The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-09-21
From the New-York Statesman.l
Letters from Ewope-No. vi.
DUBLIN, 18th JULY. 1925.


On Saturday morning last, the 9th
inst. we left Limerick in the post-coach,
at 5 O'Clock, and arrived at Dublin at
g O'Clock on the same evening. The
distance is 81 Irish, or about 1l6 En-
giish miles. Each of the horses belong.
ing TO this line, has name stamped up
on the collar. Our coach was drawn
by Bolivar, and other heroes. RELAYS
are stationed along the road, at the dis
lance of eight OF ten miles. Changes
are effected with great expedition, sell
dom occupying more than two minutes.
SO exact are the times Of arrival at the
different stages, that The teams are stand.
ing harnessed at the door of the inn,
aRd the only delay is the unhitching and
hitching the traces. Irish horses are
generally stout and we'll fed, calculated
for strength rather than speed. They
are not SO feet as ours. An American
stage, with an American driver, would
fly like lightning along an Irish road
which presents no distractions. have
smiled at the caution with which drivers
in this country move. They begin TO
turn out by the time another team is in
sight, always taking the left hand side
of the path, exemplifying the solecism
that in travelling, "the left is always
the right" Where there is only mod
crate descent, the wheels are chained.
With such roads and such precautions,
accidents very seldom happen. Tray
ellers feel so much security as frequent
ly TO sleep upon the top of the coach,
although at almost dizzy height from
the ground. We were told that our
ride from Limerick TO Dublin was a
pretty fair specimen of English travel
ling, and if so, it has the preference in
point of comfort over ours. The mo-
ton of the coach is easy. and very little
fatigue was felt by US at the end of the
long journey.
The road between these two cities
stretches nearly across the island in a
diagonal direction and as we rode al
most the whole distance upon the out
side of the coach, we had good view
of the interior and agricultural part Of
the country. Both in point Of soil and
cultivation, Ireland has much surpassed
my expectations. The surface is uni.
form, consisting ofmoderate fluctuations,
with here and there chains of hills and
intervening boys. There is, however,
very little waste land, the high grounds
being used for pastures to the very tops.
and the morasses for supplies of fuel
A destitution of trees and timber is the
great defect in Ireland, both in point oil
convenience and beauty of landscape
No woodlands are seen, except about
the seats Of the more wealthy inhabi.
tants; and the residence of one of the
nobility may be ascertained as far as the
eye can reach, by the green copses a,
round his dwelling. Geologists infer
from the strata in the boys. tina, ireland
was at three different periods covered
with forests of heavy timber. These
morasses are composed of vegetable
and ligneous materials, some Of which
are found in perfect state, in different
layers, for many feet below the surface
Slumps and trees of large growtl
have frequently been dug up in cutting
! turf.
The soil is heavy and moist, being
much better adapted 10 pasture AM
grass land than TO other crops. Whea
fields, however, look well, and ar,
sometimes extensive. One was seen OF
Saturday containing twenty acres. Pc
tatoes, however, are The staple commo
dity, and fields ofthem are seen al ever,
rod along the road
Fruits Of all kinds in this country ar,
rare, with the exception, perhaps, o
| the gooseberry, currant and strawberry