CHAPTER VI.

Belfast, the great maritime town of Ulster, introduced.Soil and surface of the neighbouring country. 1.-Political, moral, and commercial character of Belfast.— Humorous description of the hospitality of towns.— Rapid progress of Belfast in commerce and the useful arts.-Description of its infant college, literary societies, and benevolent institutions.—Names of the newspapers published in that town.-Religious intolerance exposed. -Natural history of the bay of Belfast.Seats in its vicinity described.

Belfast.

We have at length conducted our readers, through a great variety of scenes, to this grand mart of the commerce of the north of Ireland, which is situated in the latitude of 54° 35′ 43′′ north, and longitude 5' 58′ 14′′, west of London; and, whether we regard this town, in relation to its trade, its shipping, its public buildings and institutions, the magnificence of the bay, on whose shore it stands, or the symmetry and beauty of its streets, and its open and elegant communication with the inland country, we are equally compelled by all those features of its history, to acknowledge, that it approaches nearer to perfection than any other town in that province; and, in point of commer

cial eminence, may justly be denominated "the Liverpool of Ulster."*

Climate of Belfast.

The air of this region is reputed colder and more moist than in the more southern districts. The difference of temperature in the atmosphere, even at the distance of a degree, is said to be sensible to every observer. The vicinity of the county of Antrim mountains, which are ranged on the opposite shore of the Belfast lough, with Lough Neagh upon the one side, and Strangford lough, which lies at the distance of about five miles, in the opposite direction, may cause the district of Belfast to be more moist and inclement, than its latitude would otherwise indicate. The summers are tempered by cool

* Although the bay, on whose shore the towns of Belfast and Carrickfergus are situated, has been hitherto denominated "the bay of Carrickfergus," from the ancient importance of this latter town, as a garrison and place of trade, yet, as the sun of commerce appears for a long time to have been setting upon Carrickfergus, and rising high upon Belfast, in some modern charts and surveys, this water is denominated "Belfast lough." To this transition, so fully justified by the circumstances of the case, we have conformed; and conceiving that this latter town, as a grand centre to the shipping of the whole district, should give its name exclusively to this commercial water, we have, in contemplation of that event, styled it, in our subsequent allusions, "the lough, or bay, of Belfast." This explanation, if attended to by strangers, will prevent any confusion which might arise in their minds from this slight transition.

refreshing breezes, which render the air peculiarly salubrious at that season; but the whole line of country on one side of the lough, lying exposed to the N. W. winds, so prevalent here in winter and spring, the temperature at these seasons is more strikingly severe, and is hurtful to vegetation. The inhabitants, nevertheless, do not give any proofs of its insalubrity, being generally healthy and robust.

Soil and surface.

The surface of the country, from Belfast to Hollywood and Cultra, between hill, valley, and plain, is greatly diversified, and consequently the soil is of various descriptions. In the hilly country, the bottom, or sub-soil, is cold and gravelly; in the south-western end of the parish of Hollywood, it is a dead ruddy sand, and, in the remainder it is a heavy red clay. The two latter, under proper cultivation, form a fruitful soil, especially the argillaceous. The hills are occupied by tillage, nearly to the top, and in most parts of Ireland, cultivation is rapidly advancing up the sides of its lofty elevations. The high price of provisions during the late war, may be considered as the origin of this advance upon the mountains, but it is the rapidly increasing population of the country that maintains it.

To that pleasing variety in the geography of the soil, which we have just noticed, as characteristic of that section of the Belfast dominion, which extends along the shore to Hollywood

and Cultra, the country towards Downpatrick, and elsewhere, in the southern dominion of that port, furnishes, by the general uniformity of its aspect, a striking contrast. These different sections, however, being all highly improved, and all included within the commercial dominion of the PORTE; as likewise those great waters, the bay of Belfast and Strangford lough, the entire territory of Belfast presents a variety of hill and dale, wood and water, and consequently of land and sea views, which places it on as proud an eminence in the Irish picturesque, as most other rural territories which this land can boast of.

This town, within the last ten years, has been reputed to contain nearly 4,000 houses (inclusive of the suburbs), and a population of 30,000 souls, which, with the exception of a few private families and professional individuals, is composed of persons in the numerous walks of trade; all of whom, from the brogue maker to the banker, stand, like the men of England, on a level with their business, attend assiduously to it, and seem to think of nothing else, until the sabbath-day (which they hold in great veneration) arrives, when they drop, like a hot potatoe, all the small concerns of this lower world, and assemble, shaved and white-washed, some to chaunt a Latin hymn to the music of the holy Pope; others, a psalm in English, to the more modern notes of the English bishops; others to the most barbarous broad Scotch slang that ever disgraced a

conventicle in the mountains; a few to our dear brother Smith's "sacred harmony," which flows back upon him, from the tuneful sisters, in melting responses; and lastly, a select number of wise men assemble, who say nothing, and, therefore, do not leave it in your power to offer a criticism upon their compositions; or, if they speak, it is in the rough cough of uneasy silence, or in humiliation's soft still sigh, which borne upon echo's gentle wing, may reach the heart, but in that impenetrable fortress, cannot be assailed by the shafts of criticism.-The men of Belfast, with all this character of trade, are, however, very attentive to the public institutions of their town, and are said to be very liberal in making provision for them. In former periods of their history, they were also eminently distinguished by a spirit of political independence, which, subsequently to our union with England, appears to have taken a long repose; but the agitation of the Queen's question in that country, with others of great constitutional importance, revived it, and we find the men of Belfast (the only men in Ireland, who thought proper to try the experiment) assembling to offer their opinion upon the conduct of his Majesty's ministers, on this public question; a proceeding, in which they appear to have been materially assisted (as on all others of a public nature) by the talents of Mr. Lawless, a gentleman whose name stands high in the political annals of that town.

Thus much for the political character of Bel