These caverns, taken altogther, are perhaps the most wonderful in the west of Europe, and in some instances have not hitherto been entirely explored, so great is their extent and so intricate their ramifications. The artist will revel in the wild glens above Swanlinbar, Florence Court, and Carrick Lake, near Church Hill. The fisherman along the golden shores of many an emerald islet, or by the "salmonful" cataract of Ballyshannon, below which, with a mighty roar and bound, old Saimer-the original name of the Erne river

"Cleaves the waveworn precipice,"

and becomes lost in the bosom of the Atlantic. Amongst the stupendous inland cliffs of Knockmore, Belmore, and lordly Cuilca the botanist may in an hour gather with little trouble, and without having to ask the permission of anyone, as many beautiful and rare ferns and other plants as would stock an ample herbarium. The yachtsman has at his command, at a moderate hire, the graceful cutter, boats of all sizes for sailing or rowing--or, if he will, or the necessities of his party command greater accommodation, the never-tiring sure steamboat.

There are other considerations which, for the benefit of some of our stranger visitors, it may not be out of place here to touch on. We refer principally to the hotel accommodation which is presented along our various routes; and we beg leave to assure the most fastidious tourist that at present, and for a considerable time past, travellers in Ireland, north, south, east, and west, have formed but one opinion, and that an excellent one, of the capabilities of our hotels, of the scale of charges, and of the attention and civility alike of the proprietors and of their assistants. We may also add, for the benefit of many who have drawn their only opinion of Ireland from stage caricatures, from books written purposely to mislead, or from the mendacious speeches of selfish agitators (we allude to no particular party), that there is no country in Europe where the stranger, even the unprotected female," may so safely travel as in Ireland. The two principal routes between Dublin and Enniskillen will be found

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described in another portion of this Guide. As the thriving town of Enniskillen is built upon an island, situate in the very centre of the lake district, we shall assume that celebrated " pass between Ulster and Connaught" as the head-quarters from which the majority of tourists will kindly accompany us on our various excursions.

We conclude our little introduction with a word touching the composition of the "Guide." The sketches were made upon the spot by the author, and by him transferred to the wood. The engraver is Mr. Oldham of Rathgar, Dublin-an artist whose fame we have reason to know is not confined to this his native country. As with the illustrations, so with the letterpress descriptions, all of which were penned while yet we possessed the advantage of having the scene in its reality before us. It has been said that it is desirable for a writer to be possessed in some degree of a knowledge of the subject upon which he treats. If this be true, we may cheerfully claim an advantage over the ordinary class of book-makers upon Irish themes (such particularly as date from the "Sister Isle," and are, therefore, for British [Museum] reasons, to be considered generally as of superior authority on Irish subjects), inasmuch as for four years it has been our lot to reside amongst scenes and districts of the Erne which are now, in very many instances, for the first time brought before the notice of the public.

ROUTE No. 1.

BETWEEN

DUBLIN AND ENNISKILLEN.

As the great majority of tourists who visit the north-western districts of Ireland proceed hither from the Metropolis, we shall preface our "GUIDE TO LOUGH ERNE," &c., by presenting a passing notice of such localities of interest as occur upon the two principal routes between Dublin and Enniskillen, generally confining our remarks to memorable places or objects which are visible from the line of railway. În native Irish style we begin at the Terminus in Amiens-street, a truly noble structure of its class, built in the Italian order of architecture, with the inevitable campanile, turrets, and pavilions, all of which are wrought in the beautiful granite of the county of Wicklow-a material perhaps, for building purposes, unequalled by the product of any other locality in the British Isles. In a few minutes after the startingsignal has been given, a new sensation dawns upon the traveller, who has perhaps, for several days at least, been breathing the air of a crowded city. For aught he feels, he might be taking a balloon flight, as, passing an elevated embankment nearly a mile long, with sea to port and sea to starboard, he snuffs the saline air. Upon the left (we presume our reader sits with his face towards the engine), in the distance, a tall tower built after the fashion of the celebrated round towers of Ireland, from plans by the late Dr. Petrie, and designed as a memorial of O'Connell, indicates the site of Prospect Cemetery, sometimes called "the Perela-Chaise of Ireland;" and well this great "City of the Dead" deserves that title, containing, as it does, very many highly artistic and beautiful mementoes to the departed who rest within its precincts.

Adjoining the "O'Connell Tower" may be observed some

wooded elevations appertaining to the Botanic Gardens. These gardens occupy a space which was formerly the demesne of Tickell the poet, and close to its sylvan solitudes dwelt, from time to time, many of the brightest spirits of the age. Here probably did Addison indite more than one of his stately periods, and Sheridan conceive some of his happiest plots. Here too, doubtless, did Dermody weave many of his brightest fancies, and Swift perfect much of his keenest satire. To the visitor at the present day many classical recollections are suggested by the name of one of the pathways, which is known as "the Addison Walk."

Upon the right expands the beautiful Bay of Dublin, with its wonderful pier, or mall, extending into the sea a distance of nearly three and a-half English miles! This pier, which is said to be the greatest work of the kind in the world, was commenced in 1748, and finished in 1796. The Pigeonhouse Fort, which stands upon it, was for a long period the chief landing and embarking-place of Dublin. A beautiful. range of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains closes in the view to the right.

A few minutes after starting the tourist may observe, to the left of the line, Marino, the noble demesne of the Earls of Charlemont. Here it was, towards the close of the last century, that statesmen and wits-the great in literature, in arms, and in arts-used most to congregate. Amongst the pictures which belong to this noble and honoured house are several famous engraved original Hogarths, finer, we believe, than any works of that great artist still preserved in England.

About four miles and three-quarters from Dublin the Howth Junction is reached, and the tourist has just passed through the ever memorable Plains of Clontarf, the scene of one of the greatest battles recorded in European history. Here, on Good Friday, A.D. 1014, fell, in the moment of victory, Brian, the son of Kennedy, commonly called Brian Boroimhe, or " of the Tributes." The Irish king, determined to chastise the Northmen, who for several centuries had been ravaging Erin, here met his enemy. A mighty conflict. was the result, in which the carnage on both sides was, in Ireland at least, unprecedented. According to the late Dr.

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O'Donovan, on the side of the enemy (it is worthy of observation that a very considerable body of native Irishmen aided the foreigners) there fell Maelmordha, the cause of all this blood, with the princes of Hy Failge (Ophaly) of Magh-Liffe, and almost all the chiefs of Leinster, with 3,000 of their bravest troops. Of the Danes, besides their principal officers, there fell 14,000 men. The loss on Brian's side was equally fearful. Two sepulchral mounds, lying at a short distance from the shore, not far from the modern village of Clontarf, are supposed to cover the remains of a considerable number of the slain, but there are numerous smaller barrows upon this famous site which probably answered the same purpose. These mounds, upon examination, are all found to enclose human bones. Clontarf contains very many beautiful villa residences, and a castle, belonging to the Vernon family, occupying the place of an older structure built by the Knights Templars.

A little beyond the village a long wooden bridge leads to an extensive bank of sand, called the North Bull, the scene of many an encounter between "gentlemen" in "the good old times," when it was thought that the pistol could tell which party was right! We believe the last hostile meeting on this spot took place about twenty-seven years ago, and terminated by one of the " principals," while waiting for the signal to fire, discharging his weapon into the calf of his own leg. It will be enough to say that, the Christian name of the unlucky belligerent being Robert, the circumstance gave occasion to a wit of the time to perpetrate the following squib: "That Robert came to the Bull, where he got cowed, was then calved, and returned a staggering Bob!"

Leaving the grand old historic and picturesque Hill of Howth to the right, we soon arrive at Malahide, a pretty marine village celebrated for its ancient castle, modern hotel, and charming strand. The castle dates from the time of Henry II., when it was founded by Richard Talbot, the direct ancestor of the present lord. Of course, owing to alterations made by successive proprietors, much of the structure has been altered from the original design. "Interesting, however," wrote Dr. Petrie, "as this ancient