for the most part, passed off in and about Dublin,-a circumstance which serves to give confirmation to the opinions of the persons already mentioned, that the temperature in Roscommon is lower. As for any conclusions to be drawn from the comparative period of the harvest, whether of corn or hay, these are liable to so many variations from the state of the soil, and different systems of agriculture, that it would only lead to error to use them. In the very same district, with the same soil and the same climate, superior husbandry and superior diligence will almost invariably command not only better, but earlier crops; and a very remarkable instance in point, occurred in the town of Roscommon whilst I stopped there, new oats having by certain persons, few in number, been brought into the market a full fortnight before the general supply; and the period happening to be one of considerable scarcity, these persons obtained full half as much more for their produce as they would otherwise have done. Their ground had been better tilled, and sown earlier, and it is almost needless to observe, that the superior prices they received must have operated more or less as a bounty and excitement upon the exertions of others in future years. In the hay-harvest, a difference still more remarkable is observable between the meadows of wealthy proprietors and substantial farmers and those of the poorer classes; but generally through the county, the hay-harvest is weeks, nay months, behind that in the immediate vicinity of Dublin."

Lough Key, and close to the coal country. The
sandstone of these hills is, however, separated from
the coal formation by a succession of beds of lime-
stone, exceeding one thousand feet in thickness.
The distinguishing mark between the old floetz sand-
stone of the coal formation, is, that the first is always
below and the second above the first floetz limestone.
The old floetz limestone, in numerous places in the
vicinity of the coal district, rises through the limestone,
forming insulated hills." The upland district on the
flank of Lough Allen consists of the series of rocks
which constitute the coal formation, and is part of the
coalfield of Connaught. See ARIGNA, CONNAUGHT,
LEITRIM, and GENERAL INTRODUCTION.
"On
viewing the coal country from the south," says Mr.
Griffith, "it exhibits a steep and straight ridge of high
land, rising from 1,000 to 1,200 feet above its base,
and extending 14 miles in an east and west direction,
but broken in the middle by the great valley of the
Shannon. The summits of these ridges are univer-
sally flat, and are covered by shallow bog. The
strata of the coal formation are arranged with great
regularity, and dip or incline conformably with the
limestone on which they rest, and contrary to the
declivity of the hill; but the continuity of the
different beds is frequently broken by the strata of
one part of a hill having fallen or slipped down
to a lower level from that of the other. These slips
frequently occasion a difference of the level in the
same bed, of 20, 40, or even 100 yards. A knowledge
of the precise direction and amount of the fall of
these slips is of the utmost importance to the coal
miner, otherwise they must lead to great expense,
and possibly to the abandonment of the colliery."

