present the appearance of rusty nail-rods sticking in the mud, caused by a ferruginous oxide abundant in the adjacent soil.

The botanist will find many specimens worthy of a place in his herbarium by taking a walk at the base of the basaltic cliffs, or on the slopes bordering on the Lough towards Kilroot. His diligence may likely be rewarded by meeting with that rather rare plant, the Orobanche rubra. Mr. Moore, who was attached to the Natural History Department of the Ordnance Survey, found specimens of the Carex Buxbaumii and Calama grostis, both new to the English and Irish Floras.

The pasture land of the county of the town is celebrated for the richness and variety of its natural and artificial grasses: hence the high reputation of the Carrickfergus cheese and butter, the former of which, although not a staple article of trade, is made in considerable quantities.

Lough Marone-Glenoe-Eden-The Dalway Harp-Island Magee -The Salt Hole-Sorley M'Donnell-Maheramourne Lime Works -Larne-Olderfleet Castle.

of

There are

Two miles north of Carrick the beautiful scenery the Antrim coast may be said to commence. two roads by which the tourist may proceed. The old road, over the hills by the commons, is the more picturesque: the new road, by Ballycarry, is the most

agreeable for driving. By the former the distance is not more than seven miles, by the latter about nine. The old road has many fine points of view, especially of the Lough, with the town and Church, and the fine old stately castle in the foreground; and, on the opposite shore, the sprightly little towns of Bangor and Hollywood, with the Down coast forming its southern boundary. Higher up, the road passes near a considerable sheet of water, called Lough Marone, which is nearly 500 feet above the sea; and by judicious management it could be made available for irrigation to a very profitable extent. There being no plantations, it has rather a naked and uninteresting effect. Indeed, the whole of the county of the town is singularly deficient in wood planting, which, if attended to, would not only thrive admirably, but greatly beautify the district. Farther on is the romantic little village of Glenoe, with its fine stream and waterfalls. The drive from this to Larne, across the steep brows which bound the Lough, is very beautiful, but the road is not in such good order as to induce many to prefer it to the new line, to which we may now return.

At the little village of Eden there is a salt spring, a sure indication of the extent of the saliferous deposit. A little farther on is Kilroot Demesne; the demesnes of Bella Hill, the seat of Marriott Dalway, Esq.; and Castle Dobbs, the ancient residence of the Dobbs family.

Mr. Dalway is the owner of the celebrated Dalway harp, bearing, amongst many other inscriptions, the proud boast of being the "Queen of Harps." It was exhibited

amongst the Irish antiquities in the Great Exhibition, and attracted the marked attention of Her Majesty. From Kilroot there is a road leading into

ISLAND MAGEE,

which, after all, is no island, but a very interesting peninsula, lying between Lough Larne and the sea, and containing many things worthy of the notice of the tourist. This tract is nearly eight miles long, by one or one and a half broad. On the isthmus is the ruins of Castlechichester, one of the castles of the Donegal family; after which, having crossed Slaughterford Bridge, the scene of some traditional rencounter between the Scots and Irish, you are fairly within the district of Island Magee. In the summer months pleasure parties to

Black Head and the Gobbins are of frequent occurrence. At Black Head there are two singular rocks, of the most grotesque form, called "My Lord" and "My Lady."

The Gobbins is the name given to the remarkably fine basaltic cliffs, rising from the sea more than 200 feet perpendicular. Here you gain one of the first of the magnificent views for which the coast of Antrim is so celebrated. Innumerable flocks of sea-fowl frequent these cliffs in the breeding season, and not unfrequently tempt the thoughtless visiter to the cruel and unseasonable gratification of shooting during the season of incubation. A moment's reflection ought to correct a practice so repugnant to natural feeling.

This tract was the scene of a dreadful massacre by an united band of English and Scotch soldiers from Carrickfergus, who made a foray upon the Irish in retaliation for some previous cruelty, and drove a considerable number of these unfortunates over the high cliffs into the sea.

On the south of Brown's Bay, near the high watermark, is one of the ancient Logan or Rocking Stones of the Druids, now displaced from its pivot; and in the north of the island there is a remarkably fine specimen of a Druid altar, consisting of six large stones standing upright in two rows, two feet asunder, on which formerly rested a slab two feet thick by six feet long, but now only three stones support it, the others having apparently sunk into the ground. In ploughing the field in which this altar stands several gold ornaments have been found; in 1817 a piece of pure gold, eleven inches in length, was turned up, twisted into a sort of spiral, evidently a portion of a torque; and, in 1824, several