originall These Brooks besids the great good they do the land in watering the same besides the commodity they afford of drenching the Cattle other Beasts do also greatly serve the inhabitants for another good use to wit the grinding of their corn wherunto the Windmils are very little used in Ireland because they have the conveniency through the great number of Brooks to erect watermills in every quarter where it is necessary which bring a great profit to the owners being kept and maintained with less cost and labour Sect. 5. Of the swelling and overflowing of the Brooks Some of the Brooks doe flow in an equall bigness all the year long without receiving any notable increase or diminishing but far the major part doe change according to the wet or dry seasons of the yeâ—r and as many of them as come out of the mountaines or run thorough hilly countries swell so excessively when any great rain doth fall that they not only overflow the next low grounds doing many times great damage in them but also bring the wafering men into great distresse for it cometh to passe very oft that a brook which ordinarily is very shallow and still riseth so mightily through the multitude of the rain water which from the next mountains and hills descendeth into it that a good horse cannot passe without swimming where at other times a child easily may wade over and with that adundance of water is commonly joined so strong and impetuous a current that man and horse are often caried away with it to their extreme danger and what soever wee say here-in of the Brooks is much more to bee understood of the Rivers the which otherwise in convenient places or foards may be passed over wherein the aforesaid danger is greater yet so that few yeares passe in Ireland in the which some persons are not drowned in that fashion Sect. 6. Strange invention of a man to pass a Brook greatly risen by the abundance of rain It shall not be improper to insert here a particular observed by a very credible and reverend person Theophilus Buckwort Bishop of Dremore the which he hath severall times related to
my Brother and others being this The Lagon a little River or Brook which passeth by the Town of Dremore upon a certain time being greatly risen through a great and lasting rain and having carryed away the woodden-bridge whereby the same used to be passed at that Town a country fellow who was travelling that way having stayed three dayes in hope that the water would fall and seeing that the rain continued grew impatient of staying longer and resolved to pass the Brook whatever the danger was but to doe it with the less perill and the more steadiness he took a great heavy stone upon his shoulders whose weight giving him some firmness against the violence of the water he passed the same without harm and came safe to the other side to the wonderment of many people who had been looking on and given him all for a lost person Sect. 7. Of the Brooks of Dromconran and Rafernam by Dublin Of these dangerous Brooks there are two hard by Dublin both running into the Haven somewhat more than a mile from the Citie the one at the North-side thereof a little below the Village Dromconran which is seated upon the High-way from Dublin to Drogheda and the other at the South-side close by the Rings-end This called rafernam-Rafernam-water of the village by which it passeth two miles from the sea and the same distance from Dublin is far the worst of the two as taking its beginning out of those great Mountains South-wards from Dublin from whence after any great rain such abundance of water is descending to it that the same which at other times is of very little depth groweth thereby so deep and exceeding violent that many persons have lost their lives therein amongst others Mr. Iohn Vsher Father to Sir William Vsher that now is who was carryed by the current no body being able to succour him although many persons and of his nearest friends both afoot and horsback were by on both the sides Since that time a stone bridge hath been built over that brook as over Dromconran-water there hath been one from antient times upon the way betwixt Dublin and Rings-end which was hardly well accomplished when the Brook in one of those furious risings quite altered its chanel for a good way so as it did not pass under the Bridge as before but just before the foot of it letting the same stand upon the dry land and consequently making it altogether useless in which perverse course it continued untill perforce it was constrained to return to its old chanel and to keep within the same To go from Dublin to Rafernam one passeth this River upon a woodden-bridge the which although it be high and strong nevertheless hath severall times been quite broke and carryed away through the violence of sudden floods although at other times and when that Brook doth onely carry its ordinary water a child of five yeares may easily and without danger wade through it and a tall man on horsback riding underneath it not being able to reach it in the great floods the water many times riseth so high as that it doth not onely touch but floweth quite over the bridge CHAP. VIII Of the Rivers of Ireland Sect. 1. Of the Shanon BEsides the excessive number of Brooks wherwith Ireland is watered it hath a good many Rivers the which being broader and deeper than the Brooks are consequently navigable although the major part are not portable of any great ships nor barks but only of small vessels and boats The principallest of all is the Shanon who taking his originall out of Lough-Allen and in his course dividing the Province of Connaught from Leinster and afterwards also from Munster passeth through two other great Loughs to wit Lough-Ree whereout she cometh just above Atlone a mean Market-town but adorned with a stately and strong Castle the ordinary residence of the Presidents of Connaught and Lough-Dergh about half way betwixt Atlone and Limmerick and a little below the said Town shee dischargeth her self again into another Lough by far the biggest of all the which extending it self from Limmerick unto the sea and above fifty miles long it is held by the Irish as well as the English not for a Lough but for the Shanon it self and consequently called with that name whereof hath been spoken in the second Chapter This River is wide and deep every where so as she would be navigable in her whole length not only with Boats of all sorts but with reasonable big Ships to the great commodity of them that inhabit near it were it not for the impediment of a certain Rock some six miles above Limmerick the which standing across in the chanel and the River with great violence falling downwards over it all communication of Navigation betwixt the upper and the lower parts of it is thereby absolutely hindred Sir Thomas Wentworth Lord Wentworth and afterwards Earl of Strafford he that in in the beginning of this present Parliament was beheaded having been Governour of Ireland many yeares first in the quality of Lord Deputy and afterwards of Lord Lieutenant had a design to take away that let in causing of a new channel to be digged for a little way whereby the River being made to alter her course should have avoyded that Rock and to that purpose sent certain skilfull men thither to view those parts and carefully to examine whether it were feasible who made report that it might be done and would not cost above seven or eight thousand pounds sterling a sum not very considerable in comparison of the great profit which afterwards would have been reaped from that work Nevertheless it was never taken in hand the intents of publick utility having been diverted and smothered by those of private profit as commonly it falleth out Sect. 2. The Rivers Suck Sure Oure broad-Broad-water Barrow and Slane There are several other Rivers in the Province of Connaught but none of them is any waye comparable with the Shanon for length bredth or depth and little to be said of them but that the Suck the which falleth into the Shanon a little way below Atlone is the principallest of all The two chief Rivers of Munster are Sure and broad-Broad-water the City of Waterford being situated upon the first of those two the which close by it dischargeth her self into that arm of the sea which is known by the name of Waterford-haven The other passeth by Lismore and falleth into the sea by Youghall where it maketh a Tide-haven Next to those two is the River of Cork and then that of Kinsale the which is but of small moment as also are the rest of the Rivers of this Province In Leinster is the Nure or Oure the Barrow the Slane the Liffie and the Boine besides some others of less moment The Oure and Barrow do mingle their waters at the Town of Ross from whence having past a little way together they discharge themselves into the right arm of the Haven of Waterford and
