way, at the period when these lands were under tillage, did not export any corn, and the inland bounty had not been established, we are at a loss to know how the corn of ten miles square was disposed of. The land lets, or did let, on an average, for about 10s. per acre; but under an improved system, with ample capital and a long lease, it would be well worth more than twice that The following extract from Mr. Nimmo's admirable Report to the Commissioners for improving the bogs of Ireland, will, I trust, be considered a most valuable addition.

sum.*

*

"The whole tract between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic ocean, is frequently termed Connamara, and for want of one general name, I shall sometimes call it so. It is, however, subdivided into three separate districts, which are nearly, if not exactly, conterminous with the baronial divisions; of these, Connamara proper, or the barony of Ballynahinch, is the most western, having on the east a line drawn from the head of Kilkerran bay, by Lough Ourid, to Shanonafola mountain, and from thence along the ridge by Mamturk to the Killeny bay; the remaining boundary is the Atlantic. The name signifies "Bays of the Ocean," and, in a loose sense, is supposed to extend to Costello bay. The remainder is again divided by a line from Shanonafola mountain to the upper part of Lough Corrib. The southern part is the barony of Moycullen, commonly called Iarconnaught, or western Connaught. The northern is usually called Joyce's country, (from the prevailing family name,) or the half barony of Ross; the Isles of Arran containing the other half barony. The eastern part of Iarconnaught, ancient called Irras Dam

Since this was written, the fall in agricultural produce has made a very material change for the worse in every description of land.

any

non, to the distance of four miles from the town of Galway, is included in the county of the town. This district appears, not undeservedly, to be considered as one of the most uncultivated parts of Ireland: on a general view, indeed, it seems one continued tract of bog and mountain, the quantity of arable land not amounting to one-tenth, perhaps not one-twentieth of the whole. Where cultivation has made the greatest progress, on the south shore of Lough Corrib, the arable or dry land is interspersed with extensive tracts of naked limestone rocks of a most desolate aspect; and it appears to be only after incredible labour that a few patches of soil have been won from the general waste. Nevertheless, such is the general fertility of these spots, and the value of the pasture amongst the limestone, that this land, even including rock, produces a rent of 15s. per acre, and where tolerably cleared, lets as high as in part of the kingdom. The other parts of the district are for the most part bare moors, consisting of bog of various depth, upon a bottom of primitive rock of difficult decomposition, and affording little soil; but several strings or beds of limestone run through the country, and are distinguishable by the verdure and cultivation which have taken place in their vicinity. Some conception of the present value of this district may be formed from the following particulars: the population amounts to about 30,000, of which one-half is in Connamara proper, two-thirds of the remainder in Iarconnaught of the Connamara population, more than nine-tenths are settled along the sea shore; the inhabitants of the interior do not amount to three hundred families, and these chiefly along some of the bridle roads that have been made through the country. In Iarconnaught also, the population is either on the seashore or on the northern slope of the hills next the lime

stone country. In Joyce country the upland parts are uninhabited. The rental of the whole district I find to be about £50,000 per annum, of which the kelp may produce about £6000, so that the land averages at 2s. 7d. per acre: from this also should be deducted the value of some salmon fisheries, and the export of turf. The profit rents may amount to about £25,000. So that each individual pays about £2. 10s.; but of this £2. only can be in money, the remaining 10s. arising from the sale by the landlord of manufactured kelp. The soils of the three baronies may be thus arranged:

"Though the general improvement and cultivation of Connamara would seem an undertaking of the most arduous description, it is not without facilities, which might, upon a candid consideration, make it appear a subject more worthy of attention than many other of the waste lands of the kingdom. The climate is mild, snow being little known during the winter; the cattle are never housed; the mountains on the north, and general variety of surface, afford considerable shelter. The summers, however, are wet, and it is exposed to heavy easterly winds. Although Connamara be mountainous, it is by no means an upland country like Wicklow; at least, three-fourths of Connamara proper is lower than one hundred feet over the sea. Great

part of Iarconnaught rises from the shore of Galway bay, in a gently sloping plain, to about three hundred feet, at the upper ridge of which there are some hills of about seven hundred feet, and beyond them a limestone country extends to the edge of Lough Corrib, and but little elevated above its level, which is only fourteen feet higher than the sea; but Joyce's country on the other hand, is an elevated tract with flat topped hills of 1300 to 2000 feet, interspersed with deep narrow vallies. This district is nearly surrounded by the sea, on the south and west; and the great lakes, Mask and Corrib, on the east, the latter navigable into the town of Galway, and could easily be made so into the sea. Various great inlets penetrate the district, so that no part of it is distant four miles from existing navigation. There are upwards of twenty safe and capacious harbours, fit for vessels of any burden; about twenty-five navigable lakes in the interior, of a mile or more in length, besides hundreds smaller; the sea coast and all those lakes abound with fish. The district, with its islands, possess no less than four hundred miles of sea shore. On Lough Corrib it has about fifty miles of shore, so that with Lough Mask, &c. there are as many miles of the shore or navigable lakes as there are square miles of surface. This extent of shore is particularly important from its produce in sea weed, either for manure or the manufacture of kelp: the value of the last article, a few years ago, amounted to about £50,000; at present, from the low prices, it does not exceed £16,000. There are extensive banks of calcareous sand around the coast in almost every bay; and in the interior there are numerous beds of limestone, nearly all the navigable lakes having some on their banks. The supply of fuel is evidently inexhaustible. Connamara is very destitute of wood, a few scrubby patches

only being thinly scattered through it. The country, however, possesses an extensive stool of timber, for in almost every dry knoll or cliff, the oak, birch, and hazel, appear shooting in abundance, and require only a little care to rise into valuable forests. Several bloomeries, which were erected about a century ago, consumed much of the timber, and copsing was afterwards neglected. The sheltered vales, navigations, and abundant water power, would form great advantages in the cultivation of timber. On the whole, it appears to me, that the improvement of this district, so far from being difficult or hopeless, is a thing highly feasible, and, if vigorously and steadily pursued, is likely to meet with fewer obstructions, and greater ultimate success, than perhaps in any other part of Ireland.

"The soils of this district may be ranged under four grand divisions or zones, in each of which the style of culture is tolerably uniform. In the first place we cut off a triangle along the shore of Lough Corrib by a straight line from the town of Galway to Oughterard. The culture crosses the lake to near Cong, where it turns westward by the north side of Ben Leva, and then runs through Lough Mask. This is the western edge of the great limestone field of Ireland, and in this division many hundred acres of that rock are laid bare. Along the edge is a narrow stripe of fertile country, with hillocks of gravel, partly calcareous, but much encumbered with tumblers of Granite, &c. and not always cultivated. The hollows are usually filled with bog. The next, draw one line from Oughterard, westward to the bay of Ardbear, leaving on the south, nearly onehalf of the whole district. Another line from Oughterard through the hill of Glan, and by the north side of Lough Corrib to the north side of Ballynakill bay. Between those limits are found many