absence excites still greater cause of dissatisfaction, the whole of this enormous income having been expended in Italy and France for these last twenty years, during the whole of which time his lordship has resided in those countries, chiefly in Italy, where he now lives, absent from the duties of his pastoral office, I must, however, except a sum, amounting perhaps to seventy or eighty thousand pounds, employed by his lordship in erecting and ornamenting two mansion-houses, one at Down-hill, in the neighbourhood of Coleraine, and the other at Ballyskullen, not far from the Salters' proportion at Maraghfelt, which, from having been both of them left in an unfinished state, may be considered as two monuments of modern ruins. I passed the former in my way to Coleraine. It is built on a rock, within a few paces of the sea; and the mind is struck with awe in reflecting that the broad expanse of water, which in tempestuous weather dashes its spray into the chambers of the house, is continued for the space of more than three thousand miles, and that no land interferes between the spot on which you stand and the coast of Labradore in North America. The mouth of the Bann is plainly discerned from this eminence, and the building is equally visible from the sea-shore near Coleraine, where it appears an object of Roman magnificence. His lordship is said to have planted more than a million of trees and shrubs in the adjoining grounds, hardly any of which have thriven.

The road from Down Hill to Coleraine, goes through the best part of the Clothworkers' proportion, which was held by the right hon. Richard Jackson, who was the Society's general agent. It is commonly reported in the country, that having been obliged to raise the rents of his tenants very considerably in consequence of the large fine he paid, it produced an almost total emigration among them to America, and that they formed a principal part of that undisciplined body which brought about the surrender of the British army at Saratoga. I think it right to add, that Mr. Jackson was considered as a man of the greatest honour and integrity, and that his memory is highly respected by all who knew him.

Coleraine is situated on both sides of the Bann, over which is a handsome bridge, and this place would, in my opinion, be preferred by strangers to Londonderry. The town-hall stands in a kind of square, near the centre of the high street, which is broad and spacious. The parsonage-house is situated opposite the churchyard, and is a sightly building as well as the church itself; but you pass through the town without noticing the Society's free-school, for want of a more conspicuous tablet or inscription over the door. The rock or salmon leap, where the traps are erected, is about a mile above the town.

The cra

nagh or fish-house, where the fish are taken with nets, is about two miles below the town. I visited the former, and sir George Hill had the complaisance, although the season for taking fish was over, to man his boats and cast the nets, in order to show me the manner of fishing the river at the cranagh. The net ex

tends nearly across the river, and it requires two boats and upwards of thirty persons to manage the draft. We caught a few salmon, some mullets, and a great many trout; I was tempted by the men to kill one of the salmon by giving it a blow on the head, for which a fine was imposed upon me, in execution of the law against killing fish out of season. Sir George Hill has been obliged to purchase additional land near the cranagh, which was found too small to accommodate the fishermen and dealers who frequent the fishery. There is no house of residence for the fishermen at the cuts; which is a matter of serious regret, as the property deposited there in the fishing season is much exposed to depredation for want of it. The cut next adjoining the shore has a constant supply of water, and is, as I was, informed, of little use for taking fish, so that a mill might be erected upon a large scale, either for grinding corn or cutting timber, or even applicable to both purposes, if the Society should be induced at any time hereafter, either to build a mill, or grant a term in the fishery that might encourage the tenants to lay out a large sum of money in the erection. The leap and cranagh form the chief part of the fishery lett to sir George, Hill and Mr. Beresford. This embraces all the right they have on the river Bann; the eel-fishery above the rock or salmon leap, belonging to lord Donegal, That part of the fishery which is carried on in the river Foyle, is lett to an under-tenant at Londonderry for £300 a year, but the salmon caught are inferior, both in size and quality, to those of the Bann. I was informed at Londonderry, that the under-tenants had applied to sir George Hill and Mr. Beresford to accept a surrender of their lease in consequence of their having had several bad seasons.

It is, perhaps, a singular circumstance in the natural history of the salmon and eel, that the former are caught in perfection as they proceed from the sea up the river to cast their spawn, and that having performed, this office they go back to the sea, and the young fish bred in the river are known to return to the same waters again, and leave a family where they themselves have experienced safety and protection. The eel, on the contrary, proceeds from the sea in a state smaller than the smallest bloodworm, so weak that the fishermen at the rock make a practice, of placing straws along the sides of the river to enable them to encounter the stream; and having once got above it, they proceed to the deep waters of Lough Neagh, where they grow to an enormous size and then go back to sea, from whence they never return again to fresh water. The salmon fishery must require considerable labour and expense both to practise and protect it; as, independent of clerks, fishermen, boats and boatmen, in the fishing season there must be a number of persons employed as guards and watchmen, in the neighbourhood of all the little rivers communicating with the Bann, and into which the mother-fish resort in the breeding season; so that the increased cultivation of flax, and the establishment of additional bleaching-. grounds, which tend to enhance the value of the Society's pro

perty in one respect, contribute on the other hand to injure the fishery, by poisoning the waters and producing additional stoppages in their course; to say nothing of the workmen themselves, who, if not properly managed by douceurs and indulgences, become poachers, capable of doing much mischief, I cannot leave Coleraine without saying a word or two of the entrance of the river Bann, which, owing to a bar, is very dangerous for vessels of any size; in fact, it is hardly accessible above four months in the year, and the inhabitants have it in contemplation to make a navigable canal from the town to the sea, a distance not exceeding five miles. I think such a measure, if adopted, would' deserve encouragement from the Society; and having this opinion, I promised to become a subscriber to it.

