The province of Lcinstcr has 30 leagues of sea coast, but is deficient in good harbours. Between Wexford and Dublin bay, the coast is lined by dangerous banks, particu larly off Athlone. The limits of Dublin flay arc Dalkey island on the south, and the peninsula of llowth on the north, the distance between them being six miles. The south shore rises like an amphitheatre towards the mountains of Wicklow ; the north shore is lower and more level. The bay is exposed to the east. To the north of the peninsula of Ilowth, at the north point of Dub lin bay, is the island called Ireland's Eye. The county of East Meath bath but four miles of sea coast, and no port. Drogheda bay, which in fact is the mouth of the Boyne, lies between the counties of East Meath and Louth. The broad open bay of Dundalk may, when it is high water, be regarded as a harbour, but when the tide is out it is absolutely dry. Lough Carlingford is a deep inlet. divid ing not only the counties of Louth and Down, but also the provinces of Leinster and Ulster. On both sides of its entrance there are dangerous rocks, but it is well shel tered, and has sufficient depth of water for the largest ships.
The province of Ulster comprehends four maritime counties, and has a of 100 leagues. Point Cran field makes the cast side or Carlingford Bay, and from this place to Belachaneir, along the mountainous country of .Mourne, there are only a few creeks, capable of receiving nothing larger than boats. The hay of Dundrum lies between that and St. John's Point, which is six miles broad, but shallow, and full of shoals ; there is also an inner bay, but this, though convenient and safe, is rendered of lit tle use, on account of the shallowness of the outer bay. The foreland of Point St. John, the Isamniztor Promontori• um of Ptolemy, lies a mile to the south of poi% St. Anne. The land now stretches to the north-east for five miles, till Ave reach Killard Point, which is the south-west extremity of Strangford Bay ; the other extremity is Quintin Point. Strangford Bay is an inlet, five miles and a half long, and a mile broad ; the sea runs through it with great rapidity. This bay opens into the great sea,—Lough Conne, or Lough of Strangford, which runs directly north up to New ton, and sends a small branch to the west, on which stands Downpatrick. Lough Strangford is a basin, fifteen miles long and five broad ; in it there are 54 islands. This is the largest salt-water lough in Ireland. From Point St. Quin tin to Bryal Point, the land runs north-cast, but from the lat ter to Donaghadee it runs north, with a little inclination to the west, and a very dangerous coast all the way, the shore being lined with great rocks.
Belfast Loch, or the Bay of Carrickfergus, divides the counties of Down and Antrim : it is three leagues wide at its entrance, is easy of access, and well sheltered. Nou thead forms the south point of the entrance, off which lie the Copland islands, three in number.
The north coast of Antrim is the most interesting in Ire land, both to the geographer and the geologist : its geology will be considered afterwards, at present we shall merely attend to its geography. Two leagues north from Car rickfergus lies the small port of Oldfield ; beyond this there is a bold coast and safe anchorage, to the height of Fair land Point. This promontory, and that of Bengore, consti tute the leading features of this whole coast ; they stand at the distance of eight miles from each other, both formed on an extensive scale, both abrupt towards the sea. The for mer lies about seven miles to the west of Bally-castle, and appears, when viewed from sea at a distance, to be an ex tensive land-head, running out from the coast a considera ble length ; but, when examined, it is found to be made up of a number of lesser capes and bays, each distinguished by name, the whole forming the headland or Bengore. The most perfect of these capes is called Plcaskin. The meat] height of the coast near here is about 1000 feet, while the surface of Lough Neagh, situated in the midst of this part of Ireland, is not elevated more than 30 feet above the ocean. The total height of the cliff of Cape Pleaskin, from the summit to the base, is 374 feet. Fairhead, the north east cape of Ireland, the Robogdium Promontorium of Pto lemy, is elevated more than 500 feet above the sea, and forms the eastern extremity of Ballycastle Bay. n It pre.. sents to view a vast MASS of rude columnary stones, many of them exceeding 200 feet in length ; and at the base of these gigantic columns lies a wild waste of natural ruins, of an enormous size, which, in the course of ages, have been turn. bled down from their foundations by storms, or some pow • mild operations of nature. A savage wildness character izes this great promontory, at the foot of which the ocean rages with uncommon fury. Scarcely a single mark of vegetation has yet crept over the hard rock, to diversify its colouring ; but one uniform greyness clothes the scene all around." The island of Rogherry, or Roglin, six miles from Fairhead, is five miles long, and three quarters of a mile broad. The phenomenon of the mirage, similar to the fata morgana, is often observed in the strait that separates this island from the main.