Valley of the Foyle.

Under this denomination, I comprehend all that tract of country, laying between the flats of the coast and the interior high lands. It may be said to commence, where an out-branch of the ridge, connected with the Loghermore mountains, pushes towards the beach; this point very nearly coincides with the barony march, a little above the wood of Walworth.

Turning to the west, the ground, immediately above the flats, is strong loam, forming a soil generally adapted for wheat, barley, flax, or potatoes.

At the openings of the rivulets, somewhat higher, gravelly strata occur. The most inconsiderable streams also have, on their immediate bank, a loamy level, and for the most part, over this, a gravelly ridge. These loams or gravels are straightened or enlarged, proportionably to the extent of the open, through which the channel of the water has found its way.

It frequently happens that, even in the high gravel grounds, strata of clay appear. These last seem to have been the decomposition of the more argillaceous parts of the shist rocks, on which the soil of this district lies; the more flinty parts of the same rocks, having better resisted the action of the elements, remain under the character of gravel and coarse sand.

By experiment on the clay of Fahan-vale, I find that it changes paper stained with vegetable blue to the colour of bright red; an appearance which indicates the presence of an acid. The sub-strata are inclined to the pyritic shist; and still deeper red freestone is found with other indications of coal. It is not improbable, therefore, that this may be the sulphuric acid. Where no river occurs, the general decomposition of soil, on the same level, is that of stiff, cold till, of unequal depth. Through this, the flag-stone of the country appears in detached rocks or continued ranges.

The grounds above this, gradually decline in fertility and depth, till on the summit, there is nothing but quartzy rubble, or peat

moss.

Descending from this high region, the soil gradually improves toward the village of Muff. In this neighbourhood there is a recess, towards the opening of the glen, of excellent soil, or rather of varieties of the best soils: we find gravel, loam, strong clay, and combinations of these in the happiest proportions.

Towards Derry, the swell of Kilnappy is of superior quality; between which swell, and the ridge of Muff, there is a narrow inlet into the vale of the Fahan, which to me has greatly the appearance as if the river, or a part of it at least, had passed in this direction. This flat is filled with mossy loam, and through it issues an inconsiderable stream. The soil from this, round the banks of the Fahan, is rather to be called manageable than fertile, consisting chiefly of ridges or swells of gravel.

On all sides of the Fahan, as it approaches the Foyle, there are not only detached swells, but a continued tire of gravel, perhaps sixty feet higher than the vale, through which it now passes. One is led to think, that these higher ridges of water-rolled materials, which wind with the present course of the river, have been formerly its banks, and even its channel, at some period still more remote.

Near also to where the Fahan falls into the Foyle, commences that extensive flat of bog, which reaches, with one angle interiorly, near to the village of Muff, and stretches coastways from the freeholds of Tully to the manor of Walworth.

Having already noticed the immediate bank of the river Foyle, little remains to be said of the higher lands, proceeding towards the south. There is, however, this difference, that neither are the ridges so high, nor are their descents so prolonged; of coure, there is but little heath on their summits, and less depth of vegetative soil in their declivities.

Let us now pass to the opposite bank of the Foyle. The peninsula

of Culmore is but an assemblage of gravel, intermixed with sands of a very pure quartz. The vegetable surface, where there is any tolerable, is inclined to a peat-moss. It is true of all soils that, where quartzy pebbles predominate, the surface is ungrateful.

At Ballymagard, there is both a shingle of slate, and a cold yellowish clay the subsoil of this, as of the eastern bank, is flag-stone, in great variety; this soil, when well manured, is good for most of the products of husbandry. Trees also thrive in it with great vigour ; and the aspect is favourable.

Pretty nearly of the same description is the lower part of Sir George Hill's demesne at Brookhall; occasionally clay predominates. Again at Sir Andrew Ferguson's, and thence to the southern termination of the ridge, there seems to be an increasing fertility.

This fertile bank is no more, however, than a border, the interior of which is, generally speaking, shallow, cold, and rocky. In other parts, where there is any kind of hollow, it is occupied by peat-moss; the quality of this is not very good as fuel, and, as arable, has been sadly neglected. The most considerable of these mosses is that of the race-course. Other varieties of soil occur; and among these, some swells of light shingle, intermixed with a reddish powder, like the rust of iron.

Between the ridge already mentioned, and that of Penny-burn mill, passing by Troy and Mr. Alexander's farm, there is a flat bottom, well adapted for meadow, which, proceeding by Clogh-glass, ends at Lough Swilly. It is of various breadth, from that of a furlong to that of more than a mile.

The high grounds, bordering this bottom, are less fertile than at first view might be expected; they abound in red ochreous till, which is, apparently, the oxide of the ferruginous shist beneath. There are, however, in sheltered recesses, on the banks of the rivulets, some better grounds; occasionally too, some miniature landscape occurs, where the streams open to the valley.

From the verge of the Liberties, there is a smaller opening,

through which the Craggin-burn traces a demarcation, nearly at right angles with the former. The ridge between this, and the flats of the bog-side, is naturally barren; yet, on the declivity facing the city, manures, with a good aspect, have rendered it far from unproductive, even in high situations. It is still more genial on the descent, where the soil abounds in the shiver of tender slate. From Pennyburn-mill to Miltown-lodge, near the level of the river, it has received a covering of ouze, in many places of great depth and fertility.

The hill of Bally-ougry is like the rest. It includes some rich soils and good farms, the best of which are in the neighbourhood of Mullenan. In this hill also the stony matter is of the shistose varieties.

The city of London-Derry is built on an almost insulated hill, great part of whose soil consists of a stiff, cold, yellowish clay, frequently three feet in depth. Beside this are many varieties: such are the dark and rich vegetable surfaces of the gardens; the mossy soil near the bog-side; and, the tender shiver of slate with mixture of loam all these lay upon strata, comprising many varieties of the shistose class.

In the rear of all these, are the mountainous tracts; hamlets and cultivation here and there interspersed among the arable; the rest is bog and rock.

Vale of the Fahan.

If we confined this district to the banks of the river, from which we derive its name, it would begin at the Sheskin or swamp, under the precipice called the Eagle's rock, at the base of Sawel mountain, and at the march with the county of Tirone. But we must take in with it all the smaller vales, on the banks of the rivulets, which fall into the Fahan, before it winds round from the Bally-mullans into the district of Claudy.

I cannot note any thing very particular on those subdivisions of the country. The solid strata are shist, the summits wild, the declivities, in favourite spots, are not unfertile; and the loams are, as usual, enriched by the deposits from the mountain torrents.

Q

From Drumcovit to Learmont, the aspect of the country is cheerful, and frequently romantic. In the valley of Straid, there are beautiful gravel swells; and, as in all similar circumstances, the surface has that tumultuated appearance, which may be observed at the confluence of two rivers, or, what is the same thing, when one river empties into another. The gravelly swells of the district, where the Faur-glen* opens into the valley, are remarkable.

About Cumber church too, there are some nice gravels, both in the shape of high banks and swells. The cause of these is the entrance of the Glenrandle river into the Fahan. The same surfaces occur, where the Bond's-glen rivulet joins; and, again, near Mr. Acheson's, where the Burntolloght comes in from the other side. How high and powerful the currents have been, whose vortexes accumulated these masses, has been exemplified in their effects. At the confluence of the Burntolloght with the Fahan, these round gravel hills are not lower than 300 feet above the bed of the river. In short, wherever any streamlet makes its way into this vale, the same kind of materials are disposed, in corresponding shapes.

This vale is connected with that smaller one of Bond's-glen, which is much more fertile; it is among the most favourite spots of the county, having a loamy, though very narrow bottom; lime, in many places, on its declivities, and even on the highest top of its western boundary, Sliabh-cark. As it opens to the county of Tirone, this bottom expands, into fine meadow.

I may now say, in general, of all the lands midway between the loams and the high wastes, that they comprise all the following varieties: 1. Spouty blue clay, with fragments of quartz, slate, and a shallow surface of soft peat. 2. Shingle of slate, interspersed through red ochreous powder or sand. 3. Shingle, with gravel and loam.

I instance these in the climax of their value.

This had better be written " Feur," i. e. in Irish, "grass;" this is one of the terms in the combined word "Feur-ean," pronounced by the natives "Fôr-an,” i. e. watergrass; at present so much distinguished by the name of Fiorin. The "Feur or Forglen" signifies the narrow bottom, or glen, of grass.