finding an open entrance and twice a day with the Tide fully flowing into them maketh the water so salt And it would be no great error to take all those Loughs wherein that happeneth viz. Lough Cone in the County of Down Lough-Foile in the County of Colrain Lough-suille in Tirconnell and the Lough of Cork rather for Inlets of the Sea than for Lakes although the Inhabitants hold them all to be Loughs and give them the name of Loughs And in this number is also to be put that great Lough betwixt Limmerick and the sea through which the Shanon dischargeth it self into the sea of the which we have already spoke once or twice heretofore Sect. 4. Of Lough-Earne Lough-Neaugh and the rest of the great Loughs Amongst the great Loughs of sweet-Sweet-water are far the principallest Lough-Earne Lough-Neaugh the first of which is situated in the confines of Ulster and Connaught being in effect two different Loughs joyned together onely by a short and narrow chanel of which two that which lyeth farthest within the land doth extend it self in a manner directly North and South but the second which is next to the sea doth lye East and West so that both together they have the fashion of a bended elbow being both very broad in the midst growing by degrees narrower towards both the ends Lough-Neaugh lyeth in the North-Easterly part of Ulster bordering upon the Counties of Tirone Armagh Down Antrim and Colrain being of a round or rather somwhat ovall figure Next in bigness to these two is Lough-Corbes the same on whose neather-end the City Galloway is seated The two Loughs thorough which the Shanon passeth Lough-Ree and Lough-Dirg item Lough-Fingarrow in Connaught betwixt the Counties of Maio and Roscomen In the last place as the least of this sort are Lough-Allen out of which the Shanon taketh his originall being nine miles long and three miles broad Lough-Meâ—ke situated betwixt Lough-Fingarrow and the Lough of Galloway And Lough-Larne in the County of Kerry in Munster not far from the upper-end of those two famous Bayes Dingle and Maire The least of these is some miles long and broad and many miles in circuit but the biggest are of so vast a compass that they are more like a Sea than a Lough Sect. 5. Of the Ilands in the Loughs Most of these great Loughs are very full of little Ilands and above all Lough-Earne in which the same are numberless In Lough-Cone also there is so great a number that those who inhabit about it affirm them to bee two hundred and threescore Lough-Ree and Lough-Dirg are likewise very full of them And there is also a good many in Lough-Fingarrow Lough-Larne and Suille But Lough-Foile is very free from them and in the Lough of Cork there is not above one or two as likewise in Lough-Neaugh in which they lye near to the â—ides leaving the midst altogether free Very few of these Ilands are inhabited or planted but the most part being plentifully cloathed with very sweet Grass serve for pastures to sheep and other cattle the which doe thrive wonderfully well in them and the same befalleth also in the middle sort of Loughs amongst which likewise there be very few that have not some of these little Ilands in them In some few of these Ilands especially of Lough-Earne and Lough-Ree are some dwellings whereunto persons who love solitariness were wont to retire themselves and might live there with much contentment as finding there not only privacy and quietness with opportunity for studies and contemplations but there besides great delightfulness in the place it self with variety of very sweet pastimes in fowling fishing planting and gardening In one of the greatest Ilands of Lough-Earne Sir Henry Spotteswood had a fine seat with goodly Buildings Gardens Orchards and a pretty little Village with a Church and Steeple belonging to it which whither it is in being yet or destroyed by the Barbarians and bloody Rebels I am not informed In Lough Sillon in the County of Cavan in a Iland not far from the bank where the River Nanneâ— runneth into it is a Castle built of form four square which covereth the whole I le much after the manner of the Fort Eneskellin in Lough-Earne and so many more to long to be rehearsed Sect. 6. Of St Patriks Purgatory One of these little Ilands situated in Lough-Dirg one of the middle-sort of Loughs hath been very famous for the space of some ages over almost all Christendome because the world was made to beleeve that there was the suburbs of Purgatorie into which whoso had the courage to goe and remaine there the appointed time did see and suffer very strange and terrible things which perswasion having lasted untill our times the matter hath been discovered with in these few yeares and found to be a meer illusion This discoverie was made during the goverment of Richard Boile Earle of Cork and Adam Lostus Vicount of Elie and Lord Chancellour of Ireland which two being Lords Iustices of that Kingdome in the last yeares of King Iames desirous to know the truth of the business sent some persons of qualitie to the place to inquire exactly into the truth of the whole matter These did find that that miraculous and fearfull cave descending down to the very Purgatorie and Hell was nothing els but a little cell digged or hewen out of the Rockie ground without any windowes or holes so as the doore beeing shut one could not see a jot within it beeing of so little depth that a tall man could but just stand upright in it and of no greater capacity than to contain six or seven persons Now when that any person desirous to goe that Pilgrimage to Purgatory was come into the Iland the Friars some small number whereof made their constant aboad there for that purpose made him watch and fast excessively whereby and through the recounting of strange and horrible apparitions and â—antasmes which he would meet withall in that subterranean pilgrimage being well preepared they did shut him up in that little dark hole and beeing drawn out again from thence after some houres altogether astonished and in a maze he would be a good while before he came again to himself and afterwards the poor man would tell wonderfull stories as if in very deed he had gone a great way under the ground and seen and suffered all those things which his weak imagination altogether corrupted by the concurrence and sequel of so many causes to weaken the braine did figure unto him To prevent this delusion in future times the said Lords Iustices caused the Friars to depart from thence their dwelling quite to be demolished and the hole or cell to be broke open and altogether exposed to the open aire in which state it hath lyen ever since whereby that Pilgrimage to Purgatory is quite come to nothing and never hath bin undertaken since by any To beget the greater reputation to this sictitious Purgatory the people
there would scarce have been left one acre of Bog of what was in the lands and possessiion of the English except onely those places whose situation is altogether repugnant to draining because that the water either through the hollowness of the place as in the inclosed valleyes and deep dales between the hils and mountaines or through the too great evenness plainness of the ground not inclining to any one part more than another cannot be drawn away at all and except such parcels as needs must have been kept for turf and Red bogs who are very unfit for draining for the trenches being made the earth on both sides will sink into them again and choak them up Sect. 4. Profit reaped by the draining of Bogs This draining of the Bogs as it tended not a little to the generall good of the whole land by amending of the Air wherof we shall have occasion to say more in some other place and otherwise so it brought great profit unto the Authors for the land or soil of the Bogs being in most places good of it self and there besides greatly enriched by the lying still and the soaking in of the water for the space of so many yeares the same being dryed through the draining of the water is found to be very sit either to have corn sowed upon or to be turned into pastures making also excellent meadowes so as those who have tried that doe affirm that the meadowes gained out of the Bogs might be compared with the very best of their other meadowes yea many times surpassed the same in goodness this took