has posted himself as I have stated; and not giving a single thought whether or not in passing another vehicle on the road, or turning a corner, he endangers "his honour's" legs, which are likewise by no means free from a rub of the wheel through the canvass when the opposite one plunges into a rut.

If the car has its full fare of four persons, and the Hibernian Jehu must in that case keep to his stool (alias box-seat), it may happen that, twitching the mouth of his jaded beast, by way of coaxing him into a trot, he pokes his elbow into his neighbour's face, with which it is just upon the level. With this number in going up hill, the whole weight of the front passenger falls upon him in the rear, which is by no means agreeable, particularly if he should chance to be a heavy one; and the same thing must happen to the front passenger in going down hill.

If there be but one in the car, up hill he slips to the farthest end of the seat, and down hill he is involuntarily sent back to the other extremity. Even on level ground he is ill at ease, as the points of the shafts are generally on a line, or nearly so, with the top of the horse's collar; and, consequently, it requires no little exertion to maintain his seat and avoid these slips. My driver, however, made very light of these matters. "Och! your honor will asily fall into the way of that."-" Perhaps so, if I don't fall out of it!" But, allons! let us proceed. Setting aside, however, all these petty inconve

niences, I must say that, of all the contrivances I ever met with in any part of the world, for the accommodation of travellers, an Irish car is just the very worst, and more particularly so for travellers in Ireland, where it rains, I verily believe, at least three hundred days out of the three hundred and sixty-five; and yet the car affords neither protection for his person nor his baggage-(squeezed into the well in the middle between the seats)-from the wet. But an Irishman seems never at a loss for an expedient. "What shall I do," said I, "if it rains?" Change sides wid me, your honour, and if the rain comes in front, go over to the opposite side, and take it in the rear." A miserable alternative, it must be confessed.

66

The mail was dispatched from Donaghadee for Belfast in a car of the same description, though it bore the name of The Royal; and I might have availed myself of this conveyance into the town, distant about twenty miles, but I learnt that the direct road was dull and uninteresting, and might give me an unfavourable impression at first starting. I therefore felt myself disposed, in fairness to the Green Island, and to avoid catching an early prejudice, to take the road which was most likely to give me a favourable impression, and that was the one leading along the shores of the Lough or bay of Belfast, which, although it lengthened the distance, would well repay me for the short detour. The drive did not disappoint me, nor did my vehicle, for it was

just as uneasy, and gave me just as many merciless jars and jolts, as I had anticipated. The diversified views of the country, however, fully compensated for the inconvenience. On the right was a broad expansive sheet of water, on which were a number of small vessels, and two or three of a larger class, under sail. The opposite shore, enlivened with numerous white-washed houses, standing in the midst of gardens and cultivated grounds, gave to that side of the bay a cheerful appearance; and the town of Carrickfergus, with its ancient castle, built on a rock that juts out into the sea, is an object of importance, and sufficiently near to give an interest to the landscape.

At a short distance from the opposite coast the country rises into a succession of hills, the most important of which is that known by the name of Cave Hill, said to be upwards of a thousand feet above the level of the sea. On the shore of the Lough, along which I was travelling, we passed through two small bathing-places, the one named Bangor, the other Hollywood. They are neat villages, and the houses generally appeared to be good; as, indeed, they must be, to attract bathers from Belfast and the neighbouring country. At Bangor I remarked two large cotton manufactories, the one belonging (as I was informed) to Colonel Ward, and the other to a company at Belfast. Colonel Ward resides in a pretty-looking castellated house, completely surrounded with plantations and wood, but visible from

the road. It was here I understood that the late Lord Castlereagh was brought up, and received the first rudiments of his education.

In the course of the journey we passed a poor aged woman, who seemed to be exerting herself greatly beyond her strength in walking with hurried steps towards the town, in pursuit, as it appeared, of some object of great interest to her. She begged hard of the driver of my car to give her a lift, which he flatly refused to do. The poor creature uttered a most piteous sigh, and said no more; but, having observed the melancholy expression of her countenance, that denoted some heavy affliction, I felt grieved that this little mark of kindness, which would have cost him nothing, should have been denied to her; and I asked him why he refused to receive her, to which he replied, "Sure, your honour, we're better without her." "Perhaps," I rejoined, "the poor woman may not be of the same opinion.” This seemed to have its weight. And evidently observing that it was my wish, and intention too, to accommodate the poor aged and way-worn traveller, he presently turned round to me, as we were leisurely ascending the hill, and respectfully touching his hat, said, "I'm just thinking, plase your honour, we'll be apt to take her in now;" and accordingly stopped to receive her. I learnt from this poor creature that she was actually on her way to Carrickfergus, to which place, she told me, with tears in her eyes, she was going for the purpose of

reclaiming a watch, pocket-book, and pencil-case, the property of her son, who had been wrecked in a sailing-boat off Bangor, and was unfortunately drowned in her presence. By her account he had clung to the mast for several hours, and no one on the shore could be prevailed on to venture out to his assistance, but coolly witnessed his situation and suffering, regardless of all her entreaties. I must hope it was the state of the weather alone that prevented any attempt to save the life of the young man.

We stopped once, about half way, to give the horse a wisp of hay and a little water; and in the interval I had ample proof that beggars were plentiful enough in these parts. I was very sorry, too, to see some miserable objects amongst them (one man dreadfully swollen with dropsy) who ought to have been the inmates of an hospital, rather than outcasts on a high road.

The situation of Belfast, at the very extremity of the Lough, is low, and not very inviting; nor could any one, approaching it by the road on which I had travelled, suppose it, from the view at a little distance, to be a town of much importance. With this feeling I entered Belfast, across the Lagan, over a long and narrow bridge which I was told was more than two thousand feet in length, and supported on twenty-one stone arches. On driving through the town, however, and entering the broad High-street, my impression was more favourable.