wants another coat, whilst the gravelled part is nearly as good as at first, and so firm that a heavy wheel makes little impression on it. On remarking this circumstance to the person who keeps the road in repair, he acknowledged it, but said he was not allowed to use any thing but broken stone. I do not think I remember an instance of a more stubborn adherence to an erroneous system than this use of broken stone, close to an inexhaustible supply of the best gravel. It only wants screening to separate the sand and large stones from the proper sized gravel, neither of which should ever be used on roads. It is the practice of the workmen on this part of the road to place large gravel under each heap of broken stone, and they are all measured as broken stone. I find it difficult to quit this subject, but many of my readers, I dare say, wish me off the road. Many bridges are in a state of great decay, very much owing to carelessness in building the parapet walls; they are seldom coped with stones sufficiently large, nor are they properly fastened, by which means, in a few years, the entire wall is gradually taken away by the country people, and seems to be unnoticed by the passing magistrates, until a new presentment is obtained for repairing it. For what a parapet wall should be, I refer my readers to that under the battery at Shannon bridge. Many bridges are too narrow, especially those of Athlone, Banagher, Ballinasloe, and indeed, in general, all the old bridges of the county. I understand presentments have been granted for widening several of them. The new bridge of Galway, opposite to the gaol, is a beautiful structure, and does great credit to the architect, Mr. Behan. The first stone was laid on the 29th June, 1818, by the Hon. William Le Poer Trench, and was entirely finished in October, 1819. Formerly

such a bridge, and in such a rapid torrent, would have occupied several years in the building.

In many parts of this county great inconvenience, and often considerable danger, is suffered by travellers, from flood water permitted to remain on the roads. At Horse-leap there is a very prominent instance of this; a few pounds would abate this nuisance, by lowering the outlet. If, instead of going through the water, the road had been brought round the foot of the hill to the west, the expense of building a causeway of considerable length would have been saved to the county, and then the nuisance would only injure those who are too indolent to use any exertion to abate it. If country gentlemen would condescend to take professional advice, many abuses of the public purse would be avoided. Amongst many others, one occurs between Mylough and Mount Bellew, that a few pounds also would lower. Much to the credit of the Rev. Mr. O'Roarke a wall has been built to prevent travellers from falling into the very deep quarry holes on the north side of this water, but it is still dangerous to strangers, for at night, and if hard frost sets in, it will be impassible.

SECTION VIII.

NAVIGATIONS AND NAVIGABLE RIVERS.

THERE is at present a navigation on the Shannon which runs along this county for about thirty miles. Lough Corrib is also navigable for about the same distance; there is not any other water navigable for any length. It has been proposed to make the river Suck navigable from the Shannon to Ballinasloe, and from

thence to Galway, but I believe it has proceeded no farther than conversation.* Some other lines have been formerly proposed, but nothing further has been done. Of their usefulness there can scarcely be any difference of opinion, but whether the articles likely to be carried on them would remunerate the undertakers, I am not prepared to answer. I imagine the principle of using rivers for water carriage is a very hazardous one; the difficulties to be encountered in floods, and in making track ways, are very considerable. However, the river Suck has an advantage over many other rivers used for this purpose; its course is very sluggish, and the supply equal to any trade likely to be on it: under the head "water,' I have more fully enlarged on Lough Corrib. The advantages of water carriage over those of land are very great, so much so, that one horse and three men to attend a boat of sixty tons, will draw as much as one hundred and twenty horses, carrying ten hundred weight each day, even allowing one man to drive three horses. The expense of drawing the boat will be about £110. per annum, and going twelve miles each day, the usual rate at which carriers travel, whilst the expense of one hundred and twenty horses and forty men for the same distance will amount to £3,320. "This "is worth the serious attention of the landed propri"etors, for it is highly probable, that at no very remote "period, grazing and tillage will be more united than "at present; for nothing but the grossest ignorance "and prejudice will maintain that they cannot be con"ducted more profitably on the same land, when ju"diciously blended, than according to the present in"dolent grazing system alone. Did the graziers read "a little more, and see and know what is going forward

Since I wrote this the canal has been laid out, and men at work on it.

"in the agricultural world, they would learn that by "the improved practices of England and Scotland, 66 more cattle are fattened on the same quantity of land, "when united to tillage, than the same land formerly "fattened when under cattle alone; they would then "perceive the great benefit of having green food for "their stock in winter and spring, and the superiority "of the alternate green and white crops over the pre"sent wretched mode of running the ground out with "repeated corn crops. Many may call this book farm"ing. The introduction of turnips and clover were "once called book-farming; and I dare say Mr. Muir's 66 feeding, to a state of great fatness, five hundred head "of cattle in the house in summer, by the cutting of "one scythe, will be called book-grazing."

SECTION IX.

STATE OF THE FISHERIES.

THERE are few subjects of more importance to this county than the fisheries, whether we consider the home consumption, the supply for which is in general greatly below the demand, or the exportation of a redundancy, which could be infinitely increased. To begin with the sun fishery. This usually commences in April, and continues for about six weeks. Custom has established this period, but they are found at various seasons. Those fish are a harmless species of shark, called the basking shark, and produce various quantities of oil, from four to twelve barrels of about thirty gallons each, which sells for from four to six pounds per barrel, but the prices frequently vary from those rates, like every

article of consumption, according to the demand or supply. As this fishery is carried on at present, it is mere peddling, but might be greatly improved and extended by employing larger vessels, that could meet or pursue the fish at greater distances from shore than those usually employed, from their small size, dare attempt; for it is well known that sun fish could be caught long before April at greater distances from land, for the best fish remain in deep water; and as the small vessels must wait for good weather, the most favorable season elapses, and they dare not venture out of sight of land nor lie out at night. To fish with the best ef fect, vessels of 120 tons, at least, should be employed, with at least 80 or 100 tons of cask; also, to attend them there ought to be three boats with eight men each, that is, six to row, one to steer, and one with a gun harpoon, with plenty of ropes, twine, &c. &c. Small boats could be beneficially employed in bringing the liver ashore whilst fresh, upon which depends the goodness of the oil for burning, as producing a brighter flame, and more free from any offensive smell. Very frequently, from some mismanagement or carelessness, the fishers lose their spears; or something has been forgotten or goes wrong, and the season is lost before they can replace them. Mr. Young says, that in the year 1799 there were 40 or 50 boats employed in this fishery in Galway; at present there are not probably more than five or six. In the year 1761 a Mr. Nesbit killed, in one week, on the coast of Donegal, forty-two sun fish, each of which yielded from half to one ton of

* Many people think the oil is produced from the blubber, like whale fishing, but it is the liver only which is used for that purpose. However, it remains for future research to ascertain if some use might not be made of the remainder of the fish, probably for manure.