place chiefly in the Grassie bogs or Shakking bogs whose fruitfulness in this particular in the plentifull production of very sweet and deep grass after the draining off the water was very wonderfull and all this without any other trouble or costs bestowed upon these Meddows than that they dunged them the first year to warm them the better and the sooner and more thoroughly to amend the remainders of that coldness and rawness contracted through that long and constant continuance of the water upon them after which once dunging afterwards for a good many yeares nothing else needed to be done to them Sect. 5. The manner of draining the Bogs This draining of the Bogs was performed in the manner following On that side of the Bog where the ground was somewhat sloaping they cut a broad deep Trench beginning it in the firm ground and advancing it unto the entrance of the Bog into which Trench the water would sink out of the next parts of the Bog in great abundance and that many times so suddenly as if a great sluce had been opened so as the labourers were constrained to run out of it with all speed lest the â—orce of the water should overwhelm and carry them away Some part of the Bog being by this meanes grown reasonable dry within a short space of time opportunity thereby was ministred to advance the Trench further into the Bog and so by little and little they went on with it untill at last they carryed it quite across the Bog from the one side to the other And having done this they made a great many lesser Trenches out of the main one on both sides of the same the which bringing the water from all the parts of the Bog unto the main Trench did in a little while empty the Bog of all its superfluous moysture and turn it into good and firm ground Sect. 6. Observation about the falling and setling of the Bogs at their draining The Green or Grassie-bogs the which having all their moysture and water inwardly are thereby wonderfully swelled and pust up use by means of this draining to fall very much and to grow a great deal lower and that not only apparently so that the ground which before the drayning was five or six feet high commeth at last to be not above two or three feet high but sometimes also suddenly and within the space of four and twenty or eight and forty houres whereas ordinarily that useth to come to pass in greater length of time and although the ground by falling in this manner may seem thereby to have been subject to return to its former boggy condition on the least occasion nevertheless there was no danger of that as long as the Trenches were kept open and thereby the passage kept free for the water which from time to time would from all parts of the drayned Bog be sinking into them This water as at the first draining so ever after was by the main Trench carryed unto some Brook River or Lough according as one or other of them was next at hand and the situation of the land would give opportunity CHAP. XV. Of the Woods in Ireland Sect. 1. Woods in Ireland are reckoned among the barren lands and the reason thereof AMongst the barren parts of Ireland the Woods must also be counted according to the usuall division of the lands of that Kingdom whereby reckoning for fruitfull onely the Meddows Arable-grounds and Pastures they count all the rest for barren comprehending them under these three generall heads Bogs Barren-Mountains and Woods Which division as it is in the mouth of all them that have any insight into the matters of that Land and do or have lived there so it is further confirmed by a number of Writings and Monuments both of ancienter times and late ones in the which it is very common and familiar As for instance may appear by those several Acts which since this last Rebellion of the Irish have been made by the Parliament of England in the behalf of the Adventurers who have layd out their monyes for the reconquering of the revolted parts of that Kingdom For although the land which the Woods doe take up is in it self very good in most places and apt to bear both Corn and Grass plentifully whereof more shall be sayd by and by yet as long as the Woods remain standing it is unfit not only to be made either Arable or Meddow as in it self is most evident but even for Pasture by reason of the overmuch moysture the roots of the trees staying the rain-water so as it hath not the liberty to pass away readily and their stems and branches hindering the free access of the Wind and Sun whereunto cometh in many parts the grounds own wateriness occasioned by Springs there arising and by its situation apt for the gathering and keeping of water which maketh them for the most part so muddy and boggy that cattle cannot conveniently feed in them Sect. 2. Woods much diminished in Ireland since the first comming in of the English In antient times and as long as the land was in the full possession of the Irish themselves all Ireland was very full of Woods on every side as evidently appeareth by the writings of Giraldus Cambrensis who came into Ireland upon the first Conquest in the company of Henry the second King of England in the year of
into the land the which it doth for the space of fifteen miles as far as to the Town of Belfast where a little river called Lagon not portable but of small boates falleth into this Harbour In this Bay is a reasonable good Road before the Town of Knockfergus seated about nine miles within the land where it is good anchoring in three fathoms and three and a halfe On the North side of the Bay somewhat neer the Sea under a Castle called Mouse-hill is a sand-bay where it is good anchoring for all sorts of ships aswell great as small ones for the North and North-west winds but bad riding for the South-west Sect. 4. Sheeps haven Lough Suillie and Lough foile The three fore-mentioned Havens of Carlingford Strangford Knockfergus are all in the Province of Vlster on the East-side thereof The said Province hath also three good Havens on its Northern coast not very far distant the one from the other viz. Sheep haven Lough Suillie and Lough foile Every one of these is a Lough which the very name of the second and third sufficiently testifieth opening it self into the sea of the which Sheeps haven and Lough Suillie although they bee fair large Harbours as well as Lough foile and that Ships may ride there defended off all winds Lough Suillie beeing also of sufficient bigness to contain a thousand great vessels yet are they very litle frequented because there is not any trade nor trafick nor any good town placed upon or neer them Lough foile is of a great bignes at least twelve miles long and in most places five or six miles broad beeing almost every where of an equall breadth except at the two ends where it groweth narrow beeing of an Ovall figure For at the mouth betwixt Magilions point and Greencastle it is hardly a mile and a half broad and at the other end it is much narrower yet running from thence with a long arm some miles into the countrie beeing liker to a broad River than to a Lough Vpon this Arm three or four miles from the great Lough is the town of London-derrie in a place where that Arm turneth and windeth it self in that manner as it environeth the town on three sides It is nothing big consisting only of two long streets the which cut one nother cross-wayes in the midst but it is very handsome the streets beeing broad and well paved the houses some stories high built for the most of free-stone with a handsome Church Market place and Key and is inclosed with a thick and very strong stone wall being one of the principall fortresses of Ireland It is but few yeares old having been built up from the ground by a company of London Adventurers under the reign of King Iames. Before the mouth of this Lough lyeth a great sand called the Touns upon which it burneth greatly when the wind bloweth from the sea but so as a fair broad and deep channell remaineth betwixt the said Sand and the West-side of the land where there is at all times fourteen and fifteen fathoms of water as in the mouth it self some eight or ten Entring into the Lough there are very great Sands on the left hand from the one end to the other which are some miles broad from off the land and of the right hand are some little sands or shelves here lying close to the land Betwixt these runneth a broad channell in most parts three and four fathoms deep and in that Arm whereon London-derry standeth it is deeper yet in some places no less than ten or twelve and before the Town four and five fathoms so as this is one of the best and most commodious