Minerals.]-By far the greater part of the county is part of the great floetz limestone plain of Ireland. The upper beds of the limestone are usually of a grey colour, and abound with madrepores, chamities, archites, and other fossils; but Soils. Since the date of the celebrated Arthur the lower beds are generally of the impure variety Young's observations upon Irish soils and husbandry, of limestone now called calp, of a blackish colour, the county of Roscommon has been very generally containing such large proportions of argillaceous and justly known as one of the richest territorial disand silicious earths as frequently to be incapable tricts in the three kingdoms. A comparatively of conversion into manurial lime, and often accom- detailed view of the soils may be obtained by referpanied with such numerous minute and thin layers ence to our articles on the several baronies of the of Lydian stone as give the rocks a striped appear-county; and the following general view, in the ance. The strata which follow the calp beds are words of the judicious and painstaking statist, Mr. commonly a black limestone, of a crystalline struc- Weld, is satisfactory: "The best ground in the ture, and capable of a high polish; yet, in the north-county, producing those fine natural pastures for ern districts, the lower limestone beds, even where which Roscommon has been so long celebrated, lies they lie in contact with sandstone, are very fre- within the limestone districts; such, for example, quently of a light grey colour, of a crystalline tex- are the rich fattening pastures in the vicinity of ture, and of an indurated and fine-grained marbly Tulsk and Kilcorkey, and the plains of Boyle to the character. Two considerable sandstone districts south-east of the town,-not plains, however, so are insulated within the limestone plain,-the one much on account of the evenness of the surface, as extending quite across the county in the valley of the absence of trees. It might possibly be supposed, the Boyle river, and the other identical with the that from the debris of the sandstone mountains, after conspicuous hilly ridge of Slieve-Bawn,-both sili- the revolutions which appear to have taken place, cious in general composition, but the former of the considerable tracts of sand might have been left; old red sandstone class of rocks, and the latter of but sands, in the strict sense of the word, are exthe yellow sandstone. Little districts or rather tremely rare in Ireland; and I am not aware of the pendicles of sandstone formation occur also on the existence of a sandy road, even of the length of a few western border beyond Castlerea; and a quarry of it perches, in any part of Roscommon, except it be in exists near Bellanagare, in such laminated strata, as the immediate vicinity of Lough Aelyun, in the to be easily disse vered into very thin flags, and western part of the barony of Ballintobber," now locally used as succedanea for roofing slates." The the barony of Castlerea; and there, the sand oldest floetz sandstone formation," says Mr. Griffith, seemed rather to have been washed up from the lake, "is very unequal and irregular in its stratification. and drifted over the adjacent lands by the winds, In some places, it forms lofty hills and even ranges than to have been deposited from a watery medium, of mountains; in others, it does not exceed twenty or which has spread over the country. Some of the thirty feet. This sandstone, which is in beds, and in sandstone soils, as in the vicinity of the Curlew colour red, grey, or yellowish-white, is sometimes, mountains, to the north-west of Boyle, are of a very though rarely, interstratified with reddish or greyish poor description, but capable of great improvement sandstone slate. Where this happens, it has been for the admixture of lime, or rather from compost mistaken for sandstone of the coal formation; and of lime and bog earth, which is to be had readily. many fruitless trials for coal have been made in con- Whenever capital comes to be applied more extensequence. The hill of Fairymount, to the south of sively to agriculture in Roscommon, an ample field Strokestown, has been supposed to contain coal; as lies open for its employment in improving the soil in also the hill of Ballyfarmoyle to the north-east of this way; great improvements might likewise be

made by draining, in almost every part of the county, and not merely by the deepening of streams in the low grounds, but by making drains in the uplands, where cold, wet, and spewy ground intervenes, throwing up rushes and aquatic plants, in places which would scarcely have been suspected of producing them. Bogs and boggy soils abound; and there are considerable tracts of low marshy ground on the borders of the rivers. On the mountains, dry patches covered with heath, occasionally intervene; but the surface of the mountains far more commonly is wet and boggy. Rich deep loams are met with, as well as extensive tracts of very light, shallow soil, more particularly along the ridges which separate the waters of the Suck and the Shannon, where the limestone rocks are so sparingly covered that the plough for considerable distances cannot be used at all. These tracts are commonly devoted to sheep-feeding. In fine, there is scarcely any one of the inland counties of Ireland which affords a greater variety of soil than Roscommon."

