ment to them to keep the navigation of the river at all times in perfect repair, without which neither they nor the public could derive any advantage from it. This completely anfwers the principle already laid down, the propriety of which is fupported by the authority of a man * juftly esteemed the first economical writer in the world. I fhall only further remark, that the wifdom of this liberal policy will act more powerfully as an incentive to open, improve, and extend the various other rivers, which fall into or interfect the great ones, than any bounty which could be granted by Parliament; the advantages arifing from the free navigation of the Shannon, together with the communication (which a period of three years will effect) between the capital and that river, by means of the Grand Canal, must produce a fpirit of improvement in the province of Connaught, hitherto unknown and unexpected in that part of Ireland.

The river Suck may eafily be made navigable as far as Ballinafloe, and a line of communication may be formed at a moderate expence between that river and the lower part of Lough Corib, which falls into the Bay of Galway, and then a complete Inland Navigation will be open from the Harbour of Dublin to the Bay of Galway, interfecting the middle of this ifland at right angles with the river Shannon, which nearly divides it from north to fouth.From the northern part of the river Shannon, a line has been furveyed by the valley of the river Leitrim through Lough Scur and Woodford Lakes into Lough Earn, and from thence to

* Adam Smith.

the

the Bay of Donegal, by Ballyfhannon and Belleek, as appears by Mr. Richard Evans's report to the Navigation Board, and alfo by a report of Mr. Wm. Chapman to the Lough Earn Company.-Another line of communication between the Shannon and the Western Ocean has been fuggefted by the river Boyle, Lough Key, and the Lough and river Arrow into the Bay of Sligo. A navigable communication alfo be found practicable between Lough Earn and Lough Neagh by the Blackwater river, and from Lough Neagh by the upper Bann to the fea at Cole. rain, (the northern extremity of this ifland).—I have already mentioned that the communication is now open between Lough Neagh and Belfast by the Lagan navigation, and to the Bay of Carlingford by the Newry canal.

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The rivers Derg, Fin, and Foyle, (the two first rifing in lakes of the fame name) all communicating with each other, fall into the fea at Lough Foyle, and interfect the county of Donegal, and water the towns of Lifford, Strabane, and the city of Londonderry, in the moft admirable manner. In short, what might be deemed no more than a trifling national expenditure, (if judiciously applied) would be fufficient to produce a complete navigable communication between every part of Ulfter, and unite that province with the river Shannon, through Lough Earn and Woodford lakes, as already mentioned.

The river Nore, one branch of which runs near the collieries of Caftlecomer, is capable of being made navigable to the town of Kilkenny, and from thence to the tide water at Rofs. And a furvey has alfo been made of a line between the Nore, a little below Kilkenny, to the river Barrow near Loughlin

bridge;

bridge; and this fine river, (the Barrow) being, as already mentioned, vefted in the hands of a company who are carrying on their works with dili gence, will in the courfe of two years, be naviga ble from its junction with the Grand Canal below Athy, to the fea at Waterford.

The river Suir, which rifes in the Banduff mountains in the county of Tipperary, is capable of being made navigable to the town of Thurles, in the faid county; from whence it runs to Holycrofs, and then to Ardfinane; then turning to the east, it divides the counties of Tipperary and Waterford. It then paffes the towns of Clonmel and Carrick, from which laft place it is at prefent navigable.

I confider this river under the fame predicament with the Nore-Both thefe rivers fhould, upon my plan, be made navigable at public expence, and free from all tolls except fome very fmall charge which might be barely fufficient to keep them in repair; and there can be little doubt that the company of undertakers of the river Barrow, would contract to perform these useful works, at a fair eftimate, without any other confideration for their trouble and rifk, than the advantage arifing to them from the great encrease of trade on their navigation, confequent of fuch extenfion.

The river Slainy rifes in the fouth-east extremity of the county of Wicklow, and proceeding in a winding courfe, fometimes turning fouth-eaft, fometimes to the fouth-welt, paffes into the county of Carlow, and then in a fouth-weft direction, divides the

county of Wexford, till with full and fwelling

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ftream

ftream it reaches the town of Ennifcorthy, from whence rolling fmoothly in a fouth courfe, at length it makes an elbow, and running directly eaft falls into a bay of the fea, a little below the town of Wexford, which ftands on the fouth bank of this river. Some confiderable ftreams which empty themfelves into the Slainy, and others which fall into the eastern fide of the river Barrow with no fudden defcent, approach fo near to each other in the county of Carlow, that there is very great reafon to believe, a navigable communication might, without much difficulty be effected between the two rivers, and alfo a navigable communication between the Slainy and the river Avon, which latter after paffing the Copper-mines, at Cronebean and Ballymurtagh, empties itself into the sea at Arklow. And as the Barrow is on the point of becoming completely navigable, it is highly probable, that if the junction between the two rivers were once formed, the evident advantages refulting from inland navigation would foon overcome the difficulties which might present themselves in making the river Slainy navigable from the points of junction, to the fea at Wexford and Arklow.-On fome of thefe fubjects, however, I speak with diffidence, as fufficient furveys have not yet been made, whereon to found an opinion of their eligibility.

The river Black-Water in the county of Cork is now navigable no higher than Lifmore; but we are informed by Lord Orrery's letters, that it was formerly navigable as far as the town of Mallow, which is forty miles from

its mouth. There are feveral falmon-wears, and other impediments on the river, but none that might not be removed without difficulty, and the river restored to its former utility with a very moderate portion of trouble and expence; which,. whenever the benefits refulting from Inland Navigation are more univerfally felt, muft of courfe be effected.

The river Lee, which empties itfelf into the fea fifteen miles below Cork, is navigable no farther than that city, but by the abatement of wears and a very moderate expence, it might be made navigable for fifteen or twenty miles farther up the country.

I have already mentioned, that the navigation of the river Boyne, is at prefent nearly compleated as far as the town of Navan; from whence it might, without much difficulty, be extended to Trim, and from thence by Clonard, to join the Grand Canal near Edenderry; a work which would be of infinite fervice to the agriculture and improvement of that part of the country, as it would be a means of fupplying it with turf at a moderate rate, and would at the fame time furnish it with coal and culm by a direct communication through the Grand Canal, with the collieries of Dunan and Castlecomer. The other branch of the Boyne, from Navan to Kells, and from thence by the Blackwater river to Lough Romer, in the county of Cavan, is is alfo practicable. This county and the county of Westmeath, are both fo interfperfed with lakes communicating with each other, fome of which empty themselves

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