harbours of all the Land Sect. 5. Kilbeg and Dungall Haven The Country of Tirconnell the which taketh up the whole West-side of the Province of Ulster runneth a great way into the Sea with its Southern part on the South side of which Foreland there are two very Fair Havens the one not far from the other viz. Kilbeg and Dungall-haven Kilbeg is a fair round Bay where the greatest ships that goe upon the seas may at all times with their full lading enter and come to an anchor being distant about twelve miles from Cape de Tellin the outmost or most Western point of that forenamed Foreland of Tirconnell The entrance is very narrow so as unto them who are comming to it there seemeth to be no opening there untill they are very neer but it is very clean as well in the mouth as in the Bay it self and nothing that can hurt the ships either comming in or going forth beeing entred one may anchor where one will in five six seven eight fathomes or more Three or four miles to the South from Kilbeg is a Cape called St. Iohns point and six or seaven miles Eastward from the said Cape is Dungal-haven wide and deep enough but in the entrance greatly incumbred with shelves sands rocks so as great care circumspection is requisit to enter or goe forth safely These two Havens have their names of villages seated on them which are very small and no wayes considerable Sect. 6. Broad-haven Akill-haven and Galloway-haven The Province of Connaught extending her self betwixt Vlster and Munster taketh up the greatest part of the westside of Ireland it hath also some good Ports as namely Broad-haven an other to the North of Akill head and a third situated between the main and the North and East side of Akill Iland in which one may ride in seven and eight fathomes and be defended off all winds although it be rather a Sound than an inclosed Harbour for the ships which are come into it need not to goe forth the same way again but sailing on betwixt the Main and the Iland may at the South end of the I le come again to the open sea These Havens are nothing famous beeing very seldome resorted unto by any great ships except such as by tempests and foul weather or some other accident are necessitated to shelter themselves in the same But the famousest Port of this Province is that of Galloway beeing a very great Bay some miles broad and many more long having in the mouth three Ilandâ— named the Iles of Aran the which lye North and South by the side one of the other there remaining three chanels for to come out of the sea into this Bay One chanel runneth betwixt the Land and the Northern Iland called therefore North-sound the second between the the same Northern Iland and the middlemost which channel beeing the most usuall of the three is commonly stiled St Gregories sound and the third between the Southernmost Iland and the main named South sound the channel betwixt the Southern and the middlemost Iland not beeing passable by reason of the sands and shelves wherefore the name of False-sound hath been given to it The whole North-side of this Bay is very foul with sands and rocks so as one may not approach the shoar in
East-side and the North-side of the coast There be also divers Rocks that alwayes stand above water the which as they are dangerous in the dark night and in misty weather so at other times they are rather profitable than hurtful forasmuch as they serve the Sea-faring men for Sea-marks and help them to discern the situation and distances of the coasts wherefore also the most part of them have received peculiar and proper names The principall of this whole number is the Tuskar a great black smooth Rock of fashion like unto a ship turned the upside downwards but as big again lying South-Eastwards from the point of Greenore the space of three miles To the South West of the Tuskar a great way and about a mile and a half from the bigger of the Saltees is the Rock Kinbeg To the North-East of the Saltees stand two Rocks not far the one from the other of which the one of its situation is called North-Rock the Southermost The Tuns To the East of these two and about three miles from the point of Carnarord lyeth Black-Rock being clean of all sides so as ships may freely sail round about it without any fear or danger A mile or two to the North of Lambry lyeth a great Rock called Rock Abill about which ships may sail of all sides Two miles beyond the North-point of the Haven of Strangford are two great Rocks the one called North-Rock and the other distant two miles from it to the South South-Rock The North-Rock is a number of Rocks lying close together divers whereof are covered at high-high-water From the end of these two shoot out riffes of foul and rocky-ground but betwixt them goeth a broad clean and deep chanel through which all manner of ships even the biggest may pass Six or seven miles to the North of the Bay of Knockfergus and three miles from the land are the Nine Mayds being great Rocks that lye but a little above the water or low Rocky-Iles with a great number of blind Rocks about the same so as ships may come no nearer to them than within five or six mile Of the same kind of low Rocks or little Rocky-Ilands are also those who are called Enesteâ—hull-Ilands being situated before the most Northerly-point of Ireland betwixt Lough-Foile and Lough-Suillie Sect. 6. Rocks in the Irish-sea upon the Western and the Southern-coast Near the Ilands of Aran upon the North-West-coast of Ireland lye severall high Rocks called the Stags of Aran and such other Rocks called the Stags of Broad-haven lye three or four miles from the Northern-point of Broad-haven Three miles to the North-west of Akill-head lyeth Black-rock a great high and black Rock with severall other Rocks near unto it On the North-side and West-side of the Ilands Blaskes lying over against the most Westerly-point of Ireland are severall great Rocks some whereof are called the Horses and others the Bucks Seven or eight Leagues to the South of Blaskes lye three great Rocks called the Skellighs the Easterliest about three miles and the Westerliest six or seven miles from the Land the which to those that come from the South when first they begin to see them resemble the Sails of Ships Without the Head of Dorses lye three other great Rocks whereof the uttermost or the most Westerly is called the Bull the middlemost the Cow and the third the Calf being clean round about so as without any danger one may sail between them Five or six miles West and by South of the Head of Clare lyeth a high steep Rock alone in the sea called Fastney the which at the first appearing looketh like the sayl of a ship Two or three miles to the East of Baltimore and a mile or two from the land lye five or six high steep Rocks called the Stags as those of Aran and Broad-haven to those that come from the East along the land when first they begin to have them in sight they resemble some Spires or Pointed-steeples standing together Two miles Eastwards from the mouth of the Haven of Kinsale lye two great black Rocks the one somwhat farther from the land than the other There lie also severall Rocks neer the little Ilands of Dalkee and Irelands-Eye the one situated before the North-point and the other before the South-point of the Bay of Dublin as heretofore we have shewed Likewise on both ends of the I le of Lambey half way betwixt the same Iland and Tredagh-haven close by the Land near the Iland Ranghlins near Skires Portrush and in severall other places but the principal and most considerable are those whereof we have spoken CHAP. VI. Of the nature of the Irish-sea and of the Tides which go in the same Sect. 1. The Irish-sea not so tempestuous as it is bruited to be THat part of the Irish-sea which divideth Ireland from Great-Britain is very much defamed both by Antient and Modern Writers in regard of its boysterousness and tempestuousness as if it were more subject to storms and raging weather than any other and consequently not to be passed without very great danger Mare quod Hiberniam Britanniam interluit undosum inquietumque toto in anno non nisi paucis diebus est navigabile That is The Sea which passeth betwixt Ireland and Britain is boysterous and restless so as but few dayes in the year ships can go upon it saith Solinus With whom Giraldus who several times went to and fro betwixt England and Ireland fully agreeth writing in this manner Hibernicum Mare concurrentibus fluctibus undosissimum fere semper est inquietum it a ut vix etiam aestivo tempore paucis diebus se navigantibus tranquillum praebeat That is The Irish-sea being very boysterous through the concourse of the waves is almost alwayes restless so as even in the summer-time it is hardly for a few dayes quiet enough to be sayled upon Likewise also Camden and Speed give unto this sea the surnames of Boysterous and Tempestuous Yea it is a common Proverb in England As unquiet as the Irish-sea Nevertheless it is nothing so bad as they make it and the words of Stanyhurst in his Annotations upon Giraldus Mare Hibernicum satis tranquillum est nisi ventorum vi agitâ—tur non solum aestate sed etiam summa hyemâ— vectores ultro citroque navigant The Irish-sea is quiet enough except when by high windes it is stirred so as not only in the summer but even in the midst of winter people do pass it to fro are altogether true confirmed by dayly experience True it is that some ships do perish upon this but the same happeneth as well upon other seas who are all subject to the disaster of tempests and shipwracks Sect. 2. Causes of the loss of such ships as perish upon this sea The common cause of the casting away of ships upon this sea and upon the East-coast of Ireland is this that in the long dark Winter-nights when this disaster is more frequent than at
