WESTERVIK. 



WESTMEATH. 



3080 



wstuary of the Swan River, near its junction with the Canning. The 

 population is email; the town is however improving, but the houses 

 are scattered over a large area. A bridge has been built across the 

 Canning, another over the Swan, and there is a new jail. Fremantle 

 is on the opposite side of the Swan River actuary, a few miles lower 

 down. It is the seat of the convict establishment, and there is a jail. 

 A lighthouse has been erected upon Arthur's Head, a promontory in 

 front of the town. There is a jetty for the convenience of the port. 

 Albany is a port-town, in the south-eastern part of the colony, in 

 King George's Sound. It has a jail, and some trade in timber. 

 Auytuta is a small port on the eastern side of Cape Leeir.vin, on the 

 scstuary of the Blackwood River. Bunbwry is the port town of a 

 district formerly called Australind, of which a small village still 

 retains the name. The harbour of Port Leschenhault, upon which it 

 stands, is a good and large one, but it has little commerce. Gtraldton 

 is an inland town on the Murchison River, founded in consequence of 

 the commencement of the working of lead-mines there by a company. 

 Quildford is a small inland town, a few miles east of Perth. Northam 

 in a small inland town, in au agricultural district, east of the Darling 

 Range, on the river Mortlock, and is about 60 miles in a direct line 

 E.N.E. from Perth. Kockinyham is on Cockbum Sound, and baa a 

 good port, and some trade. Toodyay is an inland town, abont 20 

 miles X.W. from Xortham, and about 50 miles N.E. from Perth, upon 

 the river Toodyay, which pierces the Darling Range, and falls into the 

 Melville Water, but is not navigable. Vane is a small port on Vasse 

 Inlet, in the centre of Geographe Bay, about 20 miles S.S.W. from 

 Bunhury, abont 50 miles S. from Vasse, across a fine country, form- 

 ing the promontory bounded by Cape Lceuwin and Cape Naturaliste. 

 Other small towns of little importance are named York, Picton, 

 Clarence, and Waterloo. 



WKSTKIIVIK. [SWEDW.] 



WKSTKinv.VLD. [PRUSSIA.] 



WKST.MKATH, an inland county in the province of Leinstor, 

 Ireland, is bounded X. by the county of Cavan, N.E. and E. by the 

 county of Heath, S. by King's County, W. by the county of Ros- 

 common, and N.\V. by the county of Longford. It lies between 

 53 8' and 53" 48' N. lat, 6 54' and 7" 55' W. long. Its greatest 

 length east-north-cast and west-south-west is 35 miles, its greatest 

 breadth at right angles to that line 25 miles. The ana U 70S square 

 miles, or 453,468 acres, of which 365,218 acres are arable, 56,392 

 eras uncultivated, 8803 acre* in plantations, 628 acres in towns, and 

 acres under water. The population in 1841 was 141,300; in 

 1851 it was 107,510. 



Swrfact, Geology, Hydrography, and Communication*. The county 

 has for the most part a gently-undulating surface, not rising any- 

 where to a very great height. Knock Kyne, or Ion, on the border of 

 Loch Dereragh, is about 702 feet high ; Benfore, or Ben of Fowrc, 

 near the Tillage of Fowre, not far from Lough Lane, or Lene, is 710 

 feet high. These, with the other principal elevations, are in the 

 northern part of the county. The whole belongs to the central car- 

 boniferous limestone district of Ireland. There are two small district*, 

 one just round Moate-a-Orenogue, and the other in the same neigh- 

 bourhood, but rather more to the south-went, which are occupied by 

 the yellow sandstone. These beds are considered to belong to the 

 same period as the carboniferous limestone, of which series of forma- 

 tion! they constitute the lowest members. 



The western side of the county belongs immediately to the basin 

 of the Shannon, which forms its western boundary, separating it from 

 the county of Roscommon. Lough Ree, the largest of the series of 

 lake* into which the Shannon expands, is also on the western border. 

 This noble sheet of water is 16 miles long from north to south, and 

 of a varying breadth, above 7 miles in one part. Its outline is 

 exceedingly broken and irregular, and its surface is studded with a 

 number of small islands finely wooded. Those adjacent to West- 

 meatli are, Innismore, or Inchmorc, containing 104 acres, once the 

 rite of a monastery; Hare Island, 67 acres, with the ruins of an 

 abbey ; Innisturk, or Inchturk, 24 acres; and Innisboffin, or Inchboftiu, 

 27 acre*, formerly the site of an abbey ; besides a number of smaller 

 island*. An inlet at the southern extremity of Lough Ree, connected 

 with it by a strait so narrow as properly to constitute it another lake, 

 is almost entirely inclosed within the county. This subordinate 

 lake, which is about 2 miles long from east to west, and in one part 

 above a mile and a half wide, contains a large island called Friar's 

 Island, well wooded at its western extremity. The streams which 

 flow into the Shannon or into Lough Ree are all small. A stream, 

 which rises 3 mile* north of Hoate, and several other streams in the 

 north-west, flow into the Inny, which joins Lough Ree on the border 

 of the county of Longford. There are several small lakes on this 

 f the county, some of which communicate by small streams 

 with I/ough Ree. Bogs are numerous. 



The central part of the county is drained by streams that empty 

 their water* into several inland taken, which are connected by small 

 stream* with each other, and ultimately with the Shannon. The 

 northxrnrnoxt of these is Lough Shoelin, or Shillin, on the north 

 r of the county, from which lough a small stream communicates 

 with Lough Keinal, also on the border. From Lough Keiiial the 

 onnwtini; itream flows southward, first along the border, separating 

 Wcatroeoth from Longford, and then through the county into Lough 



OBOU. CIV. VOL. IT. 