66

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merely marking the land with furrows, and even this was executed so badly, that he ascribed the produce of corn much more to the spade than to the plough. These observations are still strictly applicable to tillage in Roscommon at the present day; but, on the lands of the principal resident gentry, examples may be found in nearly every part of the county, of excellent tillage, with Scotch ploughs of the most approved construction, drawn by a pair of horses, and driven by the ploughman. Where the breadth of corn is small, it might be supposed that sowing, upon which the evenness and product of the crop so much depends, could be executed in greater perfection, but the converse is more commonly the case, and the want of extensive practice here as in other instances, occasions the work to be far less ably performed. The spade, in the usual English acceptation of the term, is utterly unknown in Roscommon, excepting it be in the gardens of the upper classes, and even there it is rare. Its place is supplied by an instrument called the loy, common, as I am inAgriculture.]-Tillage has, for a considerable formed, in every part of Connaught. In number of years past, been extending; and it now certain districts of Roscommon, as in other places turns over a much larger aggregate of land than at where spade husbandry prevails, it is usual for people any former period. The state of husbandry, how-to exchange labour reciprocally, and to unite in conever, is, in a general view, very bad,-greatly im-siderable numbers in the fields of individuals in rotaproved on the farms held by large proprietors or tions, more especially for the purpose of planting or wealthy tenants, but in a deplorable and compara- digging out potatoes. These congregations of worktively primitive condition, on most of the smaller | men give vivacity to the labourer, and are ordinarily farms. To say nothing," says Mr. Weld, "of the scenes of much cheerfulness. A slovenly and deficiency of produce attributable to bad ploughing, wasteful system widely prevails of letting the land unskilful sowing, want of manures, and an utter in- out, as it is termed, that is, leaving it to nature to attention to the alternation of green crops with those recover, after having been exhausted by repeated of corn, potatoes alone excepted, the loss upon what successive crops of corn, until it will yield, in fact, the land actually does yield is considerable from bad no more, to repay the expense of seed and cultivaand careless stacking, and the general want of barns. tion. Nothing can exceed the miserable aspect of The stacks are commonly made very small, resting the ground thus abandoned, which soon becomes upon the earth; for in a country so bare of timber covered with noxious or at least useless weeds, parand hedge-rows, boughs and bushes are scarce tially intermixed, however, with grasses from which articles. If wet weather comes on and continues the half-starved cows and calves pick a scanty sustenlong, much of what lies below, next the earth, ance. It seems to be totally overlooked, that these perishes by attracting moisture; from the want of a weeds still help to exhaust the soil, and by robbing broad and firm basis, the frail structure is liable like- it of nutriment, to impede and delay the accomplishwise to be swayed by the wind, and the tops and sides ment of that bountiful work which is expected from losing their original form, and being no longer capable the hand of nature, and which is rarely denied,of throwing off the rain, still more damage ensues. the restoration of fertility. Yet it has been inferred To such losses are likewise to be added the depre- by many persons, and not without apparent foundadations from vermin, rats, mice, and small birds, tion, that the fertility of the soil by such treatment whilst the corn remains out of doors. As for barns, is undergoing a gradual and fatal diminution; conin the English and Continental acceptation of the sequently, that the capital of the country is annually term, they are literally unknown. The floor of on the decrease. The extensive grazing some outhouse, or perhaps even that of the family- farms in Roscommon present a very different picture room, may be used for thrashing, but a vast propor- of fertility from the exhausted let-out tillage land. tion of the grain is beaten out in the open air, very In the former, nature displays her richest verdure, commonly near the road-side, where there happens and imagination can scarcely figure to itself more to be a dry spot. These observations, it must be productive pastures. But even here exceptions must understood, apply to the small holdings; but upon be taken to the indolence of man; since, to an exsuch is raised a considerable quantity of the corn tent that could scarcely be credited, thistles are which is thrown into the market from the county of allowed not only to remain year after year in patches Roscommon. * * The common plough of the small through the ground, but annually to increase and farms is constructed on a bad principle, if principle spread, so as to become absolutely a plague in the at all there be to guide the workmen, since for the land. Frequent are the instances of sheep being most part it is put together by guess, and whether blinded by their punctures, whilst grazing amongst the instrument works well or ill is a matter of them. I saw many so blinded myself, and was told chance. Mr. Wakefield remarked, that few of the it was considered quite as an usual occurrence.* ploughs which he saw had either cats head or swill These thistles are very commonly a perquisite of the yard; so that if it was necessary to pl ugh deeper herds, who make some gains by burning them and than the instrument, froin its original set, would selling the ashes; a custom as impolitic as can well be admit, an extra person was employed to press upon imagined, since so far from checking their growth, it the beam; and most ploughs were accompanied by is absolutely a bounty held out on their propagation." an attendant with a spade to turn back the earth, which, after the plough had advanced, would otherwise revert to its former bed; and the shovelling of trenches was always practised, whether the plough or the spade had been employed. Ploughing was