short time the use thereof grew very common amongst them so as many of â—hem ever after used no other kind of dung The manner of it was thus Having first plowed their fields they carryed the Lime on them and layd it in many small heaps leaving a convenient distance between in the same manner as useth to be done with the dung of beasts and having let them lye for some moneths they plowed the land again to convey the Lime into the ground This made it so rich that in a great while after nothing else needed to be done to it but to let the land at a certain revolution of time lye Fallow no other manuring at all being requisite for some yeares after And all that while the land was very fruitfull more than it could have been made with any ordinary dung and very free of al sorts of bad herbs and weeds especially for the first yeares bringing Corn with much thinner huskes than that growing upon other lands They found that the Lime carryed upon the Land hot out of the Kiln did more good in all the fore-mentioned particulars than when they let it grow cold first And this they could doe very easily because Lime-stone is very plentifull in that County especially in the Town of Monrath where there is a whole hill of that stone of that bigness that if all the adjacent Country did continually fetch it from thence for the forenamed use it would for ever hold out sufficiently The Land thus manured and improved by Lime shewed its fruitfulness not only in the following yeares but even in the first except the Lime had been layd on in undue proportion and in greater quantity than was requisite for in that case the Lime burnt the Corn and the first years Crop was thereby spoyled In some places where the land was not cold and moyst enough to bee able to endure meer Lime they mixed the Lime with earth digged out of pits and let that stuff lye a mellowing in great heaps for some moneths together and afterwards carryed it on the land and manured that therewith Sect. 7. A remarkable historie concerning the excellencie of Lime for the inricheng of the ground How incredibly the land was inriched by this kind of manuring may be gathered by the ensuing particular The whole Lordship of Mounrath was thirty yeares agoe set by one Mr. Downings whose it was and who afterwards sold it to Sir Charles Coot for fifty pounds sterling by the year and nevertheless after a while the Farmers surrendred it unto him complaining that they could not live by it but were quite impoverished where as they who farmed it next after them beeing people newly come out of England gave an hundred and fifty pounds sterling a year stâ—rling for it did not only live very freely upon it yea grew rich and wealthie but withall did so farre forth improve the land partly indeed with building plauting hedging and the like but chiefly by this kind of manuing that â—t the time when this last horrible rebellion broke forth the same Lordship if it had been to let out then mighe have been let for five hundred pounds sterling a year as it hath been assured me by some who themselves had been farmers of that land Sect. 8. Another history shewing the â—fficacy of Lime in this particular Before we give over this discours of Lime we shall adde to what hath been said already that in some other parts of Ireland where this manuring with Lime was not used nor known the vertue of Lime in this particular hath been found out by meer chance For some persons known to me who lived but a few miles from Dublin having understood that the crowes wherewith they were much plagued and who did use to make very great spoil of their grains would not touch the corn wherewith the lime was mixed did cause unslâ—ked Lime to be mingled with water making it as thinne as if it had been for the whitening of walls and very well bespringled the corn therewith before it was carried to the fields to be sowen and that after this manner the corn lying on a heap one turned it with both hands whilest another sprinkled on the fore-said stuff doing so untill the whole heap was thoroughly besprinkled at other times they mingled dry lime with the corn and afterwards besprinkled the whole heap with fair water through and through for the same purpose and hereby they did not only obtain the aforesaid end of preserving the corn from the crowes but had thereby a fairer and better crop than ever before their land had produced Sect. 9. Of Sea-sand Lime is much used in the province of Munster as in other parts of Ireland so for to manure the ground withall where the sea-sand likewise is greatly used to the same end not only in places lying on the seaside but even ten twelve and fifteen miles into the land whether it was carried in some places by boats and in others upon carts the charges being sufficiently recompensed by the proâ—it comming from it For they used it for the most part only upoÌ„ very poor land consisting of cold clay and that above half a foot deep which land having been three or fâ—ur times plowed harrowed in the same manner as is usuall to be done with fallow the sand is strawed all over very thinly a little before the sowing time the which beeing done that land bringeth very good corn of all sorts not only Rye and Oates but even Barley and Wheat three yeares one after another and having lyen fallow the fourth year for many years after it produceth very clean and sweet grass whereas formerly and before it was thus manured it produced nothing but moss heath and short low furze which herbs are fired upon the ground and the ground stubbed before it be plowed the first time It is not any peculiar sort of Sea-sand nor out of any particular places which is used for this purpose but that which every where lyeth on the strands And this manner of manuâ—ing the land with Sea-sand is very common in the two most Westerly shires of England Cornwall and Devonshire from whence those who first practised it in Ireland seem to have learned it Sect. 10. Of Brine or Pickle The goodness of the Sea-sand consisteth chiefly in its Saltness for which reason Pickle it self is very good for this purpose it beeing very well known to severall English dwelling about the Band and Colrain that were Farmers of the Salmon-fishing there who used every year carefully to keep the soul pikle comming of the Salmons at their repacking and having powred it among the ordinary dung of cattle and straw they did let them ly a good while a mellowâ—ng together Hereby it was greatly strengthened and enriched so that the land being dunged with it did bear much better and richer crops than that which was manured onely with common dung without the mixture of it CHAP. XII Sect. 1. Of
