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stupendous rocks, sharply shelved towards the base, and presenting 
winding cavities, formed by the raging and constant dashing of the 
waves. The scenery on these islands is bold, romantic, and pleas- 
ing, surrounded with a tract of ocean, almost entirely boundless 
to the eye. Their upper surface is a tissue of barren rocks, inter- 
spersed beneath with numerous verdant and fertile spots, of a shal- 
low gravelly soil, and lime-stone bottom, producing good and early 
crops; the only manure being sea-weeds, and no summer fallow 
for the destruction of the weeds, which over-run all that is arable. 
Near the shore the soil is sandy, and generally mixed with a rich 
loam. The prevailing crops are potatoes, rye, and a small kind of 
black oats, all. which ripen early, and are of good quality, and 
sufliciently productive. ‘The islanders sow some small quantities of 
barley and wheat, and in that operation employ an increased quan- 
tity of manure. . They have also small crops of flax. On the whole, 
their harvest seldom exceeds domestic consumption ; agriculture, how- 
ever, is daily improving, Their pasture land is appropriated to 
sheep, goats, and a few small cows and horses, for which latter they 
reserve some meadow. ‘The mutton is considered delicious ; but 
their most profitable stock consists of calves, which are reputed to 
be the best in Ireland. 
The general longevity of the inhabitants proves the excellent 
temperature of the air.. There is a late instance of an Aranite hav- 
ing died at, or about, the age of one hundred. and fifty. It was 
this excellence of climate that gave rise to the fable of the incor- 
ruptibility, in these islands, of all dead and uninterred bodies, such 
as,Cambrensis and others have foolishly related. This quality of 
the air, together with sobriety and industrious habits, accounts for 
the hardness, strength, and activity of the inhabitants. Here no- 
thing is known of the gout, rheumatism, &c. nor of any of those ar- 