It was in the county of Westmeath, that I first observed thistles in unusual quantities; and on proceeding to the westward they seemed to increase in height, and strength, and number. With the prevalence of westerly winds, the seed cannot fail of being wafted from Connaught to Leinster.

then laid down and submitted to the Commissioners | of the county; but, in all departments of common and to Parliament. The most remarkable improvements within the county, particularly those in the southern parts, in the vicinity of Athlone, and the largest plantation of timber trees upon bog, were effected before the Commission was issued; these were referred to by the surveyors, in their reports, as examples of what might be done, and they still remain as the principal examples which are to be seen within the county on a considerable scale. Minor improvements have indeed gone on, in various places, and a season has never passed over without some accession of reclaimed bog, as it is called, to the arable surface of the county."

at the shops. A comparatively large manufacture of iron has fitfully, and at various periods, been conducted within the district of the Roscommon coal-field; and a large manufacture of tobacco-pipes— noticeable principally as a curiosity in economicsis carried on within the barony of Athlone.

industry, and particularly in the very large and im portant one of field labour, the excess of numbers over the demand for their services is so great as to occasion a very large amount of idleness and distress. Employment is scarce, and only a small portion of the peasantry have constant work. Wages are commonly 8d. or sometimes 10d. a-day without diet, or 6d. with diet in summer; and 6d. a-day without diet in winter. In busy times, and in the neighbourhood of the towns, higher wages are paid. The average yearly gains of a labourer are variously estimated, but commonly from £7 or £8, to £10 a-year. Women and children get little employment except Live Stock.]-Some fine horses of good blood are at busy seasons, such as potatoe setting and digging, bred in the county, and, though probably inferior to and in harvest when they earn 4d. or 5d., or even those of a bygone period when racing and hunting 6d. a-day without diet." The linen manufacture, were more in vogue, they still bring high prices. At at one time, arose to comparatively great importance a fair of Ballinasloe 14 or 15 years ago, the sum of in the county of Roscommon; but about the year £270 a-head was offered and refused for some horses 1815 it very seriously failed; and, in 1830, when of the Frenchpark stud; and large prices, also, Mr. Weld wrote his statistical survey, it had become were given for the horse called St. Patrick, which nearly extinct. In 1811, when Mr. Wakefield wrote, is esteemed to be the highest leaper in Ireland. The large quantities of flax were cultivated in most disfavourite race of black cattle in Roscommon are the tricts of the county; but, in 1830, only a few long-horned Leicester breed. The extensive gra- patches, and these at remote intervals, were to be ziers usually purchase at the fairs their stock of seen. Other domestic manufactures, such as the cattle for summer feeding; and they raise on their coarse stuffs for female apparel. some of which own farms only a few head of cattle of superior are rather skilfully dyed, in madder red and deep breed. On some grazing farms, 40 bullocks are brown-have, for a considerable number of years allotted to 100 acres; and on others 2 bullocks to 3 past, been gradually yielding to the less costly artiacres; but on those of the best quality of land, Icles of British manufacture which can be procured bullock to 1 acre. Though butter-making is practised more or less in almost every part of the county, no extensive dairies exist. A cow is esteemed good, which, in her most profitable season, rears a calf and yields one hundred-weight of butter. The favourite sheep of Roscommon is a cross between the Leicester breed and the large old Connaught breed,-an animal little inferior in size to the latter, with a greater disposition to fatten in a short time, and with less waste or offal on the carcass; and, in consequence of the superior skill and intelligence of the sheep farmers, and the dry and wholesome nature of the sheep-walks, the flocks sent from Roscommon to the fair of Ballinasloe are much superior to those raised in the adjacent countries. In 1841, there were, within the rural districts of the county, on farms or holdings not exceeding 1 acre, 393 horses and mules, 433 asses, 2,358 cattle, 1,420 sheep, 7,310 pigs, and 70,174 poultry; on farms of from 1 acre to 5 acres, 1,866 horses and mules, 1,202 asses, 13,851 cattle, 7,485 sheep, 14,463 pigs, and 127,287 poultry; on farms of from 5 to 15 acres, 2,943 horses and mules, 656 asses, 14,244 cattle, 14,303 sheep, 9,372 pigs, and 86,117 poultry; on farms of from 15 to 30 acres, 826 horses and mules, 58 asses, 3,265 cattle, 8,758 sheep, 1,307 pigs, and 12,830 poultry; and on farms of upwards of 30 acres, 1,882 horses and mules, 79 asses, 15,534 cattle, 58,536 sheep, 1,333 pigs, and 14,162 poultry. The totals of these classes of live stock, together with their respective estimated value, were 7,910 horses and mules, £63,280; 2,428 asses, £2,428; 49,255 cattle, £320,153; 90,502 sheep, £99,552; 33,785 pigs, £42,231; and 310,650 poultry, £7,766. Grand total of estimated value of live stock, in the rural districts, £535,410. In the same year, there were within the civic districts of the county 296 horses and mules, worth £2,152; 12 asses, £12; 1,228 cattle, £7,982; 3,200 sheep, £3,520; 863 pigs, £1,079; and 1,929 poultry, £48. Grand total of value of live stock in the civic districts, £14,793.

