[ 34 1 



many parts of Ulfter it is a blafted tree ; and in all unflieltered 

 fituations, in the three northern counties of Antrim, Derry, and 

 Donegal, the fpecies feems faft verging toward annihilation*. 



Attentive to each prognoftic of the feafons, alive to every 

 circumftance whereon the future fubfiftence of his numerous 

 family, in a populous country, may depend, the farmer of the 

 north fees thefe veftiges of the tempeft with folicitude ; and often 

 taught, of late, to dread the effedls of fummer ftorms on his 

 luxuriant crops of potatoes, he has become querulous from ex- 

 perience, and thinks he has fome reafon to complain that the 

 feafons are Icfs favourable to his hopes than formerly ; that the 

 pine tree has not forfaken the mountains, nor the afh been' 

 blafted in his fields, without the influence of encreafing tempcfts. 



Of the Sands. 



The waf^e and dreary folitudc of extended barren fands, 

 which almoft every fea-coaft exhibits, is generally pafTed over 

 with rapidity, as ufelefs to the philofopher, from the incalculable 

 fluduation of its furface ; and wearifome to the traveller, by its 

 difgufling uniformity. 



Yet, in the midft of fuch a fterile fcene, where nothing occurs 

 to divert the path, or diftrad the penfive mind of the traveller, 

 if traces of human cxiftence fhould fuddenly become vifible, if 



enclofures 



* In Lancafhire in England, between Garftang and Preflon, the trees arc alfo cut 

 off by the wefteriy winds. See Newte's Tour, year 179 1. 



