The water-fall at Hungra-hill, in the county of Cork, may aptly be mentioned in this place ; it is thus described by Dr. Smith, in his ?incient and Present State of the County of Cork. " Not far from Ross Mac-Owen, is one of the largest and highest water-falls in this kingdom. This cataract is very visible from the town of Bantry, at least 14 miles distant from it. The water is collected from various small rivulets and springs, forming a large lake on the top or a vast, high, rocky, and almost perpen dicular mountain, called Hungra-hill, is at least 700 yards above the level of the bay of Bantry. The water cascades from the top of this mountain in a beautiful sheet, at least ten yards broad, which expands as it falls ; about half the height of the mountain it dashes perpen dicular on a prominent rock-, from whence a mist arises, almost the third part of the hill, which, in sonic, particu lar stations, the sun's rays playing upon it, and meeting the eye of the spectator, must make a charming appear ance, these kinds of mists, in such positions, generally reflecting the colours of the Iris : Hence it falls from rock to rock, till it has passed the rugged declivity of Hungra bill ; and before it joins the ocean it has another fail, cascading in an arch over a lower hill,—all which make a flue sight as one sails up and down the bay." Not many years after the example set by the Duke of Bridgewater, a grand canal was begun from the city of Dublin to the river Shannon ; but, in the original plan and survey, great errors were committed, and the work was interrupted in the year 1770, after the canal had been car ried to the Bog or Allan, at an expellee of 77,0001. At the time of the Union, 500,0001. was voted by government to assist the completion of this and other canals in It eland; and the grand canal now extends from Dublin to Shannon harbour, while another branch proceeds to Athy, where it joins the Barrow ; its greatest utility is to supply the capi tal with turf. The royal canal, one branch of which be gins at Glassmanogree, in the county of Dublin, and the other at the Liffy, near the Lots, extends to Coolnahay, beyond Mullingar ; it is principally used for the carriage of corn and turf. The Newry canal, which runs along the southern boundary of the county of Down, is one of the most useful in the kingdom. The improvement of agri culture, and the conveyance of coals from the Tyrone coaleries, suggested the execution of this canal ; it is cut from Carlingford Bay, and, joining the Newry water, em braces the upper Bann at Portodown ; thus continuing the navigation to Lough Neagh, while a branch strikes off to the Tyrone coaleries. This canal carries vessels of 50 or 60 tons burden. The navigation of Lough Derg, above Killaloe, of the Shannon from Lough Ree, and of the Bar row from Athy, has been improved, by directors appointed under an act of the 43d of George III.
Ireland has a circuit of 250 leagues of coast, which is deeply indented, particularly on the west and south-west, where the whole force of the Atlantic ocean, swelling to a tremendous height, and breaking with inconceivable vio lence on its shores, forms, in the decp.recesses of the pro montories, by which these coasts are distinguished, some of the noblest havens in the world. Fourteen harbours for the largest ships, seventeen for frigates, and thirty-six for coasting vessels, besides twenty-four good summer roads, are to be found on the different coasts of Ireland.
In the description of this coast, we shall begin with the province of Munster, proceeding by the south and east coasts to the north point of the island. The coast of the county of Clare extends from Galway Bay to the Shannon; in this extent there are several bays, but none of them form a good harbour. The mouth of the Shannon is formed by two promontories ; that on the north is called Cape Leane, or Loupshead ; that on the south Ballyleigh, or Kerry head. On the Kerry side, about twenty-five miles from the sea, lies the Tarbet, a small but very safe and commodious bay, behind a little island. Without the mouth of the river, round Kerryhead, there is a large body of water, one side of which is called Ballyleigh, and the other Tralee Bay. Near this part of the coast are many sand hills, formed by the wind, and on some parts the sea gains rapidly : other parts of this coast present to view some of the highest mountains in Ireland The peninsula of Dingle is of great height, and behind it rises Brandon hill, a noted land-mark,2250 feet high. Brandon Bay derives its name from this hill : many of the clifts that line this part of the shore are worn into deep and extensive caverns. On the east is flat low land, off which arc seven small islands called the Hogs. On the north side of the peninsula of Dingle is the harbour of Smeerwick, corrupted from St.
