OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 219 



to go down a declivity equal to it, when a moft inviting 

 valley appears to the right or to the left, which he very 

 naturally thinks would have made as fhort a line of 

 road, and would have faved him and his panting beaft 

 the fatigues of afcending and horrors of defcending, 

 without cofting the county one {hilling more than that, 

 which has produced fo much pain and fo many alarms. 

 This changing of the line of roads, to avoid fteep hills, 

 muft neverthelefs be gradually accompliflied, upon ac- 

 count of the attendant expenfe ; yet one of the baro- 

 nies, in which it is moft neceflary, would admit of 

 fome increafe, as it is lower taxed than any other in 

 the county. In laying out new roads, care is generally 

 taken, as far as circumftances will allow, to avoid the 

 evil complained of, and the mail coach mad now car- 

 rying on, upon the plan of avoiding the hills rather 

 than taking the flraiteft line, will afTuredly prove a 

 comfort and fecurity to travellers, and a credit to the 

 county. Great fervice has been done in feveral parts 

 of the county, from levying and laying out with dif- 

 cretion the penny an acre for the repair of parish roads. 

 The aft, which not only allowed, but in fome meafure 

 enforced the raifing of this tax, expired a few years 

 ago, but has been revived the lafl feflion, or that be- 

 fore. It is to be lamented, that any fufpenfion fliould 

 been given to fo ufeful a law, as when people are once 

 out of the habit of paying a tax, they do not fo wil- 

 lingly return to it ; but of all taxes, thpfe for roads are 

 5 f 2 Jeaft 