Manufactures and Trade.]-Excellent workmen, in all the ordinary departments of artisanship and domestic trade, are to be found in the chief towns

We subjoin, as the best means of exhibiting the industrial condition of the county, a vidimus of the statistics of occupations as given in the Census of 1841:- Fishermen, 4; millers, 92; maltster, 1; brewers, 5; distillers, 4; bakers, 111; confectioners, 28; tobacco-twisters, 5; fishmongers, 5; egg-dealers, 68; fruiterers, 3; cattle-dealers, 15; horse-dealers, 3; pig-jobbers, 18; corn-dealers, 4; huxters and provision dealers, 140; butchers, 105; poulterers, 5; victuallers, 102; grocers, 14; tobacconists, 4; flax-dressers, 47; carders, 108; spinners of flax, 3,777; spinner of cotton, 1; spinners of wool, 3,636; spinners of unspecified classes, 7,837; winders and warpers, 16; weavers of cotton, 2; weavers of linen, 225; weavers of woollen, 103; weavers of unspecified classes, 948; manufacturer of linen, 1; dyers, 12; clothiers, 5; cloth-finishers, 7; skinners, 6; curriers, 6; tanners, 2; brogue-makers, 263; boot and shoe makers, 732; tailors, 907; sempstresses, 384; dress-makers, 666; milliners, 30; lace-makers, 11; stay-makers, 7; comb-makers, 4; knitters, 384; hatters, 73; bonnet-makers, 38; cap-makers, 5; glovers, 10; button-maker, 1; hair-dressers and barbers, 10; leather-dealers, 4: wool-dealer, 1; haberdasher, 1; linen-drapers, 2; yarn-dealers, 5; woollen- drapers, 18; silk-mercers, 2; venders of soft goods, 15; dealers in old clothes, 6; rag and bone dealers, 16; architects, 4; builders, 10; brickmakers, 2; potters, 23; stone-cutters, 60; limeburners, 3; bricklayer, 1; stone-masons, 392; slaters, 47; thatchers, 35; plasterers, 15; quarrymen, 7; sawyers, 68; carpenters, 627; cart-makers, 54; cabinet-makers, 20; coopers, 198; turners, 11; mill-wrights, 13; wheel-wrights, 79; ship-wrights, 3;