Mary Wick's Bay ; it lies from north to south, is deep and sheltered from all winds but north and north-west. Be tween this harbour and Ferreter Cove the land is low; and has been much covered with sand by the sea and wind. Dunmorehcad is the west point of the peninsula of Dingle, as well as of Europe : off it lies the Blasquet Islands, 12 in number ; the largest of which is a great mountain, three miles long, and one broad : tradition reports that it was formerly joined to the mainland. The sound between it and the mainland is of great depth, occasioned probably by the currents of Loth ebb and flood setting through it with great rapidity. Finny Bay is open, and much ex posed to southerly winds : half a league to the east of Fintry, lies Dingle harbour, six leagues deep and four wide ; the entrance is scarcely a (patter of a mile broad ; the depth of water is 30 feet, and it is landlocked from all winds. The isle of Valencia lies on the south side of it. The rocks called the Skelligs lie to the south-west of this island, and 12 miles from the mainland ; they are merely rocks : the great Skellig rises in two pyramids of naked grit-stone, united by a space of three acres of flat ground. Kenmore river is an inlet of the sea, ten leagues long and three broad at the entrance.
We come next to the shores of the county of Cnrk, Durscy island, off the south point of the entrance of Ken more, is four miles long and one broad. Bantry Bay forms one of the most secure and capacious harbours iu the world, being nine leagues long and two broad, and sur rounded by stupendously high rocky shores, with few- in tervals of beach ; nearly in the middle is Bear-island, six miles long, rugged and barren, but forming between it and the north shore the harbour of Bearhaven, fit for the largest fleets. At head of the bay is Whiddy island, al so forming an excellent harhour. On the west side of Bear-island, the passage between it and the mainland is about one mile broad ; the passage on the east is some thing broader : immediately before the island there is from ten to six fathom water, in the cast passage from thirty to forty ; and further up the bay, near the isle of Whiddy, from fifteen to twenty-five. Between the south side of this island and the mainland is the road for ships, with a depth of from twenty-four to forty feet. The tides move very gently in and out through the whole bay. Dun manus Bay is separated from that of Bantry by a peninsula, of which Sheepshead is the promontory ; the south point of the bay is furmed by Three-Castle-head ; this hay runs far up into the country, and is easy of entrance. The pro montory which forms its west side terminates in a kind of half-moon, of which Three-Castle-head makes one point, and Mizenhead the other ; the latter is the south-west point of the mainland of Ireland, and hence received the name of Notum from Ptolemy. A little within this lies Crookhaven, which in any other country except Ireland, and even in Ireland, in any other of its counties except Cork, would be deemed an admirable port ; it is landlock ed on every side, with an easy outlet, good anchoring ground, and a depth of three fathoms at low water. Front the Alizenhead to Cape Clear, the course is east by north four leagues. This Cape is an island of the same name, and forms the most southern point of Ireland ; it is three miles long and one broad. East from this Cape lies the peninsula of Baltimore, which forms one side of a spa cious bay, in which there are many inlets and little ports. The coast to the eastward presents Castlehaven harbour, about half a mile across ; the channel bold and deep, with a depth of water from thirteen to thirty feet ; the harbour of Ross, now nearly filled up with sand ; and Court Mac sherry, a harbour, which has also suffered from the ac cumulation of the sand. Corkhead and Poorhead, a steep high promontory, are the two extremities of a bay, in the middle of which is the entrance to Cork harbour ; this, which is one of the most capacious and secure in Ireland, opens, from an entrance about a mile in width, to a fine basin, in which are three islands that break the force of the winds and tides, and render it more secure. The sea has evidently encroached on the coast near Youghall, the beach at low water-mark being a bog covered with sea-sand, un der which are found the remains of trees. The extent of the sea-coast of the county of Waterford, which, from Ard more Head to Hook Tower, is about 12 leagues, is in fact a spacious bay. The coast is mountainous, presenting to view the highlands of Dungarvor, Cappoquin, and Knock andown. On this coast there are no inlets or harbours of moment. Above the bay of Tiamore lies what is called the Strand of Trarnorc, containing about two thousand acrea.