Portarlington, King's County, r. Barrow; one of the best built and cleanest towns in Ireland: many gentry reside here. The Duke of Wellington and Marquis Wellesley here received the rudiments of education. Rathkealé, Limerick, r. Deel.

Roscommon, Roscommon.

Roscre'a, Tipperary; a place of great antiquity; was the seat of a bishopric in the sixth century; a round tower and other ruins: manufacture of coarse woollens; large trade in grain.

Skibbereen, Cork, r. Ilen: linen manufacture.

Sligo, Bay of Sligo; considerable trade. Pop. 12,272. (1.) Strabane, Tyrone, r. Mourne. Pop. 5,456.

Thomastown, Kilkenny, r. Nore.

Thurles, Tipperary, r. Suir. Pop. 7,523.
Tipperary, Tipperary. Pop. 7,370.

Tralee', Kerry, Bay of Tralee; fisheries. Pop. 11,363. (1.)
Trim, East Meath, r. Boyne.

Tu'am, Galway; the see of a bishop: the Roman Catholic cathedral is a fine modern structure. Pop. 6,034. Waterford, Waterford, r. Suir; butter, salt provisions, linen, &c., are exported: steam communication to Bristol: Henry II. landed here in 1172 to take possession of Ireland. Pop. 23,216. (2.)

Westport, Mayo, Clew Bay.

Wexford, Wexford; woollen manufactories. (1.) Wicklow, r. Leitrim; considerable trade to Dublin. Youghall, (pro. Yaw'll) Cork, r. Blackwater; commodious harbour and considerable trade: here the potato was first planted in Europe, having been introduced from America by Sir Walter Raleigh. Pop. 9,939. (1.)

POPULATION.

The Celts appear to have been the original inhabitants of Ireland, who being driven to the western shores of

Gaul, passed into Britain, and thence into Ireland. These seem to have been followed by a number of Scythians, who had been driven from the north of Spain. The Saxons and Danes also found their way into this island. The population is 8,175,124, being 272 inhabitants to a square mile. A century ago it was only 2,000,000.

MANNERS, LANGUAGE, ETC.

The Irish are robust, active, and capable of enduring great labour. They are acute but thoughtless; generally kind but irascible; affectionate to their kindred and attached to the place of their nativity. The native Irish (a dialect of the Celtic) is still extensively spoken. Education is very much neglected, and the greater part of the peasantry are sunk in poverty and wretchedness. The inhabitants of the north-east of Ireland are of Scotch extraction, and retain the manners and habits of their ancestors.

RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT.

The greater part of the Irish are Roman Catholics. The English Church is the established one, under two archbishops and twelve bishops. Presbyterianism prevails in Ulster.

Henry II. rendered Ireland subject to the English crown; but it was not till 1801, that the legislature of Ireland was completely incorporated with that of England.

Twenty-eight peers, elected for life, represent the temporal lords, and one archbishop and three bishops, who sit in rotation, represent the spiritual lords in the House of Lords; 105 members are sent to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Empire. The executive government is vested in a Lord Lieutenant deputed by the crown, and who holds office during the royal pleasure. A numerous armed force, generally exceeding 20,000 men, is maintained in Ireland.

ANCIENT NAME.

Erin appears to have been the original name, which was modified by the Romans into Ierne and Hibernia.

Ireland contains some interesting antiquities, of which the round towers are the most remarkable. These are slender circular buildings upwards of 100 feet high; when perfect they terminate in a conical roof, with four small windows near the top. The sites of 118 of these peculiar buildings have been discovered: they are supposed to have been connected with the worship of the sun in Pagan days.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

How does Ireland lie from England? Into how many provinces is it divided? What are the counties and capitals of Leinster? Name those of Ulster. What are the counties of Connaught? How many counties are three in Munster, and what are their names?

What are the bays or loughs on the north? What on the east? On the south? On the west? What elevation do its mountains reach? Which is the largest lake? How many acres of bog are there in Ireland?

Which is the largest river in Ireland? Where does it fall into the sea? On what river is Waterford? On what rivers are Dublin, Londonderry, and Drogheda? What county in Ireland is nearest Scotland? In what county is Antrim ?

Describe the manners of the Irish. What is the prevalent, and what the established religion? When was the legislature of Ireland incorporated with that of England?

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE, COLONIES, AND GOVERNMENT OF THE BRITISH ISLES.

MANUFACTURES.

The earliest staple commodity of England was tin, first introduced into commerce by the Phoenicians, 500 years before the birth of Christ. This metal principally abounds in the county of Cornwall, and is very rare in other countries. The mines in Malaya, however, which have but recently been wrought, are very rich, and are likely to be powerful competitors with those of Cornwall.