pump-borers, 6; lath-splitter, 1; reed-makers, 3; card-makers, 11; brush-inaker, 1; basket-makers, 5; broom-makers, 14; miners, 55; blacksmiths, 491; white-smiths, 20; nailers, 172; cutlers, 4; gun

smiths, 5; braziers and copper-smiths, 15; plumbers, | Ballinasloe; the mail-road from Dublin to Sligo 3 tin-plate workers, 14; tinkers, 13; machine- passes across the north, through Boyle; a third maker, 1; watch-makers, 8; goldsmith, silver- main-road enters the county at Tarmonbarry, and smith, and jeweller, 1; coach and car makers, 13; forms a direct line from Dublin through the centre carver and gilder, 1; saddlers, 38; harness-makers, of Roscommon to Mayo; and all these three roads 7; whip-maker, 1; rope-makers, 3; letter-press are excellent. Numerous roads connect the interior printers, 17; bookbinders, 4; mat-maker, 1; chan- of the county with the several ports and landingdlers and soap-boilers, 11; painters and glaziers, 56; places on the Shannon, and with the canal-port of net-maker, 1; sieve-makers, 7; tobacco-pipe makers, Ballinasloe; but, in general, they are much too 58; upholsterer, 1; feather-dealers, 14; print-seller, limited in ramification, and not a little discreditable 1; booksellers and stationers, 3; ironmongers, 13; in condition. "In the northern parts of the county merchants of unspecified classes, 32; dealers of un- towards Lough Allen," says the statist to whom we specified classes, 428; shopkeepers of unspecified have already been largely indebted for this article, classes, 147; shop-assistants, 126; tradesmen of un- "several roads have been opened in latter years to specified classes, 8; and apprentices of unspecified facilitate the communication with the port of Sligo, classes, 2. in the laying out of which Mr. Nimmo was employed; Fairs. The principal fairs held within the and their courses, as might be expected from so able county of Roscommon are the following:-Ardsal- an engineer, are judiciously planned. But whether lagh, Jan. 1, May 16, July 30, and Oct. 19; Ath- the foundations of the roads and bridges were less league, July 11 and Sept. 24; Athlone-exclusively perfectly executed than had been proposed, or to of two held in Jan, and March on the Leinster side of what other circumstances it may have been attrithe town-Ascension-day, St. Bartholomew's-day, butable, these roads do not continue in equally good Aug. 24, March 21, and the first Monday of Sept.; repair in every place; and with floods many of the Ballinlough, Sept. 29: Ballintobber, Aug. 25; Bal-smaller bridges had given way shortly before I visited lyfarnon, Feb. 7, April 12, May 21, July 6, Aug. the county. Generally speaking, the roads amongst 28, Sept. 19, Oct. 22, and Dec. 20; Ballyleague, the hills in the northern parts of the county are by no June 11 and Oct. 29; Ballymurray, May 10, Aug. means so good as those in the middle and southern 15, Oct. 22, and Dec. 17; Ballinafad, Aug. 27; parts of the county. The roads are very rough also, Belanagase, March 7. May 16, Aug. 1, Oct. 1, and in some of the western parts of the county, beyond Nov. 7; Belonlagh, May 31, July 5, and Oct. 31; Castlerea more particularly, where they pass beyond Boyle, March 6, April 3, May 30, July 25, Oct. 1, the limits of the limestone district. Limestone and and Nov. 26; Brides well, Feb. 13 and Aug. 8; limestone gravel, as generally known, afford materials Castle-Plunket, May 17, Aug. 13, and Oct. 11; of the finest quality for road-making; some of the Castlerea, May 23, June 21, Aug. 23, and Nov. 7; harder silicious sandstone is also good; but where Castle-Sampson, May 7, Aug. 6, Sept. 19, and Dec. only the larger pebbles and boulders of quartz, grey6; Cootehall, May 18 and Nov. 14; Croghan, June wacke, whinstone, &c., are found, tough and difficult 13, Aug. 16-18, and Oct. 29; Dangan, May 25. Aug. to be reduced to a small size, the roads which have 6, and Nov. 9; Elphin, May 3 and Dec. 8; French- no other supply must, without a heavy outlay, repark, May 21, July 12, and Sept. 21; Fuerty, May main of necessity in a rough state. The roads inter16, Aug. 4, and Nov. 21; Glinsk, Sept. 18; Greoisk, secting the county, and affording a communication with July 9 and Aug. 16-18; Keadue, Feb. 19, April 2 the town of Roscommon, are numerous, and many of and 16, June 4 and 7, July 20, Aug. 24, Oct. 16, them are in a state extremely creditable to those who Nov. 14, and Dec. 24; Kilcorkey, March 17, May have the superintendence. Pains have also been lately 3, Aug. 3, and Sept. 29; Kilmean, July 12 and taken in several parts of the county to obviate the inOct. 28; Knockeroghery, Aug. 21 and Oct. 25; convenience of hills on the old lines, by turning the Leckcarrow, March 17, June 27, Sept. 27, and Dec. roads round their bases. But exceptions might be 20: Lough-Glynn, May 25, July 30, Sept. 12, and instanced, where there is still room for great imOct. 15; Milltown-Pass, May 1, July 23, Sept. 22, provements, and not only as to the general line, but and Dec. 20; Mount-Talbot, May 8, June 14, Nov. as to the state of repair of the present surface. The 1, and Dec. 21; Newmarket. May 2, June 26, and general improvement of the roads of the county has Oct. 5; Rockfield, May 14 and Sept. 28; Roscom- been very remarkable, however, within the last mon, Whit-Monday, June 4, and Dec. 5; St. John's, twenty years, and markets and towns have increased July 5; Strokestown, May 15, June 19, Oct. 16, in consequence.' Only two of the projected railand Nov. 13; Tarmonbarry, Feb. 7, May 7, Aug. 17, ways, whose plans were made known by the Public and Nov. 2; and Tulsk, the Friday before Whit- Commissioners, enter or traverse any part of RosSunday, April 6, June 1, and Aug. 18. common: the Dublin and Galway line enters at Athlone, and leaves in the vicinity of Ballinasloe; and the Dublin and Sligo line enters a little above Carrick-on-Shannon, and passes up the left bank of the Boyle river and Lough Key, and down the right bank of Lough Arrow.