nimble trick called commonly treading of the Bogs most Irish are very expert as having been trained up in it from their infancy The firm places in passing or but lightly shaking them tremble for a great way which hath given them the name of Shaking-Bogs and where they are but of a small compass Quagmires Sect. 5. Of the Watery-Bogs and of the Miry-Bogs The Watery-bogs are likewise clothed with Grass but the water doth not sink altogether into them as into the former but remaineth in part standing on the top in the same manner as in some of the Grassie-bogs and in all the low Pastures and Meddows of Holland by reason whereof these Bogs are not dangerous for every one at the first sight may easily discern them from the firm ground These two sorts are in many parts found apart and in others mixt and interlaced and likewise parcels both of the one and the other are found up and down in the Moory-heaths and Red-bogs Both these sorts as well the watery as the Green-Bogs yeeld for the most part very good Turf much better than the Red-Bogs whereof more shall be spoken hereafter The Miry-Bogs do consist of meer Mud and Mire with very little or no grass upon them These are commonly of a very small compass whereas most part of the other two are of a notable extent and some of several miles in length and breadth Sect. 6. Of the Hassockie-bogs Hassockie-bogs we call those whose ground being miry and muddy is covered over with water a foot or two deep in some places more in others less so as one would sooner take them for Loughs were it not that they are very thick over-spread with little Tufts or Ilets the which consisting of Reeds Rushes high sower Grass and sometimes with little Shrubs for the most part are very small and have but a few feet in compass some of them being of the bigness of a reasonable big chamber These little Ilets or Tufts being so many in number and spread over all the Bog there remaineth nothing between them but great Plashes of water in regard whereof these Bogs might well be called Plashy-Bogs in some places wider in others narrower so as from the one men may well step or leap to the other that which those who are expert in it know how to do very nimble and so to run from one part of the Bog to another For the roots of the Rushes Reeds and other things growing on those Tufts are so interwoven that they can easily bear a man who lightly treadeth upon them although they have very little earth and are wondrous spungy so as they when the water being drained the Bog is dried round about may easily be plucked from the ground The English inhabiting in Ireland have given these Tufts the name of Hassocks and this sort of Bogs Hassocky-bogs Of which Bogs Munster and other Provinces are not altogether free but most of them are found in Leinster especially in Kings and Queens-county where also the othtr sorts of Bogs are very common whereas otherwise Connaught is generally fuller of Bogs than any of the other Provinces CHAP. XIV Originall of the Bogs in Ireland and the manner of Draining them practised there by the English Inhabitants Sect. 1. Of the originall of Bogs in this Countrie VEry few of the Wet-bogs in Ireland are such by any naturall property or primitive constitution but through the superfluous moysture that in length of time hath been gathered therein whether it have its originall within the place it self or be come thither from without The first of these two cases taketh place in the most part of the Grassie-bogs which ordinarily are occasioned by Springs the which arising in great number out of some parcel of ground and finding no issue do by degrers soak through and bring it to that rottenness and spunginess which nevertheless is not a little increased through the rain water comming to that of the Springs But the two other sorts viz. the Waterie and Hassockie-bogs are in some places caused by the rain-water onely as in others through brooks and rivelets running into them and in some through both together whereunto many times also cometh the cause of the Grassi-bogs to wit the store of Springs within the very ground and all this in places where or through the situation of them and by reason of their even plainness or hollowness or through some other impediment the water hath no free passage away but remaineth within them and so by degrees turneth them into Bogs Sect. 2. Retchlesness of the Irish cause of most of the Bogs Of trees found in Bogs So that it may easily be comprehended that whoso could drain the water and for the future prevent the gathering thereof might reduce most of the Bogs in Ireland to firm land and preserve them in that condition But this hath never been known to the Irish or if it was they never went about it but to the contrarie let daily more more of their good land grow boggy through their carelesness whereby also most of the Bogs at first were caused This being otherwise evident enough may further be confirmed by the whole bodies of trees which ordinarily are found by the turf-diggers very deep in the ground as well of other trees as of Hasels likewise they meet sometimes with the very Nuts themselves in great quantity the which looking very fair and whole at the outside as if they came but newly 〈…〉 have no kernell within the same through the great length of time beeing consumed and turned into filth And it is worthie of observation that trees truncks of trees are in this manner found not only in the Wet bogs but even in the Heathy ones or Red bogs as by name in that by the Shanon-side wherof hath been spoken above in which bog the turf diggers many times doe find whole Firr-trees deep in the ground whether it be that those trees being fallen are by degrees sunk deeper and deeper the earth of that Bog almost every where being very loose and spungy as it is in all such Bogs or that the earth in length of time bee grown over them Sect. 3. Draining of the Bogs practised by the English in Ireland But as the Irish have been extreme careless in this so the English introducers of all good things in Ireland for which that brutish nation from time to time hath rewarded them with unthankfulnes hatred and envy and lately with a horrible and bloody conspiracie tending to their utter destruction have set their industrie at work for to remedy it and having considered the nature of the Bogs and how possible it was to reduce many of them unto good land did some yeares since begin to goe about it all over the land and that with very good success so as I know Gentlemen who turned into firm land three or four hundred acres of Bog and in case that this detestable rebellion had not come between in a few yeares
their own accord so as one may see the veins thereof at the very outside in the sides of the mohntains beeing not very broad but of great length and commonly divers in one place five or six ridges the one above the other with ridges of earth between them These Veins or Ridges are vulgarly called Pins from whence the Mine hath the name of Pin-mine being also called White-mine because of its whitish colour and Shel-mine for the following reason for this stuff or Oar being neither loose or soft as earth or clay neither firm and hard as stone is of a middle substance between both somewhat like unto Slate composed of shels or scales the which do lye one upon another and may be separated and taken asunder very easily without any great force or trouble This stuff is digged out of the ground in lumps of the bigness of a mans head bigger or less according as the Vein assordeth opportunitie Within every one of these lumps when the Mine is very rich and of the best sort for all the Oar of this kind is not of equall goodness some yeelding more and better Iron than other lyeth a small Kernell which hath the name of Hony-comb given to it because it is full of little holes in the same manner as that substance whereof it borroweth its appellation The Iron comming of this Oar is not brittle as that of the Rock-mine but tough and in many places as good as any Spanish Iron Sect. 6. Iron-works erected by the English The English having discovered these Mines endeavoured to improve the same to make profit of them and consequently severall Iron-works were erected by them in sundry pats of the Land â—s namely by the Earl of Cork in divers places in Munster by Sr Coarles Coot in the Counties of Roscomen and Letrim in Connaught and in Leinster by Mountrath in Queens-county by the Earl of London-derry at Ballonakill in the sayd County by the Lord Chancelour Sir Adam Loftus Vicount of Ely at Mount-melik in Kings-county by Sir Iohn Dunbar in Fermanagh in Ulster and another in the same County by the side of Lough-Earne by Sir Leonard Bleverhasset in the County of Tomond in Connaught by some London-Merchants besides some other Works in other places whose first Erectors have not come to my knowledge In imitation of these have also been erected divers Iron-works in sundry parts of the sea-coast of Ulster and Munster by persons who having no Mines upon or near their own Lands had the Oare brought unto them by sea out of England the which they found better cheap than if they had caused it to be fetched by land from some of the Mines within the land And all this by English whose industry herein the Irish have been so far from imitating