126 JULY. 



to the main road, and, turning to our right, turn our 

 backs upon the bay, and, having the gate and stile on 

 our right hand, continue our course for a little distance, 

 when we shall see a stile on our left; crossing this, 

 and likewise the field into which it leads, we shall find 

 ourselves in the " Old Road," with the Hill before us, 

 into which we may obtain access by any of the nu- 

 merous gaps we shall see in the walls that bound it 

 and the road. 



Having now reached the " Hill," a short description 

 of its characteristics may not be out of place. The 

 " Hill"— or rather the " Hills of Howth," for the " Hill 

 of Howth" is composed of two, of which the highest is 

 called "Dun Hill" — is a wild uncultivated tract of 

 land, of which the surface soil is a black heathery loam, 

 on what appears to be a subsoil of limestone; it is 

 covered with a luxuriant growth of heather {Erica 

 cinerea and Erica tetraUx), intermixed with Vacci- 

 nium MyrtilluSy honeysuckle, bramble, stunted sloe 

 bushes, sallow, &c. ; while the plants of lowly growth 

 comprise Hypericum perforatum, Veronica and Thy- 

 mus serpyllum ; and the wet boggy places, which are 

 thickly scattered about, produce, in addition to a goodly 

 crop of rushes, Veronica beccabunga, Myosotis palus- 

 tris and peppermint. On the margin of the Hill are 

 three good plantations, which, although of young 

 growth, produce many insects. One of these plan- 

 tations is situated in the lowest and wettest position, 

 and is composed principally of alder, birch and pine ; 

 of the other two, on the other side of the Hill towards 

 " Howth Castle," the residence of Lord Howth, one 

 is composed of birch, small oaks and spruce fir, and 



