row, and kept remarkably dirty. The number of inha bitants, it) 1810, was about 4000. It does Oil appear to have been a place of much importance till tho arrival of the English about the year 1178, w he II ugh de Lacy repaired, or rather founded, the castle, and placed a strong garrison in it to overawe the adjacent country. The town appears to have been anciently a place of great strength, encompassed with a wall and wet ditch, having four gates, some of which were entered by draw-bridges, and flanked with bastions twenty feet high; but being commanded by the adjacent hills, it never could have held out any length of time since the invention of artille ry. The castle stands on a rock projecting into the sea, commanding the entrance of Belfast Lough, or, as it is frequently called, Carrickfergus Bay, which is as safe and spacious as any in Ireland, a few in the west except ed. The entrance into it is bold, being about live miles wide, and having from 12 to 20 fathoms depth of water, which grows gradually shallower till you advance oppo site the town, where it is From 5 to 8 fathoms deep in the middle of the road. It grows narrow by degrees from the mouth to the bridge of Belfast, where it is not more than three-fourths of a mile broad, and from 9 to 13 feet deep at full tide: (Sec the article Ilm.F.ys-r.) From this shallowness, Carnwil Pool is used as the harbour for ships trading to that town, in which 20 vessels may ride afloat at low water, though within a cable's length small barks lie around them almost dry. In this bay there arc few rocks or shoals, except a reef of rocks running out into the sea for three or four hundred yards from the north side of it, called the Briggs; and, except some foul ground and a dangerous sunk rock on the county of Down side, lying between the Copeland islands (on one of which is a light-house) and Donaghadee, called the Deputy Rock, there is also, a little south-west of Car rickfergus, one shoal, on which lie 3 fathoms water at ebb tide, in the middle of the bay. The entrance into the castle is between two towers, or half moons, mount ing several pieces of cannon ; and over the gateway is a portcullis, and apertures for throwing down stones, and otherwise annoying the enemy. In the inner yard is a high square tower, the walls of which are nine feet thick the lower part is bomb-proof, and serves as a magazine. In 1794, the castle was repaired, and 27 pieces of ordnance mounted on the batteries; since that time it serves as the principal magazine to the northern district. 'l'he garrison, however, seldom exceeds fifty or sixty men. The salary of the governor is about 500/. per annum. At the head of the main street stands the county of Antrim court-house, a handsome building, -where the assizes of that county are held twice a year ; and adjoining to the court-house is the county-prison. The market-house stands near the centre of the town, and is a tolerable building. The market is held every S..turday. The custom-louse stands near the quay, which, although built within these few years, does not deserve the name of a public building. The quay, how ever, has been lately much improved. There art only two houses for public worship, an established church, and a Presbyterian meeting-house. The elmrch is an ancient building, dedicated to St Nicholas, Laving in the north aisle an old monument of the Donegal family. The east yy Wow is of stained glass, representing- John bap tizi, g in Jordan. There are two free schools. one of 'en is soleiY- supported by E. I). Wilson, Esq. the present respectable mayor, and the other by the gentle men of the town and neighbourhood. The town has
ben a corporation since the days of Queen Elizabc th, who granted the charter to Arthur Chichester, then go Cr1101*, which was afterwards confirmed, N% ith many ad ditional pri vileges, by James I. The government of the town is vested in a mayor, recorder. sheriffs, aldermen, and but gesses ; and the corporation, under the act of union, returns one member to the imp vial parlianu nt In 1316, alter a long bloc kale, the town and castle sur rendered to the Scottish forces under Edward Bruce and in the month of April 1642, it was taken possession of by 4000 Scotch auxiliaries under the command of ge neral Monroe, who retained possession, till was sur prised and made prison( r by general Monk in 1648. In the beginning of next year, general Monk was made prisoner by Lord Inchiquin; and, in the latter end of the same year, the town and castle surrendered to Sir Charle, Coot(. On the 12th August, 1689, Duke Schomberg, arrived in the bay with ninety vessels, hay ing about 10,000 troops on board, and disembarked the next day at Grooms Port near Bangor. On marching to Belfast, the enemy retired to Carrickfergus, where sey( cal regi ments were instantly detached Stith cannon. The place was summoned in fornm ; but hot agreeing in the terms, batteries were raised. On the 22(1, trenches were open ed, and the siege carried on in form till the 26th, when several breaches being made, and all timings ready for an assault, the garrison surrendered, obtaining leave to march to Newry, where the Duke of Berwick, natural son of James II., commanded. On the 14th of June 1690, King William landed here, attended by Prince Georg( of Denmark, the Duke of Ormond, and many other no blemen of distinction. On the 21st February 1760, Com modore Thurat arrived in the bay with the following ships, Beiheishe 44 guns, Lc Bland 32, and Tel psichore 26; being part of a large fleet intended for the invasion of Ireland by time French. Thurat proceeded to land his men, which 'amounted to about 1000, at Kilraat, and in stantly marched to attack the town of Carrickfergus. the garrison of which consisted of about 180 men oldie 62d regiment, commanded by Colonel Jennings. Time garri son made a vigorous resistance from the town wall and gardens, and afterwards retreated into time castle. The French then formed into three grand divisions, and at tempted to force time castle gate, but were beat back with considerable loss. The garrison having now expended all their ammunition, Colonel Jennings was reluctantly obliged to surrender, and obtained honourable terms. During the heat of the engagement, " a French soldier observing a child who had run playfully into one of the streets amid the fire of the contending parties, grounded his musket, carried the infant to a place of safety, and, returning to his comrades, resumed time combat." Such a humane action deserves to be recorded, whilst we re gret that the name of the generous individual is unknown.
Time loss is supposed to Lame been about 40 killed, among Whom we re three officers, and between forty and fifty wounded, amongst whom was General Colbert, the commander in chi( f. The garrison had only two killed and three wounded. Thurat was desi rous of landing at White-house, and surprising Belfast; but to this plan the general objected, fearing to be ha rassc.d by leaving a garrison in his rear. 'l'he French evacuated the town in great confusion on the .:•61.11 of the same month, and were captured on the 2bth by Commo dore Elliot off the Isle of Mann. Carrickfergus is si tuated about 9 miles North East of Belfast. and 69 from Dublin. West Long. 5° 48', North Lat. 54c 36'. (0)