ery means to have me well and
accurately informed. But first let me observe that I was much pleased to
remark, all the way from Naas quite to Rosscrea, that the country was
amongst the finest I had seen in Ireland, and consequently that I was
fortunate in having an opportunity of seeing it after the involuntary
omission of last year. The cabins, though many of them are very bad, yet
are better than in some other counties, and chimneys generally a part of
them. The people, too, have no very miserable appearance; the breed of
cattle and sheep good, and the hogs much the best I have anywhere seen in
Ireland. Turf is everywhere at hand, and in plenty; yet are the bogs not
so general as to affect the beauty of the country, which is very great in
many tracts, with a scattering of wood, which makes it pleasing. Shaen
Castle stands in the midst of a very fine tract. From Mountrath to
Gloster, Mr. Lloyd's, I could have imagined myself in a very pleasing
part of England. The country breaks into a variety of inequalities of
hill and dale; it is all well inclosed with fine hedges; there is a
plenty of wood, not so monopolised as in many parts of the kingdom by
here and there a solitary seat, but spread over the whole face of the
prospect: look which way you will, it is cultivated and cheerful.

The Shannon adds not a little to the convenience and agreeableness of a
residence so near it. Besides affording these sorts of wild-fowl, the
quantity and size of its fish are amazing: pikes swarm in it, and rise in
weight to fifty pounds. In the little flat spaces on its banks are small
but deep lochs, which are covered in winter and in floods. When the
river withdraws, it leaves plenty of fish in them, which are caught to
put into stews. Mr. Holmes has a small one before his door at Johnstown,
with a little stream which feeds it. A trowling-rod here gets you a bite
in a moment, of a pike from twenty to forty pounds. I ate of one of
twenty-seven pounds so taken. I had also the pleasure of seeing a
fisherman bring three trout, weighing fourteen pounds, and sell them for
sixpence-halfpenny a piece. A couple of boats lying at anchor, with
lines extended from one to the other, and hooks in plenty from them, have
been known to catch an incredible quantity of trout. Colonel Prittie, in
one morning, caught four stone odd pounds, thirty-two trout. In general
they rise from three to nine pounds. Perch swarm; they appeared in the
Sha