Communications.]-The whole of the Upper Shannon navigation, and the part of the Middle Shannon navigation which extends from Athlone to the influx of the Suck, are in contact with the county of Roscommon; the Royal and the Grand Canals, though nowhere entering the county, and though having their termini on respectively its eastern boundary at Tarmonbarry, and its western boundary at Ballinasloe, offer to large districts of it the whole of their advantages of communication; the proposed improvements for rendering the Boyle river and Lough Key navigable to the vicinity of Boyle, wholly belong to the interior of the northern half of the county; and the proposed line of canal, to connect the Shannon with the great Connaught lakes and with the bays of Killalla, Westport, and Galway, is projected to pass across the northern interior. The mail-road from Dublin to Galway and Westport passes across the south from Athlone to

Divisions and Towns.]-The county of Roscommon is divided into the five baronies of Boyle, Frenchpark, Castlerea, North Ballintobber, and Roscommon, in the north, and the four baronies of Ballymoe, South Ballintobber, Athlone, and Moycarne, in the south. A recent arrangement erected the present baronies of Boyle and Frenchpark out of the quondam barony of Boyle, and the present baronies of Castlerea, North Ballintobber, and South Ballintobber, out of the quondam barony of Ballintobber; and the Acts 3 and 4 Victoria, cap. 76, and 6 and 7 William IV., cap. 84, transferred 4 townlands of the parish of Castlemore and 2 of Kilcoleman from the barony of Costello, co. Mayo, to the barony of