Deveragh. This sheet of water extends 5 or 6 miles in length from 

 north-west to south-east, and has a breadth varyiug from 2J or 3 

 miles near the north-west end, to little more than a quarter of a mile 

 near the south-east extremity. The banks are hilly, and some of 

 the loftiest elevations in the county are in the surrounding district. 

 There are plantations or other woodlands on some parts of the shore. 

 Lough Deveragh receives some small streams : and others, including 

 the Glore, which is the outlet of a small lake (Lough Glore), north- 

 east of Lough Deveragh, fall into the connecting stream. A small 

 brook forms a communication between Lough Iron and Lough Owhel, 

 or Hoyle, 3J miles long from north-west to south-east, and about one 

 mile and a half broad. The banks rise gently from the lake, and are 

 fertile and well wooded. On a small islet in the lake is a rude chapel 

 with a burial-ground, once much resorted to by pilgrims. A supply 

 of water is drawn from Lough Hoyle for the Royal Canal. From 

 Lough Hoyle a small stream flows in a winding channel southward 

 past Mullingar into Lough Ennel, 4J or 5 miles long from north-east 

 to south-west, and above 2 miles broad at the widest part. This 

 lough, sometimes called Belvidere, is studded with small islands. A 

 number of streams flow into the lough. These lakes communicate 

 with the Shannon by two different streams, the Inny aud the Brosna. 



All that part of the county which we have described is included in 

 the basin of the Shannon, though for convenience the central lake 

 district has been described separately. The eastern side of the county 

 belongs to the basin of the Boyne. A number of small streams rise 

 on that side of the county aud flow eastward into the Boyne : the most 

 important is the Deel, one branch of which rises near Mullingar, and 

 another is the outlet of a small system of lakes near the north-east 

 border of the county. The lakes of this system are, Lough B:iwn, 

 the \Vhito Lake, and some very small ones ou the borders; and 

 Lough Lene, Lein, or Lane, and Lough-a-Deel within the border; 

 Lough Lene, the largest of the group, is about 24 miles long from 

 west-north-west to east-south-east, and nearly a mile broad. Its waters 

 are peculiarly clear, and it contains several islets. 



The eastern and south-eastern sides of the county abound with bogs, 

 and some of them are of very considerable extent. 



The county of \Vestmeath is among the most beautiful in Ireland, 

 but its beauty U of a peculiar character, consisting of rich undulating 

 scenery, and not entering into rivalry with the more romantic beauties 

 of Kerry and Wicklow. 



The Shannon is navigable for steam-boats throughout that part 

 which borders on this county. The Royal Canal, which connects 

 Dublin and the east coast with the upper part of the Shauuou at 

 Tarmonbarry, crosses this county from east to north-west, pa-- -in; 

 near Killucan, Mullinsfar, and Ballinacargy. A branch from the 

 Grand Canal between Philipstown and TuUamore in King's County, 

 to Kilbeggan, is partly in this county. 



The principal roads are those from Dublin to Longford and Ath- 

 lone respectively. The Longford road enters this county from that 

 of Heath near Kinnegad, and runs north-west by Mullingar and Rath- 

 owen into the county of Longford. A branch from this at Mullingar 

 take* a rather more westerly direction from Ballinacargy to Bally- 

 mahon. The Athlone road branches from that to Longford just 

 after it enters the county at Kinnegad, and runs westward by 

 Rochford Bridge, TyrreU's Pass, Kilbeggan, and Moate to Athloue. 

 The road from Dublin to Granard runs through the northern part of 

 the county by Castle Pollard ; and a branch from Kinnegad joins this 

 road near Castletown-Delvin. 



Tho Great Western railway from Dublin to Galway enters the 

 county at Killucan, runs westward to Mulliugar, then turns south- 

 ward to Castletown, Streamstown, and Moate, and then westward to 

 Athlone, where it leaves the county. 



Climate, Soil, and Produce. The climate, which is mild and equable, 

 frosts seldom occurring, resembles that of Dublin, but is perhaps a 

 little drier, having few lofty hills, and lying inland ; it is considered 

 very healthy. The soil in the eastern parts is a heavy loam from 7 

 to 12 inches deep. The more hilly parts in the north afford excellent 

 grazing, and the black cattle of this county are considered among tho 

 best in Ireland ; sheep are also fed, but not so largely. In the western 

 parts the soil is light, and there is a good deal of bog ; it is however 

 well suited to the growth of potatoes and flax. The breed of horses 

 is good, and many are reared for the Dublin market. Pis;s also are 

 kept in considerable numbers. The principal grain cultivated is oats, 

 but grazing is the chief agricultural pursuit. Dairy farming is 

 practised to some extent, and a considerable quantity of good butter 

 is made and sold in Dublin. Plantations of wood have been increased 

 of late years, but turf is tho chief fuel. The agriculture of the 

 county is still behind that of England or Scotland. The number of 

 acres under crop in 1853 was 127,214, of which 2797 acres grew 

 wheat; 56,064 acres oats; 3621 acres barley, bero, rye, beans, and 

 peas; 16,200 acres potatoes; 7014 acres turnips; 3248 acres other 

 green crops ; 260 acres flax ; and 38,010 acre* were in meadow and 

 clover. In 1S41 the plantations covered 11,790 acres, yielding oak, 

 ash, elm, beech, fir, mixed timber, and fruit. In 1852 on 10,157 

 holding? there were 13,603 horses, 3554 mules and asses, 68,356 cattle, 

 116,748 sheep, 17,353 pigs, 8616 goats, and 209,559 head of poultry. 

 Tho total value of the stock here enumerated was estimated at 

 720,155*. 



4 A 



