rocks and mountains
are many of them no otherwise improvable than by planting, for which,
however, they are exceedingly well adapted.

Sir John Colthurst was so obliging as to send half a dozen labourers with
me, to help my chaise up a mountain side, of which he gave a formidable
account: in truth it deserved it. The road leads directly against a
mountain ridge, and those who made it were so incredibly stupid, that
they kept the straight line up the hill, instead of turning aside to the
right to wind around a projection of it. The path of the road is worn by
torrents into a channel, which is blocked up in places by huge fragments,
so that it would be a horrid road on a level; but on a hill so steep,
that the best path would be difficult to ascend--it may be supposed
terrible: the labourers, two passing strangers, and my servant, could
with difficulty get the chaise up. It is much to be regretted that the
direction of the road is not changed, as all the rest from Cork to Nedeen
is good enough. For a few miles towards the latter place the country is
flat on the river Kenmare, much of it good, and under grass or corn.
Passed Mr. Orpine's at Ardtilly, and another of the same name at
Killowen.

Nedeen is a little town, very well situated, on the noble river Kenmare,
where ships of one hundred and fifty tons may come up; there are but
three or four good houses. Lord Shelburne, to whom the place belongs,
has built one for his agent. There is a vale of good land, which is here
from a mile and a half to a mile broad; and to the north and south, great
ridges of mountains said to be full of mines.

At Nedeen, Lord Shelburne had taken care to have me well informed by his
people in that country, which belongs for the greatest part to himself,
he has above one hundred and fifty thousand Irish acres in Kerry; the
greatest part of the barony of Glanrought belongs to him, most of
Dunkerron and Ivragh. The country is all a region of mountains, inclosed
by a vale of flat land on the river; the mountains to the south come to
the water's edge, with but few variations, the principal of which is
Ardee, a farm of Lord Shelburne's to the north of the river, the flat
land is one-half to three-quarters of a mile broad. The mountains to the
south reach to Bear-haven, and those to the north to Dingle Bay; the soil
is extremely various; to the south of the river all are sandstones, and
the hills loam, stone, gravel, and bog. To the north