The woollen manufactories are of great importance, and extend themselves over the whole West Riding of Yorkshire. In Wiltshire superfine broad-cloths are manufactured. During the reigns of the early Edwards most of the English wool was sent to Flanders to be manufactured; now, besides using all the fleeces of the immense

flocks of sheep reared in this country, large quantities of fine wool are imported from Germany and Spain, and more recently from New South Wales and the Cape. The annual produce of the woollen manufacture is estimated at upwards of twenty-two millions of pounds sterling. The cotton manufacture is diffused far and wide, forming a grand source of industry and prosperity. Manchester is the chief emporium of this trade. By the aid of machinery, goods are produced, which, without this assistance, would require the aid of 80 millions of men. The largest quantity and the finest quality of cotton wool come from the United States. Brazil, the East Indies, and Egypt also supply large quantities. The manufactured goods, besides supplying home consumption, are chiefly sent to the United States, the East and West Indies, Brazil, Turkey, and Greece. The annual produce of the

cotton manufacture is stated to exceed in value £35,000,000.

Lace is manufactured in large quantities, by machinery, in Nottingham, of which the greater part is sent to Hamburgh, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, and America.

Nottingham is also noted for the manufacture of silk and cotton stockings. Worsted stockings are chiefly made in Leicestershire.

The manufacture of silk has very much increased of late. In plain and substantial goods the English excel the French, their only rivals in this trade, though in fancy goods the French are superior. The raw material is brought in largest quantity from India; but the import from Turkey, Italy, and France is considerable. The chief export of

manufactured silk is to the United States. The annual value of the silk manufacture is estimated at £10,000,000.

Cotton has, to a great extent, supplanted the use of linen. Dundee is the emporium of the linen trade; the manufacture of it is also widely diffused throughout Ireland. The raw material is chiefly procured from Russia and Holland. The annual produce of this manufacture is

estimated at £8,000,000.

The manufactures of iron and copper have become great sources of national wealth. Since the method of smelting iron by means of coal instead of wood has been introduced, the quantity of iron made in Britain has increased greatly. It now manufactures as much iron as all the rest of the world put together, and imports merely the finest kinds from Sweden, Russia, &c., for the manufacture of steel. Sheffield has long been remarkable for its cutlery ware. Birmingham, from the variety and beauty of the articles which are manufactured there, has been styled the toy-shop of Europe.

Elegant earthenware forms an extensive article of exportation; Staffordshire is the principal seat of this manufacture.

The manufactures of glass and fine steel, clocks, watches, &c., are deservedly eminent and extensive.

The whole value of the manufactures of all kinds produced annually in Great Britain, is reckoned to be about 150 millions of pounds sterling.

COMMERCE.

From the days of Alfred, the shipping of the empire has always been made an object of primary importance. At present the British navy rides mistress of the seas, and not a port in any portion of the world eludes the vigilance of the British merchant. The number of ships in the merchant service of the empire is about twenty-four thousand, having a tonnage of two and a half millions. Of the sea-ports in Britain, the greatest amount of tonnage belongs to London: Newcastle ranks next; then follow, in order, Liverpool, Sunderland, Hull, Whitehaven, Whitby, &c. If the rank of a port be estimated by another test, the amount of duty paid at the customhouse, London again stands first, and Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, &c., follow in order.

The value of British produce, or manufacture, exported to foreign parts may be stated at thirty-seven millions of pounds sterling.

Cotton stuffs and yarn are the most important articles of export; they at present amount in value to about half of the entire export of British produce and manufactures. The articles next in amount are woollen goods, linen, hardware, refined sugar, iron and steel, &c.

Besides the export of British goods, colonial and other foreign products, imported into England, are in considerable quantities reexported.

The principal articles of import, (named in the order of their importance,) are sugar, tea, corn, timber, and naval stores, cotton, wool, woods, and drugs for dyeing, wine and spirits, tobacco, silk, tallow, hides, &c.

Great as is the foreign trade of Britain, the home trade is greater. Even in the article of cotton as much is consumed at home as is ex ported.

COLONIES.

The territories belonging to the British are numerous and extensive, In Europe, Gibraltar and Malta are important possessions in a military point of view; the Ionian Isles, to the west of Greece, are under the protection of the British.

In Asia, India, Ceylon, part of the Burmese empire, Malacca, and Penang, New Holland, Van Diemen's Land, and New Zealand.

In Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, Sierra Leone, St. Helena, the Isle of France, &c.