as since the beginning of this Rebellion they have broke down and quite demolished almost all the fore-mentioned Iron-works as well those of the one as of the other sort CHAP. XVII Of the Iron-works their fashion charges of erecting and maintaining thâ—m and profit comming of them With an exact description of the manner of melting the Iron in them Sect. 1. The fashion of the Iron-works THe fashion of the Iron-works of whose erection we have spoke in the end of the foregoing Chapter is such as followeth At the end of a great Barn standeth a huge Furnace being of the height of a pike and a half or more and four-square in figure but after the manner of a Mault-kiln that is narrow below and by degrees growing wider towards the top so as the compass of the mouth or the top is of many fathoms This mouth is not covered but open all over so that the flame when the furnace is kindled rising through the same without any hindrance may be seen a great way off in the night and in the midst of the darkness maketh a terrible shew to travellers who do not know what it is These Ovens are not kindled with wood nor with sea-coal but meerly vvith char-coal whereof therefore they consume a huge quantity For the Furnace being once kindled is never suffered to go out but is continually kept a burning from the one end of the year to the other And the proportion of the coals to the Oare is very great For the Mine would not melt without an exceeding hot fire the which that it may be the more quick and violent it is continually blown day and night without ceasing by two vast pair of bellowâ— the which resting upon main peeces of timber and with their pipes placed into one of the sides of the Furnace are perpetually kept in action by the meanes of a great wheel which being driven about by a little brook or water-course maketh them rise and fall by turns so that whilst the one pair of bellows doth swell and fill it self with wind the other doth blow the same forth into the Furnace Sect. 2. Of the lesser Iron-works called Bloomeries Of the Hammer-works And of the Casting works There is another and lesser sort of Iron-works much different from the former For instead of a Furnace they use a Hearth therein altogether of the fashion of a Smiths Hearth whereon the Oare being layd in a great heap it is covered over with abundance of Charcoal the which being kindled is continually blown by Bellows that are moved by Wheeles and Water-courses in the same manner as in the other Works These Works commonly called Bloomeries are in use or were so before this Rebellion in sundry places of the North-parts of Ulster Besides these two sorts of Works where the Iron-mine is melted there is a third sort where the Iron after the first melting is hammered out into Bars of which we shall have occasion to speak more in the latter end of this present Chapter There were also in some parts of Ireland yet another kind of Iron-works differing from all the former where the Iron was cast into Ordnance Pots small round Furnaces and other things of which Works Mr Christopher Wandsworth Master of the Rolls of Ireland and in his latter dayes Lord Deputy of the same Kingdom under the Earl of Strafford then Lord Lieutenant thereof had one upon his lands by Idough in the County of Carloe whereof we cannot give the Reader any particulars because we have not yet been informed thereof Sect. 3. Conveniencies requisite to the erecting of an Iron-work In the erecting of these Works men seek to make them as near to the Mine as may be to get the more profit by them for the greater the distance is the greater are the charges in having the Oare brought from the Mine to the Furnace especially where all must be carried by land the which doth fall out so in far the most places But many times one is necessitated to make the Works a good way further from the Mine than otherwise one would because of the Water-courses the which being of very great consequence in the well-settling of a Work and absolutely
necessary the wheels being all moved by water those places must be made choice of where one may have the conveniency of Water-courses And besides all this regard must be had to the nearness of the Woods partly by reason of the Timber a great deal whereof is necessary for the erecting of one of these Workes and chiefly for the Charcoales sake of which a vast quantity continually is requisite as before we have shewed Sect. 4. The charges of erecting and maintaining an Iron-work It is to be observed that although there be Wood enough upon ones land and that not very far from the Mine together with the conveniences of Water-courses so as the water needeth not to be brought from very far off nevertheless the charge is very great both of erecting and stocking one of the Iron-works and of maintaining it and keeping it afoot and that by reason of the great number of Workmen and Labourers of severall sorts which thereunto is requisite a list of whose names and offices here followeth Wood-cutters who fell the timber Sawyers to saw the timber Carpenters Smiths Masons and Bellow-makers to erect the Iron-works with all the appurtenances thereof and to repair them from time to time Water-leaders or Water-course-keepers to steer the Water-courses and to look to them constantly Basket-makers to make baskets for to carry the Oare and other materials Boat-men and Boat-wrights to make the Boats and to go in them Diggers who work in the Mine and dig the same Carriers who carry the Oare from the Mine Colliers who make the Char-coal corders who bring the Char-coal to the work fillers whose work it is from time to time to put the Mine and the coales into the furnace keepers of the furnace who look to the main work rake out the ashes and cinders and let out the molten metall at convenient times finers who look to the works where the Iron is hammered hammerers whose work it is to see the Iron hammered out besides severall other labourers who having no particular task must help to put their hand to every thing of all which sorts of men Sir Charles Coot the elder that zealous and famous Warriour in this present warre against the Irish Rebells wherein having done many memorable exploits he lost his life in the first year thereof did continually keep at work some five-and-twenty or six-and-twenty hundred at his Iron-works being three in number Wherby may easily be gathered the greatness of the expences in erecting maintaining of Iron-works and for all this the owners thereof did greatly gain thereby ordinarily no less than forty in the hundred per annum Sect. 5. Of the profit of the Iron-works instanced in those of Sir Charles Coot by Mountrath To speak somewhat more particularlie both of the charges and the profits of these Iron-works we shal instance the matter in one of the works of the said Sr Charles Coot namely that which he had in the Lordship of Mountrath in Queens-county At that work the Tun that is twenty hundred weight of Rock-mine at the furnace head came in all to stand in five shillings six pence sterling and the Tun of White-mine which hee had brought him from a place two miles further off in seven shillings These two were mixed in that proportion that to one part of Rock-mine were taken two parts of White-mine for if more of the Rock-mine had bin taken the Iron would not have bin so good and too brittle and being thus mixed they yeelded one third part of Iron that is to say of two Tuns of White-mine and one of Rock-mine being mingled and melted together they had one Tun of good Iron such as is called Merchants-Iron being not of the first but second melting and hammered out into barres and consequently fit for all kinds of use This Iron he sent down the river Oure by others called the Nure to Rosse and Waterford in that kind of Irish boates which are called Cots in that countrie being made of one piece of timber which kind of ill-favoured boats mentioned also by us above are very common throughout all Ireland both for to pass rivers in and to carry goods from one place to another and not only upon shallow waters such as the aforenamed River is in the greatest part of its course but even upon the great Rivers and Loughs At Waterford the Iron was put aboard of ships going for London where it was sold for sixteen otherwhiles for seventeen pounds stering and sometimes for seventeen and a half whereas it did not stand Sir Charles Coot in more than betwixt tenne and eleven pounds sterling all charges reckoned as well of digging melting fining as of carrying boat-hire and freight even the Custome also comprehended in it Sect. 6. Some other particulars about the same subiect of the prosit of the Iron-workes In most of the other places did a Tun of the Iron-mine or Oar come to stand in five five and a half and six shillings sterling at the furnace head and it was an ordinary thing as well where they used White-wine as where they mixed Rock-mine with it to have a Tun of good Iron out of three tuns of Oar in some places where the Mine was richer they would have a Tun of Iron out of only two Tuns and a half of Oar. Nevertheless few of them gained more or as much as Sir Charles Coot because they had not the same conveniencie of transportation And he himselfe did not gain so much by his Iron works in Connaught as by that neer Mountrath although the Mines there afforded a richer Oar and that the Tun thereof did cost him but three shillings at the furnace because that Lough-Allen whereunto the same Mines and Works are contiguons gave him the opportunitie of carrying the Oar by water from the Mine unto the Work and that in boates of forty tuns The Earl of Cork whose Iron-works being seated in Munster afforded unto him very good opportunitie of sending his Iron out of the land by shipping did in this particular surpass all others so as he hath gained great treasures thereby and knowing persons who have had a particular insight into his affaires doe assure me that he hath profited above one hundred thousand pounds clear gain by his said Iron-works Sect. 7. The manner of melting the Iron-oar The manner of melting the Iron usuall in Ireland is thus The furnace is not filled to the top but some space is left emptie and to put new stuff into it they doe not stay untill the former be quite consumed but only untill it be somewhat descended and then they cast into it some charges or basketfuls of Coales and at the top of them the same quantity of Mine and thus they doe from time to time so as the furnace is in â— manner alwaieâ— in one and the same estate where is to be observed that in most furnaces they adde unto the Oar and Coales some quantity of Iron-cinders and in others of Lime-stone
out of it doth fly abroad and it is very common throughout all Ireland but especially in the Provinces of Munster and Connaught lying not deep within the ground but very near to the surface of it and in many places above ground The manner of burning it into Lime usual over all Ireland is this In the side of some little height they make a great pit round or square according as conveniencie is offered of that bignes as may hold forty or fifty barrels of that fashion that being many feet wide at the top it doth by degrees grow narrower towards the bottom in the same manner as the Furnaces of the Iron-works The inside of this pit they line round about with a wall built of Lime and Stone at whose outside near the bottom a hole or door is left by which to take out the ashes and above that an iron-grate is laid which cometh close to the wall round about Upon this they lay a lay of Lime-stone being first knockt asunder with a great Iron hammer and broke into peeces of the bigness of a fâ—st or thereabouts and upon that a lay of wood or turf or a certain sort of Sea-coal the which being wonderfull small and peculiarly called Comb is hardly used for any other purpose Upon that they lay another of Lime-stone and so by turns untill the whole Kiln be filled ever observing that the outmost lay be of wood turf or comb and not of Lime-stone which being done the Kiln is set afire until all be burnt Sect. 5. Another manner of burning Lime used in Ireland There is another manner of burning Lime used in Ireland in Kilns built altogether above ground and incomparably bigger than the others insomuch as to the quantity of three hundred Barrels of Lime at once is made in them In these Kilns they burn whole stones without breaking them into peeces as the others and that onely with wood turf or comb not being fit for it whereof they consume a huge deal it being necessary from time to time to put new wood into them to which end three or four men day and night do stand by the Kiln to keep the fire from decaying or slackning These called French-kilns because the usâ— of them was first received from thence have ever their walls made of Lime-stone the which in the same manner are turned into Lime so as there remaineth nothing standing of these Kilns after that the work is accomplished and the Lime taken away Now albeit that in these kilnes a very great quantity of Lime is made at a time nevertheless it hath been found by experience that they are much more unprofitable than the others because they consume much more firing in proportion through the continuall renewing of the fire and require the constant labour of severall men all the while they are burning which commonly is the space of three dayes and nights For these reasons was the use of these kilnes which never had been very generall in Ireland more and more left off in these last yeares and the others almost only made use of in the which the Lime came to stand them who burnt it in no more then four pence the barrell at the most all manner of expences being reckoned but three to them who had the best conveniences Sect. 6. Of the Brick In every part of Ireland there is found a kind of clay very fit for to make bricks and all sorts of Potters-ware although the Irish never had the wit or industrie to make use of it for either of these two ends yea they have ever been so farre from making any earthen vessels that even the use thereof hath been very rare amongst them and to the most part unknown not only before the comming in of the English but also since yea even untill these very last times although a great number of English Potters in severall parts of the land had set up their trade so as all kind of earthen ware was very common and to be had at very easie rates And as for the Brick they have been little used in Ireland even among the English themselves for a great while but of late years they begun to be very common as well in the countrie as in the Cities especially Dublin where all the new buildings the which not only in handsomness but also in number doe surpass the old are all made of Brick But that which is made in Ireland for the most part is not so good as that of other Countries not so much for any unfitness in the clay it self as for want of handling and preparing it aright as may easily be conceived by the following description of the manner they use to make it Sect. 7. The manner how they make their Brick in Ireland They dig a great square pit taking away all the uppermost earth untill they come to a good clay which commonly lyeth one or two spits deep This they digge up throughout the whole pit and having broke it very small with the spade they doe by degrees powre a great deal of water amongst it working and labouring it together with the spade and their feet till the whole mass become uniform firm and tough like stiff dough the which then in wheel barrowes is carried out of the pit to a place where certain long tables are set up to each of which tables is allotted one man one woman one boy The woman taketh up the clay by handfulls from the heap lying upon the ground and reacheth it unto the man who thrusteth it into a little wodden form without bottom strawing now and then some sand upon the table that the clay may not stick to it and so having given them their due fashion the boy doth carry them from thence to a place where he layeth them all upon the ground not under any covert but in the open air After they have lyen some dayes and are somewhat dryed they are piled up in small heaps twenty or thirty in a heap making the heapes transparent in the same manner as we have shewed above of the Turf Some dayes after those little piles are made into greater which are many feet long and five or six feet high but not above two feet or two and a half broad making the layes transparent with some empty space between brick and brick even so as in the small piles the which at the top are covered over with straw laying upon the straw broad green sods to keep off the rain Having lyen so untill they be quite dry they make great ovens or Kilnes of them filling them within with the same strawing betwixt them of that small sort of Sea-caol whereof wee have spoke heretofore called Comb or Coome and having covered over the kiln with the same clay whereof the bricks are made the thickness of two hand-broads or there-abouts they set it afire with wood underneath and continue the fire untill not only all the bricks piled within the Kiln