On the left bank of the Bann, and near the rock or Salmon Leap, is Somerset, the Merchant Taylors' proportion, which is held in perpetuity. On this property there is a good house, and a considerable plantation; the present proprietor, Mr. Richardson, who holds some lands on the opposite side of the river, called the Sandbank, belonging to the Society, has made a plantation there, which is beginning to thrive. Mr. Richardson informed me he had it in contemplation to apply to the Society for a new lease of this ground, which being situated on the right bank of the river, is more exposed to the spray of the sea-shore than the opposite side, and of course less calculated for planting; I think Mr. Richardson has some claim on the Society for having overcome these difficulties, in improving a spot which was before unsightly and unprofitable soil.

I shall say nothing of my excursion to the Giants? Causeway, as the subject is not immediately connected with the Society's property and has been often described, but shall return again to Newtown Limmavaddy, by the upper road, over the remaining part of the Clothworkers' proportion, the whole of which consists either of bogs or lands but little cultivated. Much having been1 said in the Society of timber on the Salters' proportion, my curriosity led me to visit that district; in doing this, I passed through a part of the Ironmongers' proportion, which is desirably situated near the Bann, and through Garvah, the estate of Mr. Canning, In this excursion I visited Bally-Skullen, the other seat of the bishop of Derry, which commands an extensive view of Lough Neagh, and the surrounding country; but the house, though inhabited and partly furnished, and ornamented in a style of eastern magnificence, is left unfinished, and the new-built offices are falling to decay.

I passed through Maghera to Maraghfelt, which latter is the chief place of the Clothworkers' proportion, but saw nothing in the nature of timber-trees, nor indeed any plantations, except a few ornamental trees adjoining the residence of Mr. Paterson the agent for lord Londonderry, and Mr. Bateson, the company's tenants; there are however more trees to be seen on this proportion than any of the others, Mr. Beresford's woods at Walworth excepted.

I had a distant view of the Drapers' proportion at Monymore, adjoining that of the Salters', but have no reason to believe it better wooded than the other proportions; the same may be said of that part of the Grocers' proportion at Muff, which I touched upon in my way from Londonderry to Walworth, and in my excursion to Dungiven, already mentioned ;—I have since learnt from Mr. Beresford, that there is a small plantation belonging to Mr. Connelly, at a place called "the Glen of the Ness."

The Goldsmiths' proportion is situated near Londonderry, and is lett, in perpetuity, to Mr. Ponsonby; there are small native freeholds and bleaching-grounds near and upon it, with ornamental plantations belonging to them.

The Vintners' proportion at Ballaghy, is likewise lett in perpetuity to Mr. Connelly, but not having visited it, I am not competent to speak of its present state.

My original intention was to have returned to England again by the way of Port Patrick, but the temptation of exploring a little of the western part of the island and visiting its capital, which I had seen about twenty-four years ago, prevailed, and I took my route accordingly to Strabane, Newtown-Stewart, Omagh, M'Guire's Bridge, the borders of Lough Erne, NewtownButler, Cavan, Kels, Cavan, and Dunshaughlin to Dublin.

I shall not trespass on the Society's patience by communicating any observations made in this tour, except remarking, that the face of the country is very bare of any thing like timbertrees, if you except Lord Mountjoy's woods at Omagh, the plantation near the banks of Lough Erne, and those of Lord Bective, near Kels; but I cannot close my observations without expressing the pleasure I felt in seeing the astonishing improvements made in the city of Dublin, which bids fair to become the handsomest city, of the second rate, in Europe. On enquiring, I learnt that one general act had been obtained for the improvement of the city, by making wide and convenient passages through the same, and for regulating the coal trade thereof; under which, and three others passed in explanation of it, these great and useful works have been effected:-I have procured printed copies of these acts, and shall at all times be ready to communicate them to any member of the corporation, who will take upon himself to promote a general improvement in the first commercial city in the world; which is thought by many competent judges with whom I have conversed, a measure as practicable as it is desirable, both for the honor and interest of the corporation by which it is governed, and the nation at large. ROBERT SLADE, Secretary.

Doctors' Commons,

4th Feb. 1803.

So called from their having been created at the time of the original formation of the settlement; with a view to have proper persons to fill the office of grand jurors, &c. for the administration of public justice.

JOHN CLAUDIUS BERESFORD, Esq.

GENERAL AGENT TO THE SOCIETY,

ON THE FOREGOING NARRATIVE.

TO THE HONORABLE SOCIETY OF THE GOVERNOR AND ASSISTANTS OF LONDON, OF THE NEW PLANTATION IN ULSTER, WITHIN THE REALM OF IRELAND.

GENTLEMEN,

MR. SLADE'S report has been so full, and his description of those parts of the country he has passed through, so accurate and correct, that it would be vanity in me to attempt to add any thing to it, except where a local knowledge of the country enabled me to subjoin any reflections that might either strengthen his observations or guide the Society in such resolutions as they might be pleased to adopt, prior to their letting "the Quarterlands," or such other lands as are likely to fall out of lease. My observations will therefore be confined to the fourth head, under which he has classed his report; viz.-" The situation of the "lands called the Quarterlands, which are now lett at £990 0s. 6d. "and which are, (as he states,) capable of considerable improve"ment."

I lay it down as an incontestable point, that it is the great object of the Irish Society, both for the benefit of the colony established by them (the prosperity of which will at all times redound to their honor, and the decay of which will be equally disgraceful to them) and for the purpose of increasing their own rents in the most fair and equitable manner, to procure by every means in their power, not only resident tenants, but resident tenants of wealth and respectability: for if the tenants are not resident, it is impossible the value of the land should increase in the proportion it ought to do; and if the land is lett to tenants who are not able to expend the money necessary to reclaim, drain, and improve it, the expiration of the lease will find the ground in the same situation it was